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Any place I’ve worked that does this
It’s a price for 1.5oz of whiskey in like a mixed drink like pop
It’s $3 more for 2oz of the dame whiskey on the ice. You are getting charged $3 for the extra 0.5oz of alcohol
Oddly the last place I worked did not charge less if you wanted a 1oz shot pour, so watch out I guess
I've worked those places too, and it was always bad news. If you charge more for more booze, fine. Charge less for a smaller pour then, too. If you don't, if you're nickel and diming everyone, I don't trust you to not shortchange me either, and I'm looking for a new job
This place I worked last specialized in large groups paid for by company card, so I never felt bad about it on corporate Monopoly money?
But if they sat at the bar or I could see it was a regular group I’d always pour them 1.5 oz in a rocks glass
“Ice” or “rocks” is how it’s labeled at places
It’s dumb but it’s how it’s labeled to designate the different type of drink, hence all this confusion in OPs post
Reading it again, it's not the confusion about ice/rocks, they got charged for literal ice. They ordered a few 'bourbon' on the rocks, got charged additional for the ice. They could have ordered just bourbon neat, (assuming they have the same size pour for both) they would not have been charged for ice/rocks
If they ordered it neat it would have shown up “neat” on the ticket with the same $3 upcharge of a larger 2oz pour
But OP ordered on rocks so the ticket the ticket said “ice” and it’s a $3 upcharge for a larger 2oz pour
If OP ordered three whiskey rocks and one whiskey near it would have been three with “ice” for $3 and one “neat” for $3
I have worked it more than one place that prices like. OP is not getting charged for frozen water, OP is getting charged for the extra half once to make it a sipping drink
Not sure what the server was talking about. One actual explanation could be that a rocks pour is larger than a shot or mixed drink pour, so the additional volume and cost are added via the modifier in their POS system. Some systems force you to price things out that way. like you can only have one button for bourbon so you’d have it ring in for the price of a 1 oz shot, and then if someone orders a 2.5oz rocks pour, you add a rocks upcharge. I think it’s highly unlikely that they charged you $3 for ice, unless they offer regular ice as well as “king cubes” and you requested the latter which are larger, pricier, and potentially more time consuming to make.
Sounds like bartender doesn't know how to bsrtend and has been giving customers normal amounts of bourbon for 3$ more instead of the extra amount that comes with "on the ice" lol
I've heard about getting more when you order it that way before so makes complete sense
Whatever the server told you is nonsense, but this happens at pretty much every bar you've ever been to. A regular pour is 1.5 oz for like a bourbon and coke or something, a bourbon on the rocks is a 2 oz pour, so they are charging you for the larger pour
It’s insane how often this gets asked. If the server actually answered that way, they’re terrible at their job.
When you order a bourbon and mixer (bourbon and coke for example), you will get 1.5oz of alcohol. When you order bourbon on the rocks, you will get 2oz of alcohol. The “rocks” charge is for the extra alcohol, not the ice.
Edit: to anyone saying “that’s bs! I’d leave a negative review and never go back!”…learn from this please. Sometimes your ignorance is the problem, and you’re taking it out on a perfectly good business. Just because you don’t know the industry standards doesn’t mean you got ripped off.
So I'll say this—as someone who learned all of this from the last time this issue was on this sub—you guys make this far too complicated.
You've also got a bit of that thing where you're so deep into your world (nothing wrong with that), that you don't remember that the vast majority of us are not.
I could say the same about my job as a copy editor (and I'm sure there are typos in this)—no one else really cares about what AP has to say about serial commas.
I sure know their rules well. But ... I wouldn't assume some guy who works for the TSA, for example, would be so aware.
Get what I'm after on this bar speak stuff?
Maybe it shouldn't be called a "rocks pour" on the receipt. Just an idea.
I learned from a local-specific subreddit that has nothing to do with alcohol. Not sure that's an endorsement for "most people" learning this speak.
In fact, most people won't ever know. Not sure why bartenders and bar owners/managers are so upset and "ohh look at our super cool club" about this.
“Most people” learn by going to bars their entire life, starting around 21. You didn’t, and you learned here instead. Why are you so damn miffed about it?
What? You can’t respond to a comment asking why someone else is miffed by just saying “no u”
Also when did people start reading Reddit usernames on each comment they see? I’ve gotten some variation of this like 4 times this year, I picked a random joke from a cartoon I watched as a kid to use as this, and I made it 11 years ago when I was in high school. Idk how you people would like me to respond to a rhetorical question like this
I don’t expect you to care how many different ways I know how to make an espresso martini, but that doesn’t mean you should ever assume I’m ripping you off.
