Last week I accidentally walked out on a tab of about $24 w/o tip. An old friend was in town and we got a group together and started day drinking at a fairly nice bar that I go to about once every 2-3 weeks. The way it happened was that when we sat down 3 of my friends handed over credit cards to start tabs and I was paying cash. The the first round of drinks came out and the bartender didn't give me a total or request money or w/e. We were all already talking and I use a credit card myself 99% of the time so none of this registered at the time or on subsequent rounds when I was not given a cost for the drink.

About 2 hrs later I get a call from another friend who wants to park at my place (2 blocks away but gated parking so I have to let him in), so I walk home to meet him and when we're walking back to the bar that we were at my friends txt me the location of a new bar they're at. So we met them there and paying my tab at the old place slipped my mind.

What do I do now? I need to pay but we were there on a random dayshift and I've seen that particular bartender maybe 2 times out of the 30 plus times I've been there. It's also a fairly big bar with ~6 bartenders working on a good night. Do I just walk in and explain myself to anyone behind the bar? Will the bartender I skipped on even remember?

Yes he will remember. Just walk in and explain yourself to someone behind the bar.

+1

He won't just remember, but there's probably a note somewhere back there saying such-and-such regular walked out on a tab. It happens all the time, but you'll definitely score points by pro-actively settling it before being asked.

scotch,

Your scenario sounds a little confusing to me. Four of you sat down together and each started individual tabs w/ three cards + one cash? I assume you checked with your friends to see if they paid your tab? If they didn't, what the other guys said. No big deal at all to go back in and say "hey I realized I forgot to pay for x on y day" - I'd just ask for a manager and have him deal with it rather than bother a bartender (unless the specific one is working).

It was just me and the out of town friend at first then two more joined about 30 mins later. I've checked with everyone but the out of town friend. I'll check with him when he gets back to the states but I doubt it since we're all good friends and none of us would silently cover a $30 tab imo.

Anyone have any experience with whiskey stones or roller rock glasses? I'm more of a gin guy myself but I have a lot of friends that are whiskey drinkers and it would be a nice easy gift idea to have in my back pocket.

Montecore -

Have many friends who love their whiskey stones. I have different large ice cube things at home but have friends who have various sphere producers, they're all basically the same (except the crazy expensive clear ice generating one). Both are great options for gifts for someone who drinks whiskey (or anything else they drink straight and don't want to over-dilute.

A friend got me those whiskey stones and they do absolutely nothing. They just don't have enough thermal capacity to chill the drink any noticeable amount. I think they make food-grade stainless steel stones that should do a better job but I have no idea if those would make a difference either.

Montecore,

I just had whiskey at a friend's place who had those whiskey stones and I agree w/ duke, they didn't really chill the whiskey at all. And when I'm drinking neat, I actually don't like mine chilled anyway. When I'm drinking on the rocks, I generally want a little dilution. You could go with the round rocks glass thing for that, but seems easier to just go with something like http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-80-5521...ref=pd_sim_k_1

El D - You're seriously undercounting the coolness factor of spherical ice.

Also, hadn't checked the exact page of the whiskey rocks. I'm sure there's some variation across brands?

cit,

A couple of bars around here have spherical ice cubes. I agree w/ their coolness. Last time I looked into it, it seemed like a pain in the ass to deal w/ at home, though.

Thanks to all that replied; I appreciate the opinions. My future brother-in-law is starting to get into whiskey (but not super experienced or discerning yet to the best of my knowledge) so I figure this may be a cool little tchotchke to give to him during our bachelor weekend.

Montecore,

Either instead of or in addition to that, I think some whiskey glasses would be cool. I like ones like this: http://www.wineenthusiast.com/glenca...(set-of-4).asp (amazon has a bunch of versions like that if you search for "whiskey glasses")

Thanks for the tip, those look really cool. I'll get those too.

"Hey I accidentally forgot to pay my tab last night. Can I settle up now?"

No need for a lengthy preamble. **** happens especially when drinking. Just apologize, pay what they're owed and tip a little more than you would regularly.

http://reason.com/blog/2012/01/02/wi...he-four-loko-t

This product will lead to no good and likely taste awful...unless you're really jonesing for 3-yr old scotch.

Yeah I just went by there and that's pretty much what I said. They couldn't find my tab but took my word on what I had and rung me up and put it in an envelope for the bartender (was able to figure out who it was but she wasn't there). From their reactions it seems like this happens a lot, which is obv with cards, but I'm amazed they let people run up cash tabs without holding a card or ID.

Here is a question that arose on Saturday night.

Couple of us went out to a club and a mate brought a round of drinks. Some beers, some cocktails, went to pay for it and his card declined (even though he used it earlier and had money in his account - it was one of those chip ones fyi)

I was at the bar with him and was able to pay for the drinks. Had I not been what is the procedure here? Does the bar tender just leave the drinks on the side until he comes back with money? What if he takes 15/20 minutes and comes back and wants fresh drinks?

Or what if he necks a shot will the transaction is completing and it declines?

I assume at a pub its easier, you leave leave, go to an ATM and come but trying to leave and come back to a club, get back to the bar can take some time.

This thread directly affected my Christmas, and my husband's. I purchased the smaller shaker on the left at an antique store two weeks before Christmas, of course. The husband bought the rest for me for Christmas. He got the larger shaker at a restaurant supply site. It's handy to be able to do two drinks at once.

I love the little pyrex measuring glass. I don't even know if I'll end up using the jiggers. It's so easy to measure everything in the glass, then dump it into the shaker.

I seem to have settled on 2-1/2 ounces cognac to 1 ounce Marnier for Sidecars.

I purchased him a bottle of Hennessy XO and a set of cognac glasses.

In terms of bar items that make life easier, I bought an Oxo 2 oz measuring cup that has ticks every 1/4 oz or whatever on the suggestion of a friend who bartends, and love it.

Bumping partially for my own ego, but also b/c I think this thread still has legs, even if it's just El D posting a new $20 cocktail once a month

CQ,

Here is one I really like:

http://www.sipsmokesavor.com/index.p...=default&page=

Scotch (Famous Grouse works well), lemon, honey, ginger, peaty scotch float.

Hey guys, I got some "Bardinet Napoleon French Brandy VSOP" to make sidecars with. IT was either that or Hennessy XO so I went with the cheaper option. Will it make a huge difference?

... also it turns out I don't have cocktail glasses at home, wtf. I can go with highball glasses, or shot glasses. Shot glasses for tiniest sidecars ever?

Garcia,

I don't know that kind of brandy, but I'm sure it will be good. I made a batch for New Years with some el cheapo Paul Masson, and they were still tasty. The quality of cognac/brandy does make a difference though, since it's supposed to be the dominant flavor note in the drink.

And highball glasses will work, but you should pick up a couple of cocktail glasses. The stemless ones seem to be all the rage right now and they're harder to tip over. You could also use a wine glass for them, too.