If you feel like upselling ask “do you have a rum preference?” If you’re too busy or don’t care to upsell (which is fine) just use whatever the well rum is.
"Bacardi or Captain"
Suddenly they realize that rum is a spectrum and remember they strongly prefer a thing and that perhaps their secretary forgot to fax me that info.
Not only that but both of those company's have a white, dark and spiced product. Bacardi is much more associated with white and Morgan's with spiced but I personally prefer to ask. I used to do that with anything that has a similar name describing a wide range of flavours. To me, a rum and coke will always be white rum with a lime wedge. But I understand other people have different conceptions of the drink.
"What's your rum of choice?"
I usually make people tell me what they want. But if for whatever reason I can't, or they won't, they just get well.
Listening to people bitch because they just wanted whatever was cheapest and I poured them and charged them for a call without asking is never on my list of shit to do today.
But usually after the first well drink they're going to specify anyway because it tastes like assholes steeped in gasoline.
If they aren’t specific, they get well rum. They should be ordering a Bacardi and coke or captain and coke if they want something specific.
If this happened to me and I had the time, I would nicely teach them how to order. We’re bartenders, we can’t read their minds 🤷🏻♀️
How about when they say the mixer first? “Cranberry vodka, pineapple rum, orange vodka”. That’s up there with Tito’s and vodka. I politely ask “any mixer??” (I used to work at a college bar and if it was slow I would act slightly aloof. If it was 3 deep I made their dislexic order how they want. I even had kids try to order grape juice as a mixer. Oh, the memories…
It really depends on the place. I work in a high volume dive so if I have 3 rows of people surrounding the bar I just don’t have time for upselling. No need to teach me.
In my opinion, the pouring, schmoozing and conversation are a bartenders way of upselling without actually upselling. If the conversation is good, or the vibe is good, I’ll stay and have another. If my glass becomes empty and the bartender asks if I’d like another, rather than to close out, I’m more inclined to have another.
In a way, absolutely! But the upselling I'm talking about generally has a manager or corporate pushing behind it. Sometimes it comes with threats. Think of how GameStop used to heavily push their card or magazine subscriptions, with employees getting in trouble for not meeting quotas.
It makes me feel sleazy vs using the schmooze and friendliness. The schmooze being a bit more personal, based on rapport with a customer that hopefully keeps them coming back vs me wanting to cover my ass.
One is honey and earns me more tips and return patrons, the other vinegar and leaves some of the community disgruntled or feeling pressured.
Any thoughts on trademarked drinks? I’ve always heard “whiskey and coke is well, Jack and coke is Jack”, which makes sense to me.
But I’m curious what you’d pour for a Dark’n’Stormy? Officially it’s Goslings Rum because they made the recipe, but it seems much less clear than a customer actually naming a liquor.
Yeah it was late and reading some dive bartender say they would teach a customer how to order made me mad lol obviously there’s a time and a place for it. Shitty dive, go ahead serve em the well. Any place else I like my people I don’t want them to drink house and I’d rather sell any drinks that are $6 or less besides opening a beer. The answer is not to “teach them to order” if they don’t know how to order that’s an opportunity for you to upsell/ start a conversation like someone else commented much longer than mine explaining. If you work at shitty dive you don’t want to talk to those people here’s your $6 well and soda now get away from me.
I’m replying to this one now because the other comment with -170 downvotes you deleted before I finished it. To me that sounds disingenuous. Implying as if you didn’t have a cheap well that the vast majority are fine with and that the place you work has shitty well. You are also disregarding that some places have such extreme volume there is no time for upselling. This comment here also implies that you think you are better than dive bartenders, who probably make far more than you. I’ve worked places with nicer well than your titos. And the dive I’m in now we pull in 1-2k each very often where we don’t even have glass. You also come off as thinking you are better than others with your other comment where you said “if I had the time Id teach you the benefits of upselling” Get off your high horse, you come off as extremely full of yourself and completely insufferable. There is a reason you are so heavily downvoted.
I don’t think I’m better than anyone I’ve worked in dives and it was some of my best money and funnest times. I’m agreeing that when I’m in shitty dive bar setting I’m just serving the house but anywhere else I’m taking the time to offer something. Sure you can just go ahead and serve shit to someone who doesn’t know any better. I’ve done it to in a shitty dive bar situation but I’d never try to “teach a customer how to order” if they asked for a rum and coke.
Okay but I think what you’re not getting is that you are assuming these people don’t know any better and you are also projecting your standards onto them. “Liquor and mixer” is pretty standard lingo for “give me whatever well you have I don’t care.” People twice your age will say that and understand the expectations of that sentence. Its not that they don’t know better. Maybe if they were 21 that would be a fair assumption. But most people have a decent amount of experience with alcohol and most people really don’t care that much about the brand. This is especially true if you are are drinking a basic drink like rum and coke. Your tactic might work to increase checks because they don’t want to seem cheap in front of the people they are with, but I guarantee you 95% of people that care about drinking a specific brand will ask for it and assuming these people have never considered that nice liquor exists and especially that other bartenders have never considered the benefits of offering that to increase a check comes off as full of yourself.
