It seems like common sense, but then again, Voltaire observed, "common sense is not so common," a sentiment also reported to have been expressed by the quintessential American humorist Mark Twain and Horace Greeley, a 19th century New York newspaper editor.
While it should have gone without saying, free samples of beer need to be limited. Turns out, however, it didn't go without saying until Mike Scheuerman, proprietor of Friendship Wine & Liquor in Abingdon, showed the not-so-common trait of common sense last week when he asked the Harford County Liquor Control Board to put a limit on the number of samples that can be tested by customers planning to fill their growlers.
"It's taking much longer than we anticipated," Scheuerman said of the process that goes into customers choosing a variety of beer to fill their growlers. It's a new problem, as filling growlers at taps in liquor stores is something that became legal in Harford County, and most of the rest of Maryland, only recently.
Seeing the good sense in Scheuerman's concerns – not to mention that it's not a good idea from a safety standpoint to allow a retail packaged goods store to be turned into a place where people can stop for what could easily turn into a few servings of beer – the liquor board imposed a six sample limit.
As liquor board member Thomas Fidler put it: "Six is more than adequate."
Though customers selecting which brew to fill their growlers with should already have known this, it's good at least someone had the sense to know there's a time to say when.