Sad Manhattans

The only time "up" should mean chilled, is when you order a Martini or Manhattan (or Rob Roy, if you lean that way) and the bartender wants to know if you want it on the rocks or not.

I, too, grew up thinking "straight up" and "neat" mean the same thing. However, I've also been taught that no two words have the exact same meaning. Straight up, as Bettye Jo's link shows, primarily means served without ice, which could mean no ice ever touches the drink, but could also mean a drink stirred or shaken with ice and strained, so there's no ice in the drink as served. I think the meaning did change somewhere along the way. I noticed I was having trouble with "straight up" and so now tend to use "neat" and if that draws a blank, I say something like "just whiskey in a glass please, no water, no ice." Then there usually is a discussion about what kind of glass, since many (again, as noted above) equate "neat" with "shot," the default usually is a shot glass. Sometimes it's a snifter. Sometimes it's something like a rocks glass, which is my preference. Here in Chicago I find most bartenders to be pretty good about it. Here at least there seem to be enough people ordering whiskey and even vodka this way. Since most people understand "shot," you might try ordering a shot of whiskey, "but put it in that kind of glass," and point to an example. The hardest thing does seem to get them to not put ice in it.

I do like to go into a bar and say, "Knob Creek neat with a beer back," because it seems like you're speaking in code. I like it even better when it works without additional questioning.

I have always thought "straight up" meant a mixed drink that has been strained of it's ice.
And "neat" was just poured from a bottle and never had anything added to it.
I got this notion from movies and TV, I never had any experience with either coming up as I was a hard core beer drinker.

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Originally Posted by Rughi

I was at a good restaurant last night that took it upon themselves to transform my drink of "Booker's - straight up" to an ice-diluted and strained "martini glass" concoction. The waiter swore that was what "up" meant.

I had to negotiate with him how I could ask for a drink which consisted of "open bottle, pour into glass - no more, no less." He allowed that I could order it "neat" - which to me had always meant the same as "straight up" except that it was more Britty.

Communication isn't always so easy...

Roger

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I would have to say "neat" is the way to go. Straight up? and bourbon? I don't hear it ordered that way around here. That even sounds kind of strange to me. I usually hear bourbon ordered "neat" or "on the rocks."

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Originally Posted by burbankbrewer

I ask you, why is it when you tell the waiter at a high end restaurant you want a rye manhattan, two times, with only one ice cube, you get a glass fulll of ice. Why don't bartenders know how to make the drink even when you tell them what you want?

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Tell them it is not what you ordered and send it back.

Tim

I had a similar experience last Thursday, when I asked a bartender for a Knob Creek, neat. When she looked confused, I repeated, "neat," to which she replied, "so you just want a shot"? I explained that I wanted room-temperature whiskey, preferably poured into a tumbler, or something a bit more forgiving than a shot glass loaded to the rim. It turned out to be a funny interaction -- I had to explain that it feels a bit low-rent to sip whiskey out of a little shot glass (I hope that doesn't mark me out as a snob). We ended up talking for a few minutes about this and that, and she poured me a drink of Fernet Branca, on the house. I've wanted to taste Fernet for quite a while but have been unwilling to buy a whole bottle. Long story short -- it is an intriguing concoction reminiscent of Vicks Vapo-Rub, Chartreuse, and bitters. I still had the taste in my mouth ten minutes after leaving the bar. While that might sound repellent, I'm probably going to buy a bottle, if only to see whether I'm capable of developing a taste for it.

On the subject of drinks I shoulda sent back, I once ordered a Manhattan and got some concoction of bourbon and Grenadine garnished with a cherry.:rolleyes:

Speaking of bad bartenders, check out the "How to make a Daquiri" instructional video posted on this guy's blog. Pretty hilarious...No wonder it's so hard to get a good Manhatten:

http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/

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Originally Posted by robbyvirus

Speaking of bad bartenders, check out the "How to make a Daquiri" instructional video posted on this guy's blog. Pretty hilarious...No wonder it's so hard to get a good Manhatten:

http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/

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Its never a good sign when your bartender starts picking his nose.

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Originally Posted by MrAtomic

I had a similar experience last Thursday, when I asked a bartender for a Knob Creek, neat. When she looked confused, I repeated, "neat," to which she replied, "so you just want a shot"? I explained that I wanted room-temperature whiskey, preferably poured into a tumbler, or something a bit more forgiving than a shot glass loaded to the rim. It turned out to be a funny interaction -- I had to explain that it feels a bit low-rent to sip whiskey out of a little shot glass (I hope that doesn't mark me out as a snob). We ended up talking for a few minutes about this and that, and she poured me a drink of Fernet Branca, on the house. I've wanted to taste Fernet for quite a while but have been unwilling to buy a whole bottle. Long story short -- it is an intriguing concoction reminiscent of Vicks Vapo-Rub, Chartreuse, and bitters. I still had the taste in my mouth ten minutes after leaving the bar. While that might sound repellent, I'm probably going to buy a bottle, if only to see whether I'm capable of developing a taste for it.

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Hee Hee. That's why I went to "straight up", from "neat", a few years back. I haven't seemed to have the problems since. Have been successful in getting a neat pour in a nice glass. Go figure.

As far as the Fernet Branca, there was an article in the Atlanta paper regarding this and Coca Cola. It seems that in Argentina, Fernet Branca mixed with Coke is a huge cocktail down there. Particularly with the younger crowd. I think Argentina is FB's biggest market. Coke is very successful there, as well.

Cheers!

JOE