# Is This New? Putting Coasters Over Drinks In Bars **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597 "2008-12-17T17:32:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/1 "2008-12-17T17:32:58Z")
Maybe I just noticed this, but lately I see a lot of people doing it when they step away from their drink. New? Not new? Is their primary goal to keep someone from spitting in it or dropping a roofy (of course if someone were determined to adulterate your drink, it would not be too hard to circumvent), or is it to let the barkeep/busboy know it’s not a dead drink to keep him from discarding it? I always have the latter fear and hence if I step away, I take the drink with me. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/2 "2008-12-17T17:35:20Z")
I’ve only seen it since the smoking bans have been enacted. In Chicago, at least, it means “I’m outside having a smoke, don’t clear my drink.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/3 "2008-12-17T17:36:01Z")
The latter. It indicates that you aren’t finished with your drink. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/4 "2008-12-17T17:41:08Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The latter. It indicates that you aren’t finished with your drink. Yeah, and it’s not new at all. If you take the drink with you to get up and visit the restroom, it seems a little weird, and somebody will take your stool while you’re gone. The coaster over the glass reserves the barstool as well as keeping the barkeep from taking the drink. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/5 "2008-12-17T18:00:41Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Yeah, and it’s not new at all. If you take the drink with you to get up and visit the restroom, it seems a little weird, and somebody will take your stool while you’re gone. The coaster over the glass reserves the barstool as well as keeping the barkeep from taking the drink. Man, fecal theft now ? This world’s really goin’ down the tubes. (D&R) ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/6 "2008-12-17T18:21:37Z")
I’ve never seen that before, but it is a great idea. Anybody know how long this has been common practice? I don’t go out much any more. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/7 "2008-12-17T18:50:02Z")
In Upstate NY it’s been around at least since the smoking ban-2003 it think. I saw it in San Diego back in 95-ish to reserve seats during a bathroom or smoke (multiple type) break. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/8 "2008-12-17T18:57:59Z")
Really common in the UK, from what I’ve observed. And yeah, it’s to stop the barman removing your precious pint. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/9 "2008-12-17T19:01:27Z")
I’ve also seen two straws in an _X_ placed over the glass. Just this weekend I saw a guy handing out business cards that said something to the effect of “I’m not done with this drink” and had his business name and number on them. They also had a _U_ shaped notch, so you could hang it on the rim of your glass. I thought it was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/10 "2008-12-17T19:07:38Z")
I remember seeing it back when I was working in bars in the early 80’s. It may not have been as common then as now, since smoking was legal everywhere, but it was used. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/11 "2008-12-17T23:18:24Z")
Have you moved to a tropical area or started to hang out in outdoor bars? In Cameroon we did that to keep flies out of our drinks. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/12 "2008-12-18T02:45:20Z")
Coasters on drinks has not been something everyone has done, but it’s been done since I was first going into bars in the late '70s. ---
**Author:** ![Melkor28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Melkor28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melkor28)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/13 "2008-12-18T09:55:52Z")
In the local pub I frequent, it means I am done, don’t refill the pint. Otherwise the bartender will just keep refilling my pint glass when empty. It’s the frist bar I notcied this pratice. I moved into the town 8 years ago; so they have been doing this long before the smoking ban. Mount Vernon (Westchester) NY; just above NYC. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/14 "2008-12-18T10:02:11Z")
I know a guy who used to drop his falsies in his drink while he went to the loo or played pool. You could always borrow some if you’ve got all your own teeth? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/15 "2008-12-18T10:51:58Z")
I’ve seen it ever since I started frequenting pubs in 1999 or earlier. Some beer company even has promotional ‘pint tops’ for the specific purpose. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/16 "2008-12-18T11:47:50Z")
There was an alkie landlord in my town who, by agreement between the other landlords, wasn’t allowed to drink more than one drink in any given pub. He also didn’t want anyone to know he was a drunk (like we couldn’t tell). So he used to drink half of his drink, drop a beer mat on top of it, then stagger to the next bar. There were 17 pubs in the town and during the day, in most of them, you would find a half-drunk pint on the bar with a mat on the top. “That’s Slush’s pint. Leave it.” ETA: this was during the mid-80s in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/17 "2008-12-18T14:53:41Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > There was an alkie landlord in my town who, by agreement between the other landlords, wasn’t allowed to drink more than one drink in any given pub. He also didn’t want anyone to know he was a drunk (like we couldn’t tell). So he used to drink half of his drink, drop a beer mat on top of it, then stagger to the next bar. There were 17 pubs in the town and during the day, in most of them, you would find a half-drunk pint on the bar with a mat on the top. “That’s Slush’s pint. Leave it.” > ETA: this was during the mid-80s in the UK. Given there were 17 pubs in the town, presumably the other landlords’ scheme was to ensure they all shared the business, rather than being born out of any concern over the guy’s alcoholism? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/18 "2008-12-18T21:08:30Z")
The [RRBC](http://russianriverbrewing.com/wordpress/)’s coasters actually say “GONE TO PEE” on the bottom. [Here](http://www.barnaby.com/gonetosmoke.html)’s one source for the business card. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/19 "2008-12-18T21:20:11Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Have you moved to a tropical area or started to hang out in outdoor bars? In Cameroon we did that to keep flies out of our drinks. That’s how the whole “tapas” schtick got started. Some crafty chef devised little snacks to keep flies out of the drinks (ostensibly for the king), and the king liked them so much he kept asking for more. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597/20 "2008-12-18T21:45:41Z")
> [@Melkor28](#): > > In the local pub I frequent, it means I am done, don’t refill the pint. Otherwise the bartender will just keep refilling my pint glass when empty. It’s the frist bar I notcied this pratice. I moved into the town 8 years ago; so they have been doing this long before the smoking ban. Mount Vernon (Westchester) NY; just above NYC. Most places I’ve been just give you a new pint in a fresh glass. If the place isn’t too busy, the bartender should confirm you want another and pull it for you when you’ve still got an inch or two in the old one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-new-putting-coasters-over-drinks-in-bars/477597.md?page=2)