14 Ways People Order Drinks That Have Bartenders Shaking Their Heads

Ordering a drink at a bar can be pretty stressful. But your experience ordering is likely nothing compared to what the bartender goes through. Spending all day on their feet while keeping the recipes for dozens of drinks in their heads, bartenders have a job that can be pretty difficult at times.

Luckily, there are ways that you can make your bartender's life easier. Simple actions like having a sense of what you want to order when you get to the bar or what phrases like on the rocks and neat mean can make both you and your bartender's experience much smoother. Similarly, having a basic understanding of which liquors go in which cocktail or expressing your tastes to the bartender so they can make you the drink they think would resonate the most with you can increase communication and ensure you get the best drink.

However, there are also a lot of ways to order that will be unlikely to impress your bartender. From choosing specific liquors in certain cocktails to asking for drinks using cliché phrases, you should avoid some key things when you get to the front of the queue to avoid causing your server stress. ‌

There's nothing wrong with a sugary cocktail every now and again, and for folks who aren't sure what to order, choices like a piña colada or a strawberry daiquiri can be a safe choice. But don't order them with top-shelf liquor, as it will be a waste of money. Expensive liquor tends to be priced that way because of its use of high-quality ingredients and a careful, bespoke distillation process. These factors lead to developed flavors in the liquor that will be totally lost when you combine them with ultra-sugary mixers.

This is especially true if you're ordering long cocktails that contain soda. "Any highball with a sweet soda is also a waste of premium liquor since the carbonation and sugar will overpower any subtleties you are paying a premium for," says MyBartender CEO and bartender Paul Kushner on Insider. 

Opting for a whiskey and coke using a single malt scotch, for example, will be a waste of the work that goes into the product. Instead, simply order your cocktails with the cheapest option or ask your bartender to find a middle-ground spirit that won't taste too harsh but won't break the bank. Reserve the more expensive liquors to be drunk on their own, where you'll be able to enjoy their flavors properly.

The question of how to drink whiskey properly is an enormous one, and everyone seems to have a different answer. What most people seem to be in agreement about, though, is that you shouldn't be asking your bartender for it on the rocks. The problem with asking for ice in a single malt scotch is the cooling-down effect that it has. 

"Temperature is the real problem," explains the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society's Sam MacDonald in the Gentleman's Journal. "If you remember back to science at school, a basic lesson of physics is that warm things go up and cool things go down. As a result, put ice in your whisky and all of these carefully balanced flavors will get confused, and your tongue won't pick up all the intricacies."

As well as this, using ice will dilute the single malt scotch. While adding a little water to whiskey can be a good thing, helping to balance out the flavors, as the ice melts, it will thin out the whiskey more and more, essentially making it taste like slightly acrid water. If you do want to use ice, try only to use it a little bit so as not to diminish the quality of the product.

If you're not a wine aficionado or are dining solo, ordering by the glass is a low-risk option. But if you're with other people who are also going to be drinking wine, you should almost always be ordering it by the bottle. Ordering wine by the glass is one of the least cost-effective choices you can make at the bar, as restaurants and bars tend to attach high mark-ups to them.

"Everyone does it a little bit differently but the industry standard is that they charge for a glass what the restaurant pays for a bottle — the wholesale price," says Dell'anima, L'Artusi, Anfora, and L'Apicio co-owner Joe Campanale to Business Insider. "The idea is that wines by the glass move more quickly, servers know them and sell them better and that's what the restaurant makes some of its highest margins on."

The other risk with ordering wine by the glass is there's very little way to tell how old the bottle it was poured from is and if it's been open for several days. This could lead to you receiving substandard wine that's started to oxidize and may even be leftovers from another customer's unfinished bottle. ‌

Many people have a go-to cocktail of choice, and if you're in a new bar, your instinct might be to see how well the bartender makes it. But if that cocktail spot has a special menu, try one of those instead. "You can get standard cocktails at any old dive bar, and signature cocktails are typically special creations that are specific to a restaurant or bar," advises Indienne head bartender Chetan Gangan on Insider. "These have been carefully crafted and are often recommended by the bar staff to get a good sense of the overall bar program."

Special cocktails tend to employ special or little-used ingredients that can be harder to come by at home and which you likely won't have in your liquor cabinet. Ordering them is a great way to experiment with new flavors and get out of your comfort zone when it comes to cocktails. When ordering one of the specials, you'll likely get some in-depth advice from the bartenders about its flavor notes, making the whole experience feel more bespoke and personalized. ‌

Shots are often the mark of a wild night. But don't let your bank balance shock you the next morning – skip the premium bottles and go for the cheaper stuff. As shots are designed to be knocked back in one, your taste experience with them is brief and fleeting and disappears before you know it. While some premium vodkas or tequilas might be smoother than the bottom-shelf options, the fact of the matter is that you're likely paying way more for a marginally better experience that's over in a second or two. Furthermore, your bartender will likely want to be saving the expensive stuff for the customers who appreciate its subtleties.

