Latest Drink Recipe
In my opinion, one of the greatest triumphs of the cocktail renaissance is the rediscovery of the classic Old Fashioned. I’ve often spoken of how at some point after the repeal of Prohibition, the Old Fashioned became lost and possibly confused with a long-forgotten drink called a Smash (basically a tarted-up Mint Julep covered in fruit), a mere husk of its former, glorious self.
For decades, bartenders just like me served a limp, weak concoction consisting of a half-muddled sugar cube, a mashed-up neon red cherry and orange, a splash of whiskey, and some soda water drowning the results.
With a little luck, and a lot of hard work, that’s all changed with the renewed interest in classic cocktails. Now at any given night at my bar you can find literally a dozen people sipping on two ounces bourbon touched with a teaspoon of sugar and two dashes of bitters, garnished with a simple orange twist over a couple big ice cubes.
But don’t try to pull that bullshit with the good people of the Great State of Wisconsin, where the Brandy Old Fashioned rules supreme. It’s not the same drink as above, it just shares a name. And if you make it right, really right, it’s a damn delicious cocktail and worthy of examination.
Being located in a hotel, we’re used to serving folks from all over the world. And the first time I witnessed a guest from Wisconsin stare blankly as one of my bartenders handed over two ounces of Cognac touched with a teaspoon of sugar and two dashes of bitters and garnished with a simple orange twist over a couple big ice cubes, I knew some further training was in order.
So in the name of making cocktails – all cocktails – with as much of our hearts as we can offer, I present to you what I believe to be the perfect Brandy Old Fashioned… Wisconsin-style.
I start with an old fashioned glass I’ve chilled in the freezer. Call it a tumbler, call it a double rocks glass, or call it a bucket, it’s a glass you’re familiar with. To that I add two dashes of Angostura bitters and a teaspoon of sugar. If I’m in a hurry I use a 2:1 simple syrup, but if I’m going to spend some time, I use a sugar cube. The sugar cube is preferable here because it’s going to add some friction to the muddling we’re about to do. Brace yourselves, cocktail “nerds”.
Next I’ll take a thick-cut orange wedge, and a cherry. The usual suspect here is a grocery store maraschino cherry, but I always choose a brandied Amarena cherry. Remember, you’re going to get out what you put in, so a quality cherry is going to make the drink that much better.
I muddle the sugar, bitters, orange wedge and cherry into a thick paste, careful not to touch the orange peel too much as it’ll bring unwanted bitterness to the party – just work around the peel and pulverize that orange meat.
Your standard Brandy Old Fashioned brandy of choice is Korbel: cheap California brandy. Considering the hundreds of thousands of cases they ship to Wisconsin every year, it might be considered sacrosanct to use anything else. But if you want to do this right, really right, then do yourself a favor and use some good Cognac. I have my preferred brandy, you have yours.
At this point your typical Wisconsinite barkeep is going to add ice and finish the drink in one of two main ways: sweet or sour. Those who take it sweet will ask for a splash of Sprite or 7-Up, those who take it sour get a dose of Collins Mix or Squirt. To me, it’s just a way of watering down the drink, so I leave out the soda and take a more… cocktail-y method.
Crushed ice is a must for me whenever I whip up a Brandy Old Fashioned. I always skip the soda and let the tiny shards of ice do the work, taming those strong, sweet flavors and turning this into a drink you can sip slowly.
As for a garnish, most will throw a “flag” of an orange wedge and a cherry spiked through with a wooden toothpick, but my take here is that those things are already in the drink, so I skip ‘em. Besides, how pretty does that look without the goofy fruit salad perched over the top?
You know, it’s something to enjoy sipping on while you cook up some bratwurst and onions in a boiling kettle of beer before everyone comes over to watch the Packers game. Drink accordingly.
Brandy Old Fashioned
1 sugar cube or 1 tsp 2:1 simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 orange wedge
1 cherry, preferably Amarena or Maraska
2 oz brandy or Cognac
In a chilled old fashioned glass, muddle the sugar, bitters, orange wedge and cherry into a thick paste, careful not to work the orange peel. Add brandy or Cognac, stir, and fill glass with crushed ice and serve.
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About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the bar manager at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.
I've been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. I started tending bar while getting my degree in Interior Architecture, and slowly I came to the conclusion that bartending was what I really loved, and that I might as well drop everything and focus on being a professional bartender. Over the years I have strived, both behind the bar and with this website, to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
09 May 2008 at 10:22 AM 1. Marleigh
Thanks for this. I’ve had many a bartender misunderstand what I mean when I say I’d like a drink “up”—I may print this out to keep with me, just in case.
09 May 2008 at 12:41 PM 2. Dan
Here’s my take on things.
Neat: Room temperature, straight out of the bottle into a glass, be it a lowball or a snifter, etc.
