Imagine someone leaning in and confidently telling you how to do something you’re an expert at, like your job. It might be excruciatingly annoying, similar to a parent explaining to an adult child how to do laundry. Alternately, it could be the guidance needed to provide (at the very least) plausible deniability.
Now, there’s a new bar trend, and one Arizona bartender is taking it to TikTok to talk about it. The video has almost 30,000 views. And many viewers have weighed in on whether or not its “good form” to hand your bartender a recipe card as you place your order.
Using in-video text, Rollingsipsmobilebar (@rollingsipphx) poses a question: “Bartenders: how do we feel about bar guests handing you a recipe card? I’ve heard arguments for and against them.” Meanwhile, the camera is held steady on a small, business card-sized recipe for an Espresso Old Fashioned.
Just Following Instructions
Bartenders are often known to be quippy, funny, and sometimes borderline mean (in some places it’ll get you bigger tips). So it seems like the comments section of this TikTok would be a gold mine of, shall we say, carefully wrought observations. But surprisingly, everyone’s pretty chill.
One viewer commented, “I wouldn’t mind it lol because at least they can’t say you did something wrong when all you did is follow instructions.”
Others, while basically agreeing, get into the financials of the recipe. One said, “Sure but I’m up charging especccially if you hand me this during a rush,” a bartender said.
And then, the drink critics entered the chat. They’re seemingly less interested in the etiquette of “back-seat-bartending” than the recipe printed on the card.
“I love it I’m writing notes all over your card cuz I’m not shaking no old fashioned king. That’s ‘bourbon espresso martini over ice,'” one said.
Another flat-out said they would refuse to make this drink.
Cocktail Culture (Couture?)
So the question remains: How specific is too specific?
Rollingsipsmobilebar posted a reply that might’ve been read as a soft objection: “One of my coworkers used to get so upset. He said it was like going to a restaurant and telling a chef exactly what you want and how even though there’s a menu.”
But perhaps this isn’t the right question. Perhaps folks are doing this because there’s a general trend downward for alcohol consumption. An August 2024 Gallup poll showed that only 54% of Americans surveyed drink alcohol. It’s the lowest in the poll’s 90-year history by one point. For comparison (and kicks), the highs of 68% to 71% were all recorded between 1974 and 1981.
Maybe the recipe cards are a way to make the drink count. Because that same Gallup poll shows that even those who choose to drink are downing less volume. The average number of drinks per week is recorded at 2.8—the lowest figure Gallup has recorded since 1996.
The reason for the cutbacks? The perception that alcohol, even in moderate amounts, is bad for health. Since current research suggests “there’s no safe level of alcohol.”
So if you’re going to drink, it stands to reason you want the drink to be right each time, every time.
BroBible reached out to Rollingsipsmobilebar via the contact form on their website. We’ll update this if they get back to us.