How to politely tell the bartender....

[Warik]

.... that she's watering your drinks down and you kindly request that she discontinue doing so?

I swear. I'm out drinking with my buddy the other night and we're asking for tequila shots in between our beers and the beer was packing more of a punch. There's NO way those shot glasses contained only tequila. We even tried switching brands and it was still the same crap.

I decided not to tell her "hey fatty, stop watering down my [censored]!" for fear of her using the solid black color of my next "Perfect Pint" of Guinness as camouflauge for a big glob of spit.

What's my play?

[gr8vertical]

Time to find a new bar

[tonypaladino]

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Time to find a new bar

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[Rduke55]

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Time to find a new bar

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Agreed. I can't think of a good way to tell a bartender that.

[Homer]

Don't they pour the shot in front of you?

[TheWorstPlayer]

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Don't they pour the shot in front of you?

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When I took a bartending class they told us that the law mandated pouring all drinks up on the bar in front of the customer.

[TiK]

I've seen bartenders chill tequila first before pouring the shots, which means putting it in a shaker with ice. Perhaps that's what made the shots taste watered down. If that was the case, I'd ask the barkeep not to chill the tequila first...

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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I've seen bartenders chill tequila first before pouring the shots, which means putting it in a shaker with ice. Perhaps that's what made the shots taste watered down. If that was the case, I'd ask the barkeep not to chill the tequila first...

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Shaking = bad

[Warik]

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Agreed. I can't think of a good way to tell a bartender that.

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I've never had a problem with the bar before. It was just this particular bartender. Place was pretty full and we had crappy seats so no other bartenders ever walked by.

There's gotta be a polite way to say this... I mean, if she ISN'T watering the drinks down, then they shouldn't taste that way. If she IS doing it, then she knows she screwed up and got caught.

[Rduke55]

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Agreed. I can't think of a good way to tell a bartender that.

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I've never had a problem with the bar before. It was just this particular bartender. Place was pretty full and we had crappy seats so no other bartenders ever walked by.

There's gotta be a polite way to say this... I mean, if she ISN'T watering the drinks down, then they shouldn't taste that way. If she IS doing it, then she knows she screwed up and got caught.

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I assumed you meant that the place was watering down the tequila in the bottle. I've been to some bad bars before but I can't imagine someone actually watering down a shot when they pour it.

[CCovington]

say, "is that straight?" in a regular conversational way

[Warik]

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Don't they pour the shot in front of you?

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No... she went off, poured the tequila and came back. Only thing I saw her pour was the Guinness because it comes out of the little machine which was right in front of me.

I also saw her pour my Guinness, walk off, and pass by the pint about 6 times before finally giving it to me 5 minutes later after I had to get her attention.

Question 1: Would I get kicked out of the bar or barked at by the manager if after 5 minutes of staring at my lonely pint I just got up, walked around the bar, grabbed it, and came back to my seat?

Question 2: Would all the chicks who saw me do that totally want me afterward?

[Scotch78]

I agree with CCovington, double check that she's making them neat/straight up. If the problem continues after that, then she's left you only one recourse: don't tip.

Scott

[MonkeeMan]

This could possibly happen on a bar-wide scale, but I don't see how/why one bartender would be doing this. What's in it for her (besides a lousy tip)? Don't the bartenders all pour from the same bottles?

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Question 1: Would I get kicked out of the bar or barked at by the manager if after 5 minutes of staring at my lonely pint I just got up, walked around the bar, grabbed it, and came back to my seat?

Question 2: Would all the chicks who saw me do that totally want me afterward?

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1)No.
3)No. Well, if they do, it's not because of this.

[Warik]

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I assumed you meant that the place was watering down the tequila in the bottle. I've been to some bad bars before but I can't imagine someone actually watering down a shot when they pour it.

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I just meant the contents of the glass not being 100% tequila... whether it was watered down in the bottle or after being poured - whatever. It wasn't some crappy obscure place or anything.

[imported_ncray]

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say, "is that straight?" in a regular conversational way

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Then use that to segue into asking about her sexuality. Then SIIHP. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Warik]

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No. Well, if they do, it's not because of this.

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"Oh my... that guy's got some huge balls just walking around the bar and getting his own drink. I wonder if his dick is just as big? Let's go talk to him!"

[Easy E]

Find a new bar?

[Rduke55]

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Question 1: Would I get kicked out of the bar or barked at by the manager if after 5 minutes of staring at my lonely pint I just got up, walked around the bar, grabbed it, and came back to my seat?

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The bars I worked at had rules regarding this. Customer goes behind bar - customer gets kicked out.

[Los Feliz Slim]

This sounds completely ridiculous to me. Watering down tequila shots? I don't believe it.

[Rduke55]

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This sounds completely ridiculous to me. Watering down tequila shots? I don't believe it.

