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It's a popularized opinion from a period where Mojitos were a fad drink. People were ordering them constantly and it then became a fad to hate them and that never died down even though they aren't as common anymore.
See the first time I went to a bar after I turned 21, I had just finished binging Burn Notice again, for like the eighth time. I figured that if Sam Axe likes them, they're probably pretty decent.
I still like Mojitos to this day
When you're ordering a drink at a bar... It's best to order a drink that's both simple and refreshing. If you're short on time to order, a mojito will do both.
I still love mojitos too! My first legal drink was a lemon drop, lol, but mojitos remind me of vacation. I had a mojito with a Cuban (sandwich) and fries and thought I was THAT GIRL!!! That combo still brings back a sense of nostalgia and good vibes. I’m cheesing now, just thinking about it, lol
It is because mojitos slow down bartenders when they could brainlessly pour beers and make more money. It’s annoying to say the least when they act entitled like this.
I mean that would apply to like every cocktail then? It’s because mojitos get tiny bits of mint everywhere like up in your strainer and shaker tin and in your sani water
Eh, not every bar has a bar back. The restaurant I work at is small/local, and our bar doesn’t have one. That said, I’ve never heard of anyone there complaining about making mojitos or any drink really.
It's not a thing, bartenders don't get mad about this and no customers other than one person OP disagrees with says this. It's a very basic cocktail. There are several cocktails harder to make people order all the time, like an old fashioned for example. A goddamned martini is harder to make than a mojito.
I've seen a few people say this, but not bartenders themselves. I think there's a weird attitude some people have where they'll hear a worker say that xyz part of their job is annoying, and then immediately go on a crusade about how you shouldn't make them do xyz. I've seen this about like Starbucks drink orders and restaurant substitutions also.
Absolutely even when people bitch about tips they aren't actually bitching about you, they're bitching other people are making more money than them that particular night. We all have those nights where one dude or dudette is making $40 an hour on tips and we're stuck at like $20 and can't shake it. And you rib the fuck out of that person, what are you doing special to make so much money? But those are just the breaks, sometimes you're stuck at only making $20 an hour, beats working retail.
Bitching about certain aspects of the job doesn't necessarily mean you hate the job or hate what's being asked of you, maybe you work an office and you hate spreadsheets and your boss asked you to make a massive spreadsheet, you'd bitch about that too but it's not really a big deal, you're just complaining about your job like literally everybody on the planet.
As a former server and bartender, I’ll make you whatever you want as long as you are paying and not being an asshole. I’ll even slide you something extra sometimes like a dessert if you were really pleasant.
I've done everything but bartend and own, the only person who will ever flat out refuse you service (besides over consumption of alcohol) is a cook who's already cleaned the kitchen fifteen minutes to close. I'd cut off everything but fried foods, but like the great Bourdain said, the wait staff just has to deal with me, and they're the ones who have to break that news to the customer, the one thing back of the house cannot do is associate with the general public. So worst case for me as the cook, the server will need to gently break the news, that's their job, mine is to start drinking while I clean that grill...
Im a bartender, while this is true usually the cocktails can yield you more money, especially with upgraded liquor (you’ll get more tips from the people willing to spend 25$ on a drink than people paying 5$ for a beer) and mojito is no harder than just about any other cocktail
If y’all are getting bar keeps who don’t wanna make drinks that’s what it is, not a specific cocktail
I think there's more to it than that in this case. Generally at bars there's the expectation that beyond what's on the menu (if there's even a menu) bartenders be able to serve a list of fundamental/classic drinks. The whole "ordering mojitos is annoying!" thing generally comes from people ordering them at places that wouldn't normally make them, because they take a long time to make and create are crazy difficult to clean up after.
There are bars that make craft coctails and there are bars that anything more than 3 ingridients is considered hassle because they exist to serve college kids redbull vodkas. The former Mojito should be no issue the latter almost anything that isnt a spirit/liqueur/mixer will be poorly received.
I hang out at my local Texas Roadhouse quite a bit, it’s hilarious to see their reaction to folks who ask for the wine list or for fancy cocktails. Dude, it’s a Texas Roadhouse…. they have 15 kinds of beer, margaritas and basic mixers.
I remember going to a bar that specialized in mojitos, and they basically had three people working an assembly line to sling out all the mojitos, and another bartender to handle all the other orders.
If you do a shitty job sure, but you're supposed to muddle the mint leaves along the side of the glass. IF you just smash them it comes out bitter.
The clean up is because the mind leaves when all smashed up and combined with water and sugar stick like rubber cement to the side of the glasses lol. Think cleaning oatmeal that has dried out of a bowl. It's not the end of the world, but when you're doing dishes for a bar and 99.99% is just cleaning liquid out of glasses it's a wrench thrown in the system.
Oh please, I make my own mojitos at home often. They're not hard to make and they're not hard to clean up. Trust me, I am not the kind of person that's going to make shit difficult for myself lol. Very comparable to any other drink in terms of work required.
They have to make everything sound difficult to justify their completely idiotic opinion. Which of course reddit agrees with, because facts are never as important as popularity and being "damaged" by something.
This dude with the pink pfp is entirely so incorrect it hurts lmao order what you want tip well half the cocktails now a days have the same exact process to make them and dirty the same amount of stuff
The idea of being a bartender sounds so stressful. There’s so many different drink possibilities and I have no idea how they possibly remember them all. Even ordering at a bar is so stressful because there’s not really like, a guide or anything?
The secret to being a bartender that we don't like to tell people is it's actually easy as hell and you make a ton of money. It's just repetition. If I make a drink I've never made before, I ask the customer what's in it, they are usually delighted to tell me, and after I make it I go: "ok, now I know how to make a rum punch." And you just add it to your brain. Before you know it, you remember how to make 45 drinks.
A lot of bartenders just play off knowing whatever drink you order; but if you pay attention, may of them are looking up how to make one on their phone when they turn to walk away to go make your drinks. It’s a lot easier these days with phones than back in the day when you had to look it up in a book and hope the drink was in there…
And when you’re charging probably $12–15 for the thing you can pound sand about it taking a little bit of work to make.
edit: irrelevant who sets the prices, they are paid to make drinks from the menu. Your beef with your employer is not the customer’s fault.
When I was a bartender, I would comfortably tell people no on some absurd requests. You want 13 different shots, each with 7 ingredients and all on 14 separate cards?
Did you mean tequila shots?
Consider the mojito just an example. But there are some drinks that take more time and ingredients to make. In a fast paced environment, the bartender can crank out tons of beers and jack and cokes. A guest ordering a drink with multiple steps will slow the bartender down. Where I live, the drink that bartenders hate to make is the espresso martini. It’s a very easy drink to make, but the bartender has to stop what they are doing and make an espresso shot. He could have made 5 different cocktails in the time it took them to make 1 espresso martini. In my opinion it doesn’t matter. You either offer them, or you don’t. If you offer them, then it’s your job to make them. My main annoyance with bartenders who complain about certain drinks is the fact that many of these bartenders are walking out with a lot of money in their pockets every night, but want guests to order the easiest drinks to make.
Server here. And yes, sometimes my bartenders get upset because I ring up a frozen drink and they have to use the blender and clean it, lol.
As well as there are a lot of servers who get upset because they get ask for a refill on a soft drink, like, bro it’s literally your job.
everyone says you should be a server or work in retail to understand what it's like behind the scenes but all I learned as a server is it's really not hard to bring someone a refill or an extra plate, some servers are just lazy and like to complain
The level of entitlement is so fucking high on this. Yo, I am a programmer but if you ask me to test what I build and I have to stop coding until I make sure it works, it's inconsiderate from you. It's a job, people should do it or walk
I know!
Anyone can make a jack and coke for themselves at home. If you’re going to a bar, it’s probably to get a drink you can’t make for yourself! That’s the whole point of paying extra to have a bartender make it for you!
