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PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Sheep-Goats posted:

Yeah ban the cigars outside. They're bad for business.

I smoke a cigar once in a while but I'd never do it in a crowded public place.

I think you should either ban all smoking, or allow all smoking. Banning cigars and allowing cigarettes is ridiculous, considering cigarettes tend to smell much worse (if not quite so strong).

# ¿ Aug 11, 2012 17:58

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# ¿ May 7, 2024 05:28

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Frozen Horse posted:

Attn GMs: Hire older bartenders; I don't trust anybody younger than me to fix anything more complicated than a gin and tonic, and they'll probably gently caress up the gin:tonic:ice ratio. Now where's my goddamn manhattan?

Maybe you're going to the wrong bars. If I want a beer, I go next door to the pub. If I want a Manhattan, I go to my steakhouse, or over to a fancy hotel bar.

Speaking of my steakhouse and their wicked cocktails, what do you all feel about this presentation: each cocktail is mixed, and poured into a tiny little carafe, which in then put in a bowl surrounded by crushed ice. This is served with a chilled cocktail glass.

I like it. It keeps the cocktail chilled properly without dilution, and it just seems very ritzy and clever. I've never seen it anywhere else, though.

# ¿ Aug 14, 2012 04:31

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

nrr posted:

We just started doing this for martinis served on our patio and I think it's a great idea to combat a drink heating up without having to compromise on dilution.

I'm not sure, but it seems like you end up getting a lot more cocktail at the place I'm talking about. I don't know if the martini glasses are smaller than average, but it always requires at least two pours. Two martinis can get your dinner off to a very memorable start (contrary to the end of the meal, which you probably won't be remembering).

# ¿ Aug 14, 2012 16:03

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Halloween Jack posted:

I'm a staunch defender of the principle that a daiquiri consists of Rum, Lime, Simple, and Shove That Blender Up Your rear end.

(Alcohol only makes me angry when I talk about it while sober.)

And Maraschino liqueur, surely?

# ¿ Sep 2, 2012 23:15

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Sheep-Goats posted:

Hi guys I worked at a club with a cognac we sold for $650.00 for two ounces, and we sold it, too.

IMO the only reason to pay that much is to be an rear end in a top hat, and therefore you probably should mix it with genadine and Rose's lime and drink it like a shot. And then jam the snifter into an orphan girls face (brunette 450, blonde 500).

That wasn't our most expensive item either. Before I started working there we had one of two bottles worldwide of Remy Diamond (this was before it went into general release), which we sold out on at 1500 a shot. Ahh the pre recession days...

Was it Louis XIII? Having finally tried some from a bottle my friend bought years ago and finally cracked, I can say it was indeed excellent cognac, but not my favorite and nowhere near worth the price, a large part of which comes from the crystal decanter that it comes in. I'd totally pay $150 for a bottle, but not 10 times that (which is what my friend paid at a duty-free in St. Maarten).

# ¿ Sep 12, 2012 20:00

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Sheep-Goats posted:

Louis XIII was 150 a shot, not 1500. Remy Diamond was basically an upsell on that same product though, the bottle was very similar but faceted instead of smooth and there was a little diamond set in there (in our bottle, I don't think the commercial version has those). You can buy it in in-flight magazines and stuff now for like 1500 a bottle (the Diamond one), which I think is less than a bottle of regular Louis so, like everything else in that part of the nightlife industry, we were selling smoke and mirrors.

Jesus, I've never seen Louis XIII in a bar for under $230/shot. Man, Canadians get screwed on booze prices.

# ¿ Sep 13, 2012 16:48

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Sheep-Goats posted:

I know, right? We gouged on everything else, why not that one.

Also back then 230CAD was probably about 150USD.

I saw it for $230 when the Canadian dollar was at par.

# ¿ Sep 13, 2012 17:34

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

See, now this might be a bartenders' school worth paying for!

# ¿ Sep 19, 2012 04:39

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Coolguye posted:

So here's an interesting conversation that came up at work today.

I'm a programmer by trade, so obviously I work with a bunch of people that are very, very technical and love to automate things. One of my co-workers was floating an idea of a bar where robots did the pouring. There's some precedent for that due to the fancy-rear end soda fountain machines that have like a million sodas nowadays. Presumably you could make a similar machine and program a micro-controller to dispense mixes and liquors all auto-magically. The technical challenge here isn't difficult at all really, but from what meager sense I've gotten from lurking the first 100 page thread and most of this one I think there's some very critical things missing in the calculation. So I've got some questions for the bartenders and managers here.

