Having been a bartender a few years ago, I can tell you that there is definitely a right way and a wrong way for patrons to act in a bar. The right way not only makes your overall bar experience more enjoyable, but the right way also ensures that you will get the best service possible from your bartender. The wrong way, however, will most likely lead to an unpleasant evening and possibly make you wish you had stayed home. The distinction between the right way and the wrong way is governed by an observed, social convention called bar etiquette.
Good bar etiquette begins before you even leave the house. When you are with your friends and confidants, ask yourselves why you have decided to go out in the first place, because not all bars are the same, and not every bar has the same atmosphere. If you are going out to boisterously mingle with your friends, then you most likely do not want to go to a small, quiet dive, where the regulars wear their barstool like yesterday’s cologne. You would be better off going to a larger, more convivial establishment where the regulars are chameleons among the rest of the crowd. The reason is simple: Not everyone goes to a bar to be around happy, loud, obnoxious groups. In fact, most people go to hole-in-the-wall bars to escape groups such as these, and the last thing they or the other clientele want is to be subjected to you and your group’s overwhelming joys. So, decide what type of night you’re in for and plan accordingly. Another part of good bar etiquette—especially during busy hours—is your drink- ordering process. First and foremost, know exactly what you want to order before bellying up to the bar. Not only will this cut back on your wait time, but it will also cut back the wait times of everyone waiting behind you. Once you know what you want, and after being able to find a place at the bar without pushing and shoving someone out of the way, try to get the bartender’s attention with solid eye contact. If eye contact or pleasant excuse me’s do not initially work, then hold your money on the bar in view of the bartender. Trust me; his or her attention will be drawn to the green, and then to you. Once you have the bartender’s attention, order your drinks confidently, and wait patiently. When it comes to tipping, just remember that this is your opportunity to distinguish yourself as a valued customer. Tip well and tip frequently, because if you do, chances are that you will be served quicker in the future (and you and your friends’ drinks might be a little stiffer too).
There are many, many other nuances of bar etiquette that I would like to discuss, but for lack of space, I can only comment on one more: closing time. If you really want to show off your skills, order your last round of drinks at least 10 minutes before last call, so that when last call arrives, your drinks will be nearly finished and you can proceed toward the exits. This prevents bouncers from having to rip cold, unfinished drinks from your hands while using their feet to push you out the door. To be honest, last call is a polite way of asking everyone to leave without explicitly saying it.
Having been on the other side of the bar a time or two as well, I would say that etiquette can only take you so far. If you find yourself in the wrong kind of bar with sloppy drinks and a bartender who doesn’t appreciate your generous tips, then chalk it up as just one more poor decision made in college and warn your friends against that location. There are plenty of other fish in that sea, because as a bartender, you cannot choose your customer, but as a customer you can choose your bar.
Mark Leszczynski, Senior
English Major