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I don't either.

[TomCollins]

Tell her youll tip her double if she gives you a non-watered down one next time.

[howzit]

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This sounds completely ridiculous to me. Watering down tequila shots? I don't believe it.

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y not in a place that isn't turning over the inventory? u get twice as much at the same price.

This isn't commonpractice but not unheard of.

[Rduke55]

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This sounds completely ridiculous to me. Watering down tequila shots? I don't believe it.

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y not in a place that isn't turning over the inventory? u get twice as much at the same price.

This isn't commonpractice but not unheard of.

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I mean the bartender doing it. The OP said it was specific to this bartender since he hasn't had this with other bartenders.

[Blarg]

I don't tend to hold bartenders in high regard. I believe it.

[TiK]

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I also saw her pour my Guinness, walk off, and pass by the pint about 6 times before finally giving it to me 5 minutes later after I had to get her attention.

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You can't pour Guiness in one pour. Could it be that she was waiting for it to settle before she finished the pour? Also, if the bar is busy, bartenders'll pour half, wait for it to settle and do other things while they wait, and then come back and finish.

Now that I think of it regarding your tequila issue, I do think the bartender was chilling it by putting it in a shaker with ice and shaking it a bit, which will most definitely water down your tequila.

[Warik]

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I mean the bartender doing it. The OP said it was specific to this bartender since he hasn't had this with other bartenders.

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Ok, maybe I was not clear when I originally stated the problem. What I was saying was that I've never had a problem with this bar before until I had this bartender... which could mean either that the bartender is the culprit OR that the bar just didn't do anything naughty up until that day.

All I'm saying is that these shots didn't taste or feel like anything I've had before. The smell, the aftertaste, nothing.

And it sucked.

[Warik]

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You can't pour Guiness in one pour. Could it be that she was waiting for it to settle before she finished the pour? Also, if the bar is busy, bartenders'll pour half, wait for it to settle and do other things while they wait, and then come back and finish.

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Nah it was fully poured with the yummy foam layer on top. It was sitting there lonely wanting to be consumed and my telekinetic Jedi powers were not working. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

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Now that I think of it regarding your tequila issue, I do think the bartender was chilling it by putting it in a shaker with ice and shaking it a bit, which will most definitely water down your tequila.

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Is that a typical practice? That could very well explain it.

p.s. After all this trouble, I still tipped her like 30% because she forgot to charge us for the last two beers and we kept getting refills of chips and salsa from our "spinach dip" appetizer because the chips and salsa are free and you only get charged for the spinach dip lol.

[wacki]

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I don't tend to hold bartenders in high regard. I believe it.

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[Los Feliz Slim]

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I don't tend to hold bartenders in high regard. I believe it.

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It's just so hard to imagine a bartender, in a crowded bar, setting out two shot glasses, pouring a little water in each, then topping each off with tequila. If you're saying that the bottle(s) of tequila was(were) watered down, I can accept that. But as had been stated, unless the bartender was the owner I don't see what the upside would be.

You can't let a woman push you around. I'd be all like "Bitch, pour that drink right, then get in the kitchen and make me some waffles"

[Warik]

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If you're saying that the bottle(s) of tequila was(were) watered down, I can accept that. But as had been stated, unless the bartender was the owner I don't see what the upside would be.

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Maybe the bottle was watered down and the bartender didn't (or did) know about it? If I phrased the problem politely enough maybe I could have gotten a new bottle opened or something. Who knows.

To the other poster who mentioned drinks being poured in front of you: no, that doesn't seem to be the case down here (Miami). Sometimes I do see the bartender mix a drink or pour a glass of wine for someone right in front of them, but most of the time, at various places, I ask for a drink a short bit later the bartender shows up with the drink.

Only places I've consistently seen drinks poured 2 feet from me are at clubs.

[RustedCorpse]

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Question 2: Would all the chicks who saw me do that totally want me afterward?

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This should not factor in, ladies are nice, but quality booze> the one lady who might hear.

I would be really friendly with the bartender then make a "come hither" gesture and say something like
"Hey do you know if this place waters the tequilla down or something? Seems like there's not much kick. Would you reccomend something?"

Make it you and her against "the bar". Plus if she's doing it herself she'll get the hint.

[Dominic]

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You can't let a woman push you around. I'd be all like "Bitch, pour that drink right, then get in the kitchen and make me some waffles"

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this made me laugh.

[imported_anacardo]

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You can't let a woman push you around. I'd be all like "Bitch, pour that drink right, then get in the kitchen and make me some waffles"

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this made me laugh.

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Really? This is like Standard Gag 117/A.

[Dominic]

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You can't let a woman push you around. I'd be all like "Bitch, pour that drink right, then get in the kitchen and make me some waffles"

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this made me laugh.

