Woman arrested for selling millions of fake Kona coffee for almost a decade:

[1Kflyerguy]

I use to know a bar tender who’d make a bet with people that they couldn’t tell the difference between three beers. He set three tasters out, tell them the names of the three beers and let them take a shot. He won the bet nearly every time.

With coffee I can generally tell better quality from lessor. Kona and Blue Mountain have a distinctive flavor, but they’re so expensive that fakes abound, so I stay away unless I’m buying direct from the vendor.

That would probably depend on the beers and styles for me. Big name major brewers I probably couldn't tell them apart. But an IPA, lager and pilsner I probably could, but not the brand unless I was given the 3 names to match to the beer.

 

[Talent312]

We're a Jamaican Blue Mountain family.... whole beans.

 

[dougp26364]

In the 80’s it was all major breweries. I don’t even know if there was such a thing as an IPA. The big “luxury’” beer was Michelob and his bet was people couldn’t tell the difference between Michelob, Budweiser and I think the other one was Miller High Life. He use to say everyone’s problem was not cleansing their palate with water between tastes. I still think there just isn’t that much difference when you’re drunk. I watched him win a $10 bet close to 100% of the time.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

know a bar tender who’d make a bet with people that they couldn’t tell the difference between three beers. He set three tasters out, tell them the names of the three beers

Wait a sec. HE got to choose the 3 beers? And people actually BET him. Unbelievable.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

In the 80’s it was all major breweries. I don’t even know if there was such a thing as an IPA.

Wait? What? "IPA" means India Pale Ale. For ale they shipped to India, the Brits used to use extra hops to brew and also throw extra hops into the barrels to help keep it fresh. Of course, they did not use US hops and they didn't compete on "how hoppy" they could make it. Sierra Nevada did make at least one IPA in the USA in the '80s. I had it, but tough to get on the East Coast. (reminds me how people used to "smuggle" Coors to the east coast (in the '70s I guess). I remember the first time I had a Coors, and thought "HUH? THIS? They fuss about THIS?")
The '70s, early '80s was a nadir for beer. But if you lived in Boston, Sam Adams saved the '80s. I drank Bass or porters or Sam Adams almost exclusively. Then in the midto late '90s, Bass seemed to lose almost all of its shelf-space in the US & then right around 2000, they began making Bass in the USA and it was never the same. Dropepd that like a BAD habit.

 

[dougp26364]

Wait a sec. HE got to choose the 3 beers? And people actually BET him. Unbelievable.

it helps that they had already had a few beers in them before he’d offer the bet. Imagine that, the sober guy making a sucker bet with the drunk crowd. What was funny was the first person would lose, then everyone else wanted in on the action PLUS they thought he was such a great guy they’d tip well to boot.

 

[jeffox]

It's been years since I've had a Bud Light or Coors Light, but I bet I could still tell the difference between those and Miller Lite.