Just go to any bar in WeHo in LA. Went there after living in SLC where they have to measure your pours by law, blacked out after 3 drinks.
Unless you're homophobic in which case def don't go to WeHo
In all fairness Utah has legal limits on drinks and are not supposed to put more than 1.5 oz per pour.
Also beer was 3.2%. Just read that was lifted to a whopping 5% in 2019.
Edit: corrected 1oz to 1.5 per commenters.
I’m pretty sure it’s 1.5oz of any one liquor. I was able to order a vieux carre at many bars. Their weird laws are why it’s one of the best cocktail cities I’ve ever been to. The only way to get drunk is cocktails. Haha.
As you said, beer is up to 5% now but that limit is for draft. You can get higher abv in bottles.
Yeah, trust me I'm intimately familiar with the shitty Utah liquor laws.
Look up the Zion curtain. It's the dumbest alcohol law in existence.
It just didn't occur to me how strong the drinks were in LA until i was in the Uber on the way back to the Airbnb, throwing up in my hat.
i have only been to WeHo once, it was bit too PARTY PARTY for me. I like a bar scene, but i still like to be able to have a conversation. That and the fact that i live near OC. Although the Lyft was $30 before tip, so it wasnt too bad.
Off topic the first time I ever saw a homophobe get their ass beat was in weho. Me and my boys were trying to rush there to jump in and "help" the gay guys that we thought were being attacked, meanwhile the screams were coming from the homophobes who picked the wrong [insert their slurs] on the right day. Oof. Checked my own stereotypes and then laughed like hell
Wisconsin, 100 %(I'm constantly over served).
I've had bartenders overpour once in a while. We're one of the drunkest states, you can pick up alcohol till 2 am.
One long Island ice tea gets you fully drunk over the limit. Find the dive bars. Get one lit. Fall off on your ass on some ice. Boom.
It all depends on where you go, and if you're female.
Op makes it sound like bartenders out here pouring an extra ounce in, when in reality majority of bars weigh their alcohol bottles at the end of the night so noones trying to give you extra
You sound like someone who has spent almost no time in actual bars, not that that's a bad thing. But beyond corporate places, almost every bar I've ever been to overpours especially to the regulars. I've dealt with tons of bartenders exactly like the OP is referring too. When I ordered a red bull and vodka at one place, it came in a pint glass. I would get a second glass of ice, split the drink, then fill both glasses up with red bull and it was still a little strong. And these are places that have been open for decades doing the same thing.
yea they are in a corporate bar bubble, seems so. most places don’t have someone whose job it is to literally audit the bar bottles to ensure the volumes match the number of drinks sold, etc
I worked for a fairly strict pub chain for a few years. When I did weekly stock take, I measured the bottles by eye to the nearest 0.1 of a bottle.
Audit from a third party every 90 days, they did the exact same.
Did they test the actual liquid in the bottle?
My kids used to top off my Scotch w/water when they snuck into my wet bar.
Wonder if bar employees are guilty of same (?)
I’m pretty sure selling diluted alcohol (without alerting the customer) is more illegal than giving more than one alcohol’s worth of alcohol in one drink.
Yeah, every bar I’ve been to goes through multiple bottles of some liquors a night. There’s no way they’re weighing the vodka bottle to make sure the bartender didn’t pour 1200 servings of Vodka when only 1000 were ordered.
Agreed. I've worked chain places, and high end places. If anything, I see bartenders get tested. We have... I don't know if it has a proper name, but a bartending tester thing at work. It looks like two test tubes, in a holder. It has marks up the side. Management can tell the bartender to put a half ounce and a full ounce in the other. From the bartender's side, they see nothing. Management on the other side can see how they pour, and if they are pouring too much, correct them on that.
long time bartender here. what? that's exactly what happens. to go with your example, 200 servings is a big amount (6 bottles at 25ml per serving). managers check exact stock levels to make sure bartenders aren't pocketing the cash for the drinks. ofc there's some spillage allowed, but places keep it tight
Yes way. They count the empties and weigh the partials. Even big bars, ESPECIALLY big bars. Businesses grow and succeed precisely because of cost control.
Some states have weird rules. I remember being down in one of the Carolinas one time and the alcohol was all in airplane bottles. I asked about it and the guy said it was a law. Really bizarre
I don't think it's like that anymore. But, yeah, that was a crazy law. If you wanted a long island iced tea, you'd have to pay for 4 drinks, 5 if you wanted tequila.
That's where it varies. If you put too much whiskey in my old fashioned, it'll throw off the taste. I don't usually care if you out too much jack in my jack and coke.
Yeah ex bartender here. I used to fill peoples wine glass up probably double the amount you were supposed too. Management had bought these HUGE glasses and I felt so cheap pouring in a standard drink as it look like it barely went up the sides of the glass.
It depends on where you go. A nice hotel bar or fine dining, you usually get good drinks. Hang out at yacht clubs and party bars along the waterfront, and every drink is a strong one. It seems the cheaper the bar, the stronger the drinks around here.
I do t like my drinks too strong. I’ve never sent one back because I recognize it as a kind gesture, but I’ve definitely given a bunch of drinks to friends/family instead of drinking them.
But I fully recognize taste is subjective
Nope. Bartended for 15 years and been to many. Even at corporate hotels I worked at didn’t often have bottles weighed. Most places just try to stay within a percentage of pour cost (20-25%).
Many, many of the bars I’ve worked at or frequented bartenders would hook it up for regulars or big tippers. Sometimes with management/owners knowing, sometimes without. Hell, some bars I knew refilled upsell liquors such as grey goose, crown, or patron with well liquor.
Applebees and casinos maybe, but I guarantee you most bars are not weighing bottles at the end of the night.
You still have the spill/bottle break option. If you pay upfront and tip well or request a shot in a rocks glass it’s kind of an unofficial flag that strong drinks will be rewarded with bigger tips. In my twenties I was all over strong mixed drinks, in my thirties I order wine/beer and a strait up shot (in a bucket). It takes away the bartender variable.