1) How much of an expense, REALLY, is a bartender's pay?

2) What intangibles would change beyond taking a bartender out from behind the bar?

3) Even if the bartender stayed, would a bartender even like having a machine that they could just tap a few buttons and have a drink produced?

4) I had wondered aloud during the conversation if a jury-rigged machine like that would actually out-pour an experienced booze slinger - how many common drinks can a decent bartender produce per minute? I'm not talking about snooty complex cocktails, I'm talking about the poo poo that actually gets ordered in a bar. Rum and coke and so forth. Alternatively, how many drinks do you make at once, generally?

5) Is the reason a bar fails an expense problem, or an income problem?

My own comments/some background on the conversation:

The edge my co-worker thinks this would give him is not having to pay a bartender, and increasing volume because customers don't feel the need to tip a machine. Something about this doesn't add up to me since a bartender's actual wage is below poverty limits. Higher volume due to cheaper booze doesn't really equal sustainable to me, either. Overserving would be a huge problem unless you made cutting people off a barback's job, and even then how would you enforce it? The machine is supposed to be right there for the customers to use, the second the barback goes to get more glassware the douchebag is going to refill his drink. Overserved customers are unattractive customers, and that kills the atmosphere that drives repeat business in a bar. I also think that people still like the aesthetic of chatting with a bartender after a long day, and you'd lose that attractiveness by replacing it with a machine.

I really have no idea if a machine would make a bartender's job easier or harder, though. I can see it as nice that the various liquors are now just fed from big tanks in the back office. No more reaching down to the rail for the rum, and no more hurried scuffles to the back to get a new bottle when the Captain dries up. No more arguing with dumbasses about how you shorted them, a ready reply to the 'HEH HOOK ME UP BRO' locusts. But by the same token I realize how much of the bartender's job is muscle memory and rhythm, and I have no idea how that would gently caress with it.

Anyway, it seems to me that so many bars fail not because they're not operating efficiently or they cost too much - opening a bar isn't cheap by any means, but the equipment it uses is well known, widely available, and not exactly specialized. I don't see how cutting cost corners helps you that much, failing things like rampant theft or embezzlement. You might save a few bucks here and there but if you have a problem with your bottom line it's probably because you're not busy enough. When I barhop at the dives around my neighborhood, the ones that have some obnoxious gimmick like live local bands are always the ones that are gone next time I want a drink, and the ones that stick to the fundamentals of an attractive atmosphere, chill people, and decent booze are the ones that are typically at least half full and doing brisk business. But I'm nothing more than a joe who likes an occasional drink away from my home, so I kinda feel like I know gently caress-all here.

These machines already exist, and I believe they're quite popular in some applications like big casinos, where the drinking is something of an afterthought. Regardless of whether it saves money, it can never take over the job of actual bartenders in terms of recommending drinks, providing a show, making sure people are cut off when they need to be, and you'd still require the same number of servers to pick up the slack. This isn't even to talk about the cost of such a machine and the maintenance that's required on it.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2012 18:04

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Do any bars have those tap-to-pay wireless credit card terminals? That would seem to be the best in terms of convenience (though I suppose you'd still have to enter a tip).

Are US credit card issuers starting to use chip cards? I never thought it would be so slow to deal with credit cards, but if you're dealing with getting a signature every time, I can see how it would take a lot of time.

# ¿ Nov 11, 2012 01:38

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Perdido posted:

I have to swipe, hope that my ancient POS will recognise the card, if not I have to manually punch in the card number and expiry date, hit Send, which causes the POS to lag and lock up for about 30 seconds, then wait another minute or so until the printer barfs out the receipt.

That's lovely. Aren't you Canadian? I don't think I've been to a bar in the past three years that hasn't had wireless PIN pads that accept chip cards. I think it's still a bit slower than cash, and obviously there's the processing fee (having looked at the processing systems for my own business, I think it's 5 cents plus 2% per transaction, or in that general range), but all in all I still don't think it's a major inconvenience if done with a modern system.

I'll definitely pay cash if I have cash on me, and I wouldn't ever pay per-drink with a card, but I don't always carry enough cash to settle up a decent bar tab, especially if I've had food.