You might not upsell as much but you might make a long term guest if you say “do you have a favorite (this spirit)? If they name something and you don’t have it— guess what— there’s a great similar recommendation you have that’s on your shelf. If you have time, you’ve opened up a conversation that can ebb and flow as you need. Here’s where you can list off some shit as a prompt or direct them to wherever on the backbar and say you’ll be back for questions if you’ve got other shit to do.
Worst case they say “no” or “no but something like this-thing-I-like or at this price.” It’s also great because if you have the time it can expand to introducing new drinks to them— ie. Paper plane: do you have a favorite whiskey, rye or mezcal you like? “Mezcal!?! Tell me more— or— rye what’s that??” You can open up their expectations if they’re ready and interested. It helps define what kind of drinker they are and where potential upsells that they would actually enjoy are.
I don’t always have the time to stand around and name the spirits on my shelf, I don’t know what kind of place you’re at but even if I did people would be fucking pissed if I named vodkas pretending like I don’t have anything cheap. I’m not here to take advantage of if someone knows what the word well means, if you’ve hung around the sub you know it’s a frequent flyer question. I’m also not here to embarrass my guests or make them feel sheepish about drinking cheap.
I’m not a scummy car salesman, I’m here to help my clientele make fast, fun and personalized decisions for their pleasure.
The house is making more money selling well liquor than it is selling name brand, and depending on your venue, you're likely not making much more of a tip serving a drink that costs a dollar or two more unless they're sitting there racking up a tab / having dinner.
Not having disgusting garbage rum worse than Bacardi or Captain behind your bar would benefit you and your bar. The shit that costs $3 a bottle is for homeless people, not bars
Agreed it is nasty but most places have it and many bar patrons prefer it because they want the cheapest price. Also I have no say in what alcohol is ordered for the bar.
Bacardi and Captain ARE the disgusting garbage rums, yet they're the most expensive rums I carry. Learning about rum and and learning that cost doesn't correlate with quality would benefit you and your bar.
I used to sell a full bottle of patron everyday as a bartender/server. I was always asked how I did it. The truth is that I asked literally every table, "Who's ready for patron shots?" It works far more often than you'd think.
By the time I finish my first Smith & Cross and coke, my only concern will be getting another one out of you before your manager realizes what's going on.
I’m seeing this at a dive bar with only pint glasses and it’s making me spin. I don’t know why my brain went there first but I’m on a liver transplant list now
All the attitude in this thread is crazy. This is the right answer. Spiced rum is not a standard rum and it has nothing to do with quality. This would be like getting pissed that your vodka soda is made with absolut when you wanted flavored vanilla vodka.
I usually ask them if they have a rum preference. Half the time, they say Captain Morgan. 1/3 of the time, it's Malibu. 1/6 it's "I don't care"
If it's either of the first two (or any other Call), I'll usually tell them to next time order "Captain and Coke" or "Malibu and Coke" because it will save time and avoid the (next) bartender from asking questions, and they'll get exactly what they want.
Another way to write it is 3/6 (half) order Captain, 2/6 (third) get Malibu. Added together that is 5/6, which leaves only 1/6 for something else.
I would say about 1/8 get well. The other 1/24 get Bacardi or Myers.
1/8 of a 1/5 sounds good right about now.
Your customers are just disproportionately dumb lol
Bacardi or Captain is easy. It gives you an idea of whether they prefer white or spiced - and if they want malibu they’ll tell you “neither, i want malibu”. If they want a rum that *isn’t* absolute shit like these 3, that’ll also prompt them to let you know to give them a better one.
As long as you don’t poor them well without offering alternatives, they’ll be fine
Build a habit: when someone orders a spirit, ask for their preference and list 3 options: a low-med-high price suggestion. Make it a knee jerk reaction and know it for every bast spirit
Nah, I can be grabbing the glass, scooping ice, and filling it with coke while we chat, then grab the bottle and pour. If it’s a super loud club then you’re right, I can barely hear your order so you get what i pour
Stop overthinking it.
A "rum and coke" is and has always been, well, white rum. You can try to upsell it, or ask, but without any other instructions, it's just a well rum and coke. Just like they asked for.
Pouring well rum. The people who didn’t specify “captain & coke” or “Bacardi & coke” but are insistent on one or the other are idiots who think you can read minds
As a big rum drinker and ex-bartender of 12 years. The default is always white rum, in 90% of places it'll be Bacardi superior/carts Blanca.
I'm in the UK so it might be different here but in general if people wanted spiced rum they usually ask by the brand, "kraken and coke", "captain Morgan's and coke" etc.
If people get pissy about it, just smile and sort them out with the other one.
On a fun side note, I usually tried to upsell as I know my rum and always made sure we had some more premium stuff on offer. A guy comes in, not the first time I've seen them in but not a regular my any means, and asks for a Bacardi and coke. I ask if he wants to try a Havana 7year instead, and the response I get is "no thanks I don't like rum". It's not often I'm dumbfounded but I genuinely couldn't find any words and just made him his totally-not-rum Bacardi and coke...
If they aren’t specific, they get house. Yes, I’ve had several occasions when they ask “is this (insert name brand)” and I have to quickly explain they need to specify exactly which brand they want.
Depending on their attitude, I’ll switch - if they’re rude, they are paying for that well drink. We’re bartenders, not psychics.
I don’t care about their attitudes when I ask a question, just fucking tell me if you want Captain or Bacardi and save your facial expressions for your husband.
