HOPs

[Roger Mexico]

16 hours ago, jackwhite said:

Their Facebook and Google specifically state the hours. They were also very clear when they'd be open.

That's great and unlike a lot of people it's clear that they keep the information updated.  But would it be too difficult to put an "Opening Hours This Week" notice in the door?  Restricted hours bars clearly can work very well on the Island (Kiki's for example) but if people are passing by and fancy a try, they'll want to know when they can do so without having to play about on their phones.  And that's going to be especially true if the hours vary from week to week according to circumstance.

They're not alone in this of course and an awful lot of shops and services fail to show opening hours because "everybody knows what they are".  But it always seems such an easy thing to do and a mystery why so many don't.

[The Voice of Reason]

2 hours ago, jackwhite said:

It's pomp and nonsense to serve whisky in a Glencairn glass?

The glass is specifically designed to enhance the aroma and taste of the liquid. It's the same with many other alcohols and glasses. Would you accept your Timothy Taylor in anything other than a pint glass?

Preferably a Libbey pint glass but I’ve not seen any used in establishments here.

Re whisky glasses I find the Glencairn glass a little small for my big hands and have to tilt my head right back when drinking from it. I much prefer the Rueben Crystal Rocks glass which in no way impairs the flavor and aroma of the whisky.

For red wine I would go for the Schott Zweisel PURE burgunday glass, and for white the Denk ‘art Zalto. Both mainly for the weight of the glass, but also for swirling to release the aroma.

But sadly, again I’ve yet to be served either wine in one of those glasses on the Island.

 

[Barlow]

1 hour ago, jackwhite said:

On the flip side of all of this, they have had people walk in off the street after seeing the sign only to take one look at the beer board and go 'not for me'. 

ie the price.

They are in the wrong establishment for sure.

1 hour ago, Andy Onchan said:

Call me old fashioned but I'm a spit and sawdust pub ale (not lager!) drinker. I tend to find the customers have character in places like that. It's not just the ale/alcohol, it's the craic as well. 

Sadly many of the characters who frequented the North Quay pubs in Douglas in the past have moved on to the 'Cheers' pub in the sky!  

Each to their own.

Ahh 'characters' ie alcoholics hiding in a pub.

The sort of people who used to laugh a lot, especially at their own jokes and too often. It took me a while to suss that the main reason for the frequent laugh was to disguise and ease a smokers cough. 

 

 

20 minutes ago, CrazyDave said:

The signage is currently an issue.  I literally walked past the place and I had gone down specifically to seek it out!!  

So did I first time but once you know it is there - you know.

 

[jackwhite]

31 minutes ago, CrazyDave said:

You seem very anymore any feedback?

The signage is currently an issue.  I literally walked past the place and I had gone down specifically to seek it out!!  A decent sign potentially catches the eye of people walking past and piques their interest. My feedback is that there is absolutely nothing about the outside or windows of the place that make it stand out or in anyway enticing.  That’s potential customer feedback, take it as you will.

You mentioned last night figures suggesting 5 percent of people are cigar smokers?  I would be revisiting my research.  I doubt even 5 percent of men aged 45 plus as regular cigar smoker, never mind the population in general.

Good luck to them but a new business really needs to be open a lot, and taking on board feedback good and bad.

Annoyed do you mean? I'm actually not annoyed I just get fed up with negativity. Given your comments last night that's a funny observation.

Feedback? That's fine. I hear what you're saying. 

I've worked with cigar bars in the UK. Statistics show around 13% of the population being cigarette smokers in general. I don't think it's that big a stretch to believe 5% of people are cigar smokers. There are also women that smoke them too. I've seen them at various cigar bars and also at Hops.

They are open as much as they can manage. Given what I've explained to you you're being unreasonable to be annoyed that they were closed on Bank Holiday Monday. They've also opened on occasion at the request of a customer. A few people coming from the UK have enquired whether they are open on a specific night. If they haven't been, they've offered to open to accommodate them. This offer has been accepted on at least two occasions in their three weeks trading that I know about. So if you'd checked with them whether they'd be open or even enquired with them if they were, they may well have accommodated you.

