A post about tipping bartenders led me to this article in Modern Drunkard. This entry caught my eye:
I know what a lemon twist is, “super-chilled” seems self-explanatory, and I’ve figured out through Wikipedia that “dirty” means olive brine is added (or even used in lieu of vermouth). But what do these other modifiers mean, and what are the other “secret menu” modifications you can use to impress your friends at bars?
Anybody who orders one of those monstrosities at a bar of any worth should be 86’ed permanently. You want frou-frou crap, fix it yourself. But don’t bother a working professional with that garbage.
Very dry means only a very little bit of vermouth. Half and half I would guess means half vodka and half gin.
“In-and-Out” is a way of coating the inside of the martini glass with vermouth. You chill the glass by adding ice, then add some vermouth and swirl it around so the inside of the glass is coated with vermouth “flavor” or “essence.” Then you toss out the ice/vermouth mixture and pour in gin/vodka you’ve already shaken or stirred in ice the usual way.
Don’t know about super-chilled and half-and-half.
I’ve always thought this referred to using alcohol that’s kept in the freezer. Not sure how that pans out in a bar though.
That’s what I figure, Doctor Who. Can anyone list options for other drinks as well? I’ve always been curious about that kind of stuff, but it’s hard to find a compendium of them.
Could be. A martini should be made using room-temperature gin so when you stir/shake it with ice you get just the right dilution from the ice melting. Gin from the freezer wouldn’t melt as much ice.
Sounds like an abomination to me.
Fetus, each drink has its own recipe and there really aren’t that many options. But there are thousand of drinks and variations of drinks.
Some of the most common options I remember from my bartending days:
“Double.” Double the booze, but not double the mixer. A stronger drink.
“House.” Just the regular stuff they serve by the glass. Whatever they usually serve, you don’t care. Usually used with wine.
“Mist.” Booze served over crushed ice.
“Neat.” Booze served plain, un-chilled, no ice.
“On the rocks.” Over ice.
“Splash.” A small squirt of something. Whiskey, neat, with a coke splash."
“Straight up” or “up.” This one can be tricky with finicky customers. It means “neat” that is, plain booze in a glass, but the glass could be chilled and/or the booze chilled first. It’s best to tell your bartender what you prefer. “Whiskey, straight” could get you a chilled glass, or whiskey from the freezer, or whiskey shaken over ice and strained into your glass. Customers love to bitch about this one.
“Virgin.” No booze. Don’t be a smart-ass and ask for “vodka, neat, virgin.”
“Water back” or “back.” A glass of water or something else served with your drink. Basically the same as a “chaser.” “Scotch, neat, with a water back, please.”
“Well.” The everyday stuff the bartender pours from the rack right in front of him. “Whiskey on the rocks, well is fine.”
“With a _____ Chaser” A small drink to accompany your main drink. “I’ll have a Bloody Mary with a beer chaser, please.” You should get a small house beer along with your Bloody Mary. “Scotch, neat, with a Sprite chaser, please.”
Was that what you’re looking for? If you google up “bartending terminology” you can find lots more.
I assume this sentence was just another way of phrasing the question. Please, please don’t throw around every term you can find just to “impress” your friends. I highly doubt it would have that effect at least among any friends that I would want.
I used to be a bartender at a high end New Orleans establishment. Sometimes we would be an extremely high volume establishment as will. THEY know what you are asking for when you use those but they can’t be sure that YOU know what you are asking for so they will likely repeat back a classification that takes more time than just asking for it in plain language the first time.
There are some terms that are common and appropriate like “on the rocks” and “house X”. Actually, most of the ones suggested by other posters are pretty common but there are some that make you look like a doofus if you use them in the wrong way or in the wrong context. The best thing is just say what you know how to say based on experience. Nobody is going to laugh at you if you for a “Rum and coke with lime” instead of a “Cuba Libra”.
I was hoping my question would be taken in the spirit it was intended. I’m merely curious about the terms, because that’s the kind of stuff my mind nags me about until I find out as much as I can. Why I’m so fascinated, I can’t tell you. But considering I can’t even go into a bar (I’m 20 and I have no idea where my passport is, nor could I afford to travel), there’s not much danger of me throwing around every term I can find just to impress my friends.
You’re the ex-barkeep, but I’m almost positive this is called a “cubalibre”, in reference to the Cuban liberation army that rose up against the Spanish, rather than “cuba libra”, which means “(a) free Cuba”.
I don’t think I have ever seen it written down so you may be right.
Since we have bartenders in the room, how common is a “Godfather” I have found that if I order it outside of Miami or NYC, I have to explain what it is (Whisky and Amaretto on the rocks) and they always look at me like I am from a different planet.
if we are going to get picky, “libra” is a pound and has nothig to do with freedom. It should be a “Cuba libre” (or “cubalibre”, depending on how hurried you are, I guess), which, by the way, should also include bitters. Cheers.
C’mon, Sapo, a Cuba Libra is a cubata that’s been mixed in early October!
No?
D’oh! I realized this right before I read your response.
The way I understand it, “un Cuba libre” is a free(d) Cuba, while “el cubalibre” was, specifically, the force that resisted the Spanish and liberated Cuba, and the drink is named for the latter (being a considerably more interesting entity to name a drink after).
Cuba is female, like all islands and most nations. So “a free cuba” would be una Cuba libre. I agree with Sapo’s interpretation, it’s a “Cuba libre” (rhum+cocacola, c’mon!), if you’re going fast “cubalibre” and if you’re from Spain and have started dropping sillables everywhere, “cubata”.
Yargh! I haven’t had enough sleep to be thinking in foreign languages. I seriously don’t get why you would want to drink something called a “free Cuba”, though. I’m going to keep telling myself it’s a “cubalibre”. That said, the only place I’ve seen it written down was in Jerusalem. Jerusalem has a rapidly growing Spanish-speaking population, but it was at a hotel very close to the Muslim (East) part, so…not so much. I was more concerned with the getting smashed part than the ordering part at the time, though. I happy drank everything that someone was willing to put in front of me.
People drink screwdrivers and slammers.
“Screwdriver” and “slammer” both sound vaguely like fun things you can get involved in while drunk. Anyway, the screwdriver is so named because factory (or was it construction?) workers used to use their screwdrivers to mix the drink up.
delivered in october. mixed in january, probably 
One bartender I used to get martinis from would put the vodka bottle in the ice chest and fill the glass with ice. After a few minutes he would mix up my martini in the shaker, dump the ice out of the glass and pour. I’m not sure if that qualifies as super chilled but its how I like them.