If you want to have shots that remain tasty but are still reasonably priced, the best options to go for are classic spirits like bourbon or vodka. Even the cheaper options are still pretty rigorously produced and will give you a smooth experience. Flavored shots can also be a good choice to keep things cheap, as the additions will distract from the taste of alcohol. Just try to avoid taking too many shots of ultra-sugary liqueurs, as the sugar can contribute to the development of a hangover, according to Insider.

Ordering a shaken, not stirred martini has been popular for decades, thanks to the influence of the world's most famous spy's drink of choice. But doing so will actually ruin your drink. Martinis are made from gin and vermouth, or vodka and vermouth if you're ordering a vodka martini, and the vermouth is pretty delicate. 

"Vermouth is a grape-based product, and shaking ends up bruising the vermouth. A true martini drinker will know that," says American Bartenders School expert Howard to the Independent. Shaking gin in a cocktail shaker can also bruise the gin, destroying its floral, grassy top notes. The result is a martini that tastes flat and lacking in any brightness or nuance from the complex alcohols used.

To avoid this eye-roll moment from your bartender, always ask for your martini to be stirred. As well as this, you should try to get familiar with how you like your martini served. Martinis come in all shapes and sizes, and while they start with just a few ingredients, certain additions can make them dry or dirty. Leaving your bartender to guess what type you like might leave you disappointed. ‌

It's natural to want your beer to be nice and frosty to ensure maximum refreshment. But asking for it ice cold may not put you in the good books. If you're ordering a draft beer, it will pass through a cooling system but still needs to remain warm enough to be liquid. And short of them pouring it over ice, there's not a lot they can do to reduce its temperature.

However, the larger issue with ordering an ice-cold beer is that some beers just aren't meant to be that cold. Darker beers should always be served at a slightly warmer temperature due to the fact that coldness can diminish the nuanced flavors, making them taste flat and metallic. Excessive coldness can also kill the aroma of the beer, which is a big factor in your taste experience. 

Trusting the establishment's suggested serving temperature for a certain beer is always a good idea. And if you suspect that your beer has been served too cold, take a look at its foam. If it doesn't have much, it means that it's too cold, as beers have less carbonation when served at low temperatures.

Rum is a fundamental ingredient in countless cocktails, as well as a liquor to be enjoyed on its own. Rum can have a complex and deep flavor when made well, with notes of molasses, tobacco, and vanilla. But cheap rum is another story entirely. The production of rum, especially dark rum, can be fairly unregulated, and this can mean that cheap rum brands can get away with slightly less stringent production methods. This can lead to a disappointing product that has none of the layers that a good rum contains.

Rather than risk it, you should go for the pricier option. "Instead of picking the cheapest rum, pick a rum you trust, that's authentic or established," suggests Bacardi's global brand ambassador Dickie Cullimore on Business Insider. Cullimore points out that going for a pricier rum made by a recognizable brand will likely only set you back marginally in price, but as a trade-off, you'll get a product that you know adheres to certain standards and which doesn't vary wildly in taste from bottle to bottle. 

If in any doubt, ask your bartender which rum they recommend, especially if you're getting it in a cocktail or with a mixer — the difference between light, dark, and spiced rum is pretty significant, for example, and you won't want to end up with the wrong type in your drink.

There isn't necessarily anything wrong with a White Russian, and the combination of Kahlua, vodka, and heavy cream makes for a deliciously rich beverage. But the problem your bartender will have is with the clean-up operation. Ordering a White Russian, or any other cocktail that contains cream, will require your bartender to clean the cocktail shaker way more thoroughly than they would have to normally, as the cream tends to stick to the surface. This is a hassle at the best of times but isn't exactly ideal when the bar queue is long on a Saturday night.

The same issue occurs with tequila-based drinks. The liquor's distinctive flavor, which comes from agave, can be difficult to shift from shakers and glassware, and unless they're cleaned thoroughly, they end up in the next drink made. Although you shouldn't be prohibited from ordering the drink you want, it might be a good idea to do so when the bar is less busy. Alternatively, go for a more neutral-tasting cocktail that doesn't use strong-flavored spirits or heavy, creamy liquids or which are traditionally stirred, like an old fashioned or a martini.