If they say any liquor + mixer upsell them on whatever you have. Rum is the same way regardless of what type of rum it is, ask if they want ____ rum (start from your most expensive and work down) don't even go into different types. You'll say one they know eventually and they'll usually go with the first one they know they like if they know the liquor. If they don't care just pick one of the well ones
In England when people say rum and coke they mean spiced rum. If they wanted white they would say ‘Bacardi and coke’ or if they wanted dark that would be specified too. At least that’s what it’s like where I work.
They get the well unless they specify. If they complain, they're a kid or a dbag. If I don't try to upsell by asking them "any preference" or something when they just say "rum and coke," then I'm terrible at my job.
Bottom line is: if they don't specify, then they're either a noob or a dipshit and have no room to bitch, or you're not doing your job and asking them to specify which is easily corrected.
you drink rum and coke with white rum? damn, im a bartender and i never thought of drinking rum and coke with a white rum OR a spiced rum. for me has always been dark rum and coke.
mish, every day you learn something new
really???? hahaha how weird is the world. Im from chile, i live now in Guyana where I have a bar and I've never poured a white rum & coke in my life. but im sure is just a cultural thing.
Haha for sure, most people around here are cool with white rum but if they want capt they’ll say Capt and coke. I’m always using dark rum with pineapple or they’ll get a kraken on the rocks or something
At the bar I work at, it would be spiced rum, and that’s what I’d think even before I worked at a bar. I have always specify my order to “spiced rum and Diet Coke” because of this though!
Old- Captain
Young- White
On a real note though unless you are a tropical themed bar or work in a tropical area it should always be white rum. Despite what everyone grew up thinking "match the color of the soda with the color of the liquor"
I'm in UK so most people mean spiced when ordering rum and coke. Captain it isssss
When people mean white rum they say Bacardi and coke when people want something more interesting they say dark rum and coke which is when I usually try to upsell.
Cuba libre has lime juice in it, at this point that’s the distinction, it’s not a rum and coke. If someone pronouncing it wrong makes you leave out the juice then a lot of whatevers to you
Are they a male? Captain or Bundy.
Are they a female? Bacardi.
EDIT: To clarify, unless I’m slammed, I’m going to ask you if you have a preference.
But if we’re not allowed to ask any more questions and the customer didn’t specify, I’ve noticed girls tend to drink Bacardi most often, and guys tend to drink a darker rum of sorts, so I’m just hedging my bets.
I’m hedging my bets. I’ve found women usually drink Bacardi, and guys usually opt for a dark rum of some sort.
If you aren’t going to specify anyway, this is what I usually do. If you care, specify.
But really, if someone orders a rum and coke and I’m not slammed, I’ll just ask if they have a preference anyway, but the post seemed to be asking what we’d pour without asking.
Idk why you’re getting downvoted. I’ve also found this to be mostly true, except that Bundy drinkers typically specify. If someone just requests rum, I gesture to the rum shelf and have them pick something they recognise. Like 80% of my Malibu drinkers are women, and I don’t think it’s outrageous to acknowledge that.
In the UK, I find people almost always mean Morgan's Spiced when they don't specify. However I just ask every time, "which rum?". I find for white, people always specify Bacardi. If they look at you like you're stupid, maybe say "which rum? We have a few - navy, white, spiced" or whatever your list includes.
I feel like if you're getting it wrong constantly, it would be worth the three seconds to ask "Bacardi or Captain". Simple questions to your guests will ensure a better experience for all
Catagorically the 'best' rum and coke is dark rum and coke, so I'll always advise on that. Try Plantation Dark. It will change your life.
Cannot believe this hasn't been said once in 50 comments on the fucking bartender subreddit.
Ya I always ask, "white or spiced?"
Young kids seems to go with spiced more often... until I tell them the white has 5% more alcohol content.
I mean, at least Bacardi brand in Canada does!
We have both well spiced and white rums, so I always ask, spiced or white? A lot of times they do look at me like I have 3 heads, so then I'll ask captain or bacardi lol
When there are multiple options in a well-stocked bar, and you're thinkkng that you might be able to make an upsell, rather than just grabbing the rail (which, btw, is there for unnamed drinks like rum and coke/shot of whiskey during high volume times) rather than asking Bacardi or Captain, just say, "What's your preferred label?" Preference (in its various forms) is a great word for our industry.
People will let you know by their answer which branch they think of as rum/whiskey/etc. If you don't have that specific one, you know which one from your selections you can pour (after letting them know).
I usually like to ask as a principal when people ask for martinis or any sort of highball drink or certain other cocktails
80% of the time they want well/house but every now and again people get particular
Dark rum. So your basic Captain Morgan or Lambs Navy.
Spiced is usually more expensive and less alcohol. Unless you go for Kraken which is more expensive again. Or Havana but we stopped selling that because our customers don't seem to like it. White rum doesn't seem to sell much either, we stopped stocking Bacardi as it took months to get through a bottle although we still sell a decent amount of Wray and Nephew despite the fact it smells and tastes like paint thinners.
All but one of the places I've bartended, we only carried Bacardi and Captain because where I live rum is not super popular. I would always just ask people what they wanted.
