When does "enough" become "too much" ?

[gillumhouse]

Thank you so much to everyone for the feedback. Yeah, I know most folks drink scotch on the rocks, but if you do that in Scotland the bartender will glare at you. It's meant to be enjoyed neat or with a few drops of water. I had a decanter at one time, but it was challenging to keep it clean. Plus guests were sloppy pouring from it. I had one gal empty it all over my hardwood floor & wool rug, then yell at me when I mentioned breakfast was delayed bc I had to mop up an unexpected spill.
Anyway, I like the idea of removing the bottle after a certain time, like when I turn down the lights in the parlor around 7 or 8. My current guest drank the whole bottle of bailey's in 3 days by enjoying glasses of it every evening around 5 <sigh>.
I'll bet if I changed the cordial to sherry or cognac, it wouldn't disappear nearly as quickly.
Morticia, your story about the stale cookies and skimpy amount of wine is sadly humorous! We tried an all out "wine & cheese" happy hour once or twice. Not a single guest came, and we had great local craft beers, wine, the whole 9 yards. I think it's because we're not a "destination" inn. We're in the middle of a city and folks go out to do their own thing..

You are upset because your current guest took some of the complimentary cordials each night of her stay. I don't understand. If I were staying at your inn, I would have done the same.
Oh, look, honey, they put out Baily's. Let's have one before we go out to dinner.
Perhaps you don't drink, but a cocktail each night when you are on vacation is not a big thing. And we always try to enjoy the amenities of whatever hotel we stay at. The pool, fitness center, complimentary cocktails, coffee, whatever they offer, we generally try. It's part of the fun.
I think if you don't want people to drink it, don't put it out.
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I think an entire bottle in 3 nights is more than just a cocktail. Sounds more like lush - I believe that one she refers to is there alone.
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Yes, she is here *alone*. And she's drinking a large glass full of bailey's each night - I've seen her doing it. She has also had local family members come over during the past 3 days "to see the beautiful B&B" and apparently drink all of my booze. The entire bottle of scotch is nearly empty, too. It's not a matter of a guest enjoying amenities, it's a matter of a guest abusing amenities. IMHO, if there are tiny cordial glasses set next to the bailey's, it is an invitation to enjoy a small amount, NOT an entire cocktail.
This is the last straw on a loooong list of items that this woman has done during her stay. Her 2 adult daughters stayed over the weekend (which I knew in advance), arriving late on Friday night. Saturday morning, they surprise me by bringing a 1yo to the breakfast table (blatantly violating our no kids policy). They then proceed to want special food for the baby, want me to do their laundry, want me to supply a toothbrush and feminine products, specially wash the baby's bottles, provide coffee to go, etc. This is by far the most demanding, high maintenance reservation I have ever had in 6 years!
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Yes, she is here *alone*. And she's drinking a large glass full of bailey's each night - I've seen her doing it. She has also had local family members come over during the past 3 days "to see the beautiful B&B" and apparently drink all of my booze. The entire bottle of scotch is nearly empty, too. It's not a matter of a guest enjoying amenities, it's a matter of a guest abusing amenities. IMHO, if there are tiny cordial glasses set next to the bailey's, it is an invitation to enjoy a small amount, NOT an entire cocktail.
This is the last straw on a loooong list of items that this woman has done during her stay. Her 2 adult daughters stayed over the weekend (which I knew in advance), arriving late on Friday night. Saturday morning, they surprise me by bringing a 1yo to the breakfast table (blatantly violating our no kids policy). They then proceed to want special food for the baby, want me to do their laundry, want me to supply a toothbrush and feminine products, specially wash the baby's bottles, provide coffee to go, etc. This is by far the most demanding, high maintenance reservation I have ever had in 6 years!

Ok. Lets take a step back now and breath. This person is not your typical guest. This is a PITA and you should not change your routine based on the actions of this 1 guest. BUT if the bottle runs dry on a regular basis then I would consider making a change. - But I do agree that setting a time limit would be best for all.
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Ok. Lets take a step back now and breath. This person is not your typical guest. This is a PITA and you should not change your routine based on the actions of this 1 guest. BUT if the bottle runs dry on a regular basis then I would consider making a change. - But I do agree that setting a time limit would be best for all.
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It's happened a handful of times, tho this case is the extreme. No one has drained both bottles, but a few guests have drank the entire bottle of scotch or baileys. One set of guests bought me a replacement bottle, one set paid me $20, and the remaining dozen or so didn't care. Also, guests pouring a full tumbler definitely happens more frequently than I ever imagined. So yesterday I bought a $6 bottle of cream sherry to set out. Problem solved.
Thank you everyone for the thoughtful comments and advice, and for lending an ear to my rant
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Put the cheap stuff in an inexpensive decanter that looks like crystal and they will not know the difference. They will perceive it to be the "good stuff".

 

[Tom]

State law (Oregon) allows beer and wine at B&B, but not hard liquor without license, but I would not put out self serve hard liquor anyway out of concern for guest driving under the influence and liability would flow to the server. We do offer local wines and home-brewed beer, but only by direct service: I pour to a 5 oz point on our logo classes. The wine is not cheap: a 750 ml bottle is $12 to 15 for whites, $20 to 28 for reds, but it has the cachet of local origin. Two pours (a couple) costs me average $8, about what it costs to charge a Tesla. I would never leave it out. And serving plonk to discourage consumption ruins the intent of hospitality.