If you want to get extra buzzed, don’t mix up these two popular bar terms when you order an XL drink. One Arizona-based bartender shared the awkward moment a customer realized she actually gave him more drink mixer instead of what he thought he ordered.
TikToker and restaurant worker Megan Thorne (@meganthorne_) says customers order a “tall” cocktail, thinking they’re getting a larger beverage. But she warns others not to be fooled when the visibly larger drink comes out.
“PSA for everybody that orders a tall drink and thinks they are getting more alcohol: You are not,” she says in the video with over 7,000 views. “You are getting more mixer.”
She notes that there’s a keyword bartenders look for in order to give you more alcohol. And it’s not “tall.”
“You have to say ‘double,'” Thorne explains. A double includes two alcohol shots with the same amount of mixer.
The caption continues, “So many people order talls and think they are getting more alcohol!!”
The TikToker frequently covers restaurant-goer faux pas, including why some servers won’t cut your burger, as previously reported by BroBible.
Can Customers Tell The Difference Between A Tall And A Double?
While the difference between the two terms seems like a no-brainer for Thorne, other bar-goers on Reddit admit that they mix them up.
“I enjoy rum and coke, when it tastes just like coke. I typically order tall, easy ice, extra coke. Now I’ve started having to specify that I only want a single shot,” a commenter on r/TalesFromYourServer said.
“I’m not sure but one restaurant/tavern in my town when I get my lemonade and vodka always asks me if I want a regular or tall,” a second wrote.
However, others noted that some bars don’t stick to the correct terminology, which can get confusing.
“I’ve seen it both ways, but i think the correct way is a tall is just more mixer, same price. in some dive bars i’ve been in a tall is usually a double, but they tell you that when you order if you’re not a regular,” one said on r/bartenders.
Plus, the difference could be regional, as some suggested that the terms mean the same thing in the Midwest.
Another wrote, “In Wisconsin you ask for a tall guy you’re getting a double. Only old women actually order a tall single..”
“I’ve found that a lot of small town Midwest bars, a tall implies double or a heavier pour. When they come to the big cities (where I work) they think the drinks are weak,” a third added.
@meganthorne_ So many people order talls and think they are getting more alcohol !! #arizona #bartender #bar #server #fyp
Do Viewers Agree?
In the TikTok’s comments, viewers argued that the bars they visit don’t stick to the strict definitions.
“Tell that to my local dive bar. When I receive a 80/20 vodka lemonade,” one commenter remarked.
“The opposite always happens to my mother, she wants it tall and says ‘in a tall glass,’ but they almost always give her a double (she pays for it in more ways in one),” another joked.
The debate also frustrated bartenders, who feel like some customers try to be sneaky with their orders.
A viewer wrote, “Or the one that thinks less ice means more alcohol.”
“‘Hey, uh, could you add less ice. You got got me right?’ Suuuuuuuure,” a second said.
BroBible reached out to Thorne via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment. We will update the story when she replies.