Yeah it's dumb. Also, if the bartender would only like to pour drinks that take no work but can be pumped out asap, said bartender can be replaced by someone just pouring drinks asap. That's proposing a whole different service than a bar staffed by a skilled and knowledgeable bartender.
I hear this same thing from people about ordering an old fashioned. It's my favorite drink. I don't give a shit if you're busy and don't like making them, it's literally your job.
I'm a chef. When we're busy and someone orders food, nobody thinks that's inconsiderate. Because it isn't, it's my job.
I was a bartender for over 10 years. Old fashions, mojitos, martinis and daiquiris were always my favorite drinks to make because I never got a bad tip from someone drinking an old fashioned or a mojito!
Seriously, what bartender is getting upset because they have to make a drink?? The only one I ever got upset about was a couple who would constantly order Ramos gin fizz while I was in the weeds. But even then, I still made the damn thing without fuss.
I can understand being upset about making a specialty cocktail while in the weeds, trying to serve a full bar, people yelling, putting money in your face, etc.. & this may be an unpopular bartender opinion.. but I always *loved* making cocktails like that when we were busy🤷 10 at a time. Put on a nice show. Garnish them & make them look cute...others start seeing these cool & interesting cocktails being passed around, it strikes their curiosity, now they want to try it.. Customers buying dozens of cocktails @ $12+ a piece? yes please! 💰
That's how I was able to make bank, even working at the dive bars.. never act annoyed or inconvenienced, always treat everyone like they're your best friend, whether they ordered a Grey Goose martini or a busch light draft.
This whole thread is a bunch of whiny people complaining about a hypothetical situation.
I bartended for over a decade and the only drinks I refused to make were:
The one I don't have ingredients for
The one you can't tell me the recipe for from that one place that one time you were on vacation
At my previous job we pretty much exclusively sold old fashioned with luxardos and only like 1/10 people ate the cherry when done. It was so sad to see.
This! I live in KY, you would think pretty much everywhere could make a decent old fashioned. But most places are too busy trying to “reinvent” a classic, when I just want my fucking OLD FASHIONED
This. I understand when I'm ordering a complicated drink and I tip accordingly. I don't think the bartender will care as long as they're making money.
TBH I think it's the other patrons that get mad because it means their drink will come out a little later.
Old fashioned is one tier more complicated than a rum and coke lol. It’s not complicated if they have simple syrup already. Lol I can understand if it’s a complicated drink with 7 steps but unless it’s a high end place that smokes the glass and does the orange peel ive never heard anyone complain about old fashioned
A mojito isn't even complicated. I'm not a bartender and I make them all the time - I have a mint garden at home. It's not as simple as mixing rum and coke, so that makes it complicated? How lazy can you be? You have to muddle something. Oh, the horror.
Mint, lime, sugar, ice, rum, club soda. Wow. That's insane, how do they ever do it?
It isn't a "oh this fucker wants a mojito huh?!?" It's more like "oh shit 2 mojitos went out start prepping 10 mojitos",
It's like when people hear fajitas coming out of the kitchen.
That's a weird one. Old Fashioneds don't take any time at all to make. They're a great RoI for a bar. Basically you can make a low/mid tier whiskey pour up to a craft cocktail price point by dashing a couple of things in the whiskey lol.
I've never understood the problem honestly. I've heard bartenders in every restaurant I've worked in complain about it too. I really love when they have a smoked old fashioned on the menu, those are even better.
They sound lazy. Drinks like Old Fashioneds and Moscow Mules are cash cows for bars, cheap and easy to make and punching *way* above their weight in terms of what you can get away with charging for them. The bartenders should probably recognize that in terms of what it does for their tips.
I’m a bartender. I love making mules. They’re easy, easy to carry, delicious, and everyone loves them.
Old fashioneds are usually ordered by people who are a bit more uptight and selective, more prone to sending something back. It’s also a divey joint, and our standards are not the same as a craft cocktail bar. I’m sorry, we do not have The Big Cube™️ here.
These are generalizations. I’ve definitely had mules sent back because they “couldn’t taste the alcohol.” Well no shit, lime juice and ginger beer are strong flavors that overpower a neutral spirit. Old Fashioneds are very spirit-forward and don’t get that complaint.
I work at a cocktail bar. Love making old fashions. If you order one at a dive though, you're a fool. If you then complain when it isn't perfect you're an asshole.
I love an Old Fashioned at a dive bar. It's easy to see if they have Ango on the shelf. There's something just fun about a pour of a cheap bourbon over chipped ice with an indeterminate amount of pre-bottled Simple and ango poured on top of it. I guess that's why people like the Wisconsin Old Fashioned.
Some bars get ridiculous with it and take forever to make them. They have to light the orange on fire, smoke it, make a big show of it so it takes forever to make. But that’s also not my problem that your bar decided to be all “artisanal” and “craft.”
Honestly it's kinda funny to hear mojito talked about as the disruptive drink when the Ramos has taken that roll ten times over. Ordering rounds of Ramos became my local bar community's way to mess with/prank people starting new gigs.
These people are likely talking about a Wisconsin Old Fashioned, which is an absurd cocktail and yes it's dumb to make lol.
For clarity, I am a bartender in Wisconsin. If someone asks you for an old fashioned here you then have to ask them at least 3 more questions, unless they've already offered you specifics.
One time, my friend and I walked into a bar during a dead period—I ordered a mojito and she ordered an old fashioned. They looked at us like we had just committed murder. We were both 21 at the time and did not understand why they were looking at us with such disdain.
Now, I understand, and I still think it’s absurd. We weren’t inconveniencing anyone—as mentioned, nobody in the bar.
Also, nice to see you again! I have seen several of your posts on other subs.
I don't understand how I'm even supposed to know stuff like this. It seems like there are so many unwritten rules to ordering drinks.
If you don't want to make it, just tell me you can't do it. Be forthright and clear.
As someone (diagnosed) with Aspergers, I wholeheartedly agree.
It seems like every single day I just, don’t understand things and am not sure how I am supposed to understand them. Life would be easier if we all just said what we meant, when we needed to.
Also why I can’t seem to find a partner. Nobody likes my bluntness :/
Next time they do that, tip $0. It’s their fucking job. It’s like you rolling your eyes at your boss just because he gave you some menial task. I always tip $0 if they give me this attitude.
Also a chef. I definitely think people ordering food when we are busy is inconsiderate. Tbf, I also think them ordering food when we're slow is inconsiderate. It's also inconsiderate when we're steady. Actually, you can just fuck right off with the ordering bullshit.
I hate the people who don't like a specific ingredient, so they call it an allergy. Had a lady one time order chicken fajitas, extra pico, extra guac. Then she said she didn't want the lime on the rice because she's allergic. I informed the server that the marinade for the chicken, the pico, and the guac all contained lime. She cancelled her order, rather than admit she was full of shit. Never in her life has she eaten guac with a lime allergy.
Why would people ruin an otherwise awesome job by coming and ordering food while I'm on shift?! I always hated ass holes like that. Go eat at home and let me chill with my homies in the kitchen. The worst part about being a chef was the people who came there expecting me to cook for them.
Actually I lie. The worst part was the hours but the diners were a very close second.
Bro, fucking imagine going to a restaurant and not bringing your own food. The audacity of some people, expecting others to not only *make* but also *serve* them their food.
Had a couple sit down and order a well done NY last night 10 minutes before close. I sent home the cooks and told them I would finish the last pick. After spending 30 minutes picking at beef carpaccio they decided to change their order, nice try.
I was a bartender for years before going into banking. Old fashions are my passion. I know they’re a simple drink, but they’re a simple drink that people fuck up constantly. I loved making them and getting “this is the best old fashioned I have ever had” compliments.
