Maybe you haven’t gone out in awhile, and tonight’s the night you need to cut loose. Or maybe you’ve had a real rough week at work, or maybe this is just your typical Friday routine…
Whatever the case, you should realise your bartender isn’t in the same boat as you. To them, this is their place of work, their job; and they are not here just for tonight but five times a week.
They’re not balls to the wall, cutting loose. They’re doing their job, and if you want to keep them happy, then you should know these 10 things. Acknowledging the unique environment of bartending in Canada adds another layer to this understanding. Canadian bartenders, like their global counterparts, approach their craft with skill and dedication. Working in a diverse and dynamic industry, bartenders in Canada navigate the intricacies of mixology and customer service.
Tipping is not optional, it’s required.
In Europe, tipping is not a real thing? Fascinating. But we’re not in Europe, are we? And bartenders don’t make minimum wage because of our tipping economy. So, don’t be a jackass and leave a tip. (One drink is equal to $1, just so you know.)
Don’t be afraid to ask for variations.
A friend of mine’s favourite drink is a Negroni with a flip. A ‘flip’ for those who don’t know, means shaken with an egg white…Nasty. Now, this is not my drink of choice by any means, but this is this guy’s favorite. It only takes one extra ingredient to make his beverage perfect, so his bartender can easily do this. Know this, your bartender wants you to actually enjoy your drink. They won’t mind adding a variation or two, so don’t be too shy to ask.
Say what you mean.
In addition to this, we want you to say exactly what it is you want. A half glass of wine means something totally different to each person (I tend to over pour. Sorry not sorry.) Stating that you’d like only two fingers of wine in your glass or a straw-ful of water in your whiskey may seem wayy too picky to the person behind you in line, but it actually helps us out a lot. Now, we can actually make your drink with specific measurements. (Believe it or not, bartenders follow recipes.)
Don’t be a micro-manager.
So…we’ve got your drink order. Great. Don’t be hovering over us as we make it. Case and point: you’d like a half glass of wine? OK. But don’t be staring at us shouting “That’s enough! That’s enough!” if we happen to accidentally add a few extra drops. You don’t have to drink it all, so chill.
If you don’t know what you want…
Do not hold up the line because we will skip over you. If you get to the bar and dawdle or are being rude, chatting up your friend…we’ll move on. Pay attention, damnit, we have things to do.
If you need advice on what to drink…ask for a recommendation.
If you truly don’t know (and honestly, even as a bartender, I don’t know what I want half the time…) have a conversation with us.
Like this:
“I love IPA’s, what do you recommend?”
“I’ve been drinking white wine all night, but would like to switch to liquor. What do you recommend? I like whiskey and tequila.”
Do not tell us ‘Whatever.’
I can’t tell you how badly this irritates us. There are hundreds of options. We don’t know what you like. Tell us either wine, beer, liquor; sweet, sour, bitter, strong, or weak. Give us something, but don’t give us whatever…
If you don’t like the drink…
One: do not finish it. No need to chug unnecessary alcohol that could potentially get you sick. Two: feel free to ask for something different. Bring the drink back up to the bar and say its not for you. Politely ask us to make it less sweet or less strong. We will work with you. (Also, HUGE bonus points if you say, “you can use the same glass.” Like 50 points to Gryffindor. We wash those glasses. The less we have to do, the cheerier we shall be.)
When we cut you off…it’s not because we’re trying to be dicks.
Shocking, right? No, we HAVE to cut you off. If we keep serving you, we put our license at risk, we put our job at risk, we put you at risk, and we put everyone you come into contact with at risk. It’s a safety concern. The end.
Never, EVER, fight with your bartender.
We’ve given you water to drink? Drink it. We told you to wait a half hour until we’ll serve you again. Go sit back down. We’ve cut you off and asked you to leave? Go the fuck home.
Don’t fuck with us because we have all the power. We can either make all your dreams come true or ruin your night, so don’t piss us off. Just be sure to follow these 10 rules, and we’ll make sure you have a good time.
For more of Brit Bandana’s writing, follow her on her Facebook page.