From Negroni to Cosmo and everything in between, traditionalists will appreciate these timeless cocktails. Do you know the old saying, if it's not broken, don't fix it? That doubles for a good cocktail. Don't get us wrong, we love a modern and ingenious cocktail as much as anyone, but if you get down to business, there are things that are classic for a reason. After all, the flavors of margarita, Manhattan, and martini (and their many variations) have stood the test of time.
And, what's better, it can be easily ordered at almost any bar. The cosmos became almost omnipresent in the 90s thanks to the television series Sex and the City, but this version of the martini is still as tasty today as when Carrie Bradshaw made it famous. Put all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a slice or zest of lime.
Popular for good reason, Moscow Mule is one of the most refreshing drinks to drink on a hot summer day. The suggested vessel, a copper mug, also looks elegant. Squeeze the lime juice into a Moscow Mule mug. Add two or three ice cubes, pour in the vodka and fill with cold ginger beer.
James Bond was wrong whether you drink it with gin or vodka, scrambled is the best thing to do when you order a martini. Stir the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Squeeze the lemon peel oil into the glass or garnish with olive. Originally from Cuba, this refreshing rum-based drink is full of mint and lime, a perfect combination to drink at the pool or on the beach.
If you're in the mood for a bit of literary reputation, mojito is also said to be one of author Ernest Hemingway's favorites. Strain it into a cold martini glass or cocktail coupe. You might think of a martini when you think of James Bond, but this drink is the true drink of the iconic spy. The recipe first appeared in Ian Fleming's 1953 novel Casino Royale, in homage to the Bond girl, Vesper Lynd.
While Bond drinks it shaken, not stirred, most follow the rule that cocktails that only contain liquors should be mixed. In Mexico, the pigeon is as popular as the classic margarita, and with a thirst-quenching combination of tequila, lime, and grapefruit soda, it's sure to become one of your summer favorites, too. A martini is a classic that says sophistication. It has that strong flavor of gin or vodka, and dry vermouth gives it a smooth finish, and the touch of olive or lemon makes it feel very refined.
It's an ideal choice for someone who wants something simple yet elegant. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 set the legal age for publicly buying and possessing alcohol in the United States at 21 years. This federal law aimed to reduce alcohol-related traffic accidents among young drivers ages 18 to 20. Lest you misunderstand, I'm not referring to the frozen daiquiri situation.
A classic daiquiri is made with rum, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. It's very easy to drink, says Goto, adding that it's an ideal option for waiters who are off duty when they go to a bar. It may not be an antibiotic, but this penicillin can certainly make you feel good. Or, you know, really badly, if you drink too much, lol.
It will make you feel warm inside, but you can drink it regardless of the temperature outside. This creamy, indulgent cocktail contains many of the same ingredients as an espresso martini (coffee liqueur, cream, and vodka, to be exact), but it completely omits the I'm drinking espresso. So, if you're looking for something that tastes similar but doesn't have caffeine or a strong coffee flavor, you know what to ask the waiter. Are you in a jazz club (or do you want to be)? Consider taking a sip of sidecar, also known as a cognac cocktail commonly associated with the jazz era.
Often served in a coupe or martini glass, it looks elegant and stays soft. Fingers crossed, the waiter sweetens the edge and also adorns it with a touch of lemon. Do you want to order something a little less university than crab vodka? Try a vodka gimlet. It's made with vodka, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup, though you can also make it with gin, says Goto.
It's like a daiquiri, but rum is replaced by vodka. It's no secret that waiters almost always judge customers based on of their drink orders. TikTokers users have created humorous parodies based on real interactions with customers and some even suggest that there's a barcode to live with if you're going out at night. It must be true, then, that there are some drink orders that raise warning signs to waiters.
I spoke with Marisol Delarosa, managing partner of Brass Monkey, Daniel Meursing, CEO and founder of Premier Staff, Eric Trueheart of Black Yeti Beverage, and Maya Falmagne of Osteria Morini, 2A, and Morimoto. These experts gave me Insider information about what drinks surprise waiters. Read on to find out what your beverage order might tell your waiter about you and why it might set off some alarms. Daniel Meursing, CEO and founder of Premier Staff, says his waiters still shudder to remember a particular service where mojitos became the drink of the night.