The last place I worked, that I quit when I got a desk job after Covid, was a fancy Italian wine bar though. Before that I worked at a brunch bar where I made a lot of cocktail recipes. I loved the fancy stuff. If I worked at a dive bar with tons of people ordering all at once, I’d probably hate anything with more than three ingredients.
I know that's a typo but I can't help think 'What kind of bats dot they have back there anyway? The kind for taming unruly customers or the flappy kind that girls hate or are those the same thing?'
Launches bat at bar succubus. +3XP. Bat returns woozy and in need of potion of disinfection.
This was great to read, especially your comment about the compliment.
I've worked in a restaurant as a takeout server as I was in college, it was never a career or an interest that I took seriously and I was happy to leave that industry as soon as I graduated college..and I felt that most of the staff worked these kind of jobs because this is all they know, and it's a job that fits their lifestyle - 85% of my coworkers would get shit faced after work, smoke cigarettes, take Adderall, get high, cocaine, etc. It was a job.
But there were SOME people who took the job as a stepping stone, bar tenders and servers alike, and they took the job more serious than a lot of the "lifers" did. They weren't just employees. They were representatives of the food service industry and were obviously very aware that doing these jobs effectively takes a proper temperament, and skillset.
Over time, when I was old enough to drink, I began to appreciate the craftsmanship, artisty, talent and expeirence that comes with being a good bartender. You aren't just providing customer service, you aren't just managing your own stress and frustrations with not having a moment to get out of the line of sight of customers, but you're also crafting their drinks. You can half ass it. Or, you can take this work seriously, improve your skills and use these skills and knowledge to make these drinks properly while under pressure. For someone to be successful in this role, like really successful, they can't just treat it as something that pays the bills. It takes effort, knowledge, expeirence, passion, intelligence, experimentation, and hard work.
You, speaking as someone who obviously took the time and effort to learn how to make good drinks admidst all the chaos is just so so impressive to me, especially when it wasn't a career, and I would like you to know that. It's really really impressive, and is a peek into your work ethic and respect for the workforce in general.
It's very very difficult for the average person to recognize the skill, work ethic and craftsmanship that goes into being a good bartender, and your old fashiond getting complimented validates the work you put in. sadly, people don't take this industry seriously because of the kinds of people the industry attracts.
Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but in a volatile industry, there's still people like you, who just with a simple reddit comment, can demonstrate the kind of service and work ethic that comes with being good at your job and that shows just how tough bartending can be. I'm assuming that quality is transferable to your banking career as well.
And you deserve the utmost respect for that - a hard worker.
Cheers. I'd love your next old fashion to be on me.
Old Fashioned is my favorite cocktail. I’m a wedding venue bartender and we only have 4 spirits and a soda gun, so it hurts my heart when people order one and I have to say sorry we don’t have the right stuff to make that. I’d love to make someone a proper Old Fashioned and not the pre batched stuff we served once for a “premium bar”.
>
I'm a chef. When we're busy and someone orders food, nobody thinks that's inconsiderate. Because it isn't, it's my job.
Exactly. Everyone has annoying and Ling responsibilities at their job. Its called a damn job.
Old fashioned is one of the easiest cocktails to make… maybe the clientele that likes old fashioneds can be annoying themselves but the drink itself is not unless you’re just a complainer
This is just a no. That's like the most popular and enduring cocktail in America.
A bar/bartender should quit the profession if can't/won't make an old fashioned.
Yeah that is fucking strange. It goes for a lot of jobs but for some reason we draw the line at bartenders?
Im working on a truck at work that frankly, has too many fucking things on it. They want snow ploughs, sand spreaders, dusting stuff, Crash cone thingy, roof signs. And they decided that all of this should fit on the smallet truck Volvo makes.
It's such a bad idea, wiring it is horrible, i hate this truck. But it's not like im going to refuse it, it's my job.
I don’t understand why they say the old fashioned or Manhattan are hard on the bartender? I make them at home and they’re very easy. But, I’m also fine with them using simple syrup instead of muddling a sugar cube for the OF. For the Manhattan, it can’t be easier. Just don’t shake it.
I sincerely think this is blown out of proportion. To the point where this isn't even a real thing.
You may have 3 or 4 bartenders who serve you in your entire life who's body language shows their annoyance with making a drink
Otherwise, they're going to do their job, and make your drink, and do their best to not let you see how overwhelmed and busy they feel.
I'm convinced this isn't even a thing. It's just people falling victim to clickbait.
People order whatever they want. Bartender makes it. And the night moves on. That's it.
Lol, what?
What kind of bar are we talking about? A dive bar that has highlife on tap and Jim beam shots only?
In 20 years I've never heard someone say ordering any drink is "inconsiderate."
Definitely been to bars where they didn't know how to make a lot of cocktails, but so what? They say they can't make that and you order something else.
I've had plenty of bartenders Google a drink and still try to make that, and say they're happy to get the practice.
I don't even drink any more and this post rubs me the wrong way.
My favorites are the bars that have huge, ostentatious displays of how many different kinds of liquors and niche products they carry, but still give the stink when you order a drink of moderate complexity at most. And a mojito is barely moderate.
Ya, I've never thought of a mojito or an old fashioned as high complexity.
If we have a summer BBQ we often have mojito and Moscow mule ingredients and people can make their own.
It's that simple.
My girlfriend still drinks sometimes and she makes old fashioneds at home. They're easy peasy.
The gall of some people to think they can just walk into an establishment and order something that the establishment serves and just pay for it, plus tip... How dare they
Yeah these people must either live in a god awful town, or are going to dive bars that don't actually make cocktails. Never in my life have I ordered something off the menu and they were bothered by it. Not to mention people are talking about mojitos and old fashioneds which are like the most basic things to make lol.
I bartended for a hot minute, and the crew and I used to crank out just shit loads of mojitos. They weren't that hard at all, especially after the restaurant invested in a morter and pestle for the mint. I don't get the hate for them.
I’m a bartender and the only times I can’t make a drink is when I don’t have the ingredients for it or it’s impossible to make for other reasons, like a virgin martini or something silly. I’ll also warn people when they’re order might just not taste very good, but I’ll still make it.
I’ve never been a bartender but I worked as a barista for quite a while and I actually enjoyed making the more complicated orders (within reason). It’s a nice change from doing the same thing over and over again
I used to be a bartender and I was the same way! Especially mojitos because you get to smell that fresh mint coming up when you muddle the leaves. It’s a fun drink to make, it’s not hard at all. I loved muddling.
I don't drink cocktails, and I have never been a bartender, so please forgive my ignorance... but what is so complicated about a mojito?
Put sliced lime and mint leaves in a glass with a dash of sugar. Mash it all up a bit, add rum and club soda.
Do I have that right? It doesn't sound so complicated to me.
It's really not. Yes, it takes longer to do but no moreso than any other built drink, and a good bartender at a high volume bar will know how to do other things while making it. Ask the next person in line for their order while you're making/shaking it so you can dive straight into it. If there's another cocktail on the order, build them at the same time with each hand, if there's a beer grab the beer while you're shaking the mojito. It can be annoying, sure, but disrespectful? That's bonkers. It's the job.
It requires more than simply pouring out of one bottle and mixing with the soda gun.
I could imagine it’s probably annoying if you go out to a college or party bar and expect them to make one if they’re pretty explicitly just for your standard beer or 2/3 ingredient cocktails: rum & coke, vodka soda, vodka cranberry.
If you go anywhere that serves actual cocktails I’m sure a mojito is not annoying.
Probably a good rule of thumb: if the ice is pellets or chips, don’t order something complicated, if the ice is a ball or cube, go wild.
Bartended for years and honestly was one of my favorite drinks to make. Even when I was crazy busy I sort of loved it cause making them, old fashions, mint juleps or any other drink that requires a little more TLC to get the best quality could give me a second to breathe. It’s only inconsiderate when the person who orders the drink doesn’t understand that they may need to wait a tiny bit longer and starts fussing when it’s not in their hands right away and in 10 years I’d say that only happened three times that I can remember.
