Serious Cocktails: A Lousy Tipper Walks Into a Bar ...
In yesterday’s Diner’s Journal, Frank Bruni ordered a round and in the process opened a can of worms: How does one calculate the bartender’s tip?
At some point, probably back when a beer was normally $3 and a cocktail around $5, it became one of those common rules of thumb that $1 per drink was both fair and easy. But that was then. Today, it’s not uncommon to find a beer or glass of wine starting at $6, and a cocktail ranging anywhere between $10 and $20—a situation where that $1 you leave on the bar may easily be less than 10 percent of the overall bill.
As Bruni and the commenters to his post have pointed out, unanswered is the question of how you tip differently based on what you order.
If the bartender is simply opening a beer or pouring a glass of Scotch, $1 per drink may still make sense; but what about those bars where ordering a drink is more along the lines of ordering an entrée in a restaurant—drinks that require a bartender to not merely crack a bottle but engage in a lengthy preparation process with sometimes spectacular results?
Taking this consideration a step further, commenter Slkinsey notes, “At a good cocktail bar, the bartender is both preparing and serving your drink, unlike in a restaurant, where the server does not prepare your food. So at the very least you should tip the bartender with the same percentage tip you would give to a server in a restaurant.”
I usually fall into the performance-based bracket when it comes to tipping a bartender, and unless I am just ordering a beer – in which case I still employ the dollar-a-drink rule – or if I'm really blown away by the bar staff, I typically tip in the same 15-20 percent range that I use when tipping a server in a restaurant. But if the comments to Bruni’s post are any indication, I’m in the minority.
So what’s the answer? Do you still employ the dollar-a-drink rule, or do you tip your bartender in the same manner in which you tip your server? And do you tip differently when you’ve ordered a bottle of Bud than when you order a complex cocktail? Let’s work this out…
About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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41 Comments:
i still think a dollar for a pop-or-pour type drink is fair. two-three dollars for something more complicated or particularly well made.
mr guy at 3:30PM on 04/01/09
I open a tab and tip 20% of the total amount. That way I don't have to actually figure out the tip on each single drink.
toothfairy at 3:53PM on 04/01/09
I'm a regular at one bar and they treat me VERY well there, so I tip at least 30%, often 50% (I get fast service, stronger drinks, and lots of free drinks in exchange; even with the big tip I still spend less than I would if they charged me for all my drinks and I tipped 20%). It pays to tip well, especially if you are a regular. If I'm at a strange bar, I tip just like I would for food - 20% for good service, more for great service.
ProfessorChaos at 4:02PM on 04/01/09
I totally agree with Prof Chaos. However, when I am at places I am not a regular I gauge the service and tip 15-20%. If its horrible service 10%.
DCFoodie at 4:08PM on 04/01/09
It depends on the place and the situation. Busy places where I'm not a regular and paying cash for a round usually get $1-2 per drink. I almost order a beer, a glass of wine, or a scotch which don't take all that much effort.
If we're staying awhile and opening a tab, I'll usually tip 20% of the final bill. Though there's places I go above and beyond for, tipping 30% or more. Then there's the place we park ourselves at Sunday mornings at 10 AM to watch east coast football games while drinking one or two (not overpriced!) beers. The bartender there gets tips upwards of 50% - once or twice I think I've even broken 100%.
For comparison, I tend to tip 20% for decent sit-down food service.
tangledgray at 4:18PM on 04/01/09
Dollar a drink unless the bartender goes out of their way to make a cocktail or does something else special, then it'll be more than that.
If I open a tab and we're drinking top shelf beer or liquor, it's a 10% tip. If I am drinking cheap beer that night it'll be 20%. My logic is that it would be outrageous to tip 20% for opening a $10 bottle of beer, and too cheap to tip 10% for a PBR (both require the same amount of work from the bartender). However I tip, I must be doing ok, because I almost always get excellent service on return visits.
cxg231 at 4:27PM on 04/01/09
I'm a bartender. Here's my two cents:
I almost always order vodka tonics. In the bars I frequent, I usually tip $2 per drink. As someone mentioned before, I'm usually compensated on my heavier drinking nights with either free drinks or very strong drinks. Free drinks usually result in me laying a $5 bill on the bar and walking away.
In bars where I'm not a regular, I always tip $2 on the first drink and judge it from there. If the drink is particularly weak or service is poor, I'll go down to $1 per drink and stay at that. If the bartenders are attentive or the drinks are particularly strong, I'll stick with $2.
Complex drinks and shots, on the other hand, are different:
Single alcohol shots, such as Jameson, are $1 per drink
Complicated drinks are $2, unless it involves mashing or blending, then it's upped to at least $3.
Shots that require multiple ingredients are usually $1 per shot plus $2. So the bartender that makes me three kamikazes will get $5.
