Skill of the Bartender

Bartender

You order a rum and Diet Coke

You're drinking cane-based booze. You might as well pile it on.

You order your drink in 'fingers'

It's a joke among our crowd that the under-21s order in "fingers" to try to seem more sophisticated - and less underage.

That's when customers use the width of their fingers to indicate how much liquor they want.

Basically, if you order your drink like this, I will ask to see your ID. Seriously.

You order a complex drink whose substitutions make it a basic drink

When people try to mask their more basic, but desired, drink choice with substitutions, it's their insecurity that I judge, not their desire to have a vodka soda.

So please. Just ask for a vodka soda. Don't ask for a gimlet, sub-gin-for-vodka, sub-lime-and-sweetener-for-soda.

You arbitrarily add egg white to your drink

Whiskey sour. Amaretto sour. Ramos gin fizz. These are the drinks it is appropriate to request egg white with, if it's not already assumed.

A gin and tonic is not.

You ask me to make 'whatever you want'

Bartenders hate this. Don't do it. Be decisive.

Or at least be decisive when I ask a follow-up question.

"Refreshing or spirit-forward?" "Up or on the rocks?" "Bitter or smoky?"

When people insist on sticking with the "whatever you want" script when pressed to answer questions to find a perfect drink, you're hurting me when you should be helping me help you.

Also, here's a trade secret from me to you: We have a favorite drink to make. It's called a neat pour of anything.

You order a well-known brand, but dismiss my suggestions for a better, lesser-known one Part of our job is to know what's well marketed versus what's good.

So I'll always throw side-eye to someone who dismisses a suggested spirit that would have probably both saved them money and enhanced their drink.

You order ice in your wine

I say this as a person who does this occasionally. But only on $3-wine night. And with a healthy dose of shame.

You order 'Tito's with vodka'

It never fails to amuse me when this happens. And for some reason, this slip of the tongue only happens with Tito's.

You request an obscure garnish

Some people have weird neuroses about drink garnishes, while others treat the bartender like a Subway-sandwich artist at the garnish station.

I fondly recall when a guest asked for "a single blueberry" in his drink, which for some reason, we had on hand.

Another common eye-roll is asking for multiple Luxardo cherries. Fun fact: Those babies cost $0.33 a pop.

You request a menu drink, but ask to substitute vodkaon't do this. Don't make me explain the vast taste difference between scotch and vodka and why that substitution won't fly.

Then again, it's fine. You do you. Live your best life. Order whatever you want.

Just know, we are judging you.

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