I know it sounds unbelievable, but trust me, there are several ways to order a drink that will cause your bartender to stare at you, head cocked slightly to one side, trying to figure out what it is you want for just long enough to throw off the whole rhythm of your night.
Some of these syntactical quirks are simple. You order a single liquor and mixer drink, like a Jack and Coke, just like that: Jack and Coke. Never, ever invert those two ingredients. Because Coke and Jack sounds like a felony and will grind the gears of a busy bar to a halt. This happens all the time with vodka cranberry — or as it’s often confused, cranberry vodka. Unfortunately, there are enough flavored vodkas out there now that I automatically respond, “I’m sorry, we actually don’t carry a cranberry vodka.”
Other mixups, though, can be much more complicated, like the difference between straight up and neat, which I get into in detail — so much detail — below. Speaking of below, here are all the things you can do to never get that knowing stare from your bartender (due to your unknowingness), and more importantly, get the drink you ordered exactly as you ordered it.
When you go to a bar, odds are you want a drink — just like, you know, everybody else. Bartenders — good bartenders, anyway — constantly have their heads on a swivel. We notice the moment someone new bellies up to the bar or joins the crowd in front of us, and we keep track of who’s next in line. Waving at us or flashing money or a credit card in our face is like telling a bus driver they should skip the next three stops to drop you off first: It’s not going to work.
Case in point: A friend of mine was working a very busy night over the summer, and during his travels up and down the bar taking care of people in line, a man extended his credit card over the head of someone in front of him. My friend, stone-cold professional that he is, said, “Hey, man, I see you. I’ve got a few people in front of you, but don’t worry, I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
But instead of pocketing his credit card and waiting his turn, this guy shoves his Visa in my friend’s face over and over again. On the third pass — and after repeating that he’d be there as soon as he could — my friend grabbed the card out of this man’s hand and threw it like a frisbee over the heads of everyone standing at the bar.
A down cocktail is served in a rocks glass but it has no ice. A seeming anomaly — but with a purpose. And while you might think it is the same as serving a drink neat, it isn’t. A neat drink doesn’t have ice, but it must only be a single ingredient.
The third term that causes some confusion on both sides of the bar is the word “twist”. I’ve ordered a gin martini with a twist (my preferred garnish) and received a big wedge of lemon on the side of the glass. I’ve taken an order for a gin and tonic with a twist, and had the drink sent back because I garnished with a thin strip of citrus peel. A delicate blend of gin and vermouth, the Martini is ruined by a big squeeze of lemon juice. Conversely, the bold flavors of a gin and tonic need more than a light spritzing of lemon or lime oils on the surface of the drink.
Let’s say you order a Wild Turkey, “straight up”. Your bartender should assume you mean that you want your bourbon “neat”, and serve it as so. However, if you were looking for a chilled shot of whiskey in a cocktail glass, you probably should have dropped the “straight” and asked for your drink “up”. And if, as a bartender, you’ve received an order for a Ketel One “straight up”, you should probably check with your customer to make sure they’re looking for chilled vodka and vermouth, and not a glass of warm vodka.
Where the real confusion lies is with the term “straight up”. Although I don’t know where the choaos began, these days there is a bit of conversation required when that phrase is used.
I considered naming this article “How To Take an Order Behind the Bar”, since there seems to be a problem with bartenders and servers not fully understanding the vocabulary used in their workplace. I was reminded of this while reading this thread on the StraightBourbon.com forums some time ago. Yes, there seems to be some confusion about the terms “neat”, “up” (or “straight up”) and “with a twist”, and my goal is to try to help straighten this mess out.
The first – and simplest – term we’re going to examine is “neat“. “Neat” – as applied to drinks served in bars – refers to a shot of liquor poured directly from the bottle and into a glass. There is no chilling involved with a “neat” drink. There is never an additional ingredient in a drink served “neat”. You can not have a Screwdriver served “neat”. That’s not how we use the word.
A martini is a classic cocktail made, originally at least, with gin and dry vermouth. Vodka has become a more popular spirit for martinis (thank you, 1980s), but the concept is the same: 3:1 spirit to vermouth (or olive brine if you like ’em dirty). As mentioned above, many drinks are served up to ensure they stay as cold as possible while you sip them. Martinis are the perfect example of this: That’s three ounces of hard alcohol, friend. Take your fucking time.
I’ve been to bars with martini menus, and only a handful of the drinks even begin to resemble the booze-forward original. I’ve also worked in bars where I was constantly asked what kind of martinis we served, drinkers simply looking for something vodka-based that came in a triangular glass with a stem. By 11 p.m., my answer was always the same: “Gin or vodka.”
But instead of pocketing his credit card and waiting his turn, this guy shoves his Visa in my friend’s face over and over again. On the third pass — and after repeating that he’d be there as soon as he could — my friend grabbed the card out of this man’s hand and threw it like a frisbee over the heads of everyone standing at the bar.
Gin for vodka, rye for bourbon, you got it, fine. But you really want to put Belvedere in a house cocktail made with passion-fruit puree, lemon juice and a housemade hibiscus-infused simple syrup? That’s gonna add $4 to what’s likely already a $12 drink, and guess what: With all those other flavors you won’t be able to tell the difference anyway.
Case in point: A friend of mine was working a very busy night over the summer, and during his travels up and down the bar taking care of people in line, a man extended his credit card over the head of someone in front of him. My friend, stone-cold professional that he is, said, “Hey, man, I see you. I’ve got a few people in front of you, but don’t worry, I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
Why Is A Bar Spoon Twisted?
FAQ
What does it mean for a cocktail to be served up?
What does a drink up or down mean?
Can you order a drink down?
Do you drink a Manhattan up or down?
What is a cocktail served ‘up’?
Check out these great spirits for sipping neat. What is a cocktail served “up”? Order your drink “up” if you want it chilled — but not served — with ice. “Up” drinks are prepared by shaking or stirring ingredients in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass with ice until they are well chilled.
How do you serve a cocktail?
Cocktails can be served in various ways, each offering a unique experience for the imbiber. Here are some popular methods of cocktail service: Neat: Cocktails served neat are pure, undiluted, and chilled, typically in a straight-sided glass. This presentation highlights the essence of the spirit, allowing the drinker to savor its full flavor.
What does it mean to serve a cocktail on the rocks?
This presentation highlights the essence of the spirit, allowing the drinker to savor its full flavor. On the Rocks: Serving a cocktail on the rocks means over ice, often in a rocks glass. The ice cools and dilutes the drink, providing a refreshing and smoother taste.
What does it mean if a drink is poured over ice?
What they really want is neat, neat being a poured, measured shot into a glass,” Dornemann told INSIDER. “Up means stirred over ice, served in a martini glass,” Dornemann said. Before it’s poured, an up drink would be stirred to the correct temperature and dilution. Drinks poured over ice are often referred to as “on the rocks.”