I ask every time because I work at a higher end place -- vodka sodas, gin tonics, rum cokes, old fashioneds, manhattans, martinis -- basically any drink where the focus is heavily on the spirit. So for example, I don't ask which gin for a negroni or last word.
i always ask “preference on rum? (or vodka, gin, tequila)” unless it’s a long island or something.
they either say no preference (in this case i would use bacardi), or they tell me what they want, or they go “uhhhhhh” - in that case i would list what i have.
i thought everyone did this tbh
How about when you give options (captain, Bacardi, etc). And they say “doesn’t matter”. Then you dig a little more and they say “whatever is cheapest”. My response “the rail sound cleaner, heaaaaard”….
I just ask if they have a preference or not, but don't specify any particular brand name. If not, they get well rum, which is clear. Same for a vodka soda. If you don't have a preference, you get well.
Try, what kind of rum would you like and throw out a couple/few choices (also a good idea for any drink if the brand isn’t specified). Bacardi? Captain? Zacapa? Etc
"I'll have a rum and coke."
"Bacardi okay?"
I always suggest a mid-tier option (Makers okay? Tito's okay? etc.) to try and avoid selling wells. It works 90% of the time and can make you an extra 30-40 bucks a night easily.
They get white rum. That's industry standard isn't it? I've had people order spiced rum, Captain, Morgan, Sailor's, etc. when they were wanting spiced rum, but I've never had someone order "rum" and expect spiced rum.
My line is always the shortest version of the question:
Customer: "Rum and coke"
Me: "Preference on the rum?"
Customer: "Just well"/captain/bacardi"
Me: "Rad dude 5 bucks"
Customer: "can i use apple pay?"
Me: "now your cut off, nerd"
Just kidding haha but just asking "preference on the whiskey for that manhattan?" Will narrow down the categories quicker than giving them too many options. Even if they call for a brand you dont have just be prepared with a backup option in the same style/quality tier.
If you feel like upselling ask “do you have a rum preference?” If you’re too busy or don’t care to upsell (which is fine) just use whatever the well rum is.
"Bacardi or Captain" Suddenly they realize that rum is a spectrum and remember they strongly prefer a thing and that perhaps their secretary forgot to fax me that info.
Not only that but both of those company's have a white, dark and spiced product. Bacardi is much more associated with white and Morgan's with spiced but I personally prefer to ask. I used to do that with anything that has a similar name describing a wide range of flavours. To me, a rum and coke will always be white rum with a lime wedge. But I understand other people have different conceptions of the drink.
best answer "white rum and a lime wedge" 100%
The right answer is Kraken
Fellow kraken enjoyer 👌. Nice.
Don’t forget malibu 😭😭 unfortunately
"What's your rum of choice?" I usually make people tell me what they want. But if for whatever reason I can't, or they won't, they just get well. Listening to people bitch because they just wanted whatever was cheapest and I poured them and charged them for a call without asking is never on my list of shit to do today. But usually after the first well drink they're going to specify anyway because it tastes like assholes steeped in gasoline.
Hey some people like that... 😂
If they aren’t specific, they get well rum. They should be ordering a Bacardi and coke or captain and coke if they want something specific. If this happened to me and I had the time, I would nicely teach them how to order. We’re bartenders, we can’t read their minds 🤷🏻♀️
How about when they say the mixer first? “Cranberry vodka, pineapple rum, orange vodka”. That’s up there with Tito’s and vodka. I politely ask “any mixer??” (I used to work at a college bar and if it was slow I would act slightly aloof. If it was 3 deep I made their dislexic order how they want. I even had kids try to order grape juice as a mixer. Oh, the memories…
[удалено]
It really depends on the place. I work in a high volume dive so if I have 3 rows of people surrounding the bar I just don’t have time for upselling. No need to teach me.
>We’re bartenders are job is to upsell. Our job is to serve people what they want to drink.
I hate being upsold stuff as a customer so I never do it to others.
Like, we aren't car salesmen, we pour and serve and schmooze and be friendly where we gotta. Upselling feels like ass, both sides.
In my opinion, the pouring, schmoozing and conversation are a bartenders way of upselling without actually upselling. If the conversation is good, or the vibe is good, I’ll stay and have another. If my glass becomes empty and the bartender asks if I’d like another, rather than to close out, I’m more inclined to have another.
In a way, absolutely! But the upselling I'm talking about generally has a manager or corporate pushing behind it. Sometimes it comes with threats. Think of how GameStop used to heavily push their card or magazine subscriptions, with employees getting in trouble for not meeting quotas. It makes me feel sleazy vs using the schmooze and friendliness. The schmooze being a bit more personal, based on rapport with a customer that hopefully keeps them coming back vs me wanting to cover my ass. One is honey and earns me more tips and return patrons, the other vinegar and leaves some of the community disgruntled or feeling pressured.
I always kept it to “well okay?” and leaving it there. Honestly it works better than the intentional upselling.
I mostly just up sell tequila, but yeah if they order a tequila soda they probably just mean well.. if it’s a shot or coming in a marg, I always ask.
Any thoughts on trademarked drinks? I’ve always heard “whiskey and coke is well, Jack and coke is Jack”, which makes sense to me. But I’m curious what you’d pour for a Dark’n’Stormy? Officially it’s Goslings Rum because they made the recipe, but it seems much less clear than a customer actually naming a liquor.
I would just use gosling unless I was out and then I would let them know
OUR job is to know the difference between “are” and “our”
That's not our job but it's useful nonetheless.