Tipping on drinks is different if the shot involves Jagermeister, as Jagermeister makes people stupid. The bartender should receive the entire contents of your wallet, a preemptive apology, and the promise that they will be greatly rewarded in the afterlife.
Bridget at 4:40PM on 04/01/09
My standard: Open a tab and tip 20 percent, $5 minimum. Tip more if I've had more to drink, tip less if I think the bartender's ignoring* me. On busy nights like St. Patrick's or New Year's, I'll tip 100 percent.
*I've only really ever had to do this at one bar and it's since been shut down because the bartenders were selling coke. So, uh, I don't think they missed my tips.
popcornfordinner at 4:40PM on 04/01/09
Wow, I want to work where you guys drink.
Not everyone lives in New York or even big cities where a bottle of beer cost $10 (really? $10?). Here in the midwest you can get a bottle of Bud or something for $2.50, and I'll just leave the change from three dollars. I guess that's still 20%. I don't think opening a bottle of beer and plunking it on the counter is a lot of work.
And I used to bartend too, for several years, so I know about doing the job.
Peggasus at 5:04PM on 04/01/09
$1 a drink. Simple and easy.
eatfood at 5:12PM on 04/01/09
i never understood the point of tipping $5 for a "free" drink. then it's not free! What's the point? all it means is that the bartender pockets the cash instead of it going to the bar. i double what i would usually tip on the drink, unless i know the bartender, in which case i may up it. But typically, free drink equals $2 tip.
mr guy at 5:35PM on 04/01/09
My basic is 20% of total amount. However if the service really sucks that's a totally different story...I don't think they deserve any tip. If I go to a regular where I may drink 3 cocktails but billed for one I would give lot more tip. I think tip should be a measurement of how well you get served....
foodloverac at 5:42PM on 04/01/09
If I'm at a pay-per-drink place it's a dollar a drink. If I can run a tab it's 20%. At my regular spot I get strong drinks, some free drinks, and prompt service so it's 30% and sometimes up to 100% if I'm only having one or two.
sailordave at 5:47PM on 04/01/09
Here are my pre-requisites for tipping a bartender (one or more must happen to justify a tip): 1.) the bartender gives me some level of preference in a crowded bar 2.) the bartender makes my drinks extra stiff 3.) the bartender is female and displaying a mind boggling amount of decolletage 4.) the bartender can get really good drugs for me 5.) the bartender is letting me drink after closing time 6.) the bartender tells amazingly funny jokes/anecdotes 7.) the bartender doesn't throw me out for being a drunken ass 8.) the bartender has a wooden leg & can still kick your ass.
If the bartender doesn't meet one or more of the above, screw'em. I'm going to finish that drink, pay with no tip, and go find a more interesting place to drink.
And if you call yourself a mixologist, you will never get a tip from me. Just be happy you don't get a punch in the face for being such a poncey douchebag.
Truff at 5:56PM on 04/01/09
I always tip at least $1/drink (unless it's some crazy $1 or $2 happy hour special, then maybe $1 every other drink). Other than that I usually tip at least 20%, usually more. And if you're giving me free drinks, I factor that into the tab when I tip.
negociants at 6:03PM on 04/01/09
@ Bridget - The same with me, $2 for the first drink and $1 per drink from there, unless running a tab. And I double agree on the Jager thing.
@Truff - We should go drinking together sometime, sounds like we prefer the same types of places, haha!
erinlovestoeat at 6:23PM on 04/01/09
Oh, god. I almost never go out to drink, and I had no *clue* you were supposed to tip the bartender! I guess that explains the cold service I usually get.
Tally at 7:29PM on 04/01/09
I tip a dollar a drink. It's true that the bartender is both preparing and serving me the drink, unlike a waiter, but 1) there's a lot less skill to squirting gin and then tonic into a glass than there is to preparing me lobster ravioli and 2) it's not like she's got far to go or much to remember per customer. I might be more inclined to tip two bucks or more if I order a drink which requires some skill to make, like a real margarita or a long island, but gin and tonic or beer is about as complicated as it gets for me. I appreciate that on busy nights it's difficult to juggle drinks orders at a bar, but of course on busy nights the bartender will be making more money if everyone follows the dollar per drink rule.
meglo91 at 9:58PM on 04/01/09
UGH. Tipping is so effing complicated, and I hate that you end up paying more than what they say the drink/meal costs! Yes, the servers don't get paid minimum wage, and I suppose the bartenders don't either, but the system just bothers me with how stupid it is.
I lived in Japan for two years and there's no tipping. It's great! Everyone is really, really nice and generally provides great service. Yes, it is probably in large part due to their culture of in-groupyness and making their companies look good, but it's so much less stressful for the consumer. Or for me anyway.