Up: Chilled, in a cocktail glass.
Straight Up: Chilled, in a lowball, highball, etc.
To me, the Sazerac is served “straight up”. This is also how I like my whiskey sours.
09 May 2008 at 12:54 PM 3. Lance J. Mayhew
I’m going to print this out and safety pin it to the shirt of anyone who dares misorder from me again now that this post is up.
I always cringe when they ask for a gin and tonic with a twist. I always try to clarify, and it usually devolves into them asking for a lime twist when what they wanted was a lime wedge. Stupid me, I should be able to read their minds from the beginning.
09 May 2008 at 12:55 PM 4. Lance J. Mayhew
Is that martini stem in your pic chipped?
09 May 2008 at 1:17 PM 5. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Dan, I think that a hard-core whiskey drinker looking for a “Lagavulin, straight up” is going to have a problem with your definition, there.
And Lance, that glass is chipped. I got all of those images off of iStockPhoto this morning and had to take the hand that was dealt.
Jeff
09 May 2008 at 1:23 PM 6. Barbara
I completely agree with your definitions Jeff. Now, if only we could get the customers to comply!
09 May 2008 at 1:30 PM 7. Dan
Ah, but a hardcore whiskey drinker would know to order his whiskey neat ;)
09 May 2008 at 3:43 PM 8. Jeff Frane
As a customer, I appreciate the heads up. I always thought that neat=up=straight up. Obviously, I’m a dope.
Is there a specific reference for “neat, with water/ice in a separate glass”?
And I would put in a vote that any bar serving good malt whisky has a pitcher of *good* water available for a splash.
10 May 2008 at 7:39 AM 9. blair frodelius
There have been several times I’ve ordered scotch or whiskey neat, only to be given an odd look when I ask for water on the side. 9 times out of 10, they bring a glass of ice water (with cubes), making it difficult to add to the glass without splashing everything everywhere. I’d like to see small pitchers available with spring water, even if it’s an extra cost. After all, how much is that shot costing you to begin with? :)
10 May 2008 at 9:02 AM 10. John Claude
Jeff F.
“with a water back” is how you’d get that on the side.
Conversely, after bartending out East, I’m amazed at how many martini/manhattan drinkers want the rocks from the mix on the side. It kills me to see them sit on their drink FOREVER and keep it chilled by dumping the old ice in periodically.
15 May 2008 at 9:47 AM 11. jimmy
The funny thing about this is, when you try to clarify a customer’s terminology, they sometimes look at you like you’re the idiot.
“I said ‘neat,’ I want it cold in a martini glass you fool!”
15 May 2008 at 9:49 AM 12. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Jimmy, you of all people should be able to look them in the eye and say, “That’s not what that means.”
18 May 2008 at 5:16 PM 13. Mark
Another terrific blog Jeff. I should print it out and let all the servers in my restaurant read it.
19 May 2008 at 8:45 PM 14. juliana
Very nice, Jeff. I want to pass this out in the Mission, where sometimes I think they get confused if they have to do more than pull beer.
26 May 2008 at 12:26 PM 15. janice
Great primer, thanks. It seems that in Canada, up and straight up are still synonyms, at least in my neck of the woods.
One of the reasons I’ve asked for rocks on the side of an up martini is that the bartender works the shaker so hard that it’s a watery mess by the time it arrives. That’s no fun. My favourite martini in Toronto was at the Royal York hotel Library Room a number of years ago, where they served it in a small glass jug nestled in a bowl of ice. Not sure if they still do that, but it really made my day.
26 May 2008 at 12:33 PM 16. John Claude
Janice.
Several of the bars here in Providence use the small decanters nestled in ice.
Your best bet though is to just make sure you ask for a stirred martini.
09 Jun 2008 at 11:14 AM 17. deb
I say a sign or maturity is to be able to drink coffee black, smoke cigs unfiltered and drink whiskey neat!!
23 Jun 2008 at 2:19 PM 18. DJ
two questions from a ‘kid’ who knows nothing. whiskey neat but chilled (without the dilluting effect of ice) – is that straight up?
and what do you call vodka, OJ, and lemon juice – Absolut calls it an Absolut 18, my friend calls it Swamp Water…what’s the boss behind the bar call it?
Thanks!
23 Jun 2008 at 5:24 PM 19. John Claude
By chilled you mean kept in a fridge or freezer? I’d just call that kinda gross.
As for the vodka/oj/lemon juice, it’s just one of a million variations on a drink with probably dozens of names. Just call it a Screwdriver and ask for a lemon garnish.
24 Jun 2008 at 1:01 AM 20. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
DJ – We don’t typically keep spirits chilled because they – especially nice whiskies – don’t reveal all of their wonderful aromas and flavors at that temperature. Room temperature is ideal for aged spirits, so keep that whisk(e)y bottle out on the countertop where it belongs!
