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How many Old Fashioneds have you served in your career?

How do people from not-Wisconsin order brandy if not by the brand?

Thread is definitely delivering in a big way. I'm still awaiting to get a response to my other question though As a European I've always been fascinated by American bar culture. In my country, bartenders aren't really different from waiters in the sense that customers don't really interact with them beyond making their drink orders. I love going to random corner bars in Brooklyn where the bartenders seem to be friends with everyone and a crucial part of the neighbourhood who always has a minute or two for everyone. Last time I was in NYC, I was bar-hopping on a Sunday around Bushwick with this girl who I'd just met on the previous night. We ended up in some quiet bar that was closing at 2am, but the bartender (who neither of us knew in advance) seemed to enjoy chatting with us so much that instead of kicking us out, he just locked the doors and drank shots with us until 5am in a closed bar. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, I guess this isn't a big deal from an American perspective but I felt sooo special as a grumpy Euro. So I guess my questions are:

-Are afterparties / staying in to drink with your friends or random customers after closing time commonplace? Any fun afterparty stories?

-How much would you have tipped in our case? The place wasn't anything fancy, bordering on a dive bar, but I think we had something like 15 free shots and the guy really was super nice. Also coming from a country with 0 tipping culture, I'm always really confused about these spots. We never asked for anything, we just sort of continued chatting and all of a sudden it was 5am and I really think he also just wanted to stay to hang out and not for the $, but at the same time I obv thought we should leave a pretty large tip.

wow

Guys, thanks!

There is no turning back.

I've worked three different properties. Within those properties I've worked more bars than I can remember. One property had more than 20 bars and I worked them all. I've done more concerts, weddings, banquets, and Quinceañeras than I can count.

Working extra board gets you a wide range of experience because you get put wherever they need you. The day before I worked the NBA All-Star party I was stuck in the buffet service bar. I made like $40. The next night I'm shaking hands with Clyde "The Glide".

VP players come in two categories. Ten percenters (God bless you) and everybody else. Most of the players at the bar play quarter progressives. Average quarter royal is ~$1500, three outta five players stiff, $300 from the other two, so, average $60 per royal?

The dollar players are fewer and farther between but I've had plenty of people drop $400 in the jar (after hitting 4k). Those have been split with a partner though.

A buddy of mine had someone hit video keno for 10k. They dropped a G bomb on him. He sends them a Christmas card every year.

lmao that would have made my year to see that

Why in the world would anyone be tipping the bartender when they hit on VP?

Absolutely. This is actually one of my favorite things about being behind the bar. Watching that game play out is an endless source of fascination and entertainment.

That game. That ****ing man and woman game. That's the only game in town. Once you start playing that...

Lines don't work. So, throw that **** out the window. Okay, most guys should forget lines. If the line is funny and meant as a joke then it can work. This one girl asked this guy how he was doing gambling. He said, "I lost all my money. Can I come to your place and do my laundry?" She thought it was so funny that they actually wound up hooking up.

For the most part though lines are dog ****. The guys who really pull are the ones who don't try. Go out with the intention of having fun. Drink, gamble, and laugh it up. If the girls see you having fun then they'll want to join in. If they don't then no PUA **** is going to change their minds.

Groups of guys tend to pull (smaller) groups of girls. The girls like to be out numbered so some selection can go on.

Guys by themselves can still pull but it's tougher. Get in good with the bartender. Chat about the game, the jackpot, restaurants, whatever. Chicks within earshot will chime in. It's a three way conversation. When the bartender gets busy it's a two way conversation... You broke the ice and you didn't even try.

I watched this one cat pull a number. He was humming some rap song. This girl is like, "OMG I love that song!" Get out of here... "No really, it's my favorite song! It's my ringtone." skeptical So, if I call you right now, your phone is gonna play 2 Chainz? "Yes, I'm serious!" What's your number?

He sees me watching and ships me a knowing glance. I nod my head. Well played young man. Well played.

yeah, is this normal/expected? If i hit for $10k at video poker you bet you ****ing life i'm not tipping the bartender $1k.

Without the bartender you never hit that jackpot though.

#ButterflyEffect

Yeah, what cs3 said.

Six lawn maintenance guys come to the bar and order six buds and six jagers. I can have that ready in under a minute. Everybody is happy and content for a few minutes and I can move on. A bachelorette party comes to the bar and they all want martys and oatmeal cookie shots and the whole world is going to have to wait for like 15 minutes.

"Double neat" can be a warning sign. That crowd can be hard to manage. If it's a couple of businessmen enjoying scotch and cigars then those doubles can last them for awhile. They're at the bar to relax. If it's two hookers wanting to pound double patrons then you could have a problem on your hands.

Plus, with Vegas prices, you often get into confrontations. "Whadda yah mean twenty dollars?" "It's one ****ing drink for Christ sakes!"

If it's slow then it doesn't really matter. Get what you like.

Shot and a beer is good for buzz management. You're really just sipping on beer and using those shots to get you where you need to be. If the beer isn't cutting it you can kick it up a notch. If you're feeling it a little then just sip on your beer for a while.