BilabialBoxing at 10:00PM on 04/01/09
ok, question: i drink at a martini bar where the drinks are sometimes elaborate, lots of garnishes etc. but there's a waitress AND a bartender. often times the waitress isnt that great, drinks are very slow to arrive, she doesnt check in often, so in those cases dont tip well. but i want to be sure the person actually MAKING my drinks gets a tip... how should i do so?
reading these comments i realize i get crappy service at a lot of bars i go to, so i dont usually tip well. but i do live in a small city where drinks are usually around $3 [other than the afforementioned martini bar where they are $7-8, which is why i ask].
redzerostar at 5:46AM on 04/02/09
I typically tip very well but then I always run into a problem, especially when paying by the drink. I am a cocktail drinker and there seems to be a whole generation of bartenders out there who think that strong = good. The beauty of a good cocktail, like a good entree or anything else, is balance. So if I order a gin and tonic, I want a gin and tonic. If I wanted something that was near totally gin, I would have ordered a martini. It just seems that when I tip well the bartenders try to make my drinks stronger, probably as a 'thanks for the good tip' but then my drink ends up being not what I wanted.
severn at 8:21AM on 04/02/09
I would love to work somewhere where I get $2 for the 15 seconds it takes to pop the cap off of a bottle of beer or the 30 seconds it takes to mix a rum & coke.
Unless I'm ordering something other than bottle beer or a simple mixer, I almost always just leave a dollar for the two drinks I buy myself & the person with me. Obviously a more artfully-crafted drink will increase the gratuity substantially.
jd7979 at 8:21AM on 04/02/09
This might sound like a dumb question but I've always wondered - if you order a drink, then come back for a glass of water...do you tip them again since they have to pour the water, add the ice, etc...so you're paying for their labor?
Ambitous at 10:42AM on 04/02/09
As bartender at a dive bar in Brooklyn, I think a $1 tip per drink is perfect. But, if I go to PDT or another cocktail bar, those $15 drinks + time making them warrant a $3 tip.
And, for those of you that think $1 for a minute of a bartender's time is unfair, you have to realize most bartenders work 8 to 15 hour shifts, have to deal with drunks, clean up after drunks, stand all day, and usually only get paid about $15-$30 a shift.
As far as crap bartenders go, yeah, that's another story. But you have to give a look around you. Is the bar busy? Does he/she have to go deal with a rowdy customer? Change a keg? Wipe up a big spill? Customer service isn't easy folks!
@negociants : Why would you tip less when drinks are cheap? If you are paying $1 for a happy hour drink, you should def. be tipping per drink.
@Bridget: I love you. Everything thing you said is RIGHT ON!
Linnea Covington at 10:57AM on 04/02/09
On the low end, we run a tab and give 20% tip. However, if we're there for a more extended period, exceptional service + free drinks can push that to 100% tip or more.
MarvinDog at 12:12PM on 04/02/09
As an ex-bartender at a 5 star steak house I'll tell you that most of the time we would remember you if you left anything less than a dollar per drink if your tab was under $10 and anything over $10 should be at least 20%. We didn't remember those patrons fondly and they definitely didn't get the quality of service or attention we gave those that tipped the respected industry standard.
brookefowler at 3:51PM on 04/02/09
I have a regular place where the bartender, who I have become friendly with, takes good care of me. So if he comps a few drinks, I usually tip very well at the end of the night. Like an extra $5 or a $10 on top of the $1 tip per drink for each drink (even if it was comped). I don't know if there's any psychology to it but just leaving an extra bill (that isn't a buck) when you leave seems to keep us on good terms and the free drinks flowing.
Most of the time I'm $1 for a beer or a glass of wine or anything on the rocks. But if it's something more elaborate, I will tip more.
In general, my theory is that if I'm going to return, I don't want the folks there to think I'm a dick.
aargh at 4:27PM on 04/02/09
I used to tend bar, and I find that a big tip in the beginning can facilitate a lot of things. At our wedding, I gave our bartender £20 at the start, and boy was he attentive to our guests.
Tip what you want, but expect the service your tip will buy.
NotAmerican at 2:10AM on 04/03/09
There is rarely such a thing as a 'free drink', commonly referred to as a buyback. It's stolen from someone. You're beloved 'bartender' is a thief.
http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/2008/ask-your-bartender-buybacks/
StBernard at 11:53AM on 04/03/09
@StBernard: That is bull. At my bar we are told to give free drinks. It's to show appreciation for good patrons.
Linnea Covington at 2:40PM on 04/03/09
@ StBernard: Some bars have "comp tabs" for bartenders to buy back drinks for regular and VIP guests. Though many bars do not, and indeed, those bartenders are dishonest.
FeliciasMealTicket at 4:31PM on 04/03/09
So they made something complicated....
Does anyone care that I'm a chef and I've never received a tip?...Still, don't be stingy to those that offer good service.
acbearce at 10:29PM on 04/04/09
I'm a 20 % tipper unless the tab is 2 to 4 dollars than I leave a buck.