Notable exceptions to this rule are vodka (most likely a hold-over from a time before five-times distilled super-premiums) Jägermeister (much easier to gulp down in large quantities at college parties) and, as I recently learned, Chartreuse.
As for the vodka/orange/lemon, John Claude is correct, just call it a Screwdriver with a lemon garnish.
24 Jun 2008 at 4:59 AM 21. Blair Frodelius
Jeff,
Why chill Chartreuse? I’ve never heard that one. How about Benedictine?
I keep my tequila in the refrigerator, and occasionally my vodka or gin, but it’s just easier to chill it with ice. Besides, if it’s been in the freezer it doesn’t dilute properly when making a martini.
My other question is about light. Most bars have their spirit wall on an interior wall with florescent lighting of some kind. There’s a bar in my home town that uses their front window as a backdrop for their liquor display. What spirits will degrade through light? I believe Absinthe is one of them.
Blair
http://goodspiritsnews.spaces.live.com
24 Jun 2008 at 5:01 AM 22. Blair Frodelius
Re: Screwdrivers.
A friend of mine mentioned a drink they came up with last night. It’s a Screwdriver served in a Highball glass called…. (you guessed it) “A Screwball”.
Blair
24 Jun 2008 at 10:05 AM 23. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Blair – I was at a Chartreuse class last Wednesday in Portland and the international rep recommended serving Chartreuse either chilled or on the rocks. Each of the products we tried were chilled, and I must admit, it was quite nice. I had always taken my Chartreuse at room temp, but the chill calmed a bit of the fire.
27 Jun 2008 at 2:01 AM 24. Albert
Ahh, Chartreuse.
We keep both the yellow and the green in the cooler at work, but I have to say – I prefer it at room temp.
I learned a long time ago from Ronnie (yeah. that one.) that if you sip it slow and let it evaporate off, you get the most taste off the herbs.
Since I don’t polish the 375mls off like I used to, it’s my approach to drinking the my favorite of all liquors now.
And don’t think I’ve forgotten about the last time I served you the dragon @ Soriah. Uh huh…
27 Jun 2008 at 2:18 AM 25. Albert
We also keep Bailey’s in there. As well as Akavits, Poire William, and a bunch of aperitifs (Lillet, both Dubonnet, some Sherry). And of course – Rumple Minz. Most of it makes sense, but for some reason we keep one set of Fernet and Menta Brancas inside, and one at room temperature. Go figure.
27 Jun 2008 at 5:17 PM 26. Margarita
Limoncello gets stored in the freezer around here.
21 Aug 2008 at 4:36 AM 27. ND
Haha, cool post. If you order a drink “neat” over here, the bartender’ll send over some dimwit to tidy up the serviette holder…
Anyway, that tiny splash of water always opens up the bouquet of a good Scotch very nicely. It seems to have the opposite effect on Bourbon, though, like all the flavor vanishes when that dash of water goes in (leaving behind a kind of nasty charcoal/damp leaves taste). Am I imagining this, or do you other folks concur?
22 Aug 2008 at 11:52 AM 28. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Hey ND – I don’t think you’re imagining it, but I believe it might have something to do with the proof of the spirit in question. Anyone concur?
23 Aug 2008 at 7:57 AM 29. Jeff Frane
Jeebus, Morgenthaler, what are you doing up so early?
My own opinion in re: bourbon is one I’ve argued with Ryan Stotz about at length. I contend that American whiskey is designed to be served with ice, either in a cocktail or with a bit of ice tossed in the glass. This is particularly true with all those high-proof whiskies that can be so “hot” from all the alcohol.
True bourbonistas shun me.
26 Aug 2008 at 5:43 AM 30. MarkP
As a customer, its still a little confusing. I guess I am not a purist but I like my Manhattans at room temp. But, ‘UP’ looks like it always means chilled, somehow (glass or liquor).
In other words,
Neat = one liquor, not pre-chilled, no ice in the glass.
Up = one or many liquors, pre-chilled, no ice in the glass.
On the Rocks = one or many liquors, pre-chilled, with ice in the glass.
Straight Up = one liquor, not pre-chilled, no ice in the glass.
Whats the definition of many liquors, not pre-chilled, no ice? If I get my Manhattan ‘UP’ will it come pre-chilled?
A little help….
26 Aug 2008 at 9:37 AM 31. John Claude
There isn’t (nor is there a need) a specific term for multiple unchilled liquids.
Manhattans are generally served chilled as a rule. Any bartender who serves you up a warm one (unless you ask for it) has no business behind a bar.
26 Aug 2008 at 12:28 PM 32. MarkP
“(unless you ask for it)” Like I said, I did/do ask for it that way. I also said I’m not a purist. I like what I like. If it is not a *real* Manhattan then Ok…call it something else. But, do you mean to say that there is no other drink in the world that has multiple liquors that can be served either chilled or unchilled? What about Highball variants? Rusty Nails? …etc?
