"Hook me up," "make it a strong one," and the dreaded "I can't taste the alcohol in this" are all immediate red flags to your bartender. Here's what happens when you ask your bartender for an "extra strong" drink — and it's rarely what you're really asking for.
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00:00Hook Me Up, Make It a Strong One, and the dreaded, I Can't Taste the Alcohol in This
00:05are all immediate red flags to your bartender.
00:08Here's what happens when you ask your bartender for an extra strong drink, and it's rarely
00:13what you're really asking for.
00:15Bartenders absolutely hate when they're asked to make a drink extra strong.
00:19If you start out your bar experience by suggesting that your bartender doesn't know how to properly
00:24make your drink, they're already likely trying to get out of interacting with you.
00:28They'll serve you, but don't count on starting a long conversation with someone after you've
00:33told them how to do their job and tried to get free alcohol out of them.
00:38Bartenders make their money by interacting with customers, so if they are actively ignoring
00:42you, then they're probably protecting their peace.
00:46It's also possible they are avoiding you because they don't want to hear about how weak your
00:50drink is.
00:51If the bar is slammed, and you've opened up your bar experience with a request for a strong
00:56This is probably the option your bartender will choose.
00:59It'll be easier to pretend they're not ignoring you if they have plenty of other customers
01:03to tend to.
01:04Staying on the other side of the bar and holding long conversations with other patrons is another
01:09sign you may be getting the cold shoulder from your bartender.
01:12Don't worry, though.
01:13They're still most likely going to come around to keep a drink in front of you.
01:17Just don't expect it to be a strong one.
01:19The rumors are true.
01:21Service industry workers' favorite pastime is complaining.
01:24Usually, the targets of these complaints are their tables and customers.
01:28If you happen to play into one of the many industry pet peeves, you can pretty much count
01:33on your server or bartender telling all their favorite co-workers about it.
01:37This is especially true if you're dining at a table and ask your server to make sure your
01:42drink is extra strong.
01:43Your server is going to go straight to the bartender to relay your message, but probably
01:47not in the way you're imagining and hoping for.
01:50You're undoubtedly sharing a look of exasperation before the bartender goes to implement one
01:55of the other points on this list when making your drink.
01:58The request may even earn you a nickname for the rest of your time at the bar.
02:02Just know that strongman isn't a term of endearment, but a sign that you've been made an opening
02:07act at the circus that is their night shift.
02:12Service workers often leave work and head to a completely different bar with co-workers
02:16after a long shift.
02:17If you frequent bars, you've probably been among off-duty restaurant workers smack-talking
02:21their earlier customers.
02:23Comparing stories of crappy customers is how restaurant employees bond.
02:27You just don't want to be the subject of one of these after-work bar stories.
02:32The service industry is full of some of the most hardworking and lovable people around,
02:37but some of these passionate workers would also describe themselves as petty.
02:41If you are sitting at a bar, tended by one of these masters of pettiness, your extra-strong
02:47drink has a chance of actually being a weaker one.
02:50This could potentially apply to the drinks of anyone who breaks one of the many bar etiquette
02:54rules.
02:55This isn't something that happens too often, as most bartenders want to make you a good
02:59drink and give you what you pay for.
03:01Unless you have downed enough alcohol for your bartender to consider cutting you off,
03:06you'll likely at least get a standard pour.
03:08Most bartenders have likely never made a weak drink out of spite alone.
03:12However, if you had a crappy attitude when you asked for your drink, your bartender is
03:17more likely to give you a petty pour.
03:19Be careful what you ask for and how you ask it, because you may end up with the opposite.
03:23I'll have one rum and coke, just one, please.
03:26Make it a double, though.
03:27Drink prices, much like menu item prices, are predetermined based on the ingredients
03:31they contain and a strict recipe.
03:34Most establishments have a point-of-sale system that has buttons programmed for each possible
03:38drink combination or price point.
03:41A lot of the time, if a server is ringing in your order, they would need to charge you
03:45for any extra alcohol in order for you to receive it from the bar.
03:48With that being said, there are almost no real standards when it comes to bars.
03:53Even pour sizes can vary from bar to bar.
03:56Most bartenders have likely worked at places where a single was one and a half ounces and
04:00a double was two ounces.
04:02There, it would make sense to charge for a double when you were asked for a stronger
04:06pour.
04:07However, there are also bars where a double is three ounces, and the upcharge would almost
04:12be like ordering another drink.
04:13Basically, if you ask for more alcohol, you could very well get charged for more alcohol.
04:18Sometimes, your bartender or server will let you know the extra alcohol will be an upcharge,
04:31but it's almost equally likely that they will not.
04:34Don't be surprised to see double on your check or an upcharge because you did ask for
04:38more than the amount in the drink's recipe.
04:41One simple way of making a drink taste stronger is to use less of the mixer.
04:46Using this technique, your bartender can simply make your drink of choice and pour a smaller
04:50amount of mixer in to make your drink taste stronger with the same amount of liquor.
04:55The problem comes when the drink no longer fits properly in its designated glass.
04:59The simplest solution to this is to throw it in a smaller glass.
05:03If the drink would normally go in a pint glass, a highball glass will do great.
05:07A drink typically served in a highball glass could fit perfectly in a rocks glass, after
05:11eliminating some of the mixer.
05:12This is a clever way to handle customers asking for a stronger drink.
05:23You're giving them exactly what they've ordered, just not in the way they likely expect you
05:27to fulfill their wishes.
05:29It's important to also note that some bar customers who order a strong drink actually
05:33do want less mixer in a smaller glass.
05:35This is a safe option for bartenders, but some customers may notice the glassware switch-up.
05:41As smart as it is to use a smaller glass when using a smaller amount of mixer, sometimes
05:46a cocktail has a special glass it must go in.
05:48For some house-made cocktail specials, the glass is very much a part of the recipe and
05:53aesthetic.
05:54If you are asking for a strong version of one of these drinks, your bartender's best
05:58bet to make both you and their managers happy is to overload you with ice.
06:02You'll receive the same amount of alcohol in the same glass as a normal drink, but with
06:06less of the mixer and a whole lot more ice.
06:09It's frozen water!
06:10They call it ice and it's gonna change the world!
06:14One downside to this is that customers tend to notice when ice takes up most of the space
06:19in a glass.
06:20If a customer is the type to ask for extras right out of the gate, they'll likely be the
06:24type to complain about a mountain of ice in their drink.
06:27Another negative to this extra-strong drink outcome is that the drink will quickly become
06:31watered down.
06:33Using extra ice to make up for less mixer makes for a drink that may look up to par,
06:38but will get quite a lot weaker as time goes on.
06:41Almost all bartenders will tell you that the customer is not always right, a declaration
06:47they'll give right to the customer's face if the situation allows.
06:51They are professional backtalkers, as much as they are drink slingers, and bartenders
06:55can dish it out just as well as they get it, when they are pushed.
06:59If you are at a more relaxed and low-key bar, your bartender will very likely make it known
07:04that they don't appreciate your request.
07:06There are certainly establishments where the staff are encouraged to say yes as often as
07:10possible.
07:11In these places, the more subtle and passive-aggressive solutions to the extra-alcohol customer are
07:16put in motion.
07:17Some restaurants aren't afraid to embarrass their customers, though, and bartenders at
07:21such establishments will make sure you know you've crossed a line.
07:25You could be on the receiving end of a quick quip about going to their work and telling
07:29them how to do their job, or you could also face a loud, very public display of humiliation
07:35that will make eye contact with your fellow bar patrons a little difficult.
07:39If you have already been served and complain about there not being enough alcohol in your
07:43drink, there is little chance of your bartender actually remaking your drink.
07:47This is unless, of course, you're willing to pay for a double.
07:51If there was an actual problem with the drink, a remake is typically no big deal.
07:56However, the lack of extra alcohol is not seen as a problem with the bartender's work,
08:00but rather one of taste.
08:02What is going to happen to a weak-returned drink, then?
08:05More than likely, the bartender will wait a couple minutes and serve you the exact same
08:09drink, possibly dumped in a fresh glass.
08:11This charade literally only delays the drinking of your drink and allows the ice to melt more.
08:16You may get the tiniest splash of alcohol extra.
08:19If they choose to pour a bit down your straw, for insurance, you won't send it back again.
08:24Is the smidgen of added alcohol really worth the hassle and a watered-down drink?
08:29Probably not.
08:30On busy days, your drink could also be delayed initially if the bartender decides to wait
08:34to make it.
08:35The bartender could choose to put your drink at the bottom of the priority list due to
08:38your unnecessary special request.
08:41They may be hoping that the delay will ward off any complaints about the alcohol content.
08:46When a bartender has been asked to make a drink extra strong, they may just pour the
08:49alcohol to the bottom of the glass.
08:52This could turn the mixer portion of the drink into a floater.
08:55This layering method is a less clever trick than the straw hack, but has a very similar
08:59outcome.
09:00More alcohol will go up the straw in the first sip, making it taste stronger.
09:04This makes for a poor drink, though.
09:06It will not be made or mixed properly, and the rest of the drink will basically be all
09:10watered-down mixer.
09:11A lot of bartenders take quite a bit of pride in their craft, and it would nearly physically
09:16hurt them to mix such a poorly made drink.
09:19However, they'd typically rather serve a difficult customer a subpar drink to an annoying customer
09:24than have their legitimate drinks sent back many times and sent to the wastebucket.
09:30The perfect solution to this problem is to just order and pay for a double.
09:34Your drink will have the extra alcohol that you desire, and it'll be made the way it is
09:38meant to be.
09:39You'll get a stronger mixed drink, rather than an unenjoyable layered mess.
09:43Plus, your bartender will appreciate it.
09:46If you have gotten this far into the video, you should have noticed that asking for a
09:50stronger drink without expecting to pay extra is not wise for a pleasant time out.
09:55However, if you are still here with hopes that it'll work out for you, know that this
10:00is the least likely outcome and is not typically done in good faith.
10:04Remember when we said bartenders can be petty?
10:06On rare occasions when a barkeep has had enough, they may pile on the alcohol when
10:11someone complains there isn't enough in their drink.
10:13Usually, this is only out of spite, and they'll only serve a drink of this nature to someone
10:18they don't believe will actually drink and enjoy it.
10:21A rum and coke wouldn't be a good contender for this reverse psychology approach, because
10:26an overly strong rum and coke is still pretty great.
10:29However, a lemon drop drinker is more likely to get turned off by a large portion of vodka
10:34replacing the triple sec, simple syrup, and lemon juice.
10:37The exception to this, of course, is if you have a solid and established relationship
10:42with the bartender.
10:43If you have the type of friendship that allows for a few digs here and there, then they'll
10:47be more inclined to make a stronger drink that tastes right.
10:51Ah, she wants another mojito.
10:53Looks like our regular's got herself a usual.