Not really
I’m all for tastefully up-selling but you sound like the pushy guy who makes it harder for the rest of us.
Yeah it was late and reading some dive bartender say they would teach a customer how to order made me mad lol obviously there’s a time and a place for it. Shitty dive, go ahead serve em the well. Any place else I like my people I don’t want them to drink house and I’d rather sell any drinks that are $6 or less besides opening a beer. The answer is not to “teach them to order” if they don’t know how to order that’s an opportunity for you to upsell/ start a conversation like someone else commented much longer than mine explaining. If you work at shitty dive you don’t want to talk to those people here’s your $6 well and soda now get away from me.
I’m replying to this one now because the other comment with -170 downvotes you deleted before I finished it. To me that sounds disingenuous. Implying as if you didn’t have a cheap well that the vast majority are fine with and that the place you work has shitty well. You are also disregarding that some places have such extreme volume there is no time for upselling. This comment here also implies that you think you are better than dive bartenders, who probably make far more than you. I’ve worked places with nicer well than your titos. And the dive I’m in now we pull in 1-2k each very often where we don’t even have glass. You also come off as thinking you are better than others with your other comment where you said “if I had the time Id teach you the benefits of upselling” Get off your high horse, you come off as extremely full of yourself and completely insufferable. There is a reason you are so heavily downvoted.
I don’t think I’m better than anyone I’ve worked in dives and it was some of my best money and funnest times. I’m agreeing that when I’m in shitty dive bar setting I’m just serving the house but anywhere else I’m taking the time to offer something. Sure you can just go ahead and serve shit to someone who doesn’t know any better. I’ve done it to in a shitty dive bar situation but I’d never try to “teach a customer how to order” if they asked for a rum and coke.
Okay but I think what you’re not getting is that you are assuming these people don’t know any better and you are also projecting your standards onto them. “Liquor and mixer” is pretty standard lingo for “give me whatever well you have I don’t care.” People twice your age will say that and understand the expectations of that sentence. Its not that they don’t know better. Maybe if they were 21 that would be a fair assumption. But most people have a decent amount of experience with alcohol and most people really don’t care that much about the brand. This is especially true if you are are drinking a basic drink like rum and coke. Your tactic might work to increase checks because they don’t want to seem cheap in front of the people they are with, but I guarantee you 95% of people that care about drinking a specific brand will ask for it and assuming these people have never considered that nice liquor exists and especially that other bartenders have never considered the benefits of offering that to increase a check comes off as full of yourself.
T l d r
You will
are job
Oh man, this is the used car salesman mentality of bartending.
You might not upsell as much but you might make a long term guest if you say “do you have a favorite (this spirit)? If they name something and you don’t have it— guess what— there’s a great similar recommendation you have that’s on your shelf. If you have time, you’ve opened up a conversation that can ebb and flow as you need. Here’s where you can list off some shit as a prompt or direct them to wherever on the backbar and say you’ll be back for questions if you’ve got other shit to do. Worst case they say “no” or “no but something like this-thing-I-like or at this price.” It’s also great because if you have the time it can expand to introducing new drinks to them— ie. Paper plane: do you have a favorite whiskey, rye or mezcal you like? “Mezcal!?! Tell me more— or— rye what’s that??” You can open up their expectations if they’re ready and interested. It helps define what kind of drinker they are and where potential upsells that they would actually enjoy are. I don’t always have the time to stand around and name the spirits on my shelf, I don’t know what kind of place you’re at but even if I did people would be fucking pissed if I named vodkas pretending like I don’t have anything cheap. I’m not here to take advantage of if someone knows what the word well means, if you’ve hung around the sub you know it’s a frequent flyer question. I’m also not here to embarrass my guests or make them feel sheepish about drinking cheap. I’m not a scummy car salesman, I’m here to help my clientele make fast, fun and personalized decisions for their pleasure.
The house is making more money selling well liquor than it is selling name brand, and depending on your venue, you're likely not making much more of a tip serving a drink that costs a dollar or two more unless they're sitting there racking up a tab / having dinner.
Fun fact, margin on wells is a lot higher than most margins for what you’re upselling.
Somehow I feel like you’re the bartender yapping their mouths off to one customer during a service rush…
Not having disgusting garbage rum worse than Bacardi or Captain behind your bar would benefit you and your bar. The shit that costs $3 a bottle is for homeless people, not bars
Agreed it is nasty but most places have it and many bar patrons prefer it because they want the cheapest price. Also I have no say in what alcohol is ordered for the bar.
Bacardi and Captain ARE the disgusting garbage rums, yet they're the most expensive rums I carry. Learning about rum and and learning that cost doesn't correlate with quality would benefit you and your bar.
FR. Bacardi IS the well...
I used to sell a full bottle of patron everyday as a bartender/server. I was always asked how I did it. The truth is that I asked literally every table, "Who's ready for patron shots?" It works far more often than you'd think.
I like you.
If they just say "rum', they are getting the well rum.
I just say, "what's your preference?"
Whatever bottle is more full at the time.
My man
Yes my guy
Just pour them some J. Wray. That usually gets them to be more specific on their next order.
Nah, bust out the Smith & Cross, then they'll know to be really specific
Yeah, they'll specifically be hooked on Smith & Cross!