Hardest/most annoying drinks to make?

Buzz Management Specialist

You should put that on your business card.

I make one or two a year. I made them more often when I worked restaurants. Not so much now that I work gaming bars. I actually enjoy making them. I used to drink them myself so my version is quite good. I love impressing the old timers with a good Old Fashioned or Manhattan (very few make these right).

Don't order these on the casino floor. Nobody knows how to make them and they rarely have oranges. They'll sub OJ.

Most people (who drink brandy) order a brandy and coke. When the guy asks, "Can I have an E&J and Coke?" he's from Wisconsin. I always respond Go Badgers.

We have these three ladies at the bar. It's mom, her daughter, and the daughters friend. Mom is a hot milf. Blonde, pretty face, big fake tits. She was probably a 9 at one point but now more 7-8. The girls are in their twenties and both hot. Girl next door types. No plastic surgery. Jeans and t-shirts. Cute bodies.

My partner is younger and better looking than I am so the girls are all over him. Mom is vibing on me so I'm flirting hard. I'm enjoying the view, the attention, and trying to make some money.

Mom says she is ready to call it a night. She's had too much to drink and can't remember how to get back to her room. She wants me to walk her up. I walk her back to the tower. She wants me to come upstairs. Security guard is eyeing me hard at the elevators. "I can't go up with you. I'm still working." She's begging me and pulling me towards the elevator. "Sweetie, I'm on the clock! I have to go back to my bar!" She stuffs her room key in my pocket and let's me go. Security is looking at me like what the **** are you doing?

****! Okay, heading back to the bar. The girls are now pounding shots and have tied it on. The friend is now big into my partner. The daughter starts coming on to me. They drink for awhile. My buddy gets off work and leaves with his girl.

The daughter is trying to get me up stairs. At this point, I'm over it. She's sloppy drunk. I'm exhausted. I'm not feeling like risking going upstairs. There's a policy against staff staying in guest rooms. I don't want to lose my job. Some, people do it on the reg but it's on their own time. Certainly not in work clothes.

I start making excuses. I'm tired. I can't. I don't want to go to your room with your mom up there passed out. "My MOM is texting me, telling me to make sure I bring you upstairs, DUMBASS!" She storms out.

My buddy banged all three.

I prob rock out 300+ manhattans, OF's, and egg white whiskey sours a month. Manhattan is def my fav.

chilled coupe or nick & nora
2oz bottled in bond rye (rittenhouse is my go to)
1oz carpana antica vermouth
2 dashes ango bitters (woodford barrel aged spiced cherry bitters are even better)
add ice, pref 1"x1" cubes
stir 40 rotations, strain into chilled glass.
express orange oil, discard peel
one amarena sour black cherry

cool thread btw. vegas would be an interesting place to be behind the stick.

Chuck, cool story. Love it. I love bar culture too. It's a bit of a drag for me being a casino bartender now. Being a bartender back east meant a little something. You're a part of the community. You know almost everybody and you know all the other bartenders in town who know all the people that you don't know. I knew all the cops, fireman, lawyers, doctors, bookies, mechanics, local business owners. I could get you anything you need with a phone call. Seriously.

Now I'm in the "Beverage Dispensers Union".

Most of the cool after hours stuff happens in Mom and Pop bars. Privately owned joints. It happens every night. Either the staff is going to shut it down and have a few or they know the place to go.

The first bar that I worked at had a big staff. We ran six bartenders some nights. We'd get off work and play this gambling game. You turn on a music video channel. You make three piles of money. One for the band, song, and record. Five dollar bets. First one to guess the band wins that pile. If you get the band, song, and album right then you win all three piles. We'd be sneaking out the back door at 6am every morning before the breakfast crew arrived.

In your story, your bartender didn't want your money. Like you said, he was just enjoying the company and felt like hanging out. In some of those situations it's enough to just exchange numbers and figure out when you can return the favor. Other times I've said, "You get all my money!" and I've given them whatever's in my pocket. If I'm local and going to see this guy again then I drop a bill and refuse to take no for an answer.

omg genuine lol

lol, love for McLovin

Tipping your bartender for your jackpots is pretty standard. Industry people (and most locals) tip ten percent.

When I go to play (which is every ****ing day now ****) I'm trying to make the bartenders day. I want to catch a buzz, get some play, hit a royal, drop a hundo on the bartender (that's the make his day part) and then head to the tables with a g bomb. When he has a day off he'll do the same for me.

I don't want to go crazy on the tipping here but, getting a reputation as a good tipper can open doors. Take a guy on the floor. He gets a crown and coke. He drops a five on the cocktail waitress. She's coming right back with a long pour. He tips another five. She's right back with the long pour and a shot on the side "just in case his drink isn't strong enough".

The same guy stiffs the first round. She'll be back in 15 minutes with a short pour. He stiffs again, she's not coming back.

people who drink frozen drinks can **** right off

How about you just do your job the way you are supposed to do it. I just hate the tipping culture. You are paying people to do their jobs that they are already getting laid to do.