When the night is busy and you are working the bar, not every excuse you make is entirely honest; here are 9 lies bartenders tell to keep things rolling.
“Sorry, we’re out of mint”
Mojitos are a real pain when things get crazy busy. And a single order of five mojitos is, frankly, a nightmare. Each drink takes fresh mint, muddling, and some extra attention that you don’t really have time for when orders are stacking up. Making a whole round of mojitos can put your entire bar back minutes.
And “Sorry, we’re out of mint” seems a handy excuse since the customer can’t really expect the bartender to conjure up mint out of thin air. Bars also legitimately run out of fresh mint all the time, so it’s not always a lie.
“I’ll check with my manager”
Have you seen how customers often ask bartenders for free drinks, discounts, big pours or to change bar’s regular rules?
The bartender may have no power to grant all these wishes, and at the same time, may not want to get into an argument with a customer who won’t take no for an answer.
In such a situation, this phrase buys you some time and someone else to blame if the customer hates the ultimate decision.
“I think you’ll enjoy this drink better”
Some people have no clue about the drink they want, so they expect their bartender to guide them.
And they will usually pick a fancy drink with a complex flavor profile, hoping the bartender can tell them everything about the drink, from its origins to the ingredients mixed in.
When this happens at the rush hour, a bartender might just suggest a simpler drink from the menu saying it’s a better choice.
“I’m sorry, we can’t make that one tonight”
To make some drinks, bartenders need some prep work, special tools, and ingredients. And doing all that for one drink during the bar’s busiest hour might not be worth it.
So, by simply declining such requests, the bartender gets his customer to order something else without going into lengthy explanations about why he can’t make it.
“Your order is already in”
When you are having a breathless night behind the bar and when several customers are ordering all at once, things can get jumbled. Bartenders are only human and humans make errors.
But, your customer is hungry and impatient. So assure him that his order is already rung in. And this will give you some time to fix your mistake.
“Of course, I know your choice”
When you work behind the bar, you meet people every day. They interact with you. You move with them. And among these people, there are some customers who expect you to know their drinking preferences, especially if they are coming to the bar every week.
But, you meet hundreds of customers every day, and your brain might lack the capacity to store all their drinking choices.
And most bartenders usually don’t like to give the impression that they are clueless about a regular customer’s drinking choice, so they would just pretend to know the drink and then ask again to get it confirmed. This way, the bartenders manage to make the regular customers feel a little special.
“I’ve tried it so many times, and it tastes great”
When your bartender says a drink is good, what is there to think about? After all, he is the master of drinks.
But, in the real world, with the changing menus and seasonal additions, it is reasonable to believe that a bartender might not have tried every drink on his menu.
Saying, “Oh, I know this drink, it tastes really good,” saves your bartender from having to admit he has no clue about the flavor profile of some drinks on his menu. It may even help the customer settle on an order without asking a dozen more questions.
“The kitchen is pretty busy right now”
When your bar has both drinks and food, it is natural for any customer to order a couple of snacks to enjoy with their drink.
But, when the kitchen gets pretty busy and food is not coming out of the kitchen, people waiting can get frustrated. And unfortunately, bartenders have to answer all their questions and convince them to stay patient for a little longer.
Maybe the kitchen is really chaotic or maybe you totally forgot to place an order. Whatever the scenario is, just blame the kitchen. This will help you make the customer stay patient for a little longer while avoiding an extremely awkward situation.
“We’re closing up for the night”
When a bartender is getting ready to close his station for the night, he has already cleaned his station and equipment, restocked bottles, and started the closing procedures.
When a customer walks in late and orders a couple of complex cocktails, it is too much work for the bartender who is ready to call it a day.
So the bartenders usually make a bigger deal out of the fact that they’re closing, hoping that the customers won’t ask for another round. And there are bartenders who flatly tell their customers it’s after last call when it really isn’t, all to avoid an argument.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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12 red flags at a bar that bartenders say should have you running out the door
