86 MORE Rules of Boozing

[Resident Asshole]

83. If your coaster keeps sticking to your glass, shake a little table salt onto it.

It's one of my pet peeves when people do this, especially when I'm busy behind the bar. NOBODY can manage to just put a little salt on their fucking coaster, they manage to get it all over my bar, plus it makes my sink nasty when I wash the glass. If you can't manage to deal with a coaster then don't use one.

how does salt make your sink nasty?[/quote]

The same way that a car bomb or any drink that coagulates does. That shit just floats around the sink and sticks to the other glasses. I don't have a hotbox (or whatever you call them down there), I was each glass individually. So, I've learned with car bombs (both the pint glasses and the shot glass) to rinse them in the hand sink, then run them through the soap, rinse and sanitize sinks, otherwise you have to change the soap water way too often.

[Wingman]

The same way that a car bomb or any drink that coagulates does. That shit just floats around the sink and sticks to the other glasses. I don't have a hotbox (or whatever you call them down there), I was each glass individually. So, I've learned with car bombs (both the pint glasses and the shot glass) to rinse them in the hand sink, then run them through the soap, rinse and sanitize sinks, otherwise you have to change the soap water way too often.

i see. i was thinking of the hand sink, not the 3-sink. clearly i need to drink more....

[Surreal]

We will just have to agree to disagree. I would much rather have a Margarita, sangria or my personal drink, the poolside, which has citrus vodka, lemonade and cran/rasp juice in it. Surreal can attest to their tastiness - Res. A-Hole

I can attest.
I do attest.
They are quite tasty.

RA is a magician w/ mixers and booze.
He's not bad with a turntable either.

[Resident Asshole]

Part of the reason for shaking a cocktail is to (slighty) water it down with the melting ice. Think of shaking a Manhattan vs. just using whiskey stored in the freezer. Plus I feel you get it chilled faster with small chunks. And the smaller, cracked ice will melt even faster in your glass, causing it to become even more watered down. Hence, big cubes in-glass.Thanks for reading!

I agree with you that it is quicker to use smaller ice, but I bartend correctly vs. quickly. Most people ordering Manhattans from me don't want it watered down, but if someone wants their drink watered down, easy enough, add a splash of water, or just wait for the ice to melt a bit (if not drinking it neat). I don't want my Manhattan watered down personally.

[Jiggers McCoy]

When I say "watered down," I just mean a very minimal amount from contact with ice. Isn't part of the reason for using a shaker to get that minimal amount of water in the drink? If it didn't impart some advantage to the drink, wouldn't people just keep their booze in the fridge or freezer?

And when I say cracked ice, I mean chunks about 1/2 inch square, or the crescents that come out of most automatic ice-makers. Definitely not crushed or shaved. For big cubes, I got a pair of those silicon trays that make 1-inch square cubes. Very attractive in an old-fashioned glass vs. the small chips a lot of bars use. But, for me anyway, too big for use in my shaker.

But, I will yield to the pro :) God bless you

[Hardcore Stig]

I like it, a few pure live by rules in there and nothing I disagree with too strongly.

Good work that man!

[MeanOldLady]

this is not to say everything cropped from list isn't good, and i would especially like to point out that not everything cropped from the list is on equal footing; the problem is the "honorable mention" list got so long, that the best of the best was forced into one group, and everything else into another. disclaimers now over, here is what i adored the most:

17. If you like bourbon, try rye.
18. If you don’t like bourbon, start.
...
20. Learn your bartenders’ names.
21. Don’t apologize if you slosh you’re drink while telling a story. You’re just being passionate.
...
26. If you’ve tasked a friend with staking out and saving seats in a crowded bar, their first round is on you.
27. A bar with a line is rarely worth your time.
...
31. Don’t tell your bartender how to make a drink, unless they ask. If you feel they won’t know it or they’ll screw it up, simply order by ingredients. Instead of “I’ll have a Gin Rickey,” say, “I’ll have a gin and soda with lime.”
...
33. Drinks taste better on a roof or near water.
...
35. If you don’t own a flask, why?
...
84. Don’t order a Martini in a shitkicker bar.
85. It’s ok to read in a bar, but probably inadvisable on a Saturday night.
86. Each drink is a little vacation. Enjoy yourself.

[Jiggers McCoy]

Thanks for reading, glad you enjoyed it!

[Jiggers McCoy]

Put this in the magazine! I demand satisfaction!

[Resident Asshole]

BTW, now that you explained what size cubes you were referring to I agree with you. With the 1" ones you can't fit enough into a shaker to use it properly.