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Really? This is like Standard Gag 117/A.

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it was this, combined with the effort to make a gag-account named Cartman with avatar. I like Cartman and can hear him say this.

[MonkeeMan]

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You can't let a woman push you around. I'd be all like "Bitch, pour that drink right, then get in the kitchen and make me some waffles"

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this made me laugh.

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Really? This is like Standard Gag 117/A.

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it was this, combined with the effort to make a gag-account named Cartman with avatar. I like Cartman and can hear him say this.

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That happened with me too, saw the avatar and read the lines with Cartman's voice.

[tonypaladino]

If it's a problem with only the one bartender, and you are a regular at the bar, why not speak to the manager privately about it?

[slamdunkpro]

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No... she went off, poured the tequila and came back. Only thing I saw her pour was the Guinness because it comes out of the little machine which was right in front of me.

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If you're shot is cold, she's shaking it with ice. Ask for it neat, or straight up.

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Question 1: Would I get kicked out of the bar or barked at by the manager if after 5 minutes of staring at my lonely pint I just got up, walked around the bar, grabbed it, and came back to my seat?

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In my bar - yes, customers who go behinde the bar are shown the door.

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Question 2: Would all the chicks who saw me do that totally want me afterward?

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No, because you’d probably give my security guys a hard time about being put out and be given an “alley pull”

[Blarg]

Does that just mean being thrown out the back instead of the front? Or is there something more sinister or humiliating involved?

[slamdunkpro]

“Alley pull”

We have this narrow alley out one of our side fire doors. It never gets much sunlight and all kinds of trash and stuff collects in it. Since it almost never gets used (we are the only door) and since it fairly long – about 60 feet; animals, bums and crack heads crap, shoot up , and do other things there; in general it’s pretty nasty. To top it off, the concrete is dished so there is always about 2 inches of slime in it.

When we get some belligerent clown or clowns who have to be put out and they really don’t want to go quietly, security will take them out that fire door, flip them over on their belly and pull them all the way out the alley by their heels. With 2 or 3 huge guys holding your feet at belt height, you can get where the rest of you goes.

[Blarg]

LOL, chalk up yet another notch in my general disrespect for bars.

[slamdunkpro]

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LOL, chalk up yet another notch in my general disrespect for bars.

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Understand that you really have to be a total ass-hat to get pulled.

[Slacker13]

I doubt it was the bartender. I was in the business for a long time and I know bar owners around town that are known for watering down their liquor. On the other hand I have known bartenders who will sneak bottles in so they can "hook up" their regulars and not come up short on the liquor counts at the end of their shift, so I suppose it is conceivable for a bartender to conserve stock by watering yours down and pouring the good stuff for her regulars. But I would lean towards the owner.

[slamdunkpro]

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I was in the business for a long time and I know bar owners around town that are known for watering down their liquor. On the other hand I have known bartenders who will sneak bottles in so they can "hook up" their regulars and not come up short on the liquor counts at the end of their shift, so I suppose it is conceivable for a bartender to conserve stock by watering yours down and pouring the good stuff for her regulars.

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Wow, in Maryland pouring any substance other than what was shipped in that bottle into a liquor bottle can put your liquor license in jeopardy. So can bringing in “foreign” liquor (not purchased from a licensed distributor).

[Slacker13]

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Wow, in Maryland pouring any substance other than what was shipped in that bottle into a liquor bottle can put your liquor license in jeopardy. So can bringing in “foreign” liquor (not purchased from a licensed distributor).

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The same laws apply here. Florida liquor laws are very strict. It doesn't mean it is going to stop owners from doing it. I bartended at a place where the owner poured Well Liquor such as vodka into absolute bottles. It happans much more than people think, especially smaller establishments where the owners need to squeeze every penny.

[Blarg]

Sounds like ordering an unopened bottle would be the safest bet, if you could.

[Randy_Refeld]

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I was in the business for a long time and I know bar owners around town that are known for watering down their liquor. On the other hand I have known bartenders who will sneak bottles in so they can "hook up" their regulars and not come up short on the liquor counts at the end of their shift, so I suppose it is conceivable for a bartender to conserve stock by watering yours down and pouring the good stuff for her regulars.

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Wow, in Maryland pouring any substance other than what was shipped in that bottle into a liquor bottle can put your liquor license in jeopardy. So can bringing in “foreign” liquor (not purchased from a licensed distributor).

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These were both laws when I worked in a bar. People in the bar business don't always follow the law.

[slamdunkpro]

We’ve gone as far to go buy liquor from the liquor store if we ran out of something and they were still open or if our shipment didn’t show up for whatever reason but I’d never water the liquor in the bottle – it’s too easy to tell if you get inspected. As for rail in call bottles, well, if you do it and get caught by your patrons; just like watering the liquor, word gets around fast and poof! No business.