Like any business, bars are in the game to make money.
There's nothing wrong with that, but the unfortunate truth is that some bars will pull some pretty
shady schemes to make a few extra bucks.
Some of them you can spot from a mile away, but others are so devious that even a well-trained
eye might miss them.
Liquor fake outs
It may be hard to imagine that an establishment would encourage their staff to be this unscrupulous,
but unfortunately, it does happen.
This scam is particularly easy to pull off if you're sitting at a table and can't watch
your drink being prepared.
The bartender simply prepares your drink with a lower priced alcohol than what you ordered.
Tequila.
Pour it in front of me…"
Even if you're seated at the bar, they may look as if they're pouring you the top shelf
stuff, but have actually refilled the bottle with lower end booze.
In 2013, New Jersey authorities discovered 29 bars and restaurants doing exactly that.
What can you do to make sure it isn't happening to you?
Unless your tastebuds can really tell the difference, not much.
"To Haley's first drink."
"Oh, it burns."
Short pours
You don't really need to worry about this in a chain restaurant, where every pour is
measured and controlled by a computer.
"Android, technically."
Short pours do happen in many bars, however, when the owner is trying to save money per
drink, as well as sell you more drinks in your quest for a buzz.
The only way you can know if this is happening is to really watch your drink being made.
Even then, bartenders can tilt the bottle and control the pour in a way that it only
looks like you're getting a strong pour of hooch.
"What am I, 12?"
Even a seemingly strong tasting drink may have been poured short, all a bartender needs
to do is place a dab of alcohol in your straw, and that first sip will convince you they've
fixed you a stiff drink, when it's basically just a glass of cola and ice.
"A slight tingle in my fingers.
I think it's affecting me."
Foamy beers
When you order a pint, you're paying for an actual measurable amount of beer.
When it is served to you with a solid inch of foamy head on top, you are being cheated
by either a lazy bartender, or an owner who told him to pour beers that way to try and
stretch 20 more beers out of that keg before the night is through.
"It's also for profit as well, because that foam is approximately 25 percent beer."
Plus, most establishments count on you not wanting to "be that guy" who's going to ask
the bartender to fill your glass up more.
If you notice that most beers being delivered to patrons in a bar all have that large layer
of head on top, you can be sure it's been done on purpose.
Dirty workspaces
It may sound pretty gross, but not all watering holes are exactly "health inspector ready."
It may be that staff is anxious to get out of there after a long, late-night shift.
It may be that the owner doesn't want to pay the barbacks and busboys the extra hourly
moola that properly cleaning the place would entail.
Areas that should be completely cleared out and washed, like the speed rail, the refrigerators,
the garnish caddies, and the ice bin might only get the weekly treatment, instead of
the daily treatment really needed when you're dealing with things like spilled orange juice
and warm beer.
That dimly lit bar with particularly sticky floors?
Hey, at least you're drinking for cheap.
Pouring old wine
More and more places are offering a bazillion choices of wines by the glass these days,
and what that means for you is that some of those wines sit around for awhile after they're
opened.
In fact, you may just be getting a pour of wine from a bottle that was opened last week,
or even last month.
"Bring us some fresh wine, the freshest you've got.
This year's, no more of this old stuff."
To top it all off, staff doesn't even know if they are pouring from a freshly opened
bottle or not, which was likely opened on another bartender's shift.
When in doubt, ask.
Most reputable places will start the night with newly opened bottles, but that doesn't
always happen.
Short staffed
Does the bartender seem like she has way too many customers still waiting for drinks as
she changes kegs herself and fetches buckets of ice from the kitchen?
Either the barback called out sick, or the owner doesn't want to pay for one.
Sure, it's nice as a server to not have yet another person to give a cut of your tips
to at the end of the night, but if drinks aren't getting made quickly enough because
the lone bartender is stuck wrapping up someone's leftover cheeseburger, that's money out of
pocket for everyone working that shift.
Not offering water
There are two parts to the devious plan to hold back on your very important hydration.
First, if a bartender doesn't automatically give you a glass of water, you're more likely
to try to quench your thirst with booze.
"We'll have five of those, please."
"No, sorry.
Can we have four of those and a tap water, please."
"Whaaat?"
Second, someone has to clean all that glassware, and many a restaurant owner or manager has
instructed staff to only bring water if asked in order to save on both the water, and the
dishwashing bill.
Sound like a ridiculous way to save a few cents?
Maybe, but those cents can add up to measurable bucks by evening's end.