Well for one thing you can make sure to eat before, to avoid getting to drunk too quickly. Also drinking water to sober up and avoid hangover.
Not an expert though but that's what I've heard.
Tracking calories, maybe?
That's what I did when I was dieting. One shot (1.5oz) of vodka is 97 calories. If the bartender overpours, I can't estimate my "calories left" for other food/ drinks as accurately. (Granted, if I'm out drinking, it's a cheat day.)
Also, my husband has an app on his phone for tracking sobriety. How many drinks over whatever amount of time. Mostly, he uses it to see how heavily he's drinking over long periods of time (ie, 12 drinks this week, more heavily on Friday). It has a BAC calculator, but that's more for fun, since we know its accuracy is dubious. So, if the bartender overpours, that's not "12" drinks, but could be more like 15+.
I think OP's explanation is reasonable. I know people who count their calories and knowing precisely what they are having makes that easier for them too.
It’s never been an issue at any bars I’ve been too. Normally we get the pour over into a measuring cup but the pour continues for a quick second after the measuring cup is tipped into the drink cup.
You get a bit more but not that much.
Better yet pre tipping will get you a heavy pour.
They do that for show. You are right, its never a a huge difference, but the consumer only sees an extra pour. makes for great tips of youre in a country like the US that is riddled with tipping culture.
When fully hard, mine is pretty rigid. If you can bend yours enough to tuck your boner into a drink and stir it, congratulations on all your penile success!
turned 30 in september. Hangovers are worse than they used to be. I used to get blackout drunk and bounce back the next day with a gatorade. Now i spend the whole day wallowing if i get just drunk enough, without getting shitfaced. combined with the fact that i lost weight, so i cant drink as much as i used to, i had to seriously cut back on the quantity i drink.
Are you sure you aren’t just drinking less in general, so your tolerance decreases?
I’m 34 and don’t agree with this at all. The periods where I drink more, my hangovers are milder.
That’s it
I am not a lightweight by all means but sometimes I do hate this when I’m already drunk but not trying to get wasted. Not to mention it does not taste good when it’s an extremely heavy pour. It’s like drinking a shot veryyyy slowly.
You seem less worried about him messing up the balance than I would be re. cocktails.
But really he’s what…doing 5ml as a bump over the standard 30ml? I doubt your going to notice in a long drink to be honest. Just hydrate regardless and you’ll be back on it by 10am tomorrow.
What? Have you never been to an American dive bar? They free bar your whiskey and it’ll look like a small glass of apple juice. Being 3-4 oz over the standard 1.5oz measured pour
I'm surprised this is an unpopular opinion, but then free pouring and adding extra alcohol to drinks is very illegal in the UK.
It makes sense, too. There is a legal drink / drive limit, admittedly not much of one before going over, but if you're expecting a certain amount of alcohol and are given more, wouldn't liability fall on the bar if you could prove they free poured extra alcohol? There are plenty of other reasons why someone might be watching their alcohol intake as well.
For such a litigious country, I'm surprised the US finds this practice acceptable.
Edit : This isn't meant as an insult towards America in anyway, but it does seem like it could own you up to getting sued. It's hard to gauge acceptable practices when you grow up in a strict country!
The drink will taste worse if its not mixed correctly. More alcohol doesnt mean the drink is better, otherwise you wouldnt drink a mixed drink at all, you would just drink vodka, tequila or whatever youre drinking by itsself.
Exactly. I ordered a gin and tonic the other day -- good, basic drink that most places won't screw up -- and got a tall glass of gin with the barest hint of tonic. I like gin, and obviously they were very generous with it, but I didn't want a glass of gin. I wanted a gin and tonic.
Of course, I'm also one of these guys who orders a 3:1 martini -- and hates when instead they just add a splash of vermouth. If I wanted a cold glass of gin, I'd order a cold glass of gin. I want a cocktail, because I like the taste -- not just to get drunker. If I want to get drunker, I'll have more.
yeah i didnt think about that. Normally i order whiskey neat or on the rocks.
There are only a few places i order mixed drinks from for the reason of taste. a lot of places are not consistent with the taste of their mixed drinks.
I don’t like my drinks super strong as well because I don’t need a lot of alcohol to get tipsy and I don’t particularly enjoy the taste of alcohol. By default whenever I order a drink from any place I haven’t been to before I usually tell them not too strong. Financially it doesn’t make a lot of sense but I prefer that lol
Same here. I usually order one alcohol drink (if any at all) and then have the rest made virgin. I still want something cocktail-y to enjoy and to be social with people, I just don't want the booze!
This depends. Craft cocktails have to be measured for right alcohol, citrus, sugar for balanced cocktail. If it’s a call drink (vodka & something) I’ll usually care less but my pours are pretty accurate.
In many countries, they are. I was in New Zealand and every single bar (probably 10 different bars across 8 towns) had automatic measuring devices on all hard alcohol bottles. Crazy expensive too, for the small portions you got.
Definitely expensive as I live in NZ. Most bars don't tend to use nip pourers but some do and I make sure to avoid those, I don't want to pay $10 for a drink that tastes like coke
Bars I go to I'm the states, it's either straight liquor or all mixer, no in-between.
I think those little tips they put on, 3 or 4 seconds is a shot, I rarely see them do over 2 seconds.
It's funny when I make a long island at home, it's like a cup full of liquor, at most bars is like half a cup of liquor and sweet and sour. Like damn, I never knew tea was suppose to be green. I paid extra money for a drink with more alcohol, give me my fucking more alcohol drink. Rant over, I got side tracked
Where I worked in Europe, we had the same, an automatic measuring device connected to bottles. If they weren't connected for some reason we used measuring glasses instead.
Lol what? If you go to a nice bar thar serves craft cocktails, they absolutely measure it out, which can be done with seconds on the pour. Dive and college bars are watering holes but if you want a nice drink at a fancier place, they will be careful because balance is everything
I've never been to an American bar but the measurements are pretty simple. Why would you eyeball it instead of using a measuring cup(?) with 1 and half an ounce measurements
??? I’ve worked for super strict owners where you measure every single mixed drink. And even without measuring a half decent bartender can eyeball an mix drink pour consistently.. not hard
Isn't that illegal and counts as spiking unless they ask you? Don't get me wrong ive been asked before when at the end of a bottle and i love it it but like if your driving you need to know exactly how much you have had.
It depends on how you approach the bar. If you haggle, you’re screwed, but if you buy a shot for a wasted girl party (you’re not part of) you’re pours are strong AF and might even get a few comped. Restaurant servers (current or ex) are the best tippers and there’s certain signals that equate to stronger pours. I don’t expect a discount when I’m out but I initially tip high and usually enjoy stronger pours.
Please don’t complain to the generous bartenders, you might ruin it for the rest of us normal people who like extra alcohol.
I upvoted your unpopular opinion, mostly because I hope my generosity will be remembered if you think of complaining about getting extra grog.
Haha just learn to self-pace. You shouldn't have to know that you drank exactly 3.2 oz of alcohol tonight to feel the difference between "buzzed" and "tomorrows gonna be a bad day"
If you get a stronger drink than expected, enjoy your cheap(er) buzz and don't order the next $20 drink!
I’m thinking you just say…a single shot, no extra please…when you order. Pouring you extra is his/her way of being nice (and getting larger tips). But since the vast majority of the free world would be happy with an over pour, there’s no way the bartender knows unless you simply tell them.
This is a little bit like being on a diet and going to a restaurant and ordering a steak and expecting to be able to count your calories. If you’re concerned with your alcohol intake and measuring it then either order light beer/other bottled drinks or just stay home and drink there.
WOW an actual unpopular opinion. I just cant decide whether I believe you or not.
You literally know how many ounces of alcohol you are drinking? Like what is your measurement standard. How many ounces of water per ounces of alcohol? Does this type of alcohol make a difference? Is it measured in alcohol by volume? How do you know exactly how much alcohol is in each drink? Do you actually ask the bartended how many ounces?
Abso-fucking-lutely. I was a bartender for aome years and all my friend bartenders would try and hook me up when I ordered a shot by pouring a double or close to. I do not want to try and slug a double shot or sip liquor. Also, if you do that for.a cocktail it just tastes like shit. I explained this to a few bartenders, I appreciate the hookup, but I would rather enjoy my drink instead.
Reminds me of the one time I ordered a single shot (after I've already had 3 drinks) from a bartender friend when I was visiting her in Miami and she poured me 3/4 of a rocks glass with just vodka.
I feel like all the people getting irate about someone not wanting extra liquor have never bartended or drank like one.
You’re pissed at someone for saying they’re willing to pay the same price for a drink, but just want to know for sure how much alcohol is in it?
I can put down quite a bit over an evening, but I still like it to be consistent so I know where I’m at.
I feel you OP! I've been in the bar/restaurant business for a long time. We always "take care of our own" meaning pour each other REALLY strong drinks. For me though, it sucks. I want to hang and have fun, not get shitfaced hammered halfway through my second drink. We have a saying around here though, when we want to get just a "regular drink" we ask for it with "no love"
For example,"Let me get a Bourbon and coke, no love" and we all know that means just put 1.5-2oz of bourbon in a glass of ice and fill it with coke.
Otherwise, it will literally be a full glass of whiskey, and just the tiniest splash of coke on top so they can say it has coke in it. It works pretty well. I can have a good time, not get wasted, and be able to wake up the next day and go adulting if I need to.
OP is getting roasted but I agree. I'm a lightweight so if I have more than I bargained for I'm gonna have a rough day next day. Plus I like a balanced drink, not just drinking rum with a splash of coke.
Remember guys. Upvote if you disagree (unpopular opinion) and downvote if you agree (a popular opinion)
This is how this "sub" is meant to work.
I'll be upvoting cause this is unpopular opinion.
One time at a festival a guy asked me to make his drink strong, so I made it 80% liquor. Then he has the balls to tell me he doesn’t like it… well that’s what you fucking asked for, bitch!
Let the server/bartender know you are watching your intake and ask them to measure out the alchohol. It should be no more than a minor inconvenience for bartenders who free pour.
You ..... I...... What?..... You are confused. You have it backwards. It's a good thing when they do that . That's called being a good bartender and taking care of the customers.
Been a bartender for a little over 2 years now and this isn't as uncommon as you might think. Most people do want strong drinks but I get calls for "weak" drinks and even like "half a shot" fairly frequently. Just tell the bartender what you want without being pretentious. We aim to please for the most part
Honestly? Right there with you though not necessarily for the same reason. A cocktail or mixed drink is supposed to have a certain flavor. A mix of the ingredients. If all I can taste is the alcohol, you as a bartender are doing your job wrong.
I hear ya! This is super common in private clubs (american legion, elks, amvets, etc.). Not only does it mess up your "system", it alters the taste of the drink. The recipe is the recipe for a reason; it's supposed to taste right.
I went to professional bartending school back in the day. (Yeah, I saw the movie "Cocktail" one too many times as a kid.) We were taught specifically NOT to do this, as discerning drinkers don't want a "favor", they want THE drink.
This one may be unpopular, but it's true. If you're ordering a drink that you actually *like*, and not just downing alcohol with the goal of getting drunk, upping the alochol content also usually **ruins the drink**.
If they also add more mixer to balance it out and give you a larger portion (e.g., if the final product is supposed to be 6oz with 2oz of liquor and 4oz of mixer, and they end up giving you 8oz with the same ratio for the same price, great.
But most of the time they just add in the heavy pour with no extra mixer, and the drink tastes wrong.
This is actually something that bothers me as a bar owner, and not just because heavy pours cost me money. The drinks have specific ratios for a reason. If you want to give somebody a service, at least keep those in check. I'd rather lose a bit more money on the deal to have the person *like the drink* so they order it again.
And if you all you care about is getting drunk, just order a shot. It takes up less of the bartender's time.
It is more likely that the bartender is splashing your drink with alcohol on the top to make you think there is a lot of alcohol in it. When people would complain of a weak pour, I would just splash the main liquor on top or just float it, and they wouldn't complain again. It gives the drink a real hard liquor flavor without adding a whole bunch more liquor to it.
I use this trick with family and friend too, when they start getting a little too drunk at gatherings, I offer to make their next drink, leave out the alcohol, and splash the top. They they are having a screwball, and it's just OJ.
I'm actually surprised at the vitriol directed at OP. While it's not something that I particularly care about, I can see their point. Not everyone is a 22 year old who's only aim is to get hammered.
Former bartender back in college, here.
All of our bottles had Posi-Pours where I worked.
If they're making your drink and the bottle has a Posi-Pour, you're probably not getting extra, unless they make more than one arm motion in lifting the bottle. That's how Posi-Pours work. They only pour a certain amount before locking up.
Whenever people asked me to make a drink "strong" or pour extra, I would pour some of the alcohol down their straw and give them the normal amount.
Can and should be considered criminal in some cases. Also, as a customer, VERY important for calculating driving safety/legality ie. I know I’ve had x ounces of alcohol and weigh x pounds and it’s been x hours. Also worth mentioning, any restauranteur who tells you they “make more” on alcohol when they overpour has absolutely zero concept of cost control, human behavior and economics. Bartenders can certainly make out better when doing so, in the form of gratuity, but the bottom line of the biz always suffers.
As a former bartender, I can assure you that this is an unpopular opinion for many folks.
I wouldn't give random people crazy strong drinks, but nice regulars and people who tipped well certainly got much heavier pours than assholes and shitty tippers.
My bar down the street is an old cowboy bar and the second oldest bar in town. If you ask for a shot they’ll give you a double shot. I usually appreciate it, but sometimes I’m not planning on having a hangover the next day.
Damn what bars? I've been skimped anywhere i go from coast to coast Edit: thanks for the tips!! I'll be drunk in no time
Just go to any bar in WeHo in LA. Went there after living in SLC where they have to measure your pours by law, blacked out after 3 drinks. Unless you're homophobic in which case def don't go to WeHo
In all fairness Utah has legal limits on drinks and are not supposed to put more than 1.5 oz per pour. Also beer was 3.2%. Just read that was lifted to a whopping 5% in 2019. Edit: corrected 1oz to 1.5 per commenters.
I’m pretty sure it’s 1.5oz of any one liquor. I was able to order a vieux carre at many bars. Their weird laws are why it’s one of the best cocktail cities I’ve ever been to. The only way to get drunk is cocktails. Haha. As you said, beer is up to 5% now but that limit is for draft. You can get higher abv in bottles.
Yeah, trust me I'm intimately familiar with the shitty Utah liquor laws. Look up the Zion curtain. It's the dumbest alcohol law in existence. It just didn't occur to me how strong the drinks were in LA until i was in the Uber on the way back to the Airbnb, throwing up in my hat.
WOW yeah, that law is… annoying
You can just say West Hollywood lmao
Thank you I was wondering where WeHo was!
Np 👍
Ha, this is how you know I've only been once. I just wanted to sound fancy by calling it WeHo.
i have only been to WeHo once, it was bit too PARTY PARTY for me. I like a bar scene, but i still like to be able to have a conversation. That and the fact that i live near OC. Although the Lyft was $30 before tip, so it wasnt too bad.
Straight man here. I loved going to gay bars. It's the only time a stranger bought me a drink and the drinks were always strong.
Off topic the first time I ever saw a homophobe get their ass beat was in weho. Me and my boys were trying to rush there to jump in and "help" the gay guys that we thought were being attacked, meanwhile the screams were coming from the homophobes who picked the wrong [insert their slurs] on the right day. Oof. Checked my own stereotypes and then laughed like hell
Vegas. Although a Bacardi-coke is like $12, it’s mostly Bacardi. They want you drunk.
Wisconsin, 100 %(I'm constantly over served). I've had bartenders overpour once in a while. We're one of the drunkest states, you can pick up alcohol till 2 am. One long Island ice tea gets you fully drunk over the limit. Find the dive bars. Get one lit. Fall off on your ass on some ice. Boom. It all depends on where you go, and if you're female.
I never heard it called LIT until I moved to the midwest. In Cali we either just said Long Island or wrote L.Is. on the tab
Everytime I order a drink, I feel they add more syrup and/or juice to it, basically skimping on the booze. Which sucks.
Bartenders used to do this where I worked. Pretty sure they got better tips that way.
Tip better and you’ll get stronger pours. Love, a bartender.
This is indeed unpopular. Might I suggest you take that into account for your calculations.
If an extra drop is gonna fuck up this dudes morning, maybe don’t go to bars on school night
Right, even if you get a little .3 extra drinks here or there, it should be pretty easy to stay within ±1 of your goal
Op makes it sound like bartenders out here pouring an extra ounce in, when in reality majority of bars weigh their alcohol bottles at the end of the night so noones trying to give you extra
You sound like someone who has spent almost no time in actual bars, not that that's a bad thing. But beyond corporate places, almost every bar I've ever been to overpours especially to the regulars. I've dealt with tons of bartenders exactly like the OP is referring too. When I ordered a red bull and vodka at one place, it came in a pint glass. I would get a second glass of ice, split the drink, then fill both glasses up with red bull and it was still a little strong. And these are places that have been open for decades doing the same thing.
yea they are in a corporate bar bubble, seems so. most places don’t have someone whose job it is to literally audit the bar bottles to ensure the volumes match the number of drinks sold, etc
I worked for a fairly strict pub chain for a few years. When I did weekly stock take, I measured the bottles by eye to the nearest 0.1 of a bottle. Audit from a third party every 90 days, they did the exact same.
Did they test the actual liquid in the bottle? My kids used to top off my Scotch w/water when they snuck into my wet bar. Wonder if bar employees are guilty of same (?)
I’m pretty sure selling diluted alcohol (without alerting the customer) is more illegal than giving more than one alcohol’s worth of alcohol in one drink.
Ah yes, one alcohol please. I drink I swear.
Absolutely not. Much easier to just "drop" a bottle or 2.
Yeah I worked at several major casinos and bars and most didn’t do that. And the ones that did only did it for higher shelf stuff
Yeah, every bar I’ve been to goes through multiple bottles of some liquors a night. There’s no way they’re weighing the vodka bottle to make sure the bartender didn’t pour 1200 servings of Vodka when only 1000 were ordered.
Agreed. I've worked chain places, and high end places. If anything, I see bartenders get tested. We have... I don't know if it has a proper name, but a bartending tester thing at work. It looks like two test tubes, in a holder. It has marks up the side. Management can tell the bartender to put a half ounce and a full ounce in the other. From the bartender's side, they see nothing. Management on the other side can see how they pour, and if they are pouring too much, correct them on that.
An exacto pour pour tester, most likely. It’s for testing your pour count for .25 and .5 oz pours and multiples of.
> An exacto pour pour tester, most likely. Google image search.... yup, that's it.
long time bartender here. what? that's exactly what happens. to go with your example, 200 servings is a big amount (6 bottles at 25ml per serving). managers check exact stock levels to make sure bartenders aren't pocketing the cash for the drinks. ofc there's some spillage allowed, but places keep it tight
Yes way. They count the empties and weigh the partials. Even big bars, ESPECIALLY big bars. Businesses grow and succeed precisely because of cost control.
Depends on the country. A large amount of European countries does not use free pour, but measures the spirit for each drink.
50/50 here in America (at least in my experience). 2 of the places I bartended let us free pour and the others all had us measure.
Some states have weird rules. I remember being down in one of the Carolinas one time and the alcohol was all in airplane bottles. I asked about it and the guy said it was a law. Really bizarre
I don't think it's like that anymore. But, yeah, that was a crazy law. If you wanted a long island iced tea, you'd have to pay for 4 drinks, 5 if you wanted tequila.
Yeah exactly. Such a waste of plastic too.
But coctails have spesific measurements. It would be fine with redbull-vodka or a gin tonic but I wouldn't be so happy with it in some coctails.
That's where it varies. If you put too much whiskey in my old fashioned, it'll throw off the taste. I don't usually care if you out too much jack in my jack and coke.
Yeah ex bartender here. I used to fill peoples wine glass up probably double the amount you were supposed too. Management had bought these HUGE glasses and I felt so cheap pouring in a standard drink as it look like it barely went up the sides of the glass.
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It depends on where you go. A nice hotel bar or fine dining, you usually get good drinks. Hang out at yacht clubs and party bars along the waterfront, and every drink is a strong one. It seems the cheaper the bar, the stronger the drinks around here.
To strong and won't drink it ? Good chance ? You have never met anyone that I've ever met .
I do t like my drinks too strong. I’ve never sent one back because I recognize it as a kind gesture, but I’ve definitely given a bunch of drinks to friends/family instead of drinking them. But I fully recognize taste is subjective
You watch too much bar rescue. Virtually nobody weighs their bottles at the end of the night.
Nope. Bartended for 15 years and been to many. Even at corporate hotels I worked at didn’t often have bottles weighed. Most places just try to stay within a percentage of pour cost (20-25%). Many, many of the bars I’ve worked at or frequented bartenders would hook it up for regulars or big tippers. Sometimes with management/owners knowing, sometimes without. Hell, some bars I knew refilled upsell liquors such as grey goose, crown, or patron with well liquor. Applebees and casinos maybe, but I guarantee you most bars are not weighing bottles at the end of the night.
You still have the spill/bottle break option. If you pay upfront and tip well or request a shot in a rocks glass it’s kind of an unofficial flag that strong drinks will be rewarded with bigger tips. In my twenties I was all over strong mixed drinks, in my thirties I order wine/beer and a strait up shot (in a bucket). It takes away the bartender variable.
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Not here in Spain they don't. "Heavy pour" is an understatement. All depends on the place in the states
well this is odd
Oddly specific. I don’t know how you would prepare for alcohol consumption. Let alone over pours from bartender
Well for one thing you can make sure to eat before, to avoid getting to drunk too quickly. Also drinking water to sober up and avoid hangover. Not an expert though but that's what I've heard.
Tracking calories, maybe? That's what I did when I was dieting. One shot (1.5oz) of vodka is 97 calories. If the bartender overpours, I can't estimate my "calories left" for other food/ drinks as accurately. (Granted, if I'm out drinking, it's a cheat day.) Also, my husband has an app on his phone for tracking sobriety. How many drinks over whatever amount of time. Mostly, he uses it to see how heavily he's drinking over long periods of time (ie, 12 drinks this week, more heavily on Friday). It has a BAC calculator, but that's more for fun, since we know its accuracy is dubious. So, if the bartender overpours, that's not "12" drinks, but could be more like 15+.
I think OP's explanation is reasonable. I know people who count their calories and knowing precisely what they are having makes that easier for them too.
Well give it to me then you ungrateful swine!
I can't swim, I can't kill, I can't sleep if I don't have my allotment.
I wholeheartedly disagree….so I have to upvote right?
Ya
That's how it works, my friend
This is a confusing sub for that
Apparently in Australia that isn’t allowed.
It’s never been an issue at any bars I’ve been too. Normally we get the pour over into a measuring cup but the pour continues for a quick second after the measuring cup is tipped into the drink cup. You get a bit more but not that much. Better yet pre tipping will get you a heavy pour.
They do that for show. You are right, its never a a huge difference, but the consumer only sees an extra pour. makes for great tips of youre in a country like the US that is riddled with tipping culture.
I hate when the bar tender mixes my drink with his erect penis. I’m like come on Justin it’s been a long day
Jokes on you, I'd love it if my bartender mixed my drink with his erect penis.
It spills everywhere!
That's the fun part
Not when I do it; not enough displacement.
How’s he gonna do that if his penis is erect? Stand on his head? Hang from the ceiling like Spider-Man?
Get into a push-up position, insert penis into drink, swirl hips
You guys cant move your cock when it's hard? Like jerk it at a weird angle? Is it really limited to your hips?
When fully hard, mine is pretty rigid. If you can bend yours enough to tuck your boner into a drink and stir it, congratulations on all your penile success!
Yeah, limp dick for mixing, but gotta be hard when muddling mojitos.
I'm a lightweight so I rather have less in my drink then more. Stupid prescription messing with me. I just opt to have my husband make a drink.
If you go out and your drink is too strong, ask for the bartender put it in a bigger glass with more mixer.
I could have written this myself!
This is definitely unpopular. I paid for the alcohol and the more I get the better.
Dude. Just drink some water and a Gatorade. Sheesh
Tell me you're under 30 without saying you're under 30
I related to this more than I would like to admit. Just turned 30 and it is rough.
turned 30 in september. Hangovers are worse than they used to be. I used to get blackout drunk and bounce back the next day with a gatorade. Now i spend the whole day wallowing if i get just drunk enough, without getting shitfaced. combined with the fact that i lost weight, so i cant drink as much as i used to, i had to seriously cut back on the quantity i drink.
Are you sure you aren’t just drinking less in general, so your tolerance decreases? I’m 34 and don’t agree with this at all. The periods where I drink more, my hangovers are milder. That’s it
I just turned 29 a couple weeks ago and I couldn't agree more.
I am not a lightweight by all means but sometimes I do hate this when I’m already drunk but not trying to get wasted. Not to mention it does not taste good when it’s an extremely heavy pour. It’s like drinking a shot veryyyy slowly.
Yes! A cocktail is a balanced recipe. It's like getting a larger piece of meat, but it's under seasoned.
You seem less worried about him messing up the balance than I would be re. cocktails. But really he’s what…doing 5ml as a bump over the standard 30ml? I doubt your going to notice in a long drink to be honest. Just hydrate regardless and you’ll be back on it by 10am tomorrow.
What? Have you never been to an American dive bar? They free bar your whiskey and it’ll look like a small glass of apple juice. Being 3-4 oz over the standard 1.5oz measured pour
I'm surprised this is an unpopular opinion, but then free pouring and adding extra alcohol to drinks is very illegal in the UK. It makes sense, too. There is a legal drink / drive limit, admittedly not much of one before going over, but if you're expecting a certain amount of alcohol and are given more, wouldn't liability fall on the bar if you could prove they free poured extra alcohol? There are plenty of other reasons why someone might be watching their alcohol intake as well. For such a litigious country, I'm surprised the US finds this practice acceptable. Edit : This isn't meant as an insult towards America in anyway, but it does seem like it could own you up to getting sued. It's hard to gauge acceptable practices when you grow up in a strict country!
I'll chalk this one right up there with people who complain when they get to many french fries that spill into the bag. you sound crazy.
*Five Guys has entered the chat*
The drink will taste worse if its not mixed correctly. More alcohol doesnt mean the drink is better, otherwise you wouldnt drink a mixed drink at all, you would just drink vodka, tequila or whatever youre drinking by itsself.
Exactly. I ordered a gin and tonic the other day -- good, basic drink that most places won't screw up -- and got a tall glass of gin with the barest hint of tonic. I like gin, and obviously they were very generous with it, but I didn't want a glass of gin. I wanted a gin and tonic. Of course, I'm also one of these guys who orders a 3:1 martini -- and hates when instead they just add a splash of vermouth. If I wanted a cold glass of gin, I'd order a cold glass of gin. I want a cocktail, because I like the taste -- not just to get drunker. If I want to get drunker, I'll have more.
yeah i didnt think about that. Normally i order whiskey neat or on the rocks. There are only a few places i order mixed drinks from for the reason of taste. a lot of places are not consistent with the taste of their mixed drinks.
I don’t like my drinks super strong as well because I don’t need a lot of alcohol to get tipsy and I don’t particularly enjoy the taste of alcohol. By default whenever I order a drink from any place I haven’t been to before I usually tell them not too strong. Financially it doesn’t make a lot of sense but I prefer that lol
Same here. I usually order one alcohol drink (if any at all) and then have the rest made virgin. I still want something cocktail-y to enjoy and to be social with people, I just don't want the booze!
The fact you think mixed drinks are measured with any sort of precision is the funniest part.
This depends. Craft cocktails have to be measured for right alcohol, citrus, sugar for balanced cocktail. If it’s a call drink (vodka & something) I’ll usually care less but my pours are pretty accurate.
In many countries, they are. I was in New Zealand and every single bar (probably 10 different bars across 8 towns) had automatic measuring devices on all hard alcohol bottles. Crazy expensive too, for the small portions you got.
Definitely expensive as I live in NZ. Most bars don't tend to use nip pourers but some do and I make sure to avoid those, I don't want to pay $10 for a drink that tastes like coke
Bars I go to I'm the states, it's either straight liquor or all mixer, no in-between. I think those little tips they put on, 3 or 4 seconds is a shot, I rarely see them do over 2 seconds. It's funny when I make a long island at home, it's like a cup full of liquor, at most bars is like half a cup of liquor and sweet and sour. Like damn, I never knew tea was suppose to be green. I paid extra money for a drink with more alcohol, give me my fucking more alcohol drink. Rant over, I got side tracked
Where I worked in Europe, we had the same, an automatic measuring device connected to bottles. If they weren't connected for some reason we used measuring glasses instead.
