Being in the hospitality industry, bartenders don't usually complain when someone orders a drink— but that doesn’t mean they aren’t secretly judging you. In fact, some drinks are the bane of bartenders no matter what time of day— and many of them happen to be popular drinks that they secretly hate to make.
Not long ago, Alcohol.org surveyed 260 current and former American bartenders to find out their perceptions of customers. Here’s a list of the drinks most bartenders can’t stand making.
Appletini
Never order an Appletini. The beverage is the most hated drink of 49% of bartenders.
As beverage director Patrick Wells has explained, it’s essentially a '90s steakhouse cocktail drink that got popularized due to its super simple recipe—and its sweetness implies that the patron can’t handle real liquor. But no matter how delicious you may think it is, the chances are the bartender will spend the rest of the evening feeling bitter about your request.
Jägerbomb
The second most loathed drink is the Jägerbomb. Forty percent of bartenders surveyed secretly judge customers who order it.
Sex on the Beach
Right behind the Jägerbomb, getting disapproval from 38% of bartenders, was the Sex on the Beach cocktail.
Long Island Iced Tea
Similarly, 29% of bartenders can’t stand it when a customer orders a long island iced teas.
In an interview with Business Insider, mixologist Elena Alvarez of The Airliner in Iowa City revealed that "the really difficult drinks with a lot of ingredients are always annoying to make when things are really busy."
"Surprise Me"
While ordering any of the above drinks can drive your bartender nuts, nothing irritates a bartender more than hearing the words, “surprise me!”
Asking for a busy member of staff to “surprise you” is unbelievably annoying, especially when they are busy serving other patrons. It’s always better to come prepared and place an order when you’ve decided what you want.