# ¿ Nov 11, 2012 03:03

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

How common are barfights, really? Having gone to a bar pretty much at least once every other day (on average) for the past 5 or 6 years, all over the world, I still have never seen one. I've seen things come close, but never has it actually reached the point of a true fight.

# ¿ Jan 11, 2013 18:22

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

How concerned do you guys get about people driving drunk, and is there any liability involved with dram shop laws provided someone gets nabbed for DUI but doesn't actually cause an accident? I was at the bar earlier, and while I was having a smoke outside, I saw an obviously intoxicated person stumble across the street to their car, get in, destroy the better part of their clutch getting out of their parking spot, and drive off. I called 911 with the plate and a vehicle description, but now I'm feeling a bit worried that I could've landed my local bar and bartenders in poo poo if he actually does get caught or, god forbid, causes an accident. I like to think I'm an easy-going guy, but as a frequent driver and pedestrian in that area, among others, I feel that drunk driving is just not acceptable.

Is there any real way to prevent drunk driving short of demanding car keys from every customer as they walk in? It's a downtown bar, and most of the patrons live within easy walking distance, so I think they may be a little lax about whatever measures they ought to be taking, but upon thinking about it for a while, I can't think of what any of those measures might actually be.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2013 07:06

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Hoops posted:

I've just been out in my small hometown, and goddamit in three different bars every pint I was served was flat. I've worked in bars in that town and no beer would be flat when I was serving. This was Saturday night so you know the supervisors were on, I don't understand why people will let the gas on their taps run out without changing it. I had to ask for some extra head on my beer in three different places just to make it drinkable.

Some combination of lazy, stupid or cheap, I'm guessing.

# ¿ Apr 14, 2013 07:55

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

SubponticatePoster posted:

I used to ask people their astrological sign back in the day. They'll memorize all the poo poo on that card down to the license number, but still either give you their sign or stare at you dumbly while they try to guess if it's Virgo or Libra.

What kind of a massive retard would change their actual birthday, instead of just switching the year?

# ¿ May 2, 2013 21:48

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

FISHMANPET posted:

Sometimes they get old real IDs from someone that looks like them, so they may not have a choice.

Ah, forgot about that. I didn't have older brothers or anything so that option never occurred to me.

# ¿ May 2, 2013 22:34

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

SubponticatePoster posted:

This. As ID's get more sophisticated and harder to fake they get someone else's real ID. In working the door I don't think I ever found a fake manufactured ID, they were all legit IDs being used by underagers.

edit:

If you're already using an ID that doesn't look like you (whether it's you or not) and can't answer this question you ain't getting in my bar. It's not worth losing the liquor license or getting my rear end fined to let 1 person in, sorry.

Do you get any specialized training on recognizing discrepancies between the photo on the ID and the person's face? I've never had anyone card me and scrutinize my face in any depth (granted, I've always been using my legit ID), but for example travelling in and out of certain countries, you can basically see immigration authorities running through a mental checklist of sorts to make sure you're the person pictured in your passport and/or entry photo.

EDIT: Mind you, one time I did get refused for off-sales when I was only a year or two above the legal age. The bartender found it suspicious that I didn't want to walk to the much-less-expensive liquor store 3 blocks away, but the reality was that I was picking up beer for my nearby friends as a favour, and they wanted it ASAP and gave me the money. Sort of a piss-off, but I can understand why it happened.

PT6A fucked around with this message at 23:19 on May 2, 2013

# ¿ May 2, 2013 23:17

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

FaceEater posted:

We tend to see a good number of people trying to get in with papers that are similar to or supposedly in lieu of their ID. People that supposedly got their licenses taken away for a ticket or lost them or somesuch. Those people don't get let in, and while I understand some court in some other state might've given it to you, I don't know what a ticket from Idaho actually looks like, so, sorry.

I also once had an Irish citizen try to give me a b&w photocopy of her passport because she "didn't want to go out with the real one and lose it!"

Ha.

I've used a B&W passport photocopy to get into bars (and coffeeshops in Amsterdam), so it's not as crazy as you think, at least from a European mindset.

# ¿ May 3, 2013 00:28

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Yeah, I think it's ultimately because, even if there is a drinking age and someone manages to finally give a poo poo, it'll be the person trying to pass a fake ID who gets in the most trouble (as it should be). Why should bartenders and (in the case of tobacco) retail employees be responsible for determining the validity of increasingly-realistic IDs, under the threat of really harsh punishments if they screw up? More honest people are going to get turned away, and inevitably some number of fakes will still get through. It seems like enforcement is going about it all wrong.

