Message 9119 of 22774 in Behind the Bar

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Regarding Martinis:

> 
> 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?"


Ha.  From over a decade of experience, attention to detail is where the tips 
are, and often the very first question prompts the guest/customer/nightclub 
goer to snap off their desired preference(s) on that drink with much 
variation.  The approach of "you'll get what I make you" simply doesn't fly, 
even under the thin guise of being a "nightclub" bartender.  The clientele 
that come to Shooters (where I've spent much time serving guests) isn't any 
different than those that walk through a parking lot to the gawd awful Shark 
Club.  It isn't such a discerning sort of issue.


> 
> 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).
> 
> 


Regarding 'pres.'

> Is not having ginger ale an excuse?

No.  That is when you gently inform a guest/patron/nightclub goer, that you 
lack the gingerale to make such a drink and that the 7up/Sprite and soda water 
thingy definately is not a 'pres.'

  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?
> 


> > > (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 ;)


So, is that what this was about?  I certainly didn't find that, nor am I about 
to belittle it or patronise another.

Good training goes a l-o-n-g way, no matter the venue and excuse it does not 
make as there are so many resources available from which to learn.  (for 
instance this forum of experienced, varied, whirledly folks ;0)


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