If you can't afford to tip--- stay home and drink! Most people (bartenders and waiters) live on tips.
old chef at 11:30AM on 04/06/09
I open a tab and tip 20% (or a little bit less or more based on service).
Enobytes at 2:50PM on 04/06/09
Makes me glad I stopped drinking.
My RoT was usually $1 per drink, which in Philly, costs about $3-4. If the bartender is attentive, of course. Shitty services means shitty tips or no tips at all.
BITTER at 3:09PM on 04/06/09
I tip 20% in general for wait staff, bartenders, stylists, etc. I really wish resturaunts would pay their staff decent wages and we could just do away with tipping. Yes, I know it would make my dinner price rise. I don't care. I'm so tired of the tipping conversation. If the waitress sucks, then just fire her. Whatever.
freebrook at 3:31PM on 04/06/09
redzerostar: if you want all of your tip to go to the bartender, you have to sit at the bar. Otherwise, your bartender is only getting a tip out from the server - anywhere from 2-5% of either her net sales or her liquor, beer & wine sales.
RE: free drink - there is such a thing. Many owners give bartenders a comp tab; wine & spirits are priced accordingly. However, if the bartender doesn't have one, that's most definitely stealing. When I get a free drink, I tip close to the price of the cocktail. My rationale is that I'm returning the favor and saving the cost of a tip. Drink it forward!
hilhil at 6:37PM on 04/06/09
Re: free drinks: i worked at a high-end martini bar, and drinks that we as employees would buy would be 50% off up to a point, and we'd get a drink for ourselves at the end of the night anyway. i'd occasionally count my "shift drink" as one i "bought" for a customer. note that the one time i did this for customers, they were [EXPLETIVE] and extremely ungrateful, so i never did that again. way to ruin it for everyone else...
anyway. our regular customers were fantastic, but at times overstayed their welcome. so. don't just assume that because you tipped $50 on a $70 tab the night before that your bartender will just let it go when you "forget" your wallet.
since i worked in food service, i have left a bad tip ONCE. i felt terrible about leaving 10%, but he wasn't even worth THAT much. my usual is 20% for average service.
gop360 at 10:58PM on 04/06/09
Drinks aren't all that expensive where I live. I drink Chivas rocks, my hubs drinks Jack rocks - occassionally we branch out to "with water". If we go out to eat, we order wine with dinner. One dollar per drink. Our drinks don't take a whole lot of effort.
klmontz at 12:40PM on 04/07/09
Wow...I wish most of you drank at MY bar!
I have been a bartender for almost a decade, and am working for the first time in a very upscale establishment ($11-21 for a martini-style drink). All of our drinks are handshaken, use fresh fruits and fresh-squeezed juices and premium spirits. An average bloody mary takes a while to make, as we grind our own celery salt and grate our own horseradish. A mojito or a bramble can take even longer, what with the hand-selection of the best mint and berries and the muddling. I take a lot of pride in the drinks I serve, I love my job, and I always serve them with a smile.
You would be appalled (or if you're not, I may be describing you) at the stingy tips I get. Many people even use the higher price of a drink as the reason for not tipping better! As though I set the prices! I make minimum wage, and don't expect a lot from a patron if all I'm doing is pouring a glass of wine or a pint of beer. But if I'm making you a $16 bramble with fresh mint, limes and blackberries, I damn well expect more than a dollar!
And for those of you concerned with the poor service of cocktail waitstaff adversely affecting your bartender, you're absolutely right. I work where there is a generous "tip-out" from the servers, and I still get only 8% of their total liquor sales at the end of an evening (usually works out to $15-20 per server). So if they screw up your table and you tip them 10% on the total bill, I'm seeing 30-80 cents on that table. If your drink is great but your server sucks, by all means, stop by the bar on your way out and TIP THE TENDER! We will remember and be appreciative...and you'll probably not get sat down in the crappy section ever again (yes, we can influence these things).
Phew...glad that's off my chest.
rosezilla at 1:24PM on 04/08/09
acbearce
Yes, I care that you're a chef and I'm sorry you've never received a tip. I frequently request a change in a menu item at a restaurant due to food allergies and sensitivities. I always send a tip to the chef via the server. My husband wonders if the chef gets it. Many times they do, because they they come out to thank me, telling me it's the first time anyone has ever tipped them. And I get the opportunity to thank them for cooking my meal just the way I wanted it.
My friends think I'm crazy to tip the chef. But hey! You went to extra work to cook my meal the way I wanted/needed it, you deserve to be tipped! And tipped well. And I make it a point to tell the manager about the good service I received from the kitchen.
Do you have a suggestion for ensuring that the tip gets to the chef and doesn't stay in the server's pocket?
kateinmo
kateinmo at 10:56PM on 04/10/09