So I was in San Francisco a few weeks ago, and found myself out on the town with my host and some friends one evening.
We first end up at a swanky piano bar–kinda busy. I order a bloody mary.
The bartender gives me a funny look. “Sorry, we’re all out,” she says. Huh? OK, I get a glass of wine instead.
Later that same evening, we find ourselves at a more divey neighborhood bar, considerably less busy. Again I ask for a bloody mary. The bartender gazes at me appraisingly for a couple seconds. Finally–grudgingly–he says “OK.” Huh?
This time, my host is around. He pulls me aside and says that it’s bad form to order a bloody mary at night.
Really?
Yeah. He says that whereas in most places, they use bloody mary mix to make for less work, here in San Francisco they pride themselves on making bloody marys from scratch. But this is labor intensive, and thus it’s bad form to ask the bartender to make one at night, when it’s more likely to be busy. Simply not done, old chap.
Has anybody ever heard of this? I know that bloody marys are often drunk in the morning as a kind of a hair-of-the-dog thing, but I’ve not ever heard that ordering them by night was some kind of pub foul.
I thought of several forums I could post this in–GQ? CS?–even the Pit (possible title: Apparently I am a yokel from Hicksville) but ultimately I guess I am soliciting opinions here. No doubt someone will be along to usher this gently to its proper place if necessary, though more likely it will slowly and sadly drift off the bottom of the page . . .
It’s merely “not done” because it pegs you as a novice drinker. Don’t worry about it though, because a professional bartender will not blink at the most obnoxious request. I once sat next to a guy who ordered Grand Marnier, on the rocks, IN A BRANDY SNIFTER. If a bartender gives you lip about your drink, don’t tip him. You won’t get served anymore but you’ve made your point. There is a bar every 3 feet in San Francisco so you’re bound to find someone more accomodating.
A novice drinker? Ha! My liver is convulsed with laughter (or maybe that’s the cirrhosis)!
Still, I don’t generally drink in bars, so I guess inexperience is the culprit. Seems a shame though–a well made bloody mary, the tobasco, the horseradish, the celery . . . I guess I can tolerate the loss of face on those rare occasions when I drink socially.
Initially I was with Zsophia on the whole labor-intensive issue. But on reflection, I could see that in a slammed busy bar–people shoulder to shoulder ordering drinks, plus the orders from the waitresses–there simply might not be enough manpower to fill orders at a reasonable pace if too many people order tricky drinks.
Reminds me of an old episode of Cheers in which Diane is beaming with pride at the bloody mary she has gone to great effort to make, whereupon Sam reaches below the bar and pulls up this enormous jug of pre-mixed bloody mary that they make every morning to avoid having to go through all that effort over and over.
At my company’s anniversary party, held at a very swank hotel, their was an open bar before dinner was served. I had a yen for a bloody Mary, so I ordered about two or three. He had to go to another station to get the mix, but I got it.
Why should I care what some bartender thinks of my choice of drink?
Seems to me that maybe the bar shouldn’t offer the drink if they’re gonna get all snooty about it because “it is not done”. It’s not done? It’s done all time in my area, and they’re custom made.
As a bartender, I will make you any damn drink you ask for at any time of the day. However, if you order a more time intensive drink such as a Bloody Mary or a daquiri when I am obviously busy, appreciation needs to be shown in the form of a hefty tip.
I take pride in making drinks from scratch rather than using a mix and a good patron will acknowledge the extra time and effort that goes into making their drink. Be warned that if that effort is not acknowledged, it will take a really, really long time to get your next drink.
I’ve never had one, let alone made one, so I looked up the recipe. Seven ingredients. What makes them so much more time-consuming than other drinks, like a Long Island Iced Tea, which IIRC, has about the same number of ingredients?
As one who’s frequented many a bar in Yokelville, I can tell you that bars here are more than willing to prepare high tech or low tech drinks. I, too, would be greatly annoyed if a bartender was snooty with me. My purchase (and my tips) pays their salary so s/he can bite me.
All of the ingredients you need to make a Long Island Iced Tea can be found in the jockey box just below the drinks station. A Bloody Mary, however, requires getting tomato juice from the reefer, celery (which may or may not be in the condi-tray), and so forth. It’s not really that big a deal, actually, and a bartender shouldn’t balk at any reasonable request, but be aware that if you order a complex drink during a slam the bartender is going to cut corners and make an inferior drink and/or put you low on the list of people to be served. He or she is probably trying to make twenty other drinks at once and forcing him to climb into the reefer is just going to break his stride. Ditto for cream drinks.
“Frozen” margaritas and daiquaris aren’t quite such an issue because most places that serve those regularly will just have a mix in the machine. (Ugh!) Be warned, if you insist upon one during a rush at a place that doesn’t icee them, though, you are going to get a drink with a bunch of ice chips instead of your rum-fruit smoothie. If you really want to be a jerk, order a Manhattan muddled during a slam, and you won’t be served again the rest of the night. If you want to be kind and earn the amity of the bartender, save the exotics, blends, and cream drinks (and especially Irish Coffee) for a time when the bar isn’t quite so busy, or else tip well for slowing the bartender down. Remember, bartenders may their wages in tips, and while that’s no issue on a slow night, taking two minutes to make a drink for you while they have other orders in the queue is cutting into their paycheck.
As for the appropriateness of ordering a Bloody Mary in the evening: The Bloody Mary is generally considered a brunch (or morning after) drink to be consumed over snacks or a light meal. I don’t think it’s any hideous breach of edicate to order one in the evening but you are going to get a few funny looks. Personally, I think that anybody who dilutes Irish whisky with soda or pours it over ice is stone-crazy, but to each his own; we don’t likes the drinks snobs, do we, my precious? No, the Bagginsies steals our drinks and mocks us, bad bad Bagginsies!
That’s why there are other bars. I like Bloody Marys, I don’t have them too often though. I usually go for simple but good drinks over the labor intensive ones.
This is a good point. I rather enjoy making a good, complicated exotic drink. The problem comes when making such a drink will keep others waiting & they get all bent out of shape. I’d rather annoy the one person with the unusual & time consuming drink order, than a dozen or so beer drinkers…especially if they’re regulars. When I’m not swamped, I’ll take all the time & effort needed to mix up a drink I’d be proud to serve at home. It’s not a matter of inconveniencing me as much as it is angering other impatient customers.
Sorry to dis your friend and all bartenders involved; but that has got to be the most ASININE thing I’ve ever heard.
I mean Jeez! I couldn’t imagine going to a Steak House and ordering a New York Strip with out a Bloody Marry to go with it.
As a loooong time barfly (I mean really check my profile) I say order any damn drink you want.
And yes, as others have said, you should tip accordingly. But having said that; it doesn’t mean you should have to empty out your saving account either.
