• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Bartender says there's one thing people ask for that they really hate

Home> Lifestyle> Food & Drink

Updated 20:12 3 Jun 2024 GMT+1Published 20:11 3 Jun 2024 GMT+1

Bartender says there's one thing people ask for that they really hate

To be fair, it's a really annoying thing to say

Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper

Working as a bartender is not a job for the weak.

Spending your nights stood behind a noisy, crowded bar taking relentless orders from drunk customers can be an absolute nightmare to deal with.

However, if you're looking to improve your bar etiquette, there are plenty of bartenders on hand to tell you exactly what to do (and more importantly what not to do) when you head over to order your next drink.

Read the menu before going to the bar. (Getty Stock Image)
Read the menu before going to the bar. (Getty Stock Image)

Advert

Now you may think that ordering a complicated drink - such as a cocktail - in a busy bar would be the biggest sin you could commit, but it turns out there's one phrase that bartenders detest more than anything in the world.

Unsurprisingly, if you've ever gone up to the bar and said the words 'surprise me' to a bartender then you've just committed a cardinal sin.

What's wrong with asking a bartender to surprise you, you ask? Sometimes a menu might be filled with obscure drinks you've never heard of, or you're feeling like venturing out of your comfort zone.

You may think you're being an easy customer by giving the server free reign to make whatever they like, however it turns out an indecisive customer is every bartender's worst nightmare.

No, your bartender doesn't want to surprise you. (Getty Stock Image)
No, your bartender doesn't want to surprise you. (Getty Stock Image)

Advert

Sharing her experience with Chowhound, veteran bartender Samantha Follows explained why hearing those two words is every bartender's worst nightmare.

She pointed out that in a crowded bar it's almost impossible to magically come up with a drink which is exactly to the customer's taste - and can often waste limited time and resources, especially if you're not fond of the mystery drink and request something else instead.

"​​It's like, do you like sweet drinks? Do you like bitter drinks? Do you like whiskey," she said.

If you're absolutely adamant on asking for a wildcard, make sure you tell the bartender any preferred drinks or tastes rather than forcing them to do extra unnecessary work when making your drink.

Fellows isn't alone in hating this request either, with bartender Ben Smith - @benjispears - blasting the phrase in a video on his TikTok account.

Advert

Just pick a drink. (Getty Stock Image)
Just pick a drink. (Getty Stock Image)

While the video itself may have been staged - the customer revealed after asking for a surprise drink that she was allergic to pineapple, prompting Ben to hand her a beer.

The clip clearly struck a chord with an entire industry of exasperated customer service workers after going viral.

"Half of y’all clearly haven’t been a bartender, ‘surprising’ people is what gets drinks wasted and p****s people off when it’s not what they want," one commenter wrote.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images

Topics: Food And Drink, Alcohol

Brenna Cooper
Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper is a journalist at LADbible. She graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in History, followed by an NCTJ accredited masters in Journalism. She began her career as a freelance writer for Digital Spy, where she wrote about all things TV, film and showbiz. Her favourite topics to cover are music, travel and any bizarre pop culture.

X

@_brencoco

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

8 hours ago
14 hours ago
a day ago
2 days ago
  • 8 hours ago

    Leaked email reveals how much airport staff get 'for catching passengers with oversized bags'

    It's a real kick in the teeth

    Lifestyle
  • 14 hours ago

    Man discovers what lump on head is 30 years after being hit by cricket ball

    Poor Clyde had suffered with a giant lump on his forehead for 30 years

    Lifestyle
  • a day ago

    Flight forced to divert after passenger peaked at someone else's text and made huge mistake

    There's an important lesson somewhere in this story

    Lifestyle
  • 2 days ago

    'I swapped my BBQ for a Ninja Woodfire Grill and Smoker to smash out burgers without the hassle'

    This portable all-in-one grill and smoker is a gamechanger for the summer season

    Lifestyle
  • Bartender admits they 'judge' people who order specific drink at the bar
  • Man who quit alcohol for good reveals the completely unexpected things that happened to him
  • Expert says there's one clear sign that signals the end of most relationships
  • Mum of teenage girl who tragically died after drinking Costa drink says one thing keeps her up at night