Made with cane sugar, rum, lime, carbonated water and, what is a nightmare for waiters, mixed mint, a mojito is a very complicated drink for a waiter during a busy period. Having to mix peppermint to prepare a drink takes longer than the average time a waiter spends on a single customer. Marisol Delarosa, managing partner of Brass Monkey in New York City, points out that preparing one or two isn't necessarily a problem, but the real problem is that, with attractive drinks like that, people will see them and want one and the next thing they know, it will only be a mojito machine for the next few hours. To avoid such situations, Delarosa has seen waiters lie about not having fresh mint to force customers to order simpler drinks.
Are there any Ernest Hemingway fans in the room? Rumor has it that this cocktail was invented by Hemingway, according to Daniel Meursing of Premier Staff, which would make sense if you think that the cocktail is the namesake of Hemingway's book of the same title. Regardless of the origin of Death in the Afternoon, the name of the cocktail indicates how risky it can be to order this drink at a bar. During a literary-themed party organized by Meursing, many attendees ordered a Death in the Afternoon, consisting of absinthe and champagne. This is where the deadly part can appear, since wormwood is considered a liquor with excess alcohol, which means that its alcohol volume exceeds 50%. Combined with champagne, which normally has an alcohol content of 12%, this drink is simply pure alcohol with nothing to compare.
For Meursing, this means that any party where this drink is frequently ordered is destined to have a disastrous turn. At one of those events, Meursing published a note from the waiter: “When people start to order them, I know we're in for a crazy night.” It's like watching a car accident in slow motion, you know it's not going to end well, but you can't look away. While the Hemingway concoction may seem sophisticated, the result of drinking Death in the Afternoon makes most waiters afraid that customers will order it. While presenting a premiere on Netflix, Daniel Meursing, CEO and founder of Premier Staff, met a celebrity who ordered a martini with what he called a long list of specifications.
The customer ordered exactly three and a half olives for his drink, just a whisper of vermouth, and even asked for the martini to be stirred counterclockwise. This request is too much for a waiter who wants to serve several people at once and, since martinis are already specially prepared to order, wanting a more specific version tends to annoy the bar staff. Virgin cocktails can be a great alternative for people who don't drink or can't drink, but who want to feel included during a social outing or just like the taste of a certain cocktail. There are plenty of non-alcoholic wines and beers that can be ordered at bars, so finding a non-alcoholic drink is easy.
However, a virgin cocktail can be difficult, and Daniel Meursing, from Premier Staff, points out that sometimes people don't understand how to order them. For example, Meursing asked a guest at an event to ask for a virgin gin and tonic, which, if you eliminate alcohol from the recipe, only tonic water remains, which is not alcoholic. In these types of situations, the bartender is forced to consider what exactly the guest is asking for and to interpret it on his own. It would be the same as ordering a virgin rum with Coca-Cola, which in reality would be nothing more than a soft drink to give you an idea.
Alternatively, you can order a non-alcoholic version of a beverage that has a slightly more complex flavor than simply ordering tonic water. Maybe a set of virgin margaritas, like this non-alcoholic margarita cocktail with watermelon and mint, consisting of watermelon, mint, sugar, water, lime, and non-alcoholic tequila. This type of virgin cocktail emulates the complexity and taste profile of the alcoholic beverage it embodies without the waiter wondering what you want. Marisol Delarosa, managing partner of Brass Monkey, emphasizes trusting the waiter when you order a drink, such as rum and Coca-Cola.
In their bar, a rum with Coca-Cola contains 2 ounces of rum and is topped with the coke from there. However, in an attempt to get more liquor out of the drink, Delarosa once made a customer order a coke with a shot of rum as an accompaniment. Looking proudly at his friend, the customer said something like: “Look, I discovered them.” Delarosa believes that customers like these are longing for the days when their drinks were served for free, but now, more waiters they measure their quantities. Drinks taste good because they have a specific recipe, and that flavor can only be achieved by properly measuring that recipe.
As customers, we must trust that our waiters only consider our interests and are not trying to obtain more alcohol by ordering our two-ingredient drinks separately or by ordering less ice or a taller glass. A Ramos Gin Fizz is a cocktail that shouldn't be ordered at every bar, especially if it's a busy time. Eric Trueheart, co-founder of Black Yeti Beverage, says it's likely to upset a waiter. This potential frustration with the waiter stems from the complicated nature of a Ramos Gin Fizz.
Its ingredients are gin, simple syrup, heavy cream, lemon and lime juice, orange blossom water, egg white and sparkling water. Some of these aren't the typical ingredients sold behind the bar, and annoying the waiter with this order could overwhelm him during a busy period. Trueheart points out that if there isn't a Ramos Gin Fizz on the menu, you shouldn't order it if it's on the menu, but you should try to order it, because the establishment probably takes pride in preparing it. Most of the time, this is one of New Orleans' favorite drinks, Trueheart says, as it became famous thanks to former Louisiana governor Huey Long.
