Message 9116 of 22774 in Behind the Bar

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> > > > > 4.  What questions do you need to ask if someon eordres a 
> > > martini? 
> > > > 
> > > > > vodka or gin?  Any other ordering preference should be made at 
> > 
> > > the 
> > > > 
> > > > > order.
> > > 
> > > Much more to that and the prompting allows for the guest to receive 
> > 
> > > 
> > > exactly how they want their cocktail.  Our standard:  "Your 
> > > preference being your favourite vodka or gin?  Dry or extra dry?  
> > Up 
> > > 
> > > or on the rocks?  Shaken or stirred?  Twist or olives?"  Why our 
> > 
> > > servers are carefully taught to call properly.
> > > 
> > 
> > Not where I work.  This is one of those things that simply differs 
> > 
> > based on venue - if I were to run through that list of questions 
> > every time someone ordered a martini, I'd be doing the rest of my 
> > customers a disservice.
> 
> 
> Hardly.  I work one of the highest volume venues in this city.  We 
> are by far busier than any "nightlclub."  (I'm thinking of Moda, and 
> the like).

Are they expecting those questions from you?  If I were to ask those 
questions, it would go something like this:

"What can I get for ya?"

"martini!"

"vodka or gin?"

"vodka"

"dry or extra dry?"

"Huh?  oh...dry!"

"Up or on the rocks?"

"Uhhhh...up?"

"shaken or stirred?" [notwithstanding the fact that there isn't a bar spoon 
with which for me to stir]

"Dude, can I get a damn drink?"

The point is - the clientele that comes into the nightclub I'm at is anything 
BUT discerning.  The few drinks I've had sent back to me generally involve a 
vodka/soda instead of a vodka/tonic (legitimate mistake on my part - I am 
human), and only TWICE have I had drinks sent back because they were "bad" - 
one was legitimately bad: one was an extra dirty Grey Goose martini, which 
came out not only completely flavorless, but WARM - I still cannot fathom even 
the physics of how I poured a warm drink off of ice, but how it tasted like 
water with all the brine in it - and the other drink I had sent back was on a 
night I was pouring from bottles off the rail without looking at the labels, 
and I accidentally poured someone a gin and soda instead of a vodka soda - 
apparently one of the other tenders put them in the wrong order.  Point is, 
our clientele prefers to place an order and get a drink ASAP, most of them 
aren't even sure of what they're ordering, much less whether or not I'm making 
a good one.  If I were to try and ask all those questions over the music at 
the club I'm at, I'd have 4 other patrons staring at me, wondering why I'm 
having a conversation with a customer, not realizing I'm asking him or her 
questions they really don't know how to answer.  So, a martini from me gets 
the question of vodka or gin - the rest is up to me unless they specify (and 
if they DO specify, I'm more than happy to accommodate - I'm not out here 
TRYING to make drinks people won't like, I just recognize that trying to run 
those questions on every martini would be an exercise in futility in the long 
run).

> 
> 
> > > > > 7.  What does "pres/pressed" mean? refer to the "Vodka Press?" 
> > 
> > > 
> > > > thread 
> > > > > I made recently - but for now, mixed with lemon-lime and soda 
> > 
> > > > > water
> > > 
> > > Never.  The golden oldie, standard is gingerale and soda water.  We 
> > 
> > > 
> > > have many regulars that order ______________ whisk(e)y pres.
> > > 
> > 
> > We don't have ginger ale, and the only presses I've been asked for 
> > 
> > use vodka as a base spirit.  Again, this is based on my experience in 
> > 
> > a nightclub, having never worked fine dining.
> 
> 
> Working for a nightclub is no excuse.  A 'pres' is gingerale and 
> soda.  You are merely perpetuating the incorrect ordering of a drink, 
> the bane of other bartenders!  ;0)

Is not having ginger ale an excuse?  I mean, I can refuse to serve them the 
drink, or I can correct them - I put up a thread with this EXACT question on 
Sunday, because up until then, I wasn't sure - I legitimately thought it was 
lemon-lime and soda water until I was corrected.  Again - never had a 
complaint, and if I keep doing it like this where I'm at now, I doubt I will.  
Since there is no ginger ale available, what's the alternative?  Tell them I 
can't make a drink that they don't want because they don't actually know what 
they're ordering?

> 
> 
> > So, yeah, I work a SLIGHTLY different environment from you.  The only 
> > 
> > brandy at my place is Napolean, the only cognacs are Hennessey and 
> > 
> > Courvasier, and I make a dozen or more different shots every night 
> > 
> > (that actually kinda freaked me out that you had Surfer on Acid on 
> > 
> > that list - do you make a lot of mixed shots at your place?).  I 
> > could probably write a similar test for my place, but the questions 
> > 
> > would be vastly different.
> 
> 
> I certainly do not work in fine dining, but a restaurant (all bars in 
> the State of oHIo must serve food in order to obtain a liquor 
> license) with eight operating bars, two of which comforatably seat 
> 48-50 bar stools.  There is a method to the madness in understanding 
> the working order of constructing/pouring drinks, that always works, 
> no matter the venue.
> 
> And yes, our shots sell better than most other types of drinks.
>

Then you're just that much better than me ;)

> 
> --------------------------
> "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them ...
> well, I have others."  -Groucho Marx