Being a bartender is no simple task. One must mix drinks, juggle customers, and create a pleasant environment for the bar—all while hearing customer concerns and making sure that operations run smoothly.
One part of being a bartender that is not exactly a necessity, however, is having an in-depth knowledge of all the drinks available at the bar. While a bartender may know how to make a wide variety of cocktails, they may not be able to, for example, tell you the exact difference between a Tennessee and a Japanese whiskey.
An area where this is especially prominent is beer. As there are over 100 styles of beer produced around the world, it’s not surprising that the average bartender who may specialize in cocktails doesn’t know the ins and outs of each beer type.
Users online recently noted this fact after a video on the topic was posted by TikTok user and bartender Giustina D’Amato (@giustinadamato).
In a clip with over 85,000 views as of Sunday, D’Amato quotes a question from a customer, writing, “‘What’s the difference between lagers, pale ales and IPAs?’”
The audio over the video is a clip of comedian Theo Von saying, “Um, I don’t know what I’m talking about, and I never have.”
@giustinadamato Idk dude ill just pour you a taste lol #bartenderlife #bartender #bartendersoftiktok #bartenders #barteninggal #ipa #beer #draftbeers #draftbeer #serverfyp #bartenderfyp #fyp #viral ♬ original sound – Theo Von
In the caption, D’Amato notes that she’s figured out a solution to this issue.
“Idk dude ill just pour you a taste lol,” she writes.
At first, some users tried to explain the differences between these styles of beers, often with a humorous flair.
“Lagers are good and (I)PAs taste like pinecones soaked in catpiss,” a user joked. “Hope this helps!”
“Brew master girly here: lagers – light, crisp, like a budweiser, pale ales – lighter, hoppy, slightly bitter, IPA (depending on style) – hoppy, bitter,” another offered.
“Lager and ale are fermented with different types of yeasts. lager yeast ferments better with cold fermentation,” explained a third. “IPA is a pale ale with more hops.”
Other users simply stated that they, too. do not fully understand the differences between beers.
“I’ve been a bartender for 5 years,” a commenter claimed. “I have no idea.”
“They’re different beers that’s what I said,” shared a second.
“Me [except] I’m a server and only 21 and have to explain I’ve only legally been drinking for a year lmao,” said another TikToker.
We’ve reached out to D’Amato via TikTok direct message.
