That may have been true at one time, but I’m not sure it is now.
That would probably confer the opposite of credibility, IMHO.
This thread baffles me. Then again, I don’t drink.
There is a restaurant we like to frequent that makes very nice apple martini’s. They use real apples and lemon. Given the season, I think its quite nice. (Obviously, I don’t drink it, but hubby does).
I also don’t see the point in trying to impress a bartender. If someone googles an old drink and decides he wants to try one, why the hell should he commit the ingredients to memory? Isn’t that what a bartender is for?
I guess we just aren’t the type to try and gain credibility based on what we drink. (Water is fine, thanks). My husband gets much farther by simply being nice to his bartender. The one that knows him well offers him cool stuff when it pops up. And hubby never orders anything with ‘cred.’ At least, not that I’m aware of.
So I guess my question is why does a certain drink make you change your opinion of someone? What information is it conveying?
You’re repeating yourself.
I generally agree with you, but tonic is a flavored soda. And it is credible.
If the bartender happens to be a Beatles fan, scotch and coke or lager and lime.
**Sachertorte **and DonLogan, I don’t really care about myself. I don’t drink much, and what I typically order at a bar (Diet Pepsi, no ice) doesn’t turn many heads. This is just a discussion thread. We’ve had threads discussing drinks that are disgraceful (to some) when ordered in public; I’m just looking for the attendant antitheses. That’s all.
There’'s a difference between a person exploring booze and a person trying to put up a facade. Acting like you are a know-it-all when you really aren’t is generally considered to be a bad trait.
As for judging people’s drink orders, well half of it is tongue in cheek. But, since booze tends to turn people into raging idiots it’s often helpful to be able to identify them ahead of time. Inexperience and a priority on “getting wasted” over drinking something you like are big red flags. How you order tells the staff a lot about what to expect.
If you’re trying to earn CREDIBILITY by ordering a certain drink, you may have issues.
In my experience, it’s just as true now as it ever was. Your mileage obviously varies, which is fine by me.
Cape Codder, of course! 
“You need three ingredients to have a cocktail. Vodka and Mountain Dew is an emergency.” – Peggy Olson.
True, so far as it goes; the classic recipe for a cocktail is a spirit, a sweetener of some sort, and bitters. E.g.: Rye, sweet vermouth, angostura bitters = Manhattan. Plus, I think some classic tiki cocktails are respectable and classy in their way, though I wouldn’t order them in anything resembling a business situation. But if you actually know them, and you know that the bartender knows 'em and actually has all of the stuff to make them, it’d earn you a point or two with me. And then I’d order one, 'cause I’ve always been curious about 'em. 
Anyone who judges your credibility on any topic other than dipsomania based upon the drink that you order needs to get some perspective.
Stranger
So what about when Fred Sanford walked into a bar and wanted some ripple?
May I argue that a “vodka martini” does not enjoy the same status? Esp. when ordered “very dry?” If you wanted a glass of vodka, why not order it?*
*I recall various predatory bartenders in Joseph Wambaugh’s cop novels rubbing their hands with glee when a vodka drinker came in, on the certain knowledge that “vodka drinkers are serious drunks who you’ll get rich off, at least till they die.”
Let’s put it this way – if it would ever occur to you to drink the stuff by itself without liquor, it’s not a credible mixer.
If it was a classy joint, he’d order a champipple.
Club soda is not a credible mixer either, then. Nor water.
Hamster King is really cutting down the menu.
Explain…?
Totally disagree. Bitters are usually an aromatic component, not one of your "ONE THING"s that should be mixed with your drink. Take, for example, a manhattan or an old fashioned. For me, a cocktail should be at least a spirit + a mixer + an accent. For example, gin & tonic = gin + tonic + lime twist or slice. It’s not a complete gin and tonic for me without that lime accent. Manhattan = rye + vermouth + dash bitters.
I used to have a rule of “don’t order drinks that don’t contain the ingredients in the name,” but there were too many exceptions to that rule. Then I thought, “okay, drinks with one spirit and a mixer plus an accent” That rule works better, but still has too many exceptions.
Doesn’t really matter, since I just generally order scotch or rye neat if I’m drinking something other than a beer.
Archaic old-school drinks.
“I’ll have a Harvey Wallbanger, my friend will have a Singapore Sling”.
(ed. I really do love Harveys and order them often to :dubious: looks from bartenders)