Another thing is that people in the US are remarkably casual about carrying an illegal replica of government-issued ID. I looked into getting one when I was 16-17 to buy smokes, but ultimately it was easier, safer and cheaper for me to just find the shops that never checked IDs (there's more of them than you think!). On the other hand, my American uncle bought his stepdaughter a fake ID so she could drink underage (theoretically "a glass of wine with dinner," but I don't think even he was stupid/naive enough to not realize she was drinking in bars).

# ¿ May 3, 2013 15:44

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

FaceEater posted:

It is not the case in a bar, at least here in Chicago. The law is something akin to (paraphrasing) having to have a valid ID on premises to drink in a bar. I know nothing about endorsements here having much to do with it.

It is totally unreasonable and is a ridiculous oval office of a law to have to actually enforce. When I look at a customer and know he or she is clearly 40-plus but still have to ask he/she to produce photo identification of that fact, it sucks. But it's the law, and is enforced to make this broke rear end city their bits of money. The bar across the street got popped for $500 and a strike against their license for serving an obviously of-age individual (looked 45, graying, weathered looking dude) who was a vice cop without asking him for an ID. Went in, asked for a beer (it's always a Miller Lite) on a nice slow afternoon shift, and then bang, pulled out his ID, told the bartender that had served him to go pull the marked $20 back out of the register, and issued a citation.

Yes, the burden of diligence in carding everyone is on the bartender, and no it is not fair. It sucks working under a law that's enforced in that manner. The spirit of the law doesn't matter, it seems, when the city is broke.

tl;dr: don't go getting mad when you're an old fart getting carded; your bartender is just doing his/her job, and risks losing that job if he/she doesn't do it every time.

The really bizarre thing is that you have to make sure everyone has ID on them at any time they're in the bar. I always have my ID in my wallet anyway, but it would suck if I had to produce it for the bartenders (for both me and the bartender) every time I went to have a pint at the local.

EDIT: And between government/corporate policy, I have no doubt it gets that ridiculous. London Drugs once carded my 60-year-old aunt when she was buying cigarettes.

# ¿ May 5, 2013 23:53

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

nrr posted:

I've got to bite my tongue every time someone asks me where's your martini list? Why don't I see any on your menu? Well, my gins are on this page, and my vodkas are on the opposite page, do you really need to see a list with your options after that? Oh wait, you're not talking about Martinis at all, you want something like a Cosmo or a lemon drop...

It's best to just shut up and leave the semantics lecture alone, and yeah your boss is right because you probably will sell more if you put 'martini' in the name even if it isn't one because most people aren't sperging bartenders and don't know/give a poo poo

Mojitos are getting this same treatment and it infuriates me. You put mint in the drink, that does not make it a mojito. Things have names for a reason, damnit!

I tried the "gin mojito" at a restaurant this weekend, and I'll admit it was a pretty tasty drink, but it's not a mojito.

# ¿ Jul 3, 2013 15:51

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Benny D posted:

Gin recommendation: Hendricks. It's a cucumber gin and it's quite tasty.

He mentioned that one. I'd also recommend Citadelle or Port of Barcelona, for either straight drinking or martinis (not necessarily G&T).

# ¿ Sep 1, 2013 02:31

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

If you want a classic "manly" drink with a bit of sweetness, I'd have to recommend the Manhattan as well, especially if you're a fan of the herbal aspect of gin (which is what tends to turn people off of Manhattans, I've found). There's not really any sourness to speak of, mind you.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2013 03:24

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Malcolm posted:

e: I'm sure there are lots of clubs that do bladder busters poo poo but I'm surprised nobody actually got a ruptured kidney and decided to sue or something.

I don't think that's a thing that can actually happen. You'd probably just piss yourself before any actual damage happened.

# ¿ Sep 25, 2013 17:58

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Are managers prohibited from taking tips given to them provided there's no pooling? My local has a lot of "managers" that work the bar or kitchen from time to time. I don't really have a problem with them taking tips if they are working as a bartender or server; they aren't poaching good shifts by any means. I feel like a jerk as a customer if they aren't getting tipped for serving me, whether they're managers or not. I'd say the line gets muddied a lot more when they just "help out" during a busy shift, which the managers at my place don't do.