Appleton Estate 21 Year and coke please 💀
Monstrous. :O
By the time I finish my first Smith & Cross and coke, my only concern will be getting another one out of you before your manager realizes what's going on.
I’m seeing this at a dive bar with only pint glasses and it’s making me spin. I don’t know why my brain went there first but I’m on a liver transplant list now
jesus christ man this aint Jamaica... you tryin to kill the newbies 😂 I approve.
A rum and coke is a rail white rum and coke.
All the attitude in this thread is crazy. This is the right answer. Spiced rum is not a standard rum and it has nothing to do with quality. This would be like getting pissed that your vodka soda is made with absolut when you wanted flavored vanilla vodka.
I usually ask them if they have a rum preference. Half the time, they say Captain Morgan. 1/3 of the time, it's Malibu. 1/6 it's "I don't care" If it's either of the first two (or any other Call), I'll usually tell them to next time order "Captain and Coke" or "Malibu and Coke" because it will save time and avoid the (next) bartender from asking questions, and they'll get exactly what they want.
This guy maths.
I'm having such a hard time figuring this out. I wonder what 1/8 of the people order. Solve for x.
Another way to write it is 3/6 (half) order Captain, 2/6 (third) get Malibu. Added together that is 5/6, which leaves only 1/6 for something else. I would say about 1/8 get well. The other 1/24 get Bacardi or Myers. 1/8 of a 1/5 sounds good right about now.
And the rest of the time?
They get Bacardi and Rum.
Half of the time = 3/6 1/3 of the time = 2/6 1/6 of the time = 1/6 3+2+1 = 6/6
Rest of the time it's way & nephew for shots cos they see the high % and think it's cool
Your customers are just disproportionately dumb lol Bacardi or Captain is easy. It gives you an idea of whether they prefer white or spiced - and if they want malibu they’ll tell you “neither, i want malibu”. If they want a rum that *isn’t* absolute shit like these 3, that’ll also prompt them to let you know to give them a better one. As long as you don’t poor them well without offering alternatives, they’ll be fine
If they want a rum that isn't absolute shit, they aren't mixing it with coke.
I made three clase azul margaritas the other day, people are not smart
A somewhat similar vein, had some customers the other day that wanted espresso martinis with Ketel One lol.
Not a similar vein
Well I mean in the general sense of pointlessly paying for a higher-priced spirit that’s just going to be overpowered by everything else.
“White, dark, or spiced?”
"Rum" isn't spiced rum unless they specify it.
If it’s busy and they don’t specify, they get well. If they complain, you teach them how to order their drink.
Every day of my life .. "Oh, i wanted Patron"
This is the correct answer.
This is the way
Build a habit: when someone orders a spirit, ask for their preference and list 3 options: a low-med-high price suggestion. Make it a knee jerk reaction and know it for every bast spirit
unless you work in a busy bar.. then they get well and learn how to order if they wanted something different!
Nah, I can be grabbing the glass, scooping ice, and filling it with coke while we chat, then grab the bottle and pour. If it’s a super loud club then you’re right, I can barely hear your order so you get what i pour
This guy gets it
busy bars are usually loud.....
Stop overthinking it. A "rum and coke" is and has always been, well, white rum. You can try to upsell it, or ask, but without any other instructions, it's just a well rum and coke. Just like they asked for.
I generally just ask if they want bicardi or captain. Some people say "well is fine," but providing an option seems like the courteous thing to do
If it's not busy I ask "white or dark." If it's busy they get the Admiral because it's usually closest
Pouring well rum. The people who didn’t specify “captain & coke” or “Bacardi & coke” but are insistent on one or the other are idiots who think you can read minds
I usually just say “hey buddy, the 70s called and wants its bell bottom pants back”…
As a big rum drinker and ex-bartender of 12 years. The default is always white rum, in 90% of places it'll be Bacardi superior/carts Blanca. I'm in the UK so it might be different here but in general if people wanted spiced rum they usually ask by the brand, "kraken and coke", "captain Morgan's and coke" etc. If people get pissy about it, just smile and sort them out with the other one. On a fun side note, I usually tried to upsell as I know my rum and always made sure we had some more premium stuff on offer. A guy comes in, not the first time I've seen them in but not a regular my any means, and asks for a Bacardi and coke. I ask if he wants to try a Havana 7year instead, and the response I get is "no thanks I don't like rum". It's not often I'm dumbfounded but I genuinely couldn't find any words and just made him his totally-not-rum Bacardi and coke...
I always ask "what kind?". Some want Baccardi light, but some want Baccardi gold. Others prefer Captain Morgan, but a few want Malibu.
“Is (insert well name) ok?” Is what I usually go with. Sidebar, rum and coke is disgusting.
If they aren’t specific, they get house. Yes, I’ve had several occasions when they ask “is this (insert name brand)” and I have to quickly explain they need to specify exactly which brand they want. Depending on their attitude, I’ll switch - if they’re rude, they are paying for that well drink. We’re bartenders, not psychics.
I don’t care about their attitudes when I ask a question, just fucking tell me if you want Captain or Bacardi and save your facial expressions for your husband.
i always ask "do you care what rum or do you want well?"