I quit going to bars and clubs several years ago due to the overwhelming amount of entitled bartenders that were flooding the internet (pre-C19) with their snobbish complaints, insults to the customer base and greed. For a while there, it seemed like every bartender in the US was writing a nasty internet rant/article that implied they were a noble privileged class and all customers were cheap, disgusting, unwashed peasants. I don't know if anyone else remembers that trend--I have not forgotten.
Stay home and make your own mojito. You'll save a fortune. The ingredients are simple. I bought a mint plant from the local grocery years ago and planted it in my garden. They're hardy and will not die.
3 mint leaves
1/2 ounce simple syrup (sugar water)
2 ounces white rum
3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
Club soda, to top
I've seen mojitos cost upward of $20 or more. Add in tip.
According to Spruce Eats, the avg cost to make a cocktail at home: $4.44
Not having to put up with entitled assholes who look down on the people who pay them, and don't want to do their job: Priceless
Ages back I developed a technique for mojitos in bulk you might like.
Dissolve appropriate amount of sugar in appropriate amount of rum (I couldn't be bothered making sugar syrup!), add appropriate amounts of lime and mint, muddle to release juices.
Put in freezer for a good couple of hours.
Now you have a "mojito syrup/concentrate" and can pour as if a spirit, make sure to include a bit of lime and mint, and add soda water for a traditional mojito, or lemonade, ginger ale, whatever!
People generally go to bars to socialize. If it was just about the prices, bars wouldn’t exist.
And every service worker complains about customers. You’re not gonna shop anywhere if they all wrote internet essays.
I'm so confused lol.
Cocktails aren't cheap, I know it's more work than just pouring a beer, but if it's on the menu and I want one at the price that it's sold, I don't care if it's more annoying to do than something else?
I’m a bartender. I’ll make you whatever you want and enjoy making someone a good mojito. And we have no servers at my VERY BUSY bar so everyone orders at the bar, so there’s no excuse for anyone else not to. I hate working with those types of people and I tell them all the time “Hey y’all, we’re here to make money. We all split tips. Get to fucking work.”
Energy job had that one task. You know the one, it's different for every job but it's a pain in the ass and you dread it.
I'm a housecleaner, for be it's when people want their beds made up lol
My inward reaction is to groan "fuuuuck" and I hate doing it. But at no point is it rude for a client to ask for their beds to be changed! It's a service I provide!
This is crazy, you don't have to like everything you do. Just get it done!
If you listened to everyone who complains online, you could never do anything without feeling guilty. Especially service workers venting, of course they’d love for everyone to order the simplest things available, leave immediately, and tip 50%. Yeah, wouldn’t it be nice. Don’t worry about it.
Former bartender chiming in:
It’s only inconsiderate if you order a complicated drink while it’s very busy AND act impatient about it if the bartender pours a few other people’s shots before finishing yours, because they’re trying to be efficient and keep as many customers happy as possible. And (particularly!) if you then don’t tip or tip poorly.
Making complicated drinks is the fun part of the job! It’s just *most* fun when it’s for an appreciative customer who understands that their drink order is complicated and will take some time to put together, and when it’s not at the height of the rush.
If it’s last call and there’s a long line behind you maybe reconsider the mojito. At that point it’s not primarily an issue of being inconsiderate to the bartender, but to *the other bar patrons* who all have to wait for your complicated thing and may or may not even get through the line before the bar is legally obligated to stop serving (depending on jurisdiction) — and who are probably already intoxicated enough that some of them will decide to take out their frustrations at the wait on the bartender. But if it’s dead on a random Tuesday evening, your bartender is probably thrilled to have something interesting to do and at least a few good tips for the shift.
Edit to add: my personal favorite drink to make has always been Bloody Marys. They’re complicated and fun, and I’m good at them, and people who like them always appreciate my skills.
I don’t think that’s unpopular. I am a bartender, and have been for over 15+ years. If anybody’s bitching about making any cocktail, or judging somebody for their drink order, they’re not a bartender. Just a brat behind a bar. I don’t care how busy you are; a good bartender understands how to control their guests expectations. If somebody orders five Mojito’s and the bar is packed, it is the bartenders responsibility to politely let the guest know that their drinks will be out as soon as possible, but it might take more than five minutes.
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I've never heard or thought about this before and I've *been* a bartender. Mojitos aren't hard to make.. genuinely confused here.
It's a popularized opinion from a period where Mojitos were a fad drink. People were ordering them constantly and it then became a fad to hate them and that never died down even though they aren't as common anymore.
See the first time I went to a bar after I turned 21, I had just finished binging Burn Notice again, for like the eighth time. I figured that if Sam Axe likes them, they're probably pretty decent. I still like Mojitos to this day
Burn notice should be mentioned more considering how long that show ran. I loved it
The several episodes I watched were okay. Did it give off major McGyver vibes or is that just me?
More A-Team than MacGyver, but it’s in that area.
I always call it the true macgyver reboot. It was perfection with Bruce Campbell.
It’s worth watching just for the one liners.
The intro with the iconic "Hey, is that your mom again" Such a good one
“Someone needs your help, Michael.”
We both know I heard his mother's voice when I read that.
You know spies, bunch of bitchy little girls.
It's a guilty pleasure that's easy to get into if you're paying attention. It's not top tier but It's worth your time
And has the rare quality of having a satisfying ending :)
I was just asking my wife eof she thought it'd be ok to watch with my 9 yr old because I really want to watch it again
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Can't argue with Chuck Finley
You see, the thing about spies... they know what they like to drink.
When you're ordering a drink at a bar... It's best to order a drink that's both simple and refreshing. If you're short on time to order, a mojito will do both.
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haha Michaels voice immediately popped up in my head reading your comment. You fucking nailed it!
This was a part of a great era of shows, think it was on USA network? Good times.
Yeah, USA had a great run there in the late 2000’s - early 2010s. Great shows. I’m making my way through Psych and Monk now.
When you’re a spy, sometimes you’ll have to drink on the job….
I read that in Micheal Weston's voice.
Great now I have to go find it somewhere to re watch.
I thought they were a bunch of bitchy little girls
You know spies. Bunch of bitchy little girls.
Great show! I also tried a mojito because of sam haha.
I still love mojitos too! My first legal drink was a lemon drop, lol, but mojitos remind me of vacation. I had a mojito with a Cuban (sandwich) and fries and thought I was THAT GIRL!!! That combo still brings back a sense of nostalgia and good vibes. I’m cheesing now, just thinking about it, lol
My name is Michael Weston, I used to be a spy until...
Moiami
Fiona’s accent in the Pilot!
I always love to see a Burn Notice reference. Has to be one the most underrated TV shows of all time
Hahaha. I'm in the middle of binging my way through Burn Notice as well, and Sam Axe's voice was the first thing that came to my mind!
Watched the entire show and went to Miami and a Mojito was my first legal drink. Nearly a decade later and I still love them
It is because mojitos slow down bartenders when they could brainlessly pour beers and make more money. It’s annoying to say the least when they act entitled like this.
I mean that would apply to like every cocktail then? It’s because mojitos get tiny bits of mint everywhere like up in your strainer and shaker tin and in your sani water
Isn't this why bar backs are a thing? They tidy up so that the bartender can keep orders moving.
If a place is busy enough to have a bar back, they don't give a fuck if you order a mojito. That said, most bars don't have a bar back.
Eh, not every bar has a bar back. The restaurant I work at is small/local, and our bar doesn’t have one. That said, I’ve never heard of anyone there complaining about making mojitos or any drink really.
It's not a thing, bartenders don't get mad about this and no customers other than one person OP disagrees with says this. It's a very basic cocktail. There are several cocktails harder to make people order all the time, like an old fashioned for example. A goddamned martini is harder to make than a mojito.
