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Who orders just a beer? (I am dumb for just having noticed this)

posted 17 days ago by Zarkoff (2139)
17 replies | jump to latest

I was watching A Futile and Stupid Gesture (OK movie about a comedy writer named Doug Kinney) and a character walks into a bar, orders a beer, and sits down. Not a Schlitz, or a Pabst, or whatever.

I think this is actually pretty common in movies. Is it a legal issue, like they don't want to deal with a company not wanting their product name used?

It's such a reality breaking moment, now that I'm aware. Yes, I hadn't noticed it for many years, but that's just because of my general lack of awareness. I'm the last person to notice a continuity error, for example. Now that I have noticed it, any time this happens again, I'll be thinking "no one does that!".

[–] db20db (17414) 17 days ago

I pointed this out long ago to a coworker who invited me out for "a beer" after work. It's like this classic commercial gimmick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-YMqnzlcHk

[–] nyctc7 (43943) 17 days ago

Or they order a "draft"

[–] jriley555 (8391) 17 days ago

I'll have a refreshing carbonated beverage, and a smattering of those peanuts for which your establishment is justifiably famous. Have you any boiled eggs ? I have my own salt.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78049) 17 days ago

It’s as stupid and fake as the perfect parking spot in front of the cafe where you have a meeting.

Try parking in the city, it’s fucking impossible.
You’ll drive around the block eight times!

[–] MarkPh (512) 17 days ago

Not sure about the US, but here in Europe it's quite common that the interior of a bar is financed by a beer brewing company under the condition that the bar will sell only this trademark of beer, therefore in many bars there's no difference between simply ordering a beer and a beer of a specific trademark, because many bars have just one trademark.
The choice which trademark of beer you want is made when you decide which bar to go to.

[–] Zarkoff (2139) 17 days ago

That's interesting, but I've never seen that here in the states. Certain events, like sports matches, will have a sponsor and sell beer by one maker, but even then they'll be multiple kinds of beer available.

[–] MarkPh (512) 17 days ago

In Munich, Germany there's a bar (at least used to be, haven't been there in like 30 years and don't know if it still exists) that made it their "trademark" to have as many trademarks of beer as they could find, it's called (translated) "The House of 111 Beers".
Other than that, when you walk through the cities in Europe most bars will have a sign outside the door with the logo of the trademark of beer they sell inside.

Multiple kinds of beer of the same trademark are common in Europe as well, but it's also common that simply ordering a beer without specifics refers to the traditional or original type the brewer got the business started with.
You can order "a light one" (referring to the color of the beer), or "a half" (referring to beer mostly being served in half liter glasses) or "something big and cold", without even mentioning you want beer, you'll always get the same thing.

[–] mikethemartian (6903) 16 days ago

I was once told in Germany it is typical to have a neighborhood pub which one can easily walk to from home.

[–] AndyKing1967 (39232) 16 days ago

That’s pretty much the case for most of Europe.

[–] jriley555 (8391) 17 days ago

Here in the US, we need fifty choices for everything. That's what sets us apart.

[–] MarkPh (512) 17 days ago

In Europe you have the same variety, only not all in the same bar.
If you look at it realistically, in the US not all the bars will have all trademarks of beer, they may have a selection of different ones, but no bar will have all of them, so if you want a specific trademark of beer it's also decided by which bar you go to, just like in Europe.

[–] CaptBeefBlower (335) 16 days ago

That's definitely not true of the UK or Ireland. You'd get a sarcastic response or a look of pity if you just ordered "a beer". Apart from those vile, syrupy confections they flog in Belgium, all continental beer is the same anyway, being essentially bland fizzy piss.

(I'm joking. Sort of.)

[–] chilidoggg (14439) 17 days ago

When you say "Budweiser," you've said it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGp_1MOeOjc

[–] AndyKing1967 (39232) 16 days ago

Sometimes, when I’m in a country that I’ve never been to before, I’ll just order ‘a large beer’. Normally the bar tender has a good grasp of what I desire 🍺

[–] db20db (17414) 16 days ago

You mean one of these? https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/woman-drinking-a-pitcher-of-beer-gm173562552-7619120 😁

[–] AndyKing1967 (39232) 16 days ago

Yep! That’ll do the trick 🍻

[–] mar46 (86) 16 days ago

I never really cared but yeah you're exactly correct! No bar serves just one beer in the US, but many in Germany do.