How do you pay at a bar?

From my own habits and watching people, I can answer a few of your questions. For one, you might not hear everything going on between customer and bartender…and what happens in the movies is not always super realistic. Also…sometimes these things are in fact discussed but they are done up front, once, and that is how it is the whole night…so you don’t see them talking back and forth about it all night…and if a bartender has regular customers, they might not even have to ask each time the person comes in, they just know how the transaction is going to play out because they do it all the time. But yes, there are a lot of unspoken things going on in bar culture…you just need to know how to ƈɾąƈƙ the code.

“They always just ask for a drink and they never check the prices, so how do they know what to pay?”

This is because most people know what they want before they even sit down. They may be enticed by the drink specials, but if not, they are ordering from a very short list of their favorites, or they get what goes with their food, or they get the drink that the establishment is known for. They order without asking the price because their choice most likely won’t be affected by price.

Also drink prices become pretty predictable, and you really don’t have to ask once you know the code. And it may not be what you think. Lots of times the price of the drink is reflection of where you are, not what is in the glass or even how hard it was to make it. A trendy nightclub, an upscale restaurant, an airport lounge or a tourist bar like Hooters or Hard Rock, or any place with some sort of live entertainment…these places will be more expensive than a family-run small town place or a pool hall or college meat market or any other crappy “dive” bar, even for exactly the same drink. Prices can vary greatly…but again, if you are watching you won’t be surprised.

The other thing is quality of alcohol, which is how most bars are organized. As you know most bars have their liquors displayed where you can see them. You can usually eyeball the cost of your drink based on where your brand of liquor is located in that configuration. The budget liquors are at eye level and below. It is kept close to where the bartenders are working, within easy reach. An honest bartender will use them and charge you accordingly if you don’t specify your liquor, and you get the lowest price they can offer you on that drink. These are called “well drinks”. You order the drink but they give you their choice of brands and it will be a low end one. A well drink is going to be the same price no matter which of the budget liquors is used, and no matter the mixer. So a shot of tequila, a whiskey on the rocks, a rum and coke, and a screwdriver will be the same price even though they are very different. They are all made with a single shot of budget liquor.

If you like a certain brand of liquor you have to ask for it, and you will pay extra for it, unless it happens to be their well brand. These brands are often they are ordered less so they are stored higher up…and they are called “top shelf”. A great drink special where I go is the “you-call-it” where you can choose top shelf brands and they charge you a well drink price.

With beers, your prices are based on quality and origin, and there are price categories where similar brands cost the same. There are budget beers, mid range domestic beers (made in the country where you order it). There are gourmet type beers, and then there are imported beers which came from another country.

“They never ask and they never show how they pay and if they do they just leave a couple bills on the table”.

You are right. The transactions are often unspoken too. If it doesn’t look like a person is paying, maybe someone bought their drink for them, to flirt with them or as a courtesy to them. They also might be “running a tab”…which means the bartender writes down what they are drinking and charges them for all their drinks at once when they “close out their tab”. Bartenders ask this all the time and if not, instead of paying by the drink you can just ask to start a tab. They might ask to hold your credit card while you drink to secure that they will be paid. And if the person pays by credit card, or if their drinks are part of their restaurant bill, then you will not see any money changing hands at all.

If the customer is paying cash per drink, they will usually add a tip to each amount, so the bills are more than enough to pay for the drink. Again…you kind of know…and then you add what you want, just like tipping for food. And if they want more than one drink, the customer will usually keep a stash of money in front of them. It is kind of a way to keep yourself honest about spending. Like…the first drink, you pay with a 20 dollar bill. Then you keep your change on the bar in front of you, and the bartender takes from it to pay for your drinks. You can also tip from it. Usually…when that money is gone, the person will leave, having spent the amount they planned to spend.

“How does the bartender remember everyones drinks?”

If they know their customer, they learn what the person likes and it isn’t hard after a while. You also get to know your customers through the night. Also…if a person orders a drink, often it is another of what they had, it isn’t hard for a bartender to identify what was in that glass, or they know because of the type of glass, or they just double check and ask what they want. Often this is just a really quick conversation. “Another?” and the person will nod and say thank you. So it is an easy conversation to miss if you are just watching. And if you are in a crazy crowded club, you only take as many orders as you can remember, usually 1 or 2.

It does boil down to memory and multi tasking…a good bartender can make good drinks, keep their bar clean, keep track of the money, they do it looking good and making small talk…and they do it all lightning fast. It is a hard hard job.

There is more than you ever needed to know.

If you are on a budget or drink a particular brand, ask how much, or ask for their well liquor. You can pay as you order or start a tab with handing them a credit card. Tell the bartender only you may add to the tab if your with a group of friends, or you can end up with a high tab. Also if you order say a shot, ask for a coke “back”, if you need a chaser, that way you wont have to pay an extra $2.50 or so. As far as a tip goes, everyone seems to throw a buck as a tip, and have since the 90s, what can you buy with a buck these days? So I think at least $2 tip per drink is substantial.

I usually pay as I go, that is, when the I get the drink I hand over the money. Sometimes I will run up a tab, but when that happens the bartender will take my credit card. The bars I go to are small and the bartenders know me by name and know what I drink and I know the prices. In bars I’ve never been to before I will order a familiar drink and pay as I go, then if the price is fair, I might run up a tab if I am paying for more than myself.

When you go into a bar/club, you order you’re drinks and the bartender will tell you how much you owe, and you just pay. Same with a restaurant pub ( except they normally have menus for you ordering food, so you know the prices ).

If you are a regular at a certain bar/club the bartender may remember your drinks if you order the same thing everytime you’re there.

So it’s not like the movie’s!

It really depends, but I don’t think you will get in trouble. If nobody stopped you on the way out, that probably means the place was pretty busy and no one really noticed. Honestly, the bar tender probably doesn’t even remember. If you never do it again, nothing will probably happen. If it becomes a habit, they may simply refuse you service. But it doesn’t sound like you would make it a habit. If you feel really bad about it, you could go back and pay the tab for last night, and they would appreciate it and admire your honesty. But that is about the extent of that whole situation. They’re not going to come after one costumer when they probably don’t even remember themselves for sure. Plus, it’s only 4 drinks.

The prices of drinks are located — within the menu or you can simply ask the waiter to see the prices for the individual beverages ! If, you want a separate bill the waiter gives you the bill of the things you ordered. Blessings

You have to barter. Bartenders are a very crafty and worldly sort that often trade in fine goods and wares in exchange for the liquid gold they hold behind the bar. The price of a mixed drink can often be payed for in the form of a fresh beaver pelt, or some dry gun powder. Although I have heard in some regions of Spain that bartenders will also accept shiny rocks from the beach as valid currency.

Beer is usually always around $5–the only exceptions being rare craft beers, and you would recognize those after regular drinking.

Liquor is around $6-9, depending on what you want (for normal liquors, not cognacs, fine whiskey’s or some cordials)

Wine is anywhere from $10-15…doesn’t include finer wines and Portos.

Bartenders remember everyone’s drinks cause its their job. ?

you get your purse/wallet out you take money or a card out and you give the money to the barmaid/man and if your paying with card you stick it ion the chip and pin and you put in ur pin number and you take the card and your drinks and go on sit down or stand by the bar. Simple!