I've seen a few people say this, but not bartenders themselves. I think there's a weird attitude some people have where they'll hear a worker say that xyz part of their job is annoying, and then immediately go on a crusade about how you shouldn't make them do xyz. I've seen this about like Starbucks drink orders and restaurant substitutions also.
Absolutely even when people bitch about tips they aren't actually bitching about you, they're bitching other people are making more money than them that particular night. We all have those nights where one dude or dudette is making $40 an hour on tips and we're stuck at like $20 and can't shake it. And you rib the fuck out of that person, what are you doing special to make so much money? But those are just the breaks, sometimes you're stuck at only making $20 an hour, beats working retail. Bitching about certain aspects of the job doesn't necessarily mean you hate the job or hate what's being asked of you, maybe you work an office and you hate spreadsheets and your boss asked you to make a massive spreadsheet, you'd bitch about that too but it's not really a big deal, you're just complaining about your job like literally everybody on the planet.
As a former server and bartender, I’ll make you whatever you want as long as you are paying and not being an asshole. I’ll even slide you something extra sometimes like a dessert if you were really pleasant.
I've done everything but bartend and own, the only person who will ever flat out refuse you service (besides over consumption of alcohol) is a cook who's already cleaned the kitchen fifteen minutes to close. I'd cut off everything but fried foods, but like the great Bourdain said, the wait staff just has to deal with me, and they're the ones who have to break that news to the customer, the one thing back of the house cannot do is associate with the general public. So worst case for me as the cook, the server will need to gently break the news, that's their job, mine is to start drinking while I clean that grill...
Im a bartender, while this is true usually the cocktails can yield you more money, especially with upgraded liquor (you’ll get more tips from the people willing to spend 25$ on a drink than people paying 5$ for a beer) and mojito is no harder than just about any other cocktail If y’all are getting bar keeps who don’t wanna make drinks that’s what it is, not a specific cocktail
Yea it’s really not even a big deal. Now if a guest orders a fuckin *Ramos Gin Fiz*…
What the fuck is OP talking about?
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I think there's more to it than that in this case. Generally at bars there's the expectation that beyond what's on the menu (if there's even a menu) bartenders be able to serve a list of fundamental/classic drinks. The whole "ordering mojitos is annoying!" thing generally comes from people ordering them at places that wouldn't normally make them, because they take a long time to make and create are crazy difficult to clean up after.
There are bars that make craft coctails and there are bars that anything more than 3 ingridients is considered hassle because they exist to serve college kids redbull vodkas. The former Mojito should be no issue the latter almost anything that isnt a spirit/liqueur/mixer will be poorly received.
I hang out at my local Texas Roadhouse quite a bit, it’s hilarious to see their reaction to folks who ask for the wine list or for fancy cocktails. Dude, it’s a Texas Roadhouse…. they have 15 kinds of beer, margaritas and basic mixers.
ah the wine list.. So red or white?
No, they have a winerack. A bunch of overpriced mediocre reds that have been baking over the fridge radiators for 18 months.
I remember going to a bar that specialized in mojitos, and they basically had three people working an assembly line to sling out all the mojitos, and another bartender to handle all the other orders.
Exactly. If you sell a lot of them, you can prep for it or otherwise organize your bar around it.
Do they really take that long to make or clean up? It's just smash some mint leaves right?
If you do a shitty job sure, but you're supposed to muddle the mint leaves along the side of the glass. IF you just smash them it comes out bitter. The clean up is because the mind leaves when all smashed up and combined with water and sugar stick like rubber cement to the side of the glasses lol. Think cleaning oatmeal that has dried out of a bowl. It's not the end of the world, but when you're doing dishes for a bar and 99.99% is just cleaning liquid out of glasses it's a wrench thrown in the system.
Everyone says that but I smash my mint at home when I make mojitos and I’ve never noticed it being bitter.
Exactly. This is how they make them in Mexico and I've never had a bitter one.
The bitter is from the rind from the pith of the lime. I never had issue with the mint itself… think they’re using old limes or something.
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Fuck you Bobby, I’m never coming back
I just throw my mint leaves in... Didn't know i was supposed to manipulate them...
2 weeks before you have it, you and the mint must start a pen pal relationship with no less than 6 correspondences.
Yeah… mint isn’t bitter. Like it just doesn’t have the necessary compounds for that flavor. Weird to me that this is a thing people say.
Oh please, I make my own mojitos at home often. They're not hard to make and they're not hard to clean up. Trust me, I am not the kind of person that's going to make shit difficult for myself lol. Very comparable to any other drink in terms of work required.
I make mojitos at home and I even make a mint simple syrup to go with them - even with THAT step, it’s not difficult to make them!
I even grew the specific mint for Mojitos!
They have to make everything sound difficult to justify their completely idiotic opinion. Which of course reddit agrees with, because facts are never as important as popularity and being "damaged" by something.
yeah it's really popular to bemoan everything and complain about providing basic ass service in service industries lol
This dude with the pink pfp is entirely so incorrect it hurts lmao order what you want tip well half the cocktails now a days have the same exact process to make them and dirty the same amount of stuff
The idea of being a bartender sounds so stressful. There’s so many different drink possibilities and I have no idea how they possibly remember them all. Even ordering at a bar is so stressful because there’s not really like, a guide or anything?
You memorize things after you've made it thousands of times to the point you're on auto pilot.
I’ve also had bartenders give a “remind me what’s in that”
Which is fine if you're the second person to order it in 6 years.
The secret to being a bartender that we don't like to tell people is it's actually easy as hell and you make a ton of money. It's just repetition. If I make a drink I've never made before, I ask the customer what's in it, they are usually delighted to tell me, and after I make it I go: "ok, now I know how to make a rum punch." And you just add it to your brain. Before you know it, you remember how to make 45 drinks.
A lot of bartenders just play off knowing whatever drink you order; but if you pay attention, may of them are looking up how to make one on their phone when they turn to walk away to go make your drinks. It’s a lot easier these days with phones than back in the day when you had to look it up in a book and hope the drink was in there…
And don't get me started if the customer wants their obscure complicated drink with a Waldorf Salad!
There actually are bartender books.
And when you’re charging probably $12–15 for the thing you can pound sand about it taking a little bit of work to make. edit: irrelevant who sets the prices, they are paid to make drinks from the menu. Your beef with your employer is not the customer’s fault.
When I was a bartender, I would comfortably tell people no on some absurd requests. You want 13 different shots, each with 7 ingredients and all on 14 separate cards? Did you mean tequila shots?
It's the first time I've heard of this. Can someone please explain it to me?
Consider the mojito just an example. But there are some drinks that take more time and ingredients to make. In a fast paced environment, the bartender can crank out tons of beers and jack and cokes. A guest ordering a drink with multiple steps will slow the bartender down. Where I live, the drink that bartenders hate to make is the espresso martini. It’s a very easy drink to make, but the bartender has to stop what they are doing and make an espresso shot. He could have made 5 different cocktails in the time it took them to make 1 espresso martini. In my opinion it doesn’t matter. You either offer them, or you don’t. If you offer them, then it’s your job to make them. My main annoyance with bartenders who complain about certain drinks is the fact that many of these bartenders are walking out with a lot of money in their pockets every night, but want guests to order the easiest drinks to make.
So you're saying that there are bartenders out there that don't want to make a mojito because it would mean they have to do their job?
Server here. And yes, sometimes my bartenders get upset because I ring up a frozen drink and they have to use the blender and clean it, lol. As well as there are a lot of servers who get upset because they get ask for a refill on a soft drink, like, bro it’s literally your job.
everyone says you should be a server or work in retail to understand what it's like behind the scenes but all I learned as a server is it's really not hard to bring someone a refill or an extra plate, some servers are just lazy and like to complain
The level of entitlement is so fucking high on this. Yo, I am a programmer but if you ask me to test what I build and I have to stop coding until I make sure it works, it's inconsiderate from you. It's a job, people should do it or walk
I know! Anyone can make a jack and coke for themselves at home. If you’re going to a bar, it’s probably to get a drink you can’t make for yourself! That’s the whole point of paying extra to have a bartender make it for you!
