# Why does a bartender use a jigger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959 "2006-05-08T21:02:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/1 "2006-05-08T21:02:45Z")
Okay, in a lot of cases it makes sense, but too many times I’ve asked for a vodka tonic, gin tonic, barcardi coke…whatever and I’ll watch as the bartender pours the liquor into the jigger (and without stopping) pours the jigger into the glass and continues pouring the liquor? Any reason for that? Just for show? Is he aiming for two ounces and the jigger just gives him a feel for how long one ounce takes to pour (and the he holds the bottle inverted for the same amount of time)? And some of these people have been tending bar longer then I’ve been alive. You’d think by now they could pour a jigger to within a few milliliters with all their expierence. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/2 "2006-05-08T21:06:24Z")
It is usually bar policy. It either shows the customer he is getting his rightful dose of liquor or the place is micromanaged and wants to control liquor flow. Any bartender who has been on the job more than a day can poor liquor by count. That is what the bottle spouts are designed for. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/3 "2006-05-08T21:11:20Z")
A jigger is an 1.5 oz, which is more or less the standard amount for a mixed drink. Using the jigger shows the customer he’s getting what he’s suppose to get plus a little “extra.” ---
**Author:** ![bluetrust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@bluetrust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluetrust)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/4 "2006-05-08T21:13:38Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] It is usually bar policy. It either shows the customer he is getting his rightful dose of liquor or the place is micromanaged and wants to control liquor flow. Any bartender who has been on the job more than a day can poor liquor by count. That is what the bottle spouts are designed for. [/QUOTE] Agreed. The bartender was making a show of conforming to policy without actually doing it. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/5 "2006-05-08T21:26:51Z")
The pouring extra is an old trick they teach you in bartender school- you short the jigger and then pour the rest in afterwards, making the customer think you are giving them extra out of the goodness of you heart (and hopefully encouraging a big tip). ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/6 "2006-05-09T02:45:51Z")
I’m wondering if this a law in Texas. Every bar I’ve been to here has the bartender using the jigger. I’ve seen it in other states, but not at every bar. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/7 "2006-05-09T08:59:24Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] It is usually bar policy. It either shows the customer he is getting his rightful dose of liquor or the place is micromanaged and wants to control liquor flow. Any bartender who has been on the job more than a day can poor liquor by count. That is what the bottle spouts are designed for. [/QUOTE] Or they could use a [measured pourer](http://www.drinkingstuff.com/store/cat/23/prod/375): > [@](#): > > Eyeballing a drink wastes liquor and makes for crappy cocktails. Just tip over the bottle, and two ball bearings accurately stop the liquor after 1 1/2 ounces, every time. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/8 "2006-05-09T09:24:32Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Or they could use a [measured pourer](http://www.drinkingstuff.com/store/cat/23/prod/375): [/QUOTE] Or they could use an [‘optic’](http://www.barmans.co.uk/products/product.asp?ID=3493&title=35ml+Clear+Pearl+Measure) ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/9 "2006-05-09T19:23:18Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] I’m wondering if this a law in Texas. Every bar I’ve been to here has the bartender using the jigger. I’ve seen it in other states, but not at every bar. [/QUOTE] Highly likely. For instance, in the UK spirits: > [@](#): > > Must only be sold in measures of 25ml, 35ml or multiples of these quantities. It is not permissible to deliver both 25ml and 35ml measures of spirits on the same premises. Quantities of 1/6 or 1/3 gill are now illegal. Gin, rum, vodka, and whisky must be measured using crown stamped thimble measures or crown stamped spirit-measuring instruments (commonly referred to as optics). From uk [trading standards]([www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/](http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/) milton-keynes/E08%20Alcohol%20Law.pdf) (PDF Alert!) So I believe it’s illegal to just pour it out. Of course, the law tends to be much more concerned with short measures than over measures, for obvious reasons, so no-one is going to complain if you get a bit more than you paid for… ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/10 "2006-05-09T22:11:28Z")
Jiggers can be bought in various sizes, but 1.5 oz is the most common. Many bars calculate liquor yields—the total amount of ounces sold divided by 1.5 (oz) divided by drinks sold. If the number is 1 (it never is) than the average pour was 1.5 oz. Generally the number is less than one—meaning that due to overpour, theft, and waste, the ounces (liters) used deviated from what the cash register suggested. Some deviation is to be expected, and bar prices reflect the real world yield. But…when the yield is outside of the norm it indicates theft (sometimes right out of the liquor room into someone’s trunk), overpouring (currying favors from cuties or buddies at the bar), theft (underringing, skimming) or waste. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-bartender-use-a-jigger/355959/11 "2006-05-09T23:19:29Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] I’m wondering if this a law in Texas. Every bar I’ve been to here has the bartender using the jigger. I’ve seen it in other states, but not at every bar. [/QUOTE] There’s no law requiring it to my knowledge, but liquor is so carefully taxed and regulated many bars treat jiggers as mandatory. Read this [administrative law opinion](http://cpastar2.cpa.state.tx.us:8765/highlight/index.html?url=http%3A//aixtcp.cpa.state.tx.us/opendocs/open22/200003714h.html&fterm=200003714H&la=en&charset=iso-8859-1&search=../query.html%3Fqt%3D200003714H%26ql%3D) for way more than you’d ever want to know on the matter. Additionally, Texas has some aggressive dram shop acts and liabilities for overserving that the use of jiggers is a good defense against. “We only served him three drinks before he plowed his car into the orphanage” is a much easier argument to make if you can show exactly how much goes into each drink you serve.