Sad Manhattans

[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?

[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

[boone]

Roger,

Refer this link http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/c...041&quesnum=43

to him

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

[ILLfarmboy]

Roger, Your story of the martini glass reminded me of a recent incident at a Red Lobster in Davenport IA. I know, chain restaurants usually aren't the best, but I live in a rural area. Anyhow, we took a seat at the bar as we waited for a table. I asked for a Glenlivet 12 neat. The bartender, a young girl, was confused. I explained what neat meant. It took a little while to sink in and then to my surprise she grabbed a martini glass and asked me, almost as an afterthought, "in a glass like this?". I corrected her and asked for it in a tumbler. She still looked confused so I to pointed to one, the one right in front of me being used as a large tooth pick holder. She proceeded to pour a scant amount of whiskey using one of those one ounce, or maybe they are one and a quarter oz. shotglases (I think they are called pony shots, I'm not sure) as a measure. And then wanted to charge me for the price of a double. She wanted to, but after a short discussion with another bartender, perhaps her supervisor, she didn't. I was trying to be polite about the whole thing but she must have thought I was being an incorrigible ass.

[spun_cookie]

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?

Because most the damn time they are not listening... and the rest of the time, the bartender is not listing to the waiter...

I have discovered when i want my drink different than how the masses want it, I go to the bar tender directly and tell them what I am looking for... after that I usually can get the drink the way I want to all night without error...

Half the time I tell them neat... it comes out with a blizzard worth of ice... I just spoon the ice out if I do not plan on having more than one... to much trouble to teach everyone to listen ... let your tip be their education... education is not free

[Jake_Parrott]

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.

Sorry, Rog. That's what it means to the great majority of barkeeps. "Neat" is what you wanted.

[smokinjoe]

Sorry, Rog. That's what it means to the great majority of barkeeps. "Neat" is what you wanted.

Jake, are you saying that the majority of barkeeps, when requested to pour a drink "straight up", will pour what Roger ended up getting? Or, am I misreading this? Good gosh, "straight up" has been around, like, forever!. What nitwit bartending school decided to change it? If I ask for my Manhattan "stirred", I wonder what I'll get then? Something frozen out of a blender? Interestingly enough, I gave up some time ago asking for my bourbon "neat", because I got this dazed, glassy eyed look of noncomprehension. So, I went back to "straight up". I think I'm batting almost 1.000 on getting the neat pour.

Cheers! (Cheers! still means Cheers!, right?)

JOE

[Jake_Parrott]

"Straight up" means chilled and strained into a cocktail glass to pretty much any bartender I've talked to. "Neat" means pour room temp into a short glass.

[boone]

"Straight up" means chilled and strained into a cocktail glass to pretty much any bartender I've talked to. "Neat" means pour room temp into a short glass.

Bartender School Terminology...these are the terms in the link.

Neat

Another term for a shot. A term referring to liquor that is drunk undiluted by ice, water or mixers "May I have a Crown Royal neat please."

Straight Up

Served without ice. aka as just "Up", different than a "Shot" in that a drink served Straight Up is served in a stemmed glass not a Shot Glass

[cowdery]

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.