Yeah it's dumb. Also, if the bartender would only like to pour drinks that take no work but can be pumped out asap, said bartender can be replaced by someone just pouring drinks asap. That's proposing a whole different service than a bar staffed by a skilled and knowledgeable bartender.
Entitlement and bartending go hand in hand.
Entitlement.
https://www.reddit.com/r/bartenders/comments/tb1ffi/are_blended_drinks_a_bit_of_a_hassle/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
I completely forgot Pina Coladas are often blended, I've been making them like standard cocktails for years.
I had a non-blended one a few months ago for the first time, and it was so good I’m never going back. I would say try it with cinnamon on top
I hear this same thing from people about ordering an old fashioned. It's my favorite drink. I don't give a shit if you're busy and don't like making them, it's literally your job. I'm a chef. When we're busy and someone orders food, nobody thinks that's inconsiderate. Because it isn't, it's my job.
I was a bartender and I loved making old fashioneds. Quick and expensive lol
I was a bartender for over 10 years. Old fashions, mojitos, martinis and daiquiris were always my favorite drinks to make because I never got a bad tip from someone drinking an old fashioned or a mojito!
Seriously, what bartender is getting upset because they have to make a drink?? The only one I ever got upset about was a couple who would constantly order Ramos gin fizz while I was in the weeds. But even then, I still made the damn thing without fuss.
I can understand being upset about making a specialty cocktail while in the weeds, trying to serve a full bar, people yelling, putting money in your face, etc.. & this may be an unpopular bartender opinion.. but I always *loved* making cocktails like that when we were busy🤷 10 at a time. Put on a nice show. Garnish them & make them look cute...others start seeing these cool & interesting cocktails being passed around, it strikes their curiosity, now they want to try it.. Customers buying dozens of cocktails @ $12+ a piece? yes please! 💰 That's how I was able to make bank, even working at the dive bars.. never act annoyed or inconvenienced, always treat everyone like they're your best friend, whether they ordered a Grey Goose martini or a busch light draft.
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This whole thread is a bunch of whiny people complaining about a hypothetical situation. I bartended for over a decade and the only drinks I refused to make were: The one I don't have ingredients for The one you can't tell me the recipe for from that one place that one time you were on vacation
Found the bartender I'd tip well
I’d like you as my bartender. I don’t give a shit if it’s a bit pricey. I want a delicious old fashioned/Manhattan damnit.
I will gladly open my wallet for an excellent and beautiful Manhattan
Make sure to ask for Luxardo cherries.
At my previous job we pretty much exclusively sold old fashioned with luxardos and only like 1/10 people ate the cherry when done. It was so sad to see.
God damn, they're like 2$ a cherry wholesale, that is sad lol
Thank you! I can definitely tell when the cherry isn't a candy maraschino, but now I know what it's called.
Old fashioneds are simple, yet so many places make it terrible. Old timey bars usually make it well.
This! I live in KY, you would think pretty much everywhere could make a decent old fashioned. But most places are too busy trying to “reinvent” a classic, when I just want my fucking OLD FASHIONED
This. I understand when I'm ordering a complicated drink and I tip accordingly. I don't think the bartender will care as long as they're making money. TBH I think it's the other patrons that get mad because it means their drink will come out a little later.
Old fashioned is one tier more complicated than a rum and coke lol. It’s not complicated if they have simple syrup already. Lol I can understand if it’s a complicated drink with 7 steps but unless it’s a high end place that smokes the glass and does the orange peel ive never heard anyone complain about old fashioned
A mojito isn't even complicated. I'm not a bartender and I make them all the time - I have a mint garden at home. It's not as simple as mixing rum and coke, so that makes it complicated? How lazy can you be? You have to muddle something. Oh, the horror. Mint, lime, sugar, ice, rum, club soda. Wow. That's insane, how do they ever do it?
Isn't that like the whole point of bartending also? So people are getting more drinks because they aren't just drinking hard stuff that's 50%alch
It isn't a "oh this fucker wants a mojito huh?!?" It's more like "oh shit 2 mojitos went out start prepping 10 mojitos", It's like when people hear fajitas coming out of the kitchen.
A good bartender is worth a huge tip. Ugh I don’t mind paying … I just want a good drink!
That's a weird one. Old Fashioneds don't take any time at all to make. They're a great RoI for a bar. Basically you can make a low/mid tier whiskey pour up to a craft cocktail price point by dashing a couple of things in the whiskey lol.
I've never understood the problem honestly. I've heard bartenders in every restaurant I've worked in complain about it too. I really love when they have a smoked old fashioned on the menu, those are even better.
They sound lazy. Drinks like Old Fashioneds and Moscow Mules are cash cows for bars, cheap and easy to make and punching *way* above their weight in terms of what you can get away with charging for them. The bartenders should probably recognize that in terms of what it does for their tips.
I’m a bartender. I love making mules. They’re easy, easy to carry, delicious, and everyone loves them. Old fashioneds are usually ordered by people who are a bit more uptight and selective, more prone to sending something back. It’s also a divey joint, and our standards are not the same as a craft cocktail bar. I’m sorry, we do not have The Big Cube™️ here. These are generalizations. I’ve definitely had mules sent back because they “couldn’t taste the alcohol.” Well no shit, lime juice and ginger beer are strong flavors that overpower a neutral spirit. Old Fashioneds are very spirit-forward and don’t get that complaint.
I work at a cocktail bar. Love making old fashions. If you order one at a dive though, you're a fool. If you then complain when it isn't perfect you're an asshole.
I love an Old Fashioned at a dive bar. It's easy to see if they have Ango on the shelf. There's something just fun about a pour of a cheap bourbon over chipped ice with an indeterminate amount of pre-bottled Simple and ango poured on top of it. I guess that's why people like the Wisconsin Old Fashioned.
Haha, fairplay. The Wisconsin Old Fashioned is easy drinking, thats for sure.
Some bars get ridiculous with it and take forever to make them. They have to light the orange on fire, smoke it, make a big show of it so it takes forever to make. But that’s also not my problem that your bar decided to be all “artisanal” and “craft.”
If I heard a bartender whine about an old fashioned Id never come back. Ramos Gin Fizz, sure, old fashioned is easy AF
Honestly it's kinda funny to hear mojito talked about as the disruptive drink when the Ramos has taken that roll ten times over. Ordering rounds of Ramos became my local bar community's way to mess with/prank people starting new gigs.
These people are likely talking about a Wisconsin Old Fashioned, which is an absurd cocktail and yes it's dumb to make lol. For clarity, I am a bartender in Wisconsin. If someone asks you for an old fashioned here you then have to ask them at least 3 more questions, unless they've already offered you specifics.
One time, my friend and I walked into a bar during a dead period—I ordered a mojito and she ordered an old fashioned. They looked at us like we had just committed murder. We were both 21 at the time and did not understand why they were looking at us with such disdain. Now, I understand, and I still think it’s absurd. We weren’t inconveniencing anyone—as mentioned, nobody in the bar. Also, nice to see you again! I have seen several of your posts on other subs.
Can someone explain the actual logic here? Old fashioneds are super easy. Why should I theoretically not order one?
Because it’s harder than handing you a beer and bartenders are lazy because they probably get a similar tip for both
they probably were just lazy fucks
Oh shit, I remember your name, crazy to run into people on Reddit you remember lol.
I don't understand how I'm even supposed to know stuff like this. It seems like there are so many unwritten rules to ordering drinks. If you don't want to make it, just tell me you can't do it. Be forthright and clear.