26 Aug 2008 at 1:46 PM 33. John Claude
I mean there’s not a term specifically for unchilled multiple liquor drinks. They’re just cocktails or shots. Rusty Nails are usually on the rocks FYI.
28 Dec 2008 at 11:03 PM 34. Brett
Not sure if this thread is still being followed….here’s my question: I like Manhattans prepared as described for “up” but prefer it in an old-fashioned glass (just not a fan of martini glasses). What’s the best way to order this? I’ve been told “chilled, neat” (which doesn’t really make sense). I usually end up spelling it out…something like “chilled in a rocks glass, but no ice” just to be very clear. Any thoughts?
28 Dec 2008 at 11:48 PM 35. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Brett – I think you’re probably best off ordering your drink as you have been. Sorry I don’t have more to offer, but I think “chilled in a rocks glass, but no ice” is a fine order.
29 Dec 2008 at 7:49 AM 36. John Claude
I get this a lot. Just say “A Manhattan, but could you put it in a rocks glass?”. Unless the bartender is a drooling dolt, he/she should understand.
29 Dec 2008 at 8:03 AM 37. Blair Frodelius
If the bartender is drooling, look for another bar! Don’t take a chance that he may accidentally put in more than simple syrup. :)
15 Jan 2009 at 9:32 PM 38. chuck
The only way to drink nice single malts like Lagavulin or Macallan is neat, perhaps with 2 small ice cubes or water *back*.
sometimes i order cheaper single malts (livet and fiddich) rocks, and so occasionly i’ll slip up and order a nice single malt rocks.
I know the mettle of a bartender who looks at me like the blackjack dealer looks at a player who just doubled down a 5 against a Jack, as if to say “you really want a nice whisky like that rocks?”. If they do bring it rocks, like i ordered, but cleary not how it is supposed to be served, i will appologize and send it back. If they look upset, i will offer to pay for it, but still order a new one neat. If they try to sift the ice out of the first one, i leave ;-)
Being a bartender is about getting what we want, not necesarily what we ask for. unfortunately quality bartending is a lost art and most of what you get today are 20 something career community college students who havent a clue about what the bar experience is about from the customer perspective. thus in most places the ashtrays are overflowing, the puddles of beer on the bar are stale, the drinks take way too long, and everything in their lives, including their 2 absent baby daddys, is our fault. I find it hillarious when one of these 20 somthings gets huffy having to remember the few cheap single malts they carry. It is like, hon, i am obviously gladly willing to pay at least 2X more per drink than anyone in here, you may want to learn your trade and find out how your bread is buttered. what, i would be cool to you and you would not be huffy if i say and swilled $2 drafts all night like a frat boy?
15 Jan 2009 at 10:13 PM 39. chuck
In most of Europe, ordering a water back gets you a small pitcher of luke water. In the states, ordering a water back usually gets you a huge glass of ice water. Does it set a bad tone if you explain to the bartender that you want a tradtional water back, after they hand you the big red plastic cup of ice cold tap water rocks? What is the best way/time to make this clarification?
Also, when wanting only a few cubes of ice in a snifter to drop into scotch, how do you order this? i order a “small glass of ice” (then usually have to discuss/clarify that I do NOT want the drink pour over ice). A term like “rocks back” seems like it would be more effecient to convey this. i fear bartenders would not understand what i meant though. Is there a term already?
15 Jan 2009 at 10:43 PM 40. John Claude
Chuck.
If you order something a certain way, that’s how it’s going to get made. It’s not my job to give you what I think you should have. I may not like that you’ve asked me to “shake that martini to death” but hey, it’s your drink, not mine. I can suggest things if I think a mistake is being made or I feel you may like a variance, but if someone wants to drop rocks in their $25 scotch or salt the rim of that ridiculously expensive tequila, more power to them. I’m not paying for it. Also, you can’t “send drinks back” when it’s obviously your screw up. Especially when you’re dealing with expensive liquors. I might dump a Jack & Coke out, but I’m sure as Hell not watching that Blanton’s go down the drain. Suck it up, have the bartender strain the whiskey/whisky into another glass and learn from your mistake rather than throwing a perfectly good (yet slightly chilled) drink away.
Out of curiosity, have you ever bartended? To presume what someone wants is just asking for issues. Honestly, if you pulled the kind of attitude you suggest you have, I’d rather deal with the frat boys than a patronizing, know-it-all customer.
And it’s called “Rocks on the side”.
16 Jan 2009 at 7:15 AM 41. Blair Frodelius
One solution I have found is to ask the bartender for a cocktail straw. I then can precisely add the amount of water I need from whatever size glass with however much cubed or crushed ice they may hand me. I simply dip the straw into the water, cover the end with a finger, and carry it over to my scotch. This is also a fine way to extend the drink experience, similar to an absinthe drip.
