How to Get the Bartender’s Attention Without Being a Jerk
People love to drink in bars because alcohol is there. But in the case of good bars, people are here too, which means you can’t always drink as fast as you think.
This can lead to some anxiety about whether the bartender sees you, which can lead to actions such as “money wave” or “impatient loud sigh”. These are not fantastic strategies. According to Daniel Casto, manager of Portland’s Double Dragon , the best tactic for getting the attention (and drinking) that you desire is “eye contact, that’s all.” Neither wave your hands nor shout; just look at the bartender and stay where you are.
Jeffrey Morgenthaler (of Clyde Common and Pepe Le Moko ), in his book Drink Distilled, gives similar advice:
When you go to the bar for a drink, choose a seat and wait patiently. That’s all you need to do! The bartender knows exactly who is next and will be with you as soon as he can. Waving your hands, shaking a handful of money or showing a gold card, calling staff or trying to order from a bar is not acceptable and will prevent you from drinking faster. This is most likely only annoying to the staff. And let’s face it, do we really want to spend time in a bar where working people are annoyed by our behavior?
So the next time you’re worried that you’re likely to die before you’re served an adult drink, sit back, stay where you are, and just look at the bartender. (You can blink. Blinking will not make you lose your place in the queue.)