Bar Stories

[luv2hunt]

I know we've discussed this before, but tonight Jon and I went to a Cigar and Martini bar here in Indy. They had Black Maple Hill on the bourbon menu so I went to the bar and asked the bartender which expression of Black Maple Hill they had available......here's his story:

"The producers at Black Maple Hill purchase the best distilled bourbon from various distilleries and age it themselves.....and then it's bottled at the best age! He told me it tasted like a fine cognac."

I returned to our "couch" and told Jon that they had the no age statement BMH and he best order the Bookers or Blantons!

So, what's the latest education you got at a bar?

[barturtle]

He told me it tasted like a fine cognac."

Damn, and I wanted BOURBON!:slappin:

[fishnbowljoe]

"Bourbon? Well we have Jack Daniels, Crown Royal........":banghead: Joe

[SBOmarc]

Most around here have Makers, and Beam SB collection. Much more available in the Scotch and Irish pours, of which I do not partake.

[Hondo]

"Bourbon? Well we have Jack Daniels, Crown Royal........":banghead: Joe

That's funny. And happened to me a while back at a small town bar slash pizza joint. I inquired about what bourbon they had and her response was.. "We have Jack Daniels, Early Times, Seven Crown, Very Old Barton..." I was amused that she had to name four before she hit on one. I started to explain then stopped, I don't think she cared all that much. I took the VOB.

Then I really confused her by ordering my whiskey neat. The first attempt was served on the rocks, I explained that I really didn't care for ice in my whiskey. So she offered to fix it and it came back in a shot glass. I accepted it glad to finally have something to drink. I went over to the counter and grabbed a rocks glass and poured the shot into it myself. Whew sometimes this is a lot of work!

[Squash]

""We have Jack Daniels, Early Times, Seven Crown, Very Old Barton..." I was amused that she had to name four before she hit on one."

Is not Early Times a bourbon by Brown-Forman?

[kickert]

""We have Jack Daniels, Early Times, Seven Crown, Very Old Barton..." I was amused that she had to name four before she hit on one."

Is not Early Times a bourbon by Brown-Forman?

It used to be a bourbon. Now it is a Kentucky Straight Whiskey because a portion of it is aged in used barrels.

[spun_cookie]

With respect to the PVW 23yr revB at a local liquor store with the best selection in Tucson:

"It is the best rye whiskey you will ever have".

In reality, that is probably true since I like a wheated bourbon

[Stu]

I rarely drink in bars, usually just when we go to professional meetings. When I do, I always survey the selection and if I don't see something I like I say "What do you have under the bar?" I also always look over the glasses and I usually say "give me X neat, in glass like that one, and point, and an ice water back." Still 5 out of 10 times I get "Do you want any water in your whiskey or just ice?" so I must explain what neat means.

[Josh]

Never gotten a bourbon education at a bar, but I did learn something at Moe & Johnny's (nee The Bulldog) in Indianapolis several years ago.

If a woman comes up to you as you walk into the bar, gives you a funny look when you order a coke and 5 minutes into the conversation says "So where do you want to do this?", she's not looking for a new friend, she's looking for a client.

[pepcycle]

A winner of a homebrew contest claimed he barrel aged a rye beer in a rye barrel.

I was intrigued and asked which rye.

George Dickel!!!!

News to me.

[ILLfarmboy]

The last time I ordered an Old Fashioned in a bar I had to stop the bartender from putting vermouth in it. This was after asking her if she knew how to make an Old Fashioned.

I then explained that the only thing that goes in an Old Fashioned is sugar, water, bitters and the garnish. I should have explained that the "water" should only be a teaspoon, enough to dissolve the sugar. What I got was a bourbon and water with a packet of sugar and a dash of bitters.:smiley_acbt:

[sailor22]

Entering a steak place in down town Indianapolis I saw two unopened bottles of Pappy 23 behind the receptionist station. With my meal I ordered a Pappy Van Winkle 23 neat and got a confused look from the waitress who then hustled off to the bar. She returned and said they didn't have any and that the bar tender recommended Jack Daniels instead. I mentioned the bottles on the shelf at the front of the restaurant - she hurried off again - she returned a long time later and said "those are just for decoration, can I get you that Jack now?" aaaarrrgg.

[TomH]

You might be glad that restaurant just had the bottles for decoration without seeing it on the drink menu. One of my favorite Indy restaurants (to be truthful, it's not really an Indy restaurant since it's a small chain) does serve PVW23......for $80 ! (Needless to say I normally drink wine there ).

Tom

[Klepackage]

Entering a steak place in down town Indianapolis I saw two unopened bottles of Pappy 23 behind the receptionist station. With my meal I ordered a Pappy Van Winkle 23 neat and got a confused look from the waitress who then hustled off to the bar. She returned and said they didn't have any and that the bar tender recommended Jack Daniels instead. I mentioned the bottles on the shelf at the front of the restaurant - she hurried off again - she returned a long time later and said "those are just for decoration, can I get you that Jack now?" aaaarrrgg.