# ¿ Sep 29, 2013 02:52

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Kaizoku posted:

That is behavior I don't tolerate. "Excuse me sir/miss, I am your server: not your servant. Acting otherwise isn't going to get you far." Sometimes saying that will end up getting you a bad tip, but do you think they were going to tip well before you said it?

Also, if the customer is acting that way because you are doing a lovely job of paying attention to them, don't get sassy. The place I'm currently working, most of the bartenders are AWFUL. They are the reason I am writing beyond the first paragraph, so don't take this as me judging you; I have no idea what your circumstances are.

Last night, a guest sat down at the end of the bar while the bartender was taking a to-go food order from someone standing directly next to the guest who had sat. He takes the order, goes to the POS at the other end of the bar, and then starts chatting with a couple near the POS. 12 minutes later, he brings the bag of food for the to-go customer, and then asks the former if he'd like something to drink. He says, "I did awhile ago, but not anymore. I'm leaving."

I was very impressed by this guest because he didn't raise his voice or throw a fit, he spoke calmly and still tried to let the bartender know he was doing a lovely job. (I witnessed this because I was cocktailing the patio that night, and had to wait at the end of the bar for my tables' drinks, since we averaged 7 minute drink tickets that night.)

The bartender then bitched about the guest who left to me, in front of at least ten other guests between tables that could hear and the two sitting at that end of the bar, about the guest who left.

TLDR; I need to find a new place to work.

Yeah, if my beer's empty and I can see the bartender is not busy, I'll occasionally call their name or wave to get their attention. If I can see they're busy making drinks or something, I'll let them finish that and then try to get their attention.

# ¿ Sep 29, 2013 20:16

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Does anyone put the same level of effort into preparing Clamato (in terms of maybe cooking a clam broth themselves or something?) or is it all just pre-packaged stuff? I just can't convince myself why I should have a Bloody Mary when a Caesar is so, so much better.

# ¿ Oct 5, 2013 22:27

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

If I order a pint, I expect to receive a proper pint, or be told that pints are not served at that bar, in which case I'll have a "glass of draft", which ironically is much larger than would receive when order a glass in a place that serves proper pints.

The right way to deal with that sort of stupidity is to politely make your feelings known, tip the bartender appropriately (as they have no say) and then find a bar that serves a proper, 20 oz. pint like God intended. If the bartenders knows English, he should inform you when a pint is not going to be served (of course, I'm in Canada, where I expect bars to serve an Imperial pint) mind you, it doesn't bother me when I'm in other countries that speak different languages and I get something like a half-litre when I order a pint in English.

# ¿ Oct 10, 2013 06:01

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Frozen Horse posted:

Would it kill us to finally go metric? It's not like it would be the first time I've been drinking out of a beaker.

Bars would probably charge the same for 0.5L as they do now for a proper pint (568 mL, according to Google), so I'm sure bars would love it and customers would get screwed.

# ¿ Oct 10, 2013 17:18

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

If you're looking for a good rye whiskey, I would suggest High West. I've had both the Double Rye and the Rendezvous, and they're both extremely tasty.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2013 06:59

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

As a Canadian who tips well, I love going to bars in places that are visited by tons of people who don't tip, because when I tip as I normally would in Canada, I get hooked up with free drinks and wicked service constantly (even free bottle service one time -- what a day that was!).

# ¿ Jan 19, 2014 23:38

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Masonity posted:

Try reserva too then if you can. It's the step up from 7. My last bottle was only �15 in duty free at heathrow heading out to Norway but it's usually around �25-30 while 7 is more �20-�25.

Havana Club Anejo Reserva is a younger rum than the 7 Y.O., usually thought to be about 5 years old. It's also cheaper than the 7 year old by about $5/bottle in Canada. Are you sure you're comparing the same size of bottle? They're both good rums, though, so drink whichever you prefer.

The 3 year old is my favourite for things like daiquiris and mojitos, personally. Anejo Reserva and up are sipping rums for me.

# ¿ Feb 17, 2014 21:33

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

So, do any of you Canadian bartenders have the dubious pleasure of opening up for the gold medal game this morning? I know Alberta's given all licensees an extension to be able to start serving at 5 AM, but I'm not sure about the other provinces. My buddy's bar was fully reserved as of yesterday.

I'm going to need some stories, because I think there'll be some good ones.

