Message 8427 of 22774 in Behind the Bar

Share on Facebook |  Save to del.icio.us

> Do you find it right or wrong to taste your cocktail with a straw 
> from the shaker before you serve it so you can tweek if necessary?

I do not find it necessarily right or wrong, but if I had to choose, I would 
say that it is right to taste a cocktail before you serve it. I have done this 
many times just to be sure that the cocktail tastes right. Especially if I 
have a customer that wants their cocktail just the way they like it.

I had one customer, the first time I served her, she asked for a Ketel One 
Cosmo. No problem, made the drink. However, the first one had too much 
cranberry juice. Offered to remake it. Second one had too little cranberry 
juice. Added a smidge more of cranberry juice. Just right, but wasn't sweet 
enough for her. Added in a packet of sugar. Had to shake the hell out of it to 
dissolve the sugar. Finally got it right. I had to taste along the way to 
learn how she liked it. Everytime after, whenever she ordered from me, I would 
taste it as I was making it to make sure that I got it the way she liked it.

However, from a management perspective, I could imagine that tasting a drink 
could be though of as wrong. Especially if a bartender is "tasting" every 
drink made over the course of a night.