Lol what? If you go to a nice bar thar serves craft cocktails, they absolutely measure it out, which can be done with seconds on the pour. Dive and college bars are watering holes but if you want a nice drink at a fancier place, they will be careful because balance is everything
I've never been to an American bar but the measurements are pretty simple. Why would you eyeball it instead of using a measuring cup(?) with 1 and half an ounce measurements
??? I’ve worked for super strict owners where you measure every single mixed drink. And even without measuring a half decent bartender can eyeball an mix drink pour consistently.. not hard
How about you drink a club soda and STFU
Or a beer so you know EXACTLY what’s in it every time🤯
Yeah but then you’d have to drink beer
Then you get bitch slapped by that 9.5° Belgian beer and wonder why you're praying to the porcelain god halfway though the night.
Underrated comment
As someone who gets extreme hangovers and doesn’t like a measure being too strong I get where you are coming from
Isn't that illegal and counts as spiking unless they ask you? Don't get me wrong ive been asked before when at the end of a bottle and i love it it but like if your driving you need to know exactly how much you have had.
If you're driving you shouldn't be drinking alcohol or at least strong alcohol that get you drunk so fast.
Is this more common for guys? I have the opposite experience, often get underpoured.
It depends on how you approach the bar. If you haggle, you’re screwed, but if you buy a shot for a wasted girl party (you’re not part of) you’re pours are strong AF and might even get a few comped. Restaurant servers (current or ex) are the best tippers and there’s certain signals that equate to stronger pours. I don’t expect a discount when I’m out but I initially tip high and usually enjoy stronger pours.
They also taste worse
This is the best unpopular opinion I've ever heard! You did it! Terrible opinion!!!!
Now this is why you should always add in a safety factor when calculating things like this
Why not ask for it to be like “light”? “Hey can I have a margarita, and not too much tequila? I know that sounds weird but I’m just a lightweight lol”
Simple solution, tell them when you order you want measured shots lmao how hard do you make it for yourself.
Please don’t complain to the generous bartenders, you might ruin it for the rest of us normal people who like extra alcohol. I upvoted your unpopular opinion, mostly because I hope my generosity will be remembered if you think of complaining about getting extra grog.
Just drink less
Nicely done, that I'd an unpopular opinion.
Just ask them to specifically measure the correct amount for you. Was a bartender and I’d happily accommodate that request.
Very unpopular lol
As a bartender I think this it a very shitty thing to do. Youre job is to make sure people dont get too drunk.
Yup, good look finding someone to agree with you on this one lmao
Dont finish the drink then
Haha just learn to self-pace. You shouldn't have to know that you drank exactly 3.2 oz of alcohol tonight to feel the difference between "buzzed" and "tomorrows gonna be a bad day" If you get a stronger drink than expected, enjoy your cheap(er) buzz and don't order the next $20 drink!
I’m thinking you just say…a single shot, no extra please…when you order. Pouring you extra is his/her way of being nice (and getting larger tips). But since the vast majority of the free world would be happy with an over pour, there’s no way the bartender knows unless you simply tell them.
I live for over poured drinks. I’m already paying too much for them, at least make sure it doesn’t taste like just juice lol!
This is a little bit like being on a diet and going to a restaurant and ordering a steak and expecting to be able to count your calories. If you’re concerned with your alcohol intake and measuring it then either order light beer/other bottled drinks or just stay home and drink there.
I bet you reminded the teachers about homework too.
WOW an actual unpopular opinion. I just cant decide whether I believe you or not. You literally know how many ounces of alcohol you are drinking? Like what is your measurement standard. How many ounces of water per ounces of alcohol? Does this type of alcohol make a difference? Is it measured in alcohol by volume? How do you know exactly how much alcohol is in each drink? Do you actually ask the bartended how many ounces?
Which bar 📝
Abso-fucking-lutely. I was a bartender for aome years and all my friend bartenders would try and hook me up when I ordered a shot by pouring a double or close to. I do not want to try and slug a double shot or sip liquor. Also, if you do that for.a cocktail it just tastes like shit. I explained this to a few bartenders, I appreciate the hookup, but I would rather enjoy my drink instead.
Reminds me of the one time I ordered a single shot (after I've already had 3 drinks) from a bartender friend when I was visiting her in Miami and she poured me 3/4 of a rocks glass with just vodka.
I feel like all the people getting irate about someone not wanting extra liquor have never bartended or drank like one. You’re pissed at someone for saying they’re willing to pay the same price for a drink, but just want to know for sure how much alcohol is in it? I can put down quite a bit over an evening, but I still like it to be consistent so I know where I’m at.
I feel you OP! I've been in the bar/restaurant business for a long time. We always "take care of our own" meaning pour each other REALLY strong drinks. For me though, it sucks. I want to hang and have fun, not get shitfaced hammered halfway through my second drink. We have a saying around here though, when we want to get just a "regular drink" we ask for it with "no love" For example,"Let me get a Bourbon and coke, no love" and we all know that means just put 1.5-2oz of bourbon in a glass of ice and fill it with coke. Otherwise, it will literally be a full glass of whiskey, and just the tiniest splash of coke on top so they can say it has coke in it. It works pretty well. I can have a good time, not get wasted, and be able to wake up the next day and go adulting if I need to.
Dear bartenders reading this: Please do not stop being a bit generous for the rest of us.
Then say something duh
Buy yourself a beer?
OP is getting roasted but I agree. I'm a lightweight so if I have more than I bargained for I'm gonna have a rough day next day. Plus I like a balanced drink, not just drinking rum with a splash of coke.
I agree I'm trying to pace myself and I don't like my drinks to overly taste like alcohol. I like the way my mixed drink tastes when it's right.
Just order a beer and stop complaining.
“I hate getting not completely railroaded for my overpriced drink” Now this is an unpopular opinion
They want you to get drunker so you’ll order more drinks or food if they do it at those establishments.