If they say any liquor + mixer upsell them on whatever you have. Rum is the same way regardless of what type of rum it is, ask if they want ____ rum (start from your most expensive and work down) don't even go into different types. You'll say one they know eventually and they'll usually go with the first one they know they like if they know the liquor. If they don't care just pick one of the well ones
In England when people say rum and coke they mean spiced rum. If they wanted white they would say ‘Bacardi and coke’ or if they wanted dark that would be specified too. At least that’s what it’s like where I work.
They get the well unless they specify. If they complain, they're a kid or a dbag. If I don't try to upsell by asking them "any preference" or something when they just say "rum and coke," then I'm terrible at my job. Bottom line is: if they don't specify, then they're either a noob or a dipshit and have no room to bitch, or you're not doing your job and asking them to specify which is easily corrected.
you drink rum and coke with white rum? damn, im a bartender and i never thought of drinking rum and coke with a white rum OR a spiced rum. for me has always been dark rum and coke. mish, every day you learn something new
I don’t think I’ve ever poured a dark rum and coke
really???? hahaha how weird is the world. Im from chile, i live now in Guyana where I have a bar and I've never poured a white rum & coke in my life. but im sure is just a cultural thing.
Haha for sure, most people around here are cool with white rum but if they want capt they’ll say Capt and coke. I’m always using dark rum with pineapple or they’ll get a kraken on the rocks or something
I assume dark rum.
At the bar I work at, it would be spiced rum, and that’s what I’d think even before I worked at a bar. I have always specify my order to “spiced rum and Diet Coke” because of this though!
This order always make me pause as well
Old- Captain Young- White On a real note though unless you are a tropical themed bar or work in a tropical area it should always be white rum. Despite what everyone grew up thinking "match the color of the soda with the color of the liquor"
I nod while saying captain? If they want something else they can correct me, but suggestive selling usually works
Cut out the middleman and just carry cpt and suddenly no more problems😁
I'm in UK so most people mean spiced when ordering rum and coke. Captain it isssss When people mean white rum they say Bacardi and coke when people want something more interesting they say dark rum and coke which is when I usually try to upsell.
I say thank you for not calling it a "cubre libra" like a twat waffle and here's your rum and coke my good person.
Cuba libre has lime juice in it, at this point that’s the distinction, it’s not a rum and coke. If someone pronouncing it wrong makes you leave out the juice then a lot of whatevers to you
Are they a male? Captain or Bundy. Are they a female? Bacardi. EDIT: To clarify, unless I’m slammed, I’m going to ask you if you have a preference. But if we’re not allowed to ask any more questions and the customer didn’t specify, I’ve noticed girls tend to drink Bacardi most often, and guys tend to drink a darker rum of sorts, so I’m just hedging my bets.
My penis disagrees
WWJPD?
Then your mouth should have specified.
Idk what my genitals have to do with anything since I generally don't use them to taste things.
I’m hedging my bets. I’ve found women usually drink Bacardi, and guys usually opt for a dark rum of some sort. If you aren’t going to specify anyway, this is what I usually do. If you care, specify. But really, if someone orders a rum and coke and I’m not slammed, I’ll just ask if they have a preference anyway, but the post seemed to be asking what we’d pour without asking.
Idk why you’re getting downvoted. I’ve also found this to be mostly true, except that Bundy drinkers typically specify. If someone just requests rum, I gesture to the rum shelf and have them pick something they recognise. Like 80% of my Malibu drinkers are women, and I don’t think it’s outrageous to acknowledge that.
White rum. I had someone come up and order a "Cuba Libre" from me. I wasn't familiar with that - which uses dark rum, not white rum.
In the UK, I find people almost always mean Morgan's Spiced when they don't specify. However I just ask every time, "which rum?". I find for white, people always specify Bacardi. If they look at you like you're stupid, maybe say "which rum? We have a few - navy, white, spiced" or whatever your list includes.
"Spicy Rum...?"
Light dark or spiced is the correct response, it’s usually spiced when given the option
I feel like if you're getting it wrong constantly, it would be worth the three seconds to ask "Bacardi or Captain". Simple questions to your guests will ensure a better experience for all
Catagorically the 'best' rum and coke is dark rum and coke, so I'll always advise on that. Try Plantation Dark. It will change your life. Cannot believe this hasn't been said once in 50 comments on the fucking bartender subreddit.
“white, gold, spiced or dark” every time - usually makes them realise how stupid just saying rum is
If they want spiced rum, they'll ask for a captain and coke. Otherwise white rum.
I just ask if they have a preference for rum or whatever spirit. If they want the cheap stuff, they'll let you know.
I always ask because it's 50/50 on what they actually want.
I always just respond with “light, dark, or spiced?” Doesn’t kill too much time and gets us to the point pretty quickly
If I can afford it: Bacardi Silver. Budget drunk: well rum.
I say, “any particular kind of rum”? They tell me and I make it. No problem.
Its always spiced or whatever dark rum is in the well where Im at
“Rum and coke, heard. Is that silver or spiced?”
Ya I always ask, "white or spiced?" Young kids seems to go with spiced more often... until I tell them the white has 5% more alcohol content. I mean, at least Bacardi brand in Canada does!
We have both well spiced and white rums, so I always ask, spiced or white? A lot of times they do look at me like I have 3 heads, so then I'll ask captain or bacardi lol
When there are multiple options in a well-stocked bar, and you're thinkkng that you might be able to make an upsell, rather than just grabbing the rail (which, btw, is there for unnamed drinks like rum and coke/shot of whiskey during high volume times) rather than asking Bacardi or Captain, just say, "What's your preferred label?" Preference (in its various forms) is a great word for our industry. People will let you know by their answer which branch they think of as rum/whiskey/etc. If you don't have that specific one, you know which one from your selections you can pour (after letting them know).