[CygnusX-1]

Was at a Bar about a week ago and asked the bartender if she had any special drinks made with whiskey and see made me a shooter with Crown Royal, balieys, and something else i cant recall so i drank it and she asked how it was and i said it was fine but told her she should use bourbon in it and she grabbed the bottle as she told me crown is a like a bourbon and looked at the bottle puzzled that it did not say bourbon on it. She made up for it though buy letting me sample a few of thier real bourbons for free:grin:

[ILLfarmboy]

While we normally complain about ignorant waitstaff or bad experiences in these types of threads but I would like to relate a positive experience I had a couple nights ago.

Janean and I decided to utilize a gift certificate we got for the Olive Garden this Christmas. While chain restaurants like the Olive Garden are a hit and miss, (usually more misses than hits) when it comes to knowledgeable bar tenders so I hemmed and hawed as to what to drink that night. Should I get a neat pour that the waitstaff would be less likely to screw up or a Manhattan which I was jonesing for. I took a chance and ordered a Knob Creek Manhattan. I forgot to specify straight up so when it came to the table I felt that it wasn't a good sign when it came on the rocks. Straight up would strike me as the 'default setting' but the bar tender did a superlative job, very easy on the vermouth and it did contain bitters.

Wow, just when I'm just about to completely loose faith in my fellow man something like this happens. I asked our waitress to give my compliments to whomever made the drink. It turned out that that person was a she, which, I don't mean to sound sexist, but that surprised me all the more....

[independant]

My wife and I were at Outback steak house the other night and while I was in the bathroom the bartender, a man, came by and asked what we wanted and my wife asked what bourbons they had. Now to set this up me and my wife play a little game, either she will pour me a glass at home or order me a drink out and I have to guess what it is. anyway back to what happened. When my wife asked what bourbons they had the male bartender informed her they had yadda yadda... Jack Daniels. As he said that the other female bartender informed him that Jack Daniels is not a bourbon. I couldn't help but laugh when my wife retold this story.

[independant]

This is not so much as a bar story as it is a liquor store story. I have three ABC stores on my way to work and I take turns as to which one I am going to stop at the day after pay day. The one I went to today I have not been in in a while. I noticed that the store had made a display using Bookers bottles and the wood boxes they come in. They had three boxes laying on their sides to show the writing on the side. They were on the top shelf so I flipped them over to see if there was bottles in the boxes and there was. The manager asked me what I was doing and I tried to explain to him how that leaving them on their side was going to taint them from the cork. He just said oh , but I got the feeling that he was thinking what is this young guy talking about. I really feel sorry for whoever drops 60.00 on one of those bottles becasue there is no telling how long they were like that or how long they will be left that way.

[ILLfarmboy]

I've seen that so many times it just makes me sick to my stomach.

Liquor store owners and managers should know better. It does no good to tell them.

[ThomasH]

I was at a gathering last night and the conversation turned to whiskey. Some friend of somebody tried to tell me that scotch whiskey was nothing more than bourbon that was produced in Scotland. Most of my friends just laughed and looked at me. Someone pulled out a laptop and I showed this individual SB.com. Hopefully he brushes up on his whiskey knowledge before he decides to join!

Thomas

[Vange]

I was at a bar in Atlantic City NJ and I order a bourbon and diet coke. The bartender pours me a Jack and coke and hands it to me. I told him I asked for bourbon. He replies a bit nasty, Jack is bourbon. I tell him, well whatever, I didnt want Jack, how about that Bakers over there and diet coke. He cups his ear as if he couldnt hear me when I ordered the Bakers. I see him walking back to me with a bottle of something else, I then point to it across the bar. It was unopened and he pours me my drink. He then asks me if I am from the south, I said, would I ask you if you were from Eastern Europe when you order a red bull and vodka? Sighhhh.....

Side note to the story, they overcharged my card at the end of the night and I had to resolve it with my CC company. I got it taken off, but it was BS.

[gothbat]

...somebody tried to tell me that scotch whiskey was nothing more than bourbon that was produced in Scotland.

I corrected someone for telling me almost the exact same thing today!

[Luna56]

We can all relate to the idiocy that seems to prevail when we know more than the "professionals" we are forced to contend with. What I really hate is paying for premium hooch and being served well swill. Like the place in New Milford, CT where I ordered a Remy Martin but was poured a Courvoisier. Next round, I went up to the bar to make sure they got it right. Sure enough, I got Courvoisier. Poured from a Remy bottle. I can tell the difference. Paid for a Remy, got Courvoisier.

I'll try to get the name of the shithole, can't remember it now, and post it here.:hot:

Cheers!

[Josh]

Almost forgot about this one...

Was at the local watering hole/restaurant w/friends last year on Derby day and we decided to order mint Juleps. We ordered them, and the waiter got a weird look on his face. "Mint what?" "Mint Julep. The bartender will know what it is." "Ok" he said, then repeated our food order and at the end said "and three mint Julians." "Juleps" we said.

So he comes back with the drinks and with a proud look on his face says "Here are your mint Tulips!":banghead: