Beer can be complicated. Ever since the rise of craft breweries in the mid-2010s, bars have gone from stocking just a few labels to a wide array of brands and brew varieties, each one with its own distinct taste.
Given this new range of options, serving beer has become a somewhat difficult endeavor. While servers used to be able to manage with only a passing understanding of beer, they are now asked about the many different options their restaurant or bar has—leaving them in an awkward situation if their beer knowledge is lacking.
The servers of St. Louis Bar & Grill (@stlouisbargrill_freddy) in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada recently sparked discussion after noting this very issue in a joke video with over 529,000 views.
@stlouisbargrill_freddy “are they hoppy or hazy?” uhhh uhhh uhhhhhhh 😅#restaurantlife #serverproblems #serverlife #fyp #servertok #foh #work #relatable #stlouisbarandgrill ♬ original sound – Theo Von
The text overlaying the video reads, “When a table starts asking about IPA’s and lagers but we’re literally just teenage girls.” The video shows two servers lip-syncing to comedian Theo Von saying, “I don’t know what I’m talking about, and I never have. I never really have.”
These servers aren’t the first to point out this confusion. Earlier this year, a bartender made the same joke using the same audio, inspiring debate and jokes in the process.
In the comments of this video, many users said they related to the servers’ problem.
“When they ask what heavy beers i reccomend, like sir im a 22 yr old teen girl who drinks vodka crans,” wrote a commenter.
“‘Have u tried this?’ I literally had braces what do u think,” shared another.
“Used to just make stuff up at the brewery I worked at,” recalled a third. “And they ate it up fr.”
Others encouraged the servers to inform themselves about the drinks their restaurant offers.
“Learning this stuff will improve your tips and overall income,” stated a user. “Ive never understood servers who dont what to learn the industry.”
“Just write a cheat sheet to keep in your server book and the more people ask the more you’ll remember!!” detailed a second.
For those curious, an IPA or India Pale Ale is generally “hoppier,” more bitter, and has a higher alcohol content. Lagers, in contrast, tend to be lighter and crisper in flavor with a lower alcohol content.
But if one doesn’t want to learn this information, a TikTok user in the comments offered their own method.
“My boss always saying ‘just tell them the most expensive, they’re not gonna try every ipa we have today,’” admitted a TikToker. “GENIUS.”
The Daily Dot reached out to St. Louis Bar & Grill via email.