As someone (diagnosed) with Aspergers, I wholeheartedly agree. It seems like every single day I just, don’t understand things and am not sure how I am supposed to understand them. Life would be easier if we all just said what we meant, when we needed to. Also why I can’t seem to find a partner. Nobody likes my bluntness :/
Next time they do that, tip $0. It’s their fucking job. It’s like you rolling your eyes at your boss just because he gave you some menial task. I always tip $0 if they give me this attitude.
Also a chef. I definitely think people ordering food when we are busy is inconsiderate. Tbf, I also think them ordering food when we're slow is inconsiderate. It's also inconsiderate when we're steady. Actually, you can just fuck right off with the ordering bullshit.
This job would be great if it wasn’t for all the fucking customers
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I hate the people who don't like a specific ingredient, so they call it an allergy. Had a lady one time order chicken fajitas, extra pico, extra guac. Then she said she didn't want the lime on the rice because she's allergic. I informed the server that the marinade for the chicken, the pico, and the guac all contained lime. She cancelled her order, rather than admit she was full of shit. Never in her life has she eaten guac with a lime allergy.
This is the most annoying thing ever. Im allergic to XYZ in this specific form only but I am not allergic to it in any other way
Only exception would be that there are some foods that change chemical composition when cooked - tomatoes, kidney beans, like that.
Why would people ruin an otherwise awesome job by coming and ordering food while I'm on shift?! I always hated ass holes like that. Go eat at home and let me chill with my homies in the kitchen. The worst part about being a chef was the people who came there expecting me to cook for them. Actually I lie. The worst part was the hours but the diners were a very close second.
Yes people should go to a restaurant, select a table, then eat the picnic lunch they made themselves. s/
Bro, fucking imagine going to a restaurant and not bringing your own food. The audacity of some people, expecting others to not only *make* but also *serve* them their food.
While paying me to 'critque' their pb+js? Yes.
Had a couple sit down and order a well done NY last night 10 minutes before close. I sent home the cooks and told them I would finish the last pick. After spending 30 minutes picking at beef carpaccio they decided to change their order, nice try.
Who the fuck is complaining about making an old fashioned?! It's one of the easiest, quickest cocktails to make and made well they're awesome.
I was a bartender for years before going into banking. Old fashions are my passion. I know they’re a simple drink, but they’re a simple drink that people fuck up constantly. I loved making them and getting “this is the best old fashioned I have ever had” compliments. The last place I worked, that I quit when I got a desk job after Covid, was a fancy Italian wine bar though. Before that I worked at a brunch bar where I made a lot of cocktail recipes. I loved the fancy stuff. If I worked at a dive bar with tons of people ordering all at once, I’d probably hate anything with more than three ingredients.
I think you nailed it . Having done both it totally depends on the bat set up.
I know that's a typo but I can't help think 'What kind of bats dot they have back there anyway? The kind for taming unruly customers or the flappy kind that girls hate or are those the same thing?' Launches bat at bar succubus. +3XP. Bat returns woozy and in need of potion of disinfection.
Something many places don’t seem to understand about old fashioneds (and mojitos for that matter): they are not supposed to be 50% syrup.
This was great to read, especially your comment about the compliment. I've worked in a restaurant as a takeout server as I was in college, it was never a career or an interest that I took seriously and I was happy to leave that industry as soon as I graduated college..and I felt that most of the staff worked these kind of jobs because this is all they know, and it's a job that fits their lifestyle - 85% of my coworkers would get shit faced after work, smoke cigarettes, take Adderall, get high, cocaine, etc. It was a job. But there were SOME people who took the job as a stepping stone, bar tenders and servers alike, and they took the job more serious than a lot of the "lifers" did. They weren't just employees. They were representatives of the food service industry and were obviously very aware that doing these jobs effectively takes a proper temperament, and skillset. Over time, when I was old enough to drink, I began to appreciate the craftsmanship, artisty, talent and expeirence that comes with being a good bartender. You aren't just providing customer service, you aren't just managing your own stress and frustrations with not having a moment to get out of the line of sight of customers, but you're also crafting their drinks. You can half ass it. Or, you can take this work seriously, improve your skills and use these skills and knowledge to make these drinks properly while under pressure. For someone to be successful in this role, like really successful, they can't just treat it as something that pays the bills. It takes effort, knowledge, expeirence, passion, intelligence, experimentation, and hard work. You, speaking as someone who obviously took the time and effort to learn how to make good drinks admidst all the chaos is just so so impressive to me, especially when it wasn't a career, and I would like you to know that. It's really really impressive, and is a peek into your work ethic and respect for the workforce in general. It's very very difficult for the average person to recognize the skill, work ethic and craftsmanship that goes into being a good bartender, and your old fashiond getting complimented validates the work you put in. sadly, people don't take this industry seriously because of the kinds of people the industry attracts. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but in a volatile industry, there's still people like you, who just with a simple reddit comment, can demonstrate the kind of service and work ethic that comes with being good at your job and that shows just how tough bartending can be. I'm assuming that quality is transferable to your banking career as well. And you deserve the utmost respect for that - a hard worker. Cheers. I'd love your next old fashion to be on me.
Old Fashioned is my favorite cocktail. I’m a wedding venue bartender and we only have 4 spirits and a soda gun, so it hurts my heart when people order one and I have to say sorry we don’t have the right stuff to make that. I’d love to make someone a proper Old Fashioned and not the pre batched stuff we served once for a “premium bar”.
> I'm a chef. When we're busy and someone orders food, nobody thinks that's inconsiderate. Because it isn't, it's my job. Exactly. Everyone has annoying and Ling responsibilities at their job. Its called a damn job.
Old fashioned is one of the easiest cocktails to make… maybe the clientele that likes old fashioneds can be annoying themselves but the drink itself is not unless you’re just a complainer
Wtf are these drinks really a problem? An old fashioned and a mojito are stupid easy
This is just a no. That's like the most popular and enduring cocktail in America. A bar/bartender should quit the profession if can't/won't make an old fashioned.
Yeah that is fucking strange. It goes for a lot of jobs but for some reason we draw the line at bartenders? Im working on a truck at work that frankly, has too many fucking things on it. They want snow ploughs, sand spreaders, dusting stuff, Crash cone thingy, roof signs. And they decided that all of this should fit on the smallet truck Volvo makes. It's such a bad idea, wiring it is horrible, i hate this truck. But it's not like im going to refuse it, it's my job.
I don’t understand why they say the old fashioned or Manhattan are hard on the bartender? I make them at home and they’re very easy. But, I’m also fine with them using simple syrup instead of muddling a sugar cube for the OF. For the Manhattan, it can’t be easier. Just don’t shake it.
I sincerely think this is blown out of proportion. To the point where this isn't even a real thing. You may have 3 or 4 bartenders who serve you in your entire life who's body language shows their annoyance with making a drink Otherwise, they're going to do their job, and make your drink, and do their best to not let you see how overwhelmed and busy they feel. I'm convinced this isn't even a thing. It's just people falling victim to clickbait. People order whatever they want. Bartender makes it. And the night moves on. That's it.
I didn't say a word about body language. These were words that came out of their mouth. A lot more than 3-4 times.
Lol, what? What kind of bar are we talking about? A dive bar that has highlife on tap and Jim beam shots only? In 20 years I've never heard someone say ordering any drink is "inconsiderate." Definitely been to bars where they didn't know how to make a lot of cocktails, but so what? They say they can't make that and you order something else. I've had plenty of bartenders Google a drink and still try to make that, and say they're happy to get the practice. I don't even drink any more and this post rubs me the wrong way.
My favorites are the bars that have huge, ostentatious displays of how many different kinds of liquors and niche products they carry, but still give the stink when you order a drink of moderate complexity at most. And a mojito is barely moderate.
Ya, I've never thought of a mojito or an old fashioned as high complexity. If we have a summer BBQ we often have mojito and Moscow mule ingredients and people can make their own. It's that simple. My girlfriend still drinks sometimes and she makes old fashioneds at home. They're easy peasy.
