Built-in pour spouts in bottles

[JAZ]

A few weeks ago, I spent about 20 minutes trying to get rum out of a Flor de Cana 1.75l bottle that came with a pour spout. I couldn't remove the spout, even trying to pry it out; I finally ended up stabbing through the spout with a pair of scissors, It works now, but not well.

And that's not the only lame pour spout I've encountered. Beefeater gin 1.75l bottles comes with one that comes out about half the time I take the cap off, so I can never pour without checking the bottle. Of course, when it comes out, I can just throw it away, so it's not as annoying as the Flor de Cana bottle.

Why do bottlers feel the need to put pour spouts in bottles? In my experience it's mostly the large bottles that have them, but some smaller bottles do too. Are there any good pour spouts that come in bottles, or are they all a total waste of plastic? Does anyone actually like pour spouts?

[Chris Amirault]

My understanding is that there are two kinds of pour spouts. One is to prevent explosions from high proof spirits; Everclear, Wray & Nephew overproof rum, and a few others I've seen have these flameproof spouts.

The other kind of pour spouts are intended to provide flood control, so to speak. But they all seem really dumb to me.

[mkayahara]

I think I've heard or read that the spouts are supposed to prevent less-scrupulous bars from refilling brand-name bottles with less-than-premium spirits, but I'm not sure whether or not it's true. I did notice the other day that Robert Hess decries them in his video for the Anejo Highball.

[lostmyshape]

yeah... i read in a article on tequila (or maybe it was pisco... don't remember where) that the spouts prevent the bottle from being refilled and resold either as a full bottle or in bars that want to cut costs by replacing with rotgut. i've never been able to get the annoying things out. i bet their super annoying to pros who want to put speed pourers in.

[bmdaniel]

A few weeks ago, I spent about 20 minutes trying to get rum out of a Flor de Cana 1.75l bottle that came with a pour spout. I couldn't remove the spout, even trying to pry it out; I finally ended up stabbing through the spout with a pair of scissors, It works now, but not well.

And that's not the only lame pour spout I've encountered. Beefeater gin 1.75l bottles comes with one that comes out about half the time I take the cap off, so I can never pour without checking the bottle. Of course, when it comes out, I can just throw it away, so it's not as annoying as the Flor de Cana bottle.

Why do bottlers feel the need to put pour spouts in bottles? In my experience it's mostly the large bottles that have them, but some smaller bottles do too. Are there any good pour spouts that come in bottles, or are they all a total waste of plastic? Does anyone actually like pour spouts?

I've had the exact same issue with the Flor De Cana 1.75s - Looked like just a manufacturing defect, because I've had other ones that were fine.

[thirtyoneknots]

My newest Flor de Cana 1.75L bottles actually didn't even have the flow regulating apparatus in them, just a sort of necked-down area at the spout. That and the subtle flavor difference in new and old (undoubtedly due to the older bottle being very slightly oxidized) had me panicking a bit but I don't think anything else changed.

[Troy Sidle]

In general I would rather bar tend without the use of my hands than be subjected to a bottle with governor spout.

However, with Luxardo Maraschino, it's kind of nice. For one thing, you don't end up with a sticky pour spout that's nearly impossible to remove from the bottle. Also, it regulates the flow just right; you never need much of it, and if you use too much it's way too much.

[Snowy is dead]

The molinara sambuca spout works well and doesn't clog.

However, I used to enjoy the sight of the bartenders at Maddy's in Marblehead Ma making drinks. They used plastic 1.75's with the pour spouts. Three good squeezes per drink.