Edited September 4, 2023 by jackwhite

[jackwhite]

20 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

That's great and unlike a lot of people it's clear that they keep the information updated.  But would it be too difficult to put an "Opening Hours This Week" notice in the door?  Restricted hours bars clearly can work very well on the Island (Kiki's for example) but if people are passing by and fancy a try, they'll want to know when they can do so without having to play about on their phones.  And that's going to be especially true if the hours vary from week to week according to circumstance.

They're not alone in this of course and an awful lot of shops and services fail to show opening hours because "everybody knows what they are".  But it always seems such an easy thing to do and a mystery why so many don't.

That's fair enough comment. I will pass it along to them.

13 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

Preferably a Libbey pint glass but I’ve not seen any used in establishments here.

Re whisky glasses I find the Glencairn glass a little small for my big hands and have to tilt my head right back when drinking from it. I much prefer the Rueben Crystal Rocks glass which in no way impairs the flavor and aroma of the whisky.

For red wine I would go for the Schott Zweisel PURE burgunday glass, and for white the Denk ‘art Zalto. Both mainly for the weight of the glass, but also for swirling to release the aroma.

But sadly, again I’ve yet to be served either wine in one of those glasses on the Island.

 

So to be clear, you think Glencairn glasses are 'pomp and nonsense' yet expect specific glasses for your drinks? Specifically a crystal one or wine glasses that are £7.50 each? In a bar? Have I got that one about right?

[Roger Mexico]

21 minutes ago, jackwhite said:

I've worked with cigar bars in the UK. Statistics show around 13% of the population being cigarette smokers in general. I don't think it's that big a stretch to believe 5% of people are cigar smokers. There are also women that smoke them too. I've seen them at various cigar bars and also at Hops.

Statista reckon around 600,000 cigar smokers in the UK, which would be around 2% of men, but I suspect HOPS is also going for the occasional cigar smokers (ie a few times a year) who may not included in those figures.

[Blade Runner]

This thread reminds me of the pile on Stu Peters got over his coffee shop many years ago, sad, really sad how the crab is still alive and kicking with all its legs on the rock.

Jack, hope all goes really well for the place.

I am over in December for a night out, will be going to look it out as it sounds like one of the few places in Douglas/ the island that will not be full of drunk Chavs trying to start a fight.

Would you stock Aberfeldy 21 Year Old by then? 16 year old would do at a pinch 🙂 

 

 

[CrazyDave]

Just now, Blade Runner said:

This thread reminds me of the pile on Stu Peters got over his coffee shop many years ago, sad, really sad how the crab is still alive and kicking with all its legs on the rock.

Jack, hope all goes really well for the place.

I am over in December for a night out, will be going to look it out as it sounds like one of the few places in Douglas/ the island that will not be full of drunk Chavs trying to start a fight.

Would you stock Aberfeldy 21 Year Old by then? 16 year old would do at a pinch 🙂 

 

 

There are loads of places that aren’t full of drunk chavs trying to start a fight FFS.

In the last 20 plus years of drinking in pubs all over the island I have seen one punch thrown and that was a Christmas funeral where a son lamped his step dad after a few beers during a very stressful time.

Don’t talk such rot.

[Andy Onchan]

34 minutes ago, Barlow said:

Ahh 'characters' ie alcoholics hiding in a pub.

The sort of people who used to laugh a lot, especially at their own jokes and too often. It took me a while to suss that the main reason for the frequent laugh was to disguise and ease a smokers cough. 

 

Nope. At least not the people that I used to meet up with, most were still working and would turn up 17:00ish to about 19:00 but not every day; labourers/construction industry and at one point a fella who used to work in the AG's office.

