Cocktails, Guinnesses, or trays of layered shots are all great orders if you want to get on a bartender’s nerves, especially when it’s busy.
Bartending is a tough job: you need to remember how to make a tonne of different drinks, hold orders in your head while you work, and manage the bar’s queue without leaving anyone waiting for too long.
That latter part, of course, goes wanting during the busiest period.
Any inconvenience during a hectic shift is sure to rile a busy bartender, and many have taken to TikTok to air their grievances with expectant boozers.
Cocktails are typically the biggest cause for consternation, as one American TikToker said during a videos her making a Long Island Iced Tea.
"When you come up to the bar and you order a Long Island, the first thing I'm thinking is, 'Is everything ok?” said @soulbowlbae on TikTok. “Like, is everything going on alright in your life 'cos why on earth would you want four different liquors in your drink?'
"You are getting rum, vodka, tequila and gin all mixed in one. That's just insane."
Over on this side of the Atlantic, another bartender has shared her own bartending icks via her TikTok account.
The 2023 video, shared by Portsmouth’s PRYZM nightclub, shows a bartender preparing a particularly bonkers order: a double vodka with water.
You might add a drop or two of water to a shot of whisky, but that’s because you might want to open up the flavour profile a little bit and catch whiffs of more ingredients.
"Adding a small amount of water to the whisky can help to 'open up' the flavours and aromas and make it more palatable and easier to drink," said food and drink website Slurrp.
Watering down vodka with… water will certainly dampen its heavy tang at least. And it prevents a sugar overload from getting it mixed with Coke or some other soft drink. But still, aren’t you out on the town because you’re looking to enjoy yourself?
Has anyone ever had a good time with a double vodka and water?
"You know what, I'm not judging you, but I'm just sayin' that everyone else is gonna'," says the video’s voiceover.
The video was captioned: "No offence if you drink this but just NO."
It spurred a few others to share the bizarre orders they’ve met during their bartending careers.
Another had encountered the same weird vodka concoction: "I work in a small village pub and a lady came at 12 on Tuesday and had a double vodka water with a slice of lime and the judgement exuded from my body."
"I remember getting asked for Havana and HOT water," shared another user.
"Had a guy order two gin and waters at my old job," a third added.
"Guinness shandy was the weirdest I had," another chimed in. This one at least makes some kind of sense.
There are all kinds of reasons why someone might order a drink for reasons other than the flavour, of course.
The Mirror recently outed anyone ordering a complex cocktail on a first date as being desperate to impress.
Who doesn’t swoon at the sight of someone choking down a Ramos Gin Fizz or a Corpse Reviver?
Featured Image Credit: poplasen via Getty ImagesTopics: TikTok
Rachael Davis