If water is a real issue, bring some of your favorite bottled spring water. It will not only taste better, but be at room temperature. I don’t like the taste of tap water in my premium scotch much anyway.
16 Jan 2009 at 7:33 AM 42. chuck
Cool ideas, Blair. Yes, if i get cheaper single malts i will order rocks with water back, use a straw with whatever they give for the water, and drop in my own splashes. it is more when i want a small glass of ice with a neat pour. John Claude had the suggestion of “rocks on the side”, which should work. Thanks!
16 Jan 2009 at 8:08 AM 43. chuck
John Claude, first thanks for the tip on “rocks on the side”. That helps.
Next, no I have never bartended, but spend way too much time at bars – both as part of my job and recreationally. I am not sure what industry you work in (though I guess it is consumer services as a bartender), but it does not take a genius to figure out that bartending as a profession has crumbled. Like I said, it is a lost art.
As to my attitude, if i am paying 20 bucks per drink, and the bartender is there to serve me, they better get it right or make it right. If getting it right takes a lot of insight and care into 1) what drinks you have to offer, and 2) respectful suggestions/clarifications as to preparations methods, especially if it seems a slip of the tounge, it may be good for the bartender to look past literal interpretations. An attitude of a bartender/waitress/hairstylist, etc. taking something literal and being defensive with “that is what you said” is just the kind of bartender/et al that complains at the end of the night about getting stiffed on tips. Of course, this is about 90%+ of the bartenders out there.
I think customers (in bars, but in hospitality services in general) have set our standards WAY too low for FAR too long, being served by mostly 20 somethings who have no interest in their professions and are mostly in it to make cash tips. This is why a customer who insists to be 1) treated as very important even if he is not swilling cheap stale domestic like all the yahoos, and 2) sends drinks back that are not made to his liking, appears to have an attitude.
Though not a bartender, I have been in professional servies for 15 years. My customers often say they want something a certain way yet often they really want something different. If it is their dime, my real work starts when i have to find the delta between what is asked for and what is truly wanted. My ‘bar’ does not go low enough for me to say “Hey, that is what they said they wanted…..”. My boss never buys that excuse. Bottom line, customers are my lifeblood: i have to make it right or find someone who can, end of story.
We should not forget, the customers are paying – and paying a premium. This buys them leadway with attitude and insistence on excellence. The bardender (or computer consultant, or mechanic, or dentist, etc….), otoh, are servants, even if they have some sort of power trip or defensiveness that they could never have interpretted an order incorrectly.
Lastly, I can and will refuse any drink I do not like. Sorry! And yes, if it apears to cause a problem with the 20 something, I will offer to pay. I’m not cheap, i just wanted it right. If i get any flak after then I will talk with the manager or leave. Life is too short to deal with bartenders who could never make mistakes and take stances of “if this guy wants it this way, this is how he gets it. if he does not like it, he can suck wind.”
16 Jan 2009 at 10:23 AM 44. ND
Hey man, I’m not sure what a “slip of the tounge” is, but it sounds embarrassing. I wish I could find a bartender that gives me EXACTLY what I ask for, without getting clever and modifying it (“sorry sir, James Bond said to shake your martini”). And seriously, where do you get off ordering something, and then not paying for it because you made a mistake?! I do agree that a bartender can make suggestions, but if you’re not asking for something totally off the wall (like a malt whisky with a nice cherry Coke), then good service demands giving you what you ask for—the bartender’s not a clairvoyant, and he’s also not a babysitter. Sorry.
16 Jan 2009 at 11:44 AM 45. chuck
ND, good bartending is about excellent customer satisfaction. If arguing with a paying customer about who said what is the way a bartender gets excellent satisfaction, more power to him. Uh, where i “get off” is demanding excellent service for the premium i pay. Some bartenders get that, most do not.
And if patrons are obligated to pay for any drink from anyone because they say so, why wouldnt they charge for it, before they bring it?
Most decent bar managers understand that a few re-makes is part of the cost of doing business. If you, however, think business increases by asking customers “where do you get off?!?”, enjoy the increase in business.
Bar patrons around the world: you do not have to keep taking this kind of crap from your local bartenders!!! Demand excellence. It will push the hacks out and increase the numbers that drop their attitudes, provide excellent, friendly service and ensure satisfaction.
16 Jan 2009 at 11:54 AM 46. ND
Que? Let me get this straight: you order a $25 Scotch, and you specifically ask for it “on the rocks”. Then, when it arrives, you argue with the waiter that the bartender should’ve known that expensive Scotch shouldn’t be served on the rocks, but rather be served neat with a small pitcher of mineral water on the side. You then send the drink back, and insist that the bartender should pour you a new drink because a proper bartender would’ve taken the initiative to make sure that your order was correct. And you sincerely believe that the bar manager’s pandering to your fickle arguments is going to somehow put more money into his pocket (because, as you put it, he’s the “slave” in the situation?).
I often work very closely with people in the hospitality industry, and it sounds to me like you’re the kind of customer who gets a hidden round of applause when he leaves the establishment.
16 Jan 2009 at 1:48 PM 47. John Claude
Chuck.
Let me start by saying this. I’m a damn good bartender. I do my research, I make an excellent and consistent cocktail, my customers love me. I adore the craft and I plan on continuing it as a profession probably until the end of my days.
I don’t argue with you that a really great bartender is hard to find. I’m in fact moving back to Portland, OR from Providence, RI for just that fact. The bars and what they do here are atrocities. Terrible service, terrible drinks, no ingenuity. People out here think they’re God’s gift to bartending because they use simple syrup. It’s absurd. I’m returning home to hone my craft and learn from the best.
Let me tell you, people have WEIRD tastes. I just the other night watched a table in the dining room order two Filet Mignons WELL DONE. I could almost hear the chef’s head hitting the cutting table when that order went through. The thing is, if I tried to nudge everyone another way when I thought what they were doing was wrong, I’d have a lot of indignant and offended customers on my hands. Like was said earlier, unless it’s something completely out of the ballpark (I have often times sent waitresses back to the table to clarify orders), I’m going to give the customer what they asked for. For a customer to then blame me because I should have known what they meant is just absurd. And for you to say I or anyone else is an unqualified bartender for that reason is just plain insulting.
I’m sure you’re a very nice person and I would love to learn more about Scotch whisky from you (in fact, if you can recommend any books on the matter I’d be happy to look into them. Scotch’s are one of my weak points) but please, please, please drop the attitude. I’m here to serve you, but I’m not your “servant”. You’re not going to make many friends on a website populated by bartenders and servers by using terms like that.
Best of luck and enjoy the Scotch. Sans rocks. ; )
13 May 2009 at 3:20 PM 48. S. Jolly
John Claude,
Beautifully Stated!!
A Fat Kudoos to You!
I am a bartender like yourself, pursueing the “lost art” Studying, listening, learning all that I can of my profession..
I am also a drinker and I want my Whiskey neat with a coke back.
I live in a College town and u should see the looks that are thrown when I place my simple little order at other local bars.
My point??
I understand Chucks arguements. I don’t believe that he is referring to US.
Keep up the good work up there.. I’ll keep in “neat” down in GA!
22 Jun 2009 at 8:09 PM 49. dogimo
I always love those pool joints that post up a sign of “House Rules” that are really just the normal rules but its there to point the dummy to it.
I think a big ol Ye-Ol’-Style brass placard of some kind behind the bar would be incredibly useful. “NEAT = x. UP = y. STRAIGHT UP = z. TWIST IS A PEEL NOT A WEDGE!”
This would aid patron and barkeep alike.
Yes, I carry with me at all dinnertimes a laminated placard showing a photo of a steak cooked to each of the 7 degree of order (including raw and burnt).
22 Nov 2009 at 9:46 AM 50. raystargazer
This is an old thread, but I have to comment after reading it all. My dad was a scotch drinker from way back. Gave it up more or less in his 50s, but managed to plant the seed. So I’ve been playing with fidich and so forth (best I can afford) and when time are tough I fall back on JW. I like them all. As far as bars and servants, you’re all right. There is a mass of bad spots and a few good ones. My definition (learned from dad) is a bar you can sit in and relax. I only drank in a bar once with dad, but he just sat down, dropped his pack of luckys on the bar, ordered his scotch and visibly relaxed. He taught me how to sip (contrary to the shot guzzler kids I hung out with), and I do that to this day. My point is – relax. If you have a bartender who’s antagonistic, do the best you can to enjoy your drink and find another place. Otherwise, chat with him. They usually take the time to listen if they’re any good, and getting exactly what you want is no harder than what the pros here say. Order a scotch neat with a water back, or even “can I have a fidich neat with a cup of ice on the side?” Both would work in my experience and it’s not really that hard. I can tell you pouring out a good scotch would break my heart. Probably I would ask that he drain off the ice into another glass and bring me a second one minus the ice. By the time the second one was gone, the first one would be fine. Most of all drinking at a bar should be sans stress. So relax and understand that there are misunderstandings. Try to be clear while you’re still sober and you’ll get what you want.
Good thread! Thanks to all.
02 Dec 2009 at 10:40 AM 51. Frumpulent Grumpton
“And if, as a bartender, you’ve received an order for a Ketel One ’straight up’, you should probably check with your customer to make sure they’re looking for chilled vodka and vermouth, and not a glass of warm vodka.”
I think you mean, “a Ketel One Martini”. Where did the Vermouth request come from?