There was one retired fella (widower as I recall) who sat in the front room of the Saddle (I think it was) who used to do the Times crossword. He used to have frequent trips to the lavvy and whilst he was away someone would pick the newspaper up and fill a few missing squares in. That used to wind him up something awful but he took it in good spirit. For a short while he took the newspaper to the toilet but gave that up as he kept dropped it in the urinal. He hardly ever paid for his own beer, it was bought for him.

His visits to the hostelries was more to do with loneliness than anything else. When he died the majority of the mourners were the lads from the various boozers he frequented.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

52 minutes ago, jackwhite said:

That's fair enough comment. I will pass it along to them.

So to be clear, you think Glencairn glasses are 'pomp and nonsense' yet expect specific glasses for your drinks? Specifically a crystal one or wine glasses that are £7.50 each? In a bar? Have I got that one about right?

Not really. 

I don’t expect a particular glass but those are my preferences.

You sounded like you were trying to debunk the myth that whisky drinking is not for “ ordinary” people and then go on about the Glencairn glasses in use at HOPs which cost how much?

Maybe I misunderstood you.

[jackwhite]

2 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

Not really. 

I don’t expect a particular glass but those are my preferences.

You sounded like you were trying to debunk the myth that whisky drinking is not for “ ordinary” people and then go on about the Glencairn glasses in use at HOPs which cost how much?

Maybe I misunderstood you.

A 6 pack of Glencairn glasses are around £25.

They're not expensive but are designed for the purpose and, surprisingly, very durable. 

[jackwhite]

27 minutes ago, Blade Runner said:

This thread reminds me of the pile on Stu Peters got over his coffee shop many years ago, sad, really sad how the crab is still alive and kicking with all its legs on the rock.

Jack, hope all goes really well for the place.

I am over in December for a night out, will be going to look it out as it sounds like one of the few places in Douglas/ the island that will not be full of drunk Chavs trying to start a fight.

Would you stock Aberfeldy 21 Year Old by then? 16 year old would do at a pinch 🙂 

 

 

Thanks.

I'm not actively involved in the business. It will likely be cost neutral to me if I got a return 🤣

I will pass your suggestion on though.

[Barlow]

All this talk about glasses, and less so about the actual whisky.

One of the biggest, if not the biggest Youtuber on the Isle of Man is Ralfy Mitchell.

Take a look at his whisky review pages, but here is a one-off on glasses:

 

When he brings out a new review there are immediately 1000s of hits from around the world. He knows his stuff and presents the reviews in an informative and interesting manner.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Barlow

[majkul]

Is this establishment "my type"? Nope. But I wish them (and all those who are passionate about what they do) really well. Not easy starting something from scratch, especially in hospitality, and more especially in the Isle of Man. I truly hope they are successful.

Having said it's not "my type", neither are the likes of Jaks, 1886 (God Forbid), The Front Porch and others. Partly because my wife says so, but mainly because I'm proudly becoming a miserable old bastard who prefers to go home after work, and sip some wine while listening to the Blues (not just the missus whingeing either).

[Blade Runner]

4 hours ago, The Voice of Reason said:

Not really. 

I don’t expect a particular glass but those are my preferences.

You sounded like you were trying to debunk the myth that whisky drinking is not for “ ordinary” people and then go on about the Glencairn glasses in use at HOPs which cost how much?

Maybe I misunderstood you.

You may guess what I drink Whisky from at home but if you cant here is what I use.

And yes they are the exact same ones from the film I took my MF name from.

You have to drink from the corners or you spill your drink all over yourself but they keep a chilled glass, with a few rocks, cold for a very long time to sip your favourite Scotch

These heavyweight glasses combined with frozen "Rocks" - not ice - is the ultimate way to spend a Sunday evening just chilling and thinking about how good you used to be as you get older  🙂

*P.S. The older I get the better I was.

ETA  that  Ralfy Mitchell review does not include these Arnolflo di Cambio works of art so I discount that review.

If he reads this thread and wants to try them he can PM me and I will send him a glass.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Blade Runner