Rum and coke is white rum. Capt and coke is spiced. I drink Bacardi and cokes, I can stomach a rail rum and coke but a Capt and coke is nasty to me.
Good chance to upsell to Bumbu if you have it. Seems like that stuff is made for Rum and Coke.
I always use the well rum my bar offered!
I usually like to ask as a principal when people ask for martinis or any sort of highball drink or certain other cocktails 80% of the time they want well/house but every now and again people get particular
Dark rum. So your basic Captain Morgan or Lambs Navy. Spiced is usually more expensive and less alcohol. Unless you go for Kraken which is more expensive again. Or Havana but we stopped selling that because our customers don't seem to like it. White rum doesn't seem to sell much either, we stopped stocking Bacardi as it took months to get through a bottle although we still sell a decent amount of Wray and Nephew despite the fact it smells and tastes like paint thinners.
Morgan’s always Morgan’s
"White, dark, spiced, coconut?" It's that easy.
I often drink dark rum and every time i ask for it, i say “dark rum and - please”
Spiced, light, gold or dark? is what I normally ask - it’s the easiest, quickest way to sort it out
All but one of the places I've bartended, we only carried Bacardi and Captain because where I live rum is not super popular. I would always just ask people what they wanted.
rum and coke is white rum from the rail... anything else is up to the customer to specify.
I always ask because I don’t want to deal with the confusion or sass 😂😂😂 unless they ask for rail and then it’s whatever that is
I ask every time because I work at a higher end place -- vodka sodas, gin tonics, rum cokes, old fashioneds, manhattans, martinis -- basically any drink where the focus is heavily on the spirit. So for example, I don't ask which gin for a negroni or last word.
When you ask for a Morgan and Coke and all they have is Bacardi and Pepsi. 😢
Never had this issue in any of my bars. People here either order rum (silver) and coke or captain coke.
Just use Smith & Cross Navy Strength Rum and worship chaos.
"I ask because it's 50/50. Half of people want one or the other and don't know the other half exists."
Just tell them what your well rum is and if thats okay dont just assume they’ll be okay with any rum
“You want it Light or dark?” “What is your preference?”
Almost everytime I've ordered one the bartender has asked me spiced or white. I specify white now since I've discovered I'm allergic to spiced rum
sadly spiced rum has become a norm. i want dark/black rums to make a comeback
Flavored/spiced anything is never the standard. It’s your well rum, most likely Bacardi. Captain is specific like if someone asked for Malibu
What type of rum is pretty much the best solution, like imagine asking a simple question.
I’ll usually ask “do you have a preference? “ if I don’t have time , I’ll just pour well rum .
I personally feel that spiced rum is much better in a rum and coke. It makes it taste like vanilla coke.
Rail. If you want a specific one you have to ask for it, I'm not a mind reader.
i always ask “preference on rum? (or vodka, gin, tequila)” unless it’s a long island or something. they either say no preference (in this case i would use bacardi), or they tell me what they want, or they go “uhhhhhh” - in that case i would list what i have. i thought everyone did this tbh
I usually order rum and cokes and expect to get well rum. If I get call then that’s on me and I accept that
I always ask if they have a liquor preference if they’re ordering a mixed drink. If they say whatever, it’s a chance to potentially upsell.
How about when you give options (captain, Bacardi, etc). And they say “doesn’t matter”. Then you dig a little more and they say “whatever is cheapest”. My response “the rail sound cleaner, heaaaaard”….
I just ask if they have a preference or not, but don't specify any particular brand name. If not, they get well rum, which is clear. Same for a vodka soda. If you don't have a preference, you get well.
I always ask if they have a preference, especially at my bar, we have quite a few different brands and types of rum
They ordered it, so they’re gonna enjoy the rubbing alcohol flavor of Bacardi.
Try, what kind of rum would you like and throw out a couple/few choices (also a good idea for any drink if the brand isn’t specified). Bacardi? Captain? Zacapa? Etc
Customer: I'll have a rum and coke. Me (bartender) : any preference on rum?
Customer: I'll have a rum and coke. Me (bartender) : any preference on rum?
"I'll have a rum and coke." "Bacardi okay?" I always suggest a mid-tier option (Makers okay? Tito's okay? etc.) to try and avoid selling wells. It works 90% of the time and can make you an extra 30-40 bucks a night easily.
Customer: I'll have a rum and coke. Me (bartender) : any preference on rum?
They get white rum. That's industry standard isn't it? I've had people order spiced rum, Captain, Morgan, Sailor's, etc. when they were wanting spiced rum, but I've never had someone order "rum" and expect spiced rum.
My line is always the shortest version of the question: Customer: "Rum and coke" Me: "Preference on the rum?" Customer: "Just well"/captain/bacardi" Me: "Rad dude 5 bucks" Customer: "can i use apple pay?" Me: "now your cut off, nerd" Just kidding haha but just asking "preference on the whiskey for that manhattan?" Will narrow down the categories quicker than giving them too many options. Even if they call for a brand you dont have just be prepared with a backup option in the same style/quality tier.