# ¿ Feb 23, 2014 12:33

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Perdido posted:

Most of Canada granted special exceptions as far as I know...although most of them had it sorted out before 2:45 on a loving Friday. What I'm saying is gently caress Allison Redford and the AGLC, as I've heard a ton of horror stories from places because trying to drum up staff to work on such short notice at an incredibly off hour is pretty hard. Service was pretty bad because most bars had skeleton staff working...place I was at only had 2 people in their kitchen, while another place had multiple food orders go missing because of server or kitchen fuckups. Had bars been given the opportunity to prepare a bit, things would've been a lot smoother and people would've had far better service.

For example, Toronto does this poo poo all the time with stuff like TIFF or the World Cup.

Could've been worse, though. You could've been living in Saskatchewan. Or more specifically, Prince Albert.

My joint wasn't open because "reasons", but the place I went to was slammed and we got our bartender wrecked to the point that he tapped out by the beginning of the third period. Basically cashed out and finished up at my bar went to another place, and blew a large amount of my tips on drinks, laser tag and a Jonathan Toews jersey.

I may or may not have been incredibly shitfaced. Blubububub.

Well, I suppose it's good that Alison Redford did it at all, but I agree she could've given some more notice. I ended up seeing a lot of bars open, and the ones that were open were pretty full. I read in the news this morning that there were very few "problems" and, as a result, the provincial government is looking at extending service hours in general and allowing sales in corner stores and grocery stores. It's about time!

# ¿ Feb 24, 2014 18:29

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

mooyashi posted:

No college kid carries cash unless they work in the service industry. I've just gotten over it at this point. Every once in a while, and it is rare, you get someone telling you your five dollar minimum is "illegal." I put on my nicest smile and tell them it's against Visa policy, and they are free to call them to complain. Most people just buy another drink to round it out. If you've been super nice, I'll run the card for the requisite five and give you the difference in cash, with a friendly reminder to just keep it in mind next time you come back.

Jesus, I think to get under a $5 tab at my local (or any bar in this city), you'd have to order a special and tip nothing at all. Unless you're just drinking pop, in which case you're either a DD and most bars will serve you pop for free, or a cheap rear end in a top hat who shouldn't be in a bar anyway.

# ¿ Feb 24, 2014 22:18

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Sheep-Goats posted:

E: Oh hey you're straight north of there

Yep, but our governments have wildly different opinions on how to restrict things like liquor and tobacco. I think the Mormons were big in this part of Canada for a while. We should work on purging them and their ilk from our governments at all levels.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2014 02:55

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Vegetable Melange posted:

Cash only will be dead in a generation or less, already I see kids who are 21, 22, not carrying cash on a Saturday night.

Once the US leaves the stone age and gets chip cards so you don't have to sign all the goddamn time, it will go even quicker.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2014 18:25

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

One of the bartenders at my local has his last shift on Thursday, after spending 14 years in the industry. Is there anything I should do for him apart from buying drinks for him and tipping well?

# ¿ Mar 12, 2014 05:09

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

What's the deal with treating "regulars" in most bars? There was some drama in my local because a regular came in, during a prebooked 80-person party, and ordered some meatballs, which are a cheap-rear end special for a different day. The cook said it would have to wait because he didn't want to gently caress up an 80-person party, and it ended with the bartender getting in a huff about "disrespecting regulars" and giving two weeks notice. As a regular at the same bar, I'd be loving embarrassed for myself if I ordered a $2 special on the wrong day during a party and expected it to come out pronto, so I'm with the cook on this one. Is the bartender being a nitwit, or is there a reason he freaked out over it?

# ¿ Mar 24, 2014 05:37

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# ¿ May 7, 2024 05:28

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Compared to sangrias, there's also the easier (and quite delicious) "tinto de verano," which is half and half red wine and Gaseosa. It can be approximated by 2 parts red wine, 1 part water and 1 part Sprite.

Honestly, though, I might focus on establishing a good selection of Spanish wines by the glass first and foremost. Get some reasonably priced examples from Rioja (both red and white), Ribera del Duero (red), Priorat (red) and Rueda (white). That's what I think about when I think "Spanish drink." Assuming you already have that end of things handled, feel free to ignore this. Also, consider getting some good Spanish brandies. I've recently started getting into them, and they are quite nice and yet very distinct from a Cognac or an Armagnac.

# ¿ May 25, 2014 23:46

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me about Bartending - The Revenge

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