02 Dec 2009 at 11:18 AM 52. John Claude
I think you mean a Ketel One Kangaroo.
14 Mar 2010 at 5:25 PM 53. G-man
At bartending school we were explicitly told, up, neat, straight and straight up all mean the same thing. Warm shot right out of the bottle. Although “straight up” was used to refer to cocktails that are mixed with ice then strained into a chilled glass. But now the term “chilled shot” has come into use to avoid the confusing of whether you want the shot chilled or not. If they don’t ask for a chilled shot and they say “straight up, stright, neat, or up” you give it to them neat. If they complain you can always toss it into some ice and give it to them chilled, after all you can’t un-chill it, if they didn’t want it that way.
14 Mar 2010 at 7:02 PM 54. John Claude
G-Man.
I’m sure you learned sone wonderful things in bartending school, but trust us, “Up” does not mean neat.
17 May 2010 at 2:45 PM 55. BP
Fun comments to read, even thought they span 2 years now.
Having spent a lot of time on both sides of the bar, I can relate somewhat to Chuck is saying. To me, good service includes verification when it seems someone is making an unusual order. When it’s me taking the order, I’ll try to act like I’m the idiot. In Chuck’s case, I’d probably confirm the rocks order by saying something like “I’m sorry, did you say you wanted that ‘neat’ in a rocks glass, or over ice.”
Allowing the customer to make a mistake is not good service IMO. And in his defense, Chuck did say he would offer to pay for his mistakently ordered drink. Some of the responses made it sound like Chuck asked the bar to pay for his mistake.
17 May 2010 at 4:19 PM 56. John Claude
Here’s the rub though. Chuck’s “request” isn’t unusual in the least. When someone is paying $25 per drink, one can assume they know what they want. Especially given the pompous attitude Chuck is bringing to the table here. I always repeat orders back to the customers, but I have a feeling Chuck would be too busy patting himself on the back about his excellent taste in drinks to even notice.
Let me make this clear though, I would never, ever, berate or tell a customer to suck it. Things happen, that’s the nature of the business, and with the markup on booze, it’s not such a huge los to have to pour a drink out here and there. But for Chuck to tell me I’m a bad bartender because I’m not a mind reader is ridiculous. Had he made a strange request, sure, I’d verify, but with a normal request, no, I’m not going to grill him about his choice.
Allowing a customer to make a mistake (Tequila Alexander?) can be construed as silly, but ordering a scotch (even if it is expensive) rocks is not “a mistake”. It’s a very, very, very common order.
30 Jan 2011 at 9:25 PM 57. Angela
I bartend at a fine dining establishment in Birmingham, Alabama. This blog is excellent. I frequently make Sazeracs, French 75s, old fashions, and other classic cocktails. The ordering process is indeed a lost art, though. I always know what to expect when someone asks for a martini list versus a cocktail menu. I once even had someone ask me if I make a good apple martini. I told them that I will indeed make them an apple martini and that I hope that they will enjoy it. (I personally think that touting my apple martini skills would be the equivalent of our sous chef touting his hamburger-helper making skills).
I have problems with people ordering martinis. A trend here in Birmingham is to muddle martinis very heavily. The result is a very cold drink with a layer of crushed ice. Most customers have come to expect this and I always ask my customers if they would like for their martini to be heavily muddled. Most people LOVE it. However, I still get those purists who order their vodka or gin martinis “straight up” and by that mean that they do not want the drink to have any vermouth and to be stirred and not shaken or muddled.
What is your take on heavily muddled vodka or gin martinis?
31 Jan 2011 at 10:45 AM 58. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Angela – THis is honestly the first time I’ve ever heard of someone muddling a Martini, so I might not be of much help. Other than to say this: that if you’re going to use that much crushed ice to chill what should be a stirred drink, you’re going to be adding a hell of a lot of water. If that’s what your guests like, then by all means give it to them.
But when I drink a martini, I like it to be cold and strong. And I leave the muddler in my tool bag.
31 Jan 2011 at 3:32 PM 59. Angela
I guess it’s a Bham thing. It was started by Highland Bar and Grill and now it’s everyone’s favorite thing. People just love crushed ice, I think. I just feel bad for the purists who keep getting a layer of ice when they don’t want it. Thanks!
02 Apr 2011 at 1:28 PM 60. Rachel
What does it mean when ’served down’?
24 Aug 2011 at 9:11 PM 61. Ian
Down means the same thing as up but in a rocks glass.
Chilled over ice and strained into an empty rocks glass.
13 Oct 2011 at 2:13 PM 62. Arme
I ordered an Irish whiskey, neat, is a bar one time. The bartender said they had Dewars. I told her that was Scotch, not Irish, and ordered rum, neat instead. She asked “What’s ‘neat’?” I almost walked out of the bar.