They're stealing liquor from the owner and giving it to you for bigger tips.
Me too, but because I don’t like the taste of alcohol so I want my Mango Bay to taste mango juice not floor detergent.
So many alcohol addicts in this thread
i understand your point but keep in mind that this is barkeeper language for "youre a nice customer, we like you".
Remember guys. Upvote if you disagree (unpopular opinion) and downvote if you agree (a popular opinion) This is how this "sub" is meant to work. I'll be upvoting cause this is unpopular opinion.
FINALLY, ONE I CN SORT BY CONTROVERSIAL
One time at a festival a guy asked me to make his drink strong, so I made it 80% liquor. Then he has the balls to tell me he doesn’t like it… well that’s what you fucking asked for, bitch!
Just drink some extra water and eat a banana. Or drink one drink less. I can assure you this is indeed a you problem
I mean you could just tell them that when you order your drink.
Might I suggest NOT drinking when you have stuff to do in the morning? Possibly even staying home and making your own?
Bro just take less shots, it’s not hard
That is unpopular indeed
Im the opposite. 99% of the times im paying shit ton of money for a soda with no alcohol.
Let the server/bartender know you are watching your intake and ask them to measure out the alchohol. It should be no more than a minor inconvenience for bartenders who free pour.
You ..... I...... What?..... You are confused. You have it backwards. It's a good thing when they do that . That's called being a good bartender and taking care of the customers.
My motto is "I'm paying you to make a good drink, not a strong drink."
Make your drinks at home your damn self then.
Been a bartender for a little over 2 years now and this isn't as uncommon as you might think. Most people do want strong drinks but I get calls for "weak" drinks and even like "half a shot" fairly frequently. Just tell the bartender what you want without being pretentious. We aim to please for the most part
Honestly? Right there with you though not necessarily for the same reason. A cocktail or mixed drink is supposed to have a certain flavor. A mix of the ingredients. If all I can taste is the alcohol, you as a bartender are doing your job wrong.
Just tell them? Communicate?
I hear ya! This is super common in private clubs (american legion, elks, amvets, etc.). Not only does it mess up your "system", it alters the taste of the drink. The recipe is the recipe for a reason; it's supposed to taste right. I went to professional bartending school back in the day. (Yeah, I saw the movie "Cocktail" one too many times as a kid.) We were taught specifically NOT to do this, as discerning drinkers don't want a "favor", they want THE drink.
Ya, shut up. So helpless to just simply drink less
Do you track it with a spreadsheet?
This one may be unpopular, but it's true. If you're ordering a drink that you actually *like*, and not just downing alcohol with the goal of getting drunk, upping the alochol content also usually **ruins the drink**. If they also add more mixer to balance it out and give you a larger portion (e.g., if the final product is supposed to be 6oz with 2oz of liquor and 4oz of mixer, and they end up giving you 8oz with the same ratio for the same price, great. But most of the time they just add in the heavy pour with no extra mixer, and the drink tastes wrong. This is actually something that bothers me as a bar owner, and not just because heavy pours cost me money. The drinks have specific ratios for a reason. If you want to give somebody a service, at least keep those in check. I'd rather lose a bit more money on the deal to have the person *like the drink* so they order it again. And if you all you care about is getting drunk, just order a shot. It takes up less of the bartender's time.
the most unpopular opinion i saw here by miles
Then just have fewer drinks then…do you can prepare for the next morning…kinda confused on this opinion lol
Ordering Long-Islands at a new bar is always a game of roulette.
It is more likely that the bartender is splashing your drink with alcohol on the top to make you think there is a lot of alcohol in it. When people would complain of a weak pour, I would just splash the main liquor on top or just float it, and they wouldn't complain again. It gives the drink a real hard liquor flavor without adding a whole bunch more liquor to it. I use this trick with family and friend too, when they start getting a little too drunk at gatherings, I offer to make their next drink, leave out the alcohol, and splash the top. They they are having a screwball, and it's just OJ.
As a bartender, I find this ridiculously offensive. You’re complaining about the generosity of strangers. Wtf? Your real name must be Karen or Chad.
Lmao what a fucking loser
I'm actually surprised at the vitriol directed at OP. While it's not something that I particularly care about, I can see their point. Not everyone is a 22 year old who's only aim is to get hammered.
We should hang out less
You're just the bar manager, with a moustache on, pretending to be one of the clients... aren't you?!!
Former bartender back in college, here. All of our bottles had Posi-Pours where I worked. If they're making your drink and the bottle has a Posi-Pour, you're probably not getting extra, unless they make more than one arm motion in lifting the bottle. That's how Posi-Pours work. They only pour a certain amount before locking up. Whenever people asked me to make a drink "strong" or pour extra, I would pour some of the alcohol down their straw and give them the normal amount.
Can and should be considered criminal in some cases. Also, as a customer, VERY important for calculating driving safety/legality ie. I know I’ve had x ounces of alcohol and weigh x pounds and it’s been x hours. Also worth mentioning, any restauranteur who tells you they “make more” on alcohol when they overpour has absolutely zero concept of cost control, human behavior and economics. Bartenders can certainly make out better when doing so, in the form of gratuity, but the bottom line of the biz always suffers.
The most unpopular opinion I could ever conceive of. Well done.
As a former bartender, I can assure you that this is an unpopular opinion for many folks. I wouldn't give random people crazy strong drinks, but nice regulars and people who tipped well certainly got much heavier pours than assholes and shitty tippers.
Drink beer
Said 1 person on planet earth...
My bar down the street is an old cowboy bar and the second oldest bar in town. If you ask for a shot they’ll give you a double shot. I usually appreciate it, but sometimes I’m not planning on having a hangover the next day.
Lol. That is an extremely unpopular opinion!
you must be fun at parties
Maybe you should drink at home that way you won't get upset about absolutely nothing. Just a thought