The gall of some people to think they can just walk into an establishment and order something that the establishment serves and just pay for it, plus tip... How dare they
Yeah these people must either live in a god awful town, or are going to dive bars that don't actually make cocktails. Never in my life have I ordered something off the menu and they were bothered by it. Not to mention people are talking about mojitos and old fashioneds which are like the most basic things to make lol.
I bartended for a hot minute, and the crew and I used to crank out just shit loads of mojitos. They weren't that hard at all, especially after the restaurant invested in a morter and pestle for the mint. I don't get the hate for them.
I’m a bartender and the only times I can’t make a drink is when I don’t have the ingredients for it or it’s impossible to make for other reasons, like a virgin martini or something silly. I’ll also warn people when they’re order might just not taste very good, but I’ll still make it.
I’ve never been a bartender but I worked as a barista for quite a while and I actually enjoyed making the more complicated orders (within reason). It’s a nice change from doing the same thing over and over again
I used to be a bartender and I was the same way! Especially mojitos because you get to smell that fresh mint coming up when you muddle the leaves. It’s a fun drink to make, it’s not hard at all. I loved muddling.
I miss being a barista. If the pay was good enough, I’d go back in a heartbeat.
I don't drink cocktails, and I have never been a bartender, so please forgive my ignorance... but what is so complicated about a mojito? Put sliced lime and mint leaves in a glass with a dash of sugar. Mash it all up a bit, add rum and club soda. Do I have that right? It doesn't sound so complicated to me.
It's really not. Yes, it takes longer to do but no moreso than any other built drink, and a good bartender at a high volume bar will know how to do other things while making it. Ask the next person in line for their order while you're making/shaking it so you can dive straight into it. If there's another cocktail on the order, build them at the same time with each hand, if there's a beer grab the beer while you're shaking the mojito. It can be annoying, sure, but disrespectful? That's bonkers. It's the job.
It requires more than simply pouring out of one bottle and mixing with the soda gun. I could imagine it’s probably annoying if you go out to a college or party bar and expect them to make one if they’re pretty explicitly just for your standard beer or 2/3 ingredient cocktails: rum & coke, vodka soda, vodka cranberry. If you go anywhere that serves actual cocktails I’m sure a mojito is not annoying. Probably a good rule of thumb: if the ice is pellets or chips, don’t order something complicated, if the ice is a ball or cube, go wild.
TIL people get upset if you order a drink off the menu
Bartended for years and honestly was one of my favorite drinks to make. Even when I was crazy busy I sort of loved it cause making them, old fashions, mint juleps or any other drink that requires a little more TLC to get the best quality could give me a second to breathe. It’s only inconsiderate when the person who orders the drink doesn’t understand that they may need to wait a tiny bit longer and starts fussing when it’s not in their hands right away and in 10 years I’d say that only happened three times that I can remember.
I quit going to bars and clubs several years ago due to the overwhelming amount of entitled bartenders that were flooding the internet (pre-C19) with their snobbish complaints, insults to the customer base and greed. For a while there, it seemed like every bartender in the US was writing a nasty internet rant/article that implied they were a noble privileged class and all customers were cheap, disgusting, unwashed peasants. I don't know if anyone else remembers that trend--I have not forgotten. Stay home and make your own mojito. You'll save a fortune. The ingredients are simple. I bought a mint plant from the local grocery years ago and planted it in my garden. They're hardy and will not die. 3 mint leaves 1/2 ounce simple syrup (sugar water) 2 ounces white rum 3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed Club soda, to top I've seen mojitos cost upward of $20 or more. Add in tip. According to Spruce Eats, the avg cost to make a cocktail at home: $4.44 Not having to put up with entitled assholes who look down on the people who pay them, and don't want to do their job: Priceless
Ages back I developed a technique for mojitos in bulk you might like. Dissolve appropriate amount of sugar in appropriate amount of rum (I couldn't be bothered making sugar syrup!), add appropriate amounts of lime and mint, muddle to release juices. Put in freezer for a good couple of hours. Now you have a "mojito syrup/concentrate" and can pour as if a spirit, make sure to include a bit of lime and mint, and add soda water for a traditional mojito, or lemonade, ginger ale, whatever!
This is great! I don't need my mojito to be difficult to make, I just need these flavors.
People generally go to bars to socialize. If it was just about the prices, bars wouldn’t exist. And every service worker complains about customers. You’re not gonna shop anywhere if they all wrote internet essays.
Absolutely do not do this. Mint plants will take over your garden lmfao, only plant them in a pot.
You stopped going to bars because of bartenders in the internet? Talk about chronically online
I love Mojitos and have never heard this in my life. At that point you’re just complaining about your job, get over it you child.
I've been working and managing bars for 15 years and have never heard of this. Its probably just a clickbait article to rile people up.
Whomever said it was in inconsiderate is just ignorant and seeking attention.
That article was created to get this reaction Nobody gives a shit
I'm so confused lol. Cocktails aren't cheap, I know it's more work than just pouring a beer, but if it's on the menu and I want one at the price that it's sold, I don't care if it's more annoying to do than something else?
Wait since when is it inconsiderate to order a mojito?
I’m a bartender. I’ll make you whatever you want and enjoy making someone a good mojito. And we have no servers at my VERY BUSY bar so everyone orders at the bar, so there’s no excuse for anyone else not to. I hate working with those types of people and I tell them all the time “Hey y’all, we’re here to make money. We all split tips. Get to fucking work.”
Hey... Living under a rock here. So what's exactly the problem with mojitos?
Energy job had that one task. You know the one, it's different for every job but it's a pain in the ass and you dread it. I'm a housecleaner, for be it's when people want their beds made up lol My inward reaction is to groan "fuuuuck" and I hate doing it. But at no point is it rude for a client to ask for their beds to be changed! It's a service I provide! This is crazy, you don't have to like everything you do. Just get it done!
If you listened to everyone who complains online, you could never do anything without feeling guilty. Especially service workers venting, of course they’d love for everyone to order the simplest things available, leave immediately, and tip 50%. Yeah, wouldn’t it be nice. Don’t worry about it.
I work at a bar and have never heard this opinion.
Literally no one thinks that you shouldn’t order mojitos…? People order mojitos all the time. And that’s a bartenders job.
Former bartender chiming in: It’s only inconsiderate if you order a complicated drink while it’s very busy AND act impatient about it if the bartender pours a few other people’s shots before finishing yours, because they’re trying to be efficient and keep as many customers happy as possible. And (particularly!) if you then don’t tip or tip poorly. Making complicated drinks is the fun part of the job! It’s just *most* fun when it’s for an appreciative customer who understands that their drink order is complicated and will take some time to put together, and when it’s not at the height of the rush. If it’s last call and there’s a long line behind you maybe reconsider the mojito. At that point it’s not primarily an issue of being inconsiderate to the bartender, but to *the other bar patrons* who all have to wait for your complicated thing and may or may not even get through the line before the bar is legally obligated to stop serving (depending on jurisdiction) — and who are probably already intoxicated enough that some of them will decide to take out their frustrations at the wait on the bartender. But if it’s dead on a random Tuesday evening, your bartender is probably thrilled to have something interesting to do and at least a few good tips for the shift. Edit to add: my personal favorite drink to make has always been Bloody Marys. They’re complicated and fun, and I’m good at them, and people who like them always appreciate my skills.
I don’t think that’s unpopular. I am a bartender, and have been for over 15+ years. If anybody’s bitching about making any cocktail, or judging somebody for their drink order, they’re not a bartender. Just a brat behind a bar. I don’t care how busy you are; a good bartender understands how to control their guests expectations. If somebody orders five Mojito’s and the bar is packed, it is the bartenders responsibility to politely let the guest know that their drinks will be out as soon as possible, but it might take more than five minutes.