You may have heard of this iconic cocktail; the exact way the drink gained popularity is relatively unknown. Some people believe that its origins lie in Florida and others believe that it began at a TGI Fridays, when that chain was popular for its mixed drinks. Regardless of the reason it became popular, its popularity dates back to the 80s and, according to Eric Trueheart of Black Yeti Beverage, the drink should stay there. Sex on the Beach isn't the only cocktail of its kind, according to Marisol Delarosa, Brass Monkey, Dirty Shirleys and Green Tea shots have the same effect.
Delarosa says: “For me, this is just a sign of the general movement so that people don't want to try alcohol who drinks. A Dirty Shirley is ginger ale, grenadine and vodka, and the green tea shots are whiskey, peach schnapps, sour mix and sprite. When you order these drinks, many waiters will consider it time for the fans. This drink order boils down (mostly) to bar etiquette.
Marisol Delarosa of The Brass Monkey mentioned this to emphasize the lack of understanding that clients often have about when and where it's appropriate. order certain drinks. It's about not ordering a Ramos Gin Fizz at a dive bar, for example. Bloody Marys should only really exist during brunch hours.
The cocktail is made with vodka, lemon juice, salt and pepper, horseradish, tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and tomato juice. The drink sounds like something ready to eat, so ordering a Bloody Mary after brunch is a risky choice. With its many ingredients, it takes longer than average to prepare, and waiters are generally only prepared to accept this challenge during brunch hours. After that, the ingredients are already saved, so putting them back together to prepare a Bloody Mary would be inconvenient.
Marisol Delarosa, The Brass Monkey, gave me a clue with the shot of white tea (just like the shot of green tea that exists to get you drunk quickly), you exchange the whiskey for vodka. While these two drinks will definitely shout at the bartender's amateur waiter, Delarosa tries not to judge, understanding that these drinks are popular for the same reason that flavored soft drinks are good for calming and tasting good while making them. One unfortunate photo that Delarosa points out is trending right now is a bar photo. Someone will request to drink the liquid that accumulates on a bar rug over the night and that is poured from the carpet into a shot glass, Delarosa says. This rather unfortunate new take is sure to raise some red flags for your waiter, and with good reason.
It should also be noted that many health inspectors urge drinkers to never ask for this injection for obvious reasons. We know them and love them, right? Espresso martini and aperol spritz are the hot drinks for summer 2024. The espresso martini increased its number of orders by 50% and the aperol spritz was the most popular cocktail in the United States in June 2024, according to Forbes' Coffeeness. You can hardly go on social media without seeing these two drinks, and any waiter in the US. The U.S.
is probably tired of preparing them. But not all waiters will agree, and it's often annoying for a waiter to prepare the same ones over and over again. popularized drinks. In a nutshell, Maya Falmagne from Osteria Morini, 2A and Morimoto, if you walk into a bar and order the latest trending thing on TikTok, the waiter is likely to judge you.
Unfortunately, as a person who loves martinis with espresso, I think it's an alarm signal that many of us, customers, should be okay with ringing. This drink order will always set off the waiter's alarms, and that's exactly what you should do. An angel shot isn't really a shot, or even a drink. Instead, ordering this drink at a bar tells the waiter that you need help or that you feel you may be in danger.
At a restaurant in upstate New York, I found an ordering guide photographed by an angel at the women's bathroom stalls. In that establishment, asking for a pure angel shot meant that you wanted someone to accompany you to your car, asking for it with ice meant that the waiter would call you to a taxi and asking for it with lime meant that they would call the police. While the meaning of the specifications of each order varies depending on which bar you go to, many bars in the United States have staff who know the concept of angel drinks or some variant of it and are ready to help. Ordering Long Island iced tea is a rite of passage for anyone embarking on their journey with alcohol, as Long Islands is one of the best drinks to get drunk fast.
Marisol Delarosa, from The Brass Monkey, says, “Nobody asks for Long Island iced tea because they like the taste of it.” And from experience, Daniel Meursing, of the Premier staff, agrees. One of the Meursing staff members notes: “When someone asks for a Long Island, I start looking for the nearest security guard”. There are many of the best bars in America today and with them comes a wide variety of drinks to order at a bar.