It's easy to forget how much goes into making a Long Island Iced Tea — but there are a lot of components. These drinks contain five different liquors, as well as lemon juice, simple syrup, and cola, and getting exactly the right measurement for each one is key to nailing it. That's why they're best avoided at certain times. 

"Ordering a Long Island iced tea in a packed bar with a long line of thirsty patrons is sure to irk whoever is behind the bar," says Drinks House 247 drinks expert Reza Zadeh to the Nottingham Post. Zadeh points out that finding and grabbing all those bottles for a single drink takes time and effort, and the drink takes up many precious seconds that could be spent serving extra customers.

As such, if you want to keep in your bartender's good graces, go for drinks that are quick to make. Simple mixed cocktails like a single liquor with a soda or mixer will be a speedy option and are unlikely to cause significant stress. Glasses of wine are also usually pretty speedy, and cans or bottles of beer will make an uncontroversial choice, as all they have to do is reach into the fridge and open them. ‌

A bloody mary is an excellent way of taking the edge off a hangover after a long night. The drink jolts you back to life thanks to its punchy, spicy flavors, Tabasco, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and, of course, vodka. And the strength of these savory flavors makes ordering it with a premium liquor pretty pointless. 

"Getting premium vodka in your bloody mary is probably the easiest way to waste money," warns former bartender Zanny Steffgen on Insider. "At the bistro I managed, choosing a vodka one level up from the well for a bloody mary turned it from a $14 drink to a $22 drink, and the vodka flavor is totally masked."

Rather than burn through all your dollars, just go with the cheaper option on the menu. The only reason to opt for more expensive vodkas would be if you're ordering it on its own, so you can enjoy its flavors or in a simple drink like a vodka tonic. More expensive vodkas have a slight sweetness and a velvetiness that lend themselves to being served on the rocks or even neat, and these notes shine through in relatively neutral-tasting mixers — but in a bloody mary, you won't notice the benefit.

Being a bartender is a pretty tough job when things are busy — and the last thing they need is someone asking them to figure out exactly what their taste is. "The most annoying thing is when someone comes into the bar asking for a drink, but they don't know what they want," states The Airliner bartender Elena Alvarez on Insider. "So they tell the bartender, 'surprise me,' but can't give them any kind of idea as to if they want it fruity or this or that."

The result of this, Alvarez says, is inevitable that the customer then screws up their face after taking one sip, says it's not what they wanted, and asks for a new drink. The whole affair is not only a waste of money for the bar and time for the bartender but also a waste of time for you and all the people behind you. 

If you really have no idea what you want, you should at least be prepared to give your bartender an idea of what kind of things you normally drink and whether you like sweet, spicy, sour, or savory notes so they can be a little more precise with what they offer. You can also ask for their recommendation or their personal favorite drinks and work from there. Ideally, you'll be ready to go with your order when they catch your eye.

It seems like every week, there's some new cocktail recipe that's trending on social media, and it's natural to want to try them all. But for your bartender's sanity, make them yourself at home. "Can't imagine a bartender will have the time to wait as you go through your explore page to find your next drink. Holding up the bar is a pet peeve and a faux pas in a busy, bustling environment," says drinks expert Reza Zadeh in the Nottingham Post.

Aside from generally being rude, you're also expecting your bartender to know exactly the measurements that go into the drink, which brand of liquor to use for the best result, and which temperature it should be served at. ‌You're also relying on the bartender's knowledge of how to make the drink itself, which they may never have done before if it's some brand-new concoction. 

If you're desperate to try that one you saw online, make sure you come prepared with the precise ingredients list and how it's served, and only do so if the bar is quiet and you're on good terms with the staff. Otherwise, stick to the classics.

There's an idea that asking for a measurement of bourbon and scotch by the finger is a sophisticated, old-fashioned way to order. But that's not how bartenders see it. In fact, your bartender is way more likely to not serve you at all and check to see if your ID is fake. Ordering by the finger is a longstanding joke in the bartending community and is seen as a way of asking for a drink if you're underage and not sure how to do so properly.

Rather than embarrass yourself, just ask for your drink normally, either by requesting a single or a double measure or for your bartender to pour it out by the ounce. A single shot of liquor usually comes to about 1.5 ounces of liquid, and a double measure is slightly more than that at 2 ounces. 

If you're used to measuring your drinks by the finger at home, remember that the average finger measurement is close to two ounces or a double measure. It's also worth remembering that everyone's fingers have different widths, so asking your bartender to measure it out on their own may not give you the measure you actually want.