The Classic Drink That Won't Make You Popular With Bartenders

At the bar, there's always one person whose good side you want to stay on: the bartender. While being polite and appropriately tipping are sure-fire ways to make a good impression, the cocktails you order can impact how the person behind the stick feels about you, too. Most classic cocktails are great order choices, but there are a few you might want to think twice about if you want to be popular with bartenders. White Russians are one of them, and it's not because they're often received by someone insisting on quoting "The Big Lebowski" (that's not to say we don't love a good movie-famous drink order).

White Russians are totally delicious; they're made with vodka, Kahlua coffee liqueur, and cream. It's only three ingredients, but the problem lies in the fact that when a bartender makes a drink with cream, it requires them to take extra steps to properly clean their shakers and strainers; cream is thick and doesn't rinse off well. It also impacts the flavors of subsequent shaken ingredients if it isn't cleaned well. 

It might not be an issue during a slow shift, but every second matters to bartenders churning out cocktails during a rush on a Saturday night. Plus, cream is perishable, so it will go bad behind the bar quicker than other ingredients, and it's not always certain to be stocked if it isn't used much, which can be another source of stress for bartenders. "Save your bartender the time of having to go check to see if they have some in the back," Jamie Robinson, an industry worker, told Business Insider.

Many people make drink-ordering mistakes, but they're easy to avoid on a busy bar night. Mojitos are an infamous bartender nightmare since it takes precious time to muddle mint when there's a line of thirsty patrons. Frozen drinks (unless the bar has a machine) are another no-no. Breaking out the blender is time-consuming, it's difficult to nail the consistency, and cleaning the blender is quite a chore.

Most mixologists love the art of creating a balanced, beautiful beverage for patrons. That doesn't mean they want to spend the same amount of time cleaning up, especially if there's a queue of other cocktail-loving customers. Of course, bartenders want to make your drink how you like it, but overly specific drink orders with hard-to-clean ingredients can be stressful. As with many things in life, timing often makes all the difference. If you want something obscure or time-consuming to make, try to avoid ordering it if the bar is slammed. No matter what you order, don't forget that a smile and good manners will get you a long way!