26 Mar 2012 at 11:01 PM 63. Bryon
Good article and comments. As a scotch enthusiast this was interesting to read. I usually order mine with a ice cube or two, I will have to try it neat soon. I am not a big people person but would like to learn the craft and maybe own day own a nice bar.
Cheers
12 Jun 2012 at 5:08 AM 64. Jason
@ #10, regarding “water back”, and interpretations thereof:
I ordered a Scotch at a hotel bar in Minneapolis a couple years back, with water back. Simple enough…
I got what I asked for, but with a curve…in this particular bar, ordering Scotch w/ water back got you a double pour on the spirit. I was so busy running my mouth and enjoying the drink the doubling didn’t register in my brain till I went to pay the tab.
So, for you professionals, I ask: is this unusual? It didn’t break my heart to get that double Scotch, but it *did* surprise me.
19 Sep 2012 at 6:20 PM 65. Bob
Interesting thread as I had my first experience with this sort of thing just this evening. I ordered a 15 y/o Single malt straight up with water on the side. The waitperson understood that I meant undiluted/unchilled whiskey with a small glass of water on the side yet the bartender overruled her and shook the whiskey over ice and served it in a martini glass with a brimming glass of water.
My waitperson was superb and replaced the drink even though I said it was not necessary. And yes, this positively impacted on her tip.
I’ve been of legal drinking age for 40 years and this is the first time I’ve ever had this sort of confusion ordering a decent single malt with water on the side. I am aware of the ambiguity in the terms neat, up, straight up but the nature of what and how it was ordered along with the bartender’s overruling of the waitress should have at least prompted a request for clarification from the bartender. After all, the bartender is the professional and should have an understanding of how things should be served even when the customer might like it served differently.
19 Sep 2012 at 6:24 PM 66. Bob
Jean Claude
With all due respect to you, if someone is ordering a $25 scotch in an unusual way, should you not make sure you have understood the order correctly? After that, it’s all on the customer.
01 Oct 2012 at 7:22 AM 67. John Claude
Bob. I’d hardly call “on the rocks” an unusual request for a scotch. If the server (who often times is not that well versed with bar terminology) comes to me with an order for a drink that seems a little…off, I’ll send them back to clarify, and like I said, I generally repeat back to the customer when they order something. I’m not going to be a pretentious douche and say something like “Oh, you want this $25 scotch ON THE ROCKS???” and try to shame my customer. If it’s what they ordered, and what they specifically want, I’m going to give it to them. I may say something like, “You drink it neat ever? I really like the blah blah blah aspects of it…”, but generally I’m not here to judge someone’s palate.
09 Nov 2012 at 6:06 PM 68. Luther
It’s been nearly a year but I ordered “johnny walker black, double, neat, water back” and the waitress seemed confused but didn’t ask any questions. She returned from the bar and asked me to explain, hence, the bartender didn’t know either.
I really felt like I was in the twilight zone as I have asked for the same drink nearly every night for forty years in exactly the same manner as I stated above & this was the first time I actually stumped the stars.
13 Dec 2012 at 11:58 PM 69. Wootten
Do your research on vernacular champ. Ordering a drink “neat” means adding one ice cube to a “shot” in a double shot or a small bucket.
Your definition of “neat” is called a “shot”. Just an FYI.
14 Dec 2012 at 12:38 AM 70. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Wootten – I’m sure that’s how you do it at whatever dance club or dive bar you’ve been working in for the past year, but I assure you this is not really proper terminology. It is, however, the sort of lazy calls bartenders in, say, dance clubs and dive bars use.
14 Dec 2012 at 6:14 AM 71. Jason
I have been drinking for a fair amount of time, in bars all over America.
I have NEVER ordered a drink “neat” and gotten anything other than the spirit itself in a glass with no additions, accompaniments, etc.
14 Dec 2012 at 8:53 AM 72. Wootten
I’m sure you understand Dance clubs very well and really there’s nothing wrong with dive bars. However, I’ve been tending bars for 39 years and currently call Top of the Mark my final gig. Maybe finding some humility yourself and actually practicing the art of mixology instead of preaching it would aid in your despair.
And really, there is no need to respond Sir.
14 Dec 2012 at 9:20 AM 73. jefffrane
In a blog argument last year, one derp was claiming that his use of “40″ had nothing to do with malt liquor or ghettos. He tried to claim that “40″ was how anyone ordered a beer, not only in the US but all over Europe and the UK. Typically for a troll, he refused to back down in spite of a storm of derision.
Oh, maybe it was vernacular.
14 Dec 2012 at 9:25 PM 74. Atroc
So, this guys saying that “neat” means on one rock? That is th stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. And who on earth thinks a rocks glass is called a “small bucket”?
16 Dec 2012 at 1:34 PM 75. Emily
I prefer my Ciroc or Kettle One chilled. No ice. How would I order i if I wanted it with a twist? Up wih a twist?