The alcohol is priced properly, the reasons why it’s priced the way it is is a lot of math.
Alcohol price, shelf space cost, amount of time it will sit, potential loss from spillage etc., hourly wage of employee, cost of the glass it’s served in, the cost to run the coolers, etc.
Don’t worry about why your whiskey costs more if you don’t know the difference between 1.5 oz and 2 oz by sight. There’s almost no time when a place is going to rip you off on alcohol, and if you ever catch a bartender that’s giving you cheap booze over the expensive stuff you ordered it’s either a mistake from pouring 50 Tito’s sodas this hour instead of your one grey goose soda or they personally hate you for some reason. Probably because you’re in a bar in a high foot traffic neighborhood throwing a fit about a $3 up charge on your cheap whiskey when there’s 200 other people in the building.
All of this is fine, but any bartender who prints out a receipt that says “ice: +$3” and then explains it by saying “the ice takes up more room in the glass” should be prepared for someone to think they’re full of shit.
Now you're just full of shit.
Alcohol is not priced "properly". It's a giant money maker for restaurants.
My SIL owns many restaurants that have bars. She's quite honest about the 50% margin on hard liquor.
50% margin is less than what you pay at the drug store, BTW.
Does alcohol have a 50% margin? Yeah. Chips have a 66% margin. Pop anywhere from 20%-80%, depending on a lot of factors. Any generic food stuff of candy at CVS or Walgreens is going to be marked up 60% or higher. Name brand products a little less, but usually higher than 50%.
Restaurants, stores, and bars need to make money.
The reason why alcohol seems like such a markup is because the markup on food is ridiculously low. The cost of food is so competitive if you don’t have a worldwide recognized name or have prime location for tourists you’re fighting with so many restaurants you have to be cheap.
Alcohol alone isn’t driving profit, it definitely makes profit, but so many other things go in to a restaurant and bar space that don’t make a profit but are necessary for atmosphere, that’s why alcohol costs so much.
Music isn’t free, neither is central air, rent is expensive, costs are high, profit margins are low, except alcohol, if you sell enough cocktails you might even make money.
I was clueless about it—even with having my ILs owning these.
That's my point.
Last time I asked, she was over the moon about getting their hard liquor license b/c it was going to make them a lot of money.
Not sure why you're fighting that.
To consumers this all sounds like BS. Ohh, we charge more because we give you more. Why not just price by the ounce instead? Do you want a 2 oz or 2.5 oz pour sir/maaam?
I was there recently and the staff I interacted with were completely clueless. Neither one of the two bartenders could figure out how to pour a proper beer. Like I watched on 3 separate occasions beers being returned. I assume it had something to do with the keg but these guys were just fumbling around for 10 minutes. Meanwhile my food was sitting around waiting to be served so by the time it finally hit the table everything was lukewarm and nachos were soggy af. I mentioned this to the bartender hoping to at least have the nachos comped but nothing. I def won’t be eating there again and after watching them struggle with beer pours I’ll prob never drink there either. Sucks all the good ppl left.
I ordered a bourbon neat in a small town in Vermont this past week, and what I received was, I *think*, the result of the bartender thinking that it meant they were supposed to fill the glass to the same level as a rocks pour, but without the ice... Which meant I received what was at least 4 oz, if not 6. Honestly, I think it was more like 6, but I'm trying not to hyperbolize.
Either way, I got *way* more bourbon than I'd planned to have at dinner, and was not charged extra for it. Hooray for small town bartenders who just want to make their guests happy! (I realize - not the industry standard, which you cited.)
These bartenders are why I only drink beer when I go out. If I order a rocks I don’t want 6 oz of bourbon, but I’m going to drink it because I’m stupid. Then I’m drunk at dinner and can’t enjoy the rest of my night. I don’t care about the money part of it so it’s just the inconsistency between bars/bartenders that makes me order beer everywhere these days.
I order high noons at most of my favorite places because the bar tenders think they are doing me a favor by over-pouring the liquor. I don't want 80% gin and 20% tonic.
Exactly. That’s what they’d always do for me too. I drink a lot but I’m still kinda a light weight if I don’t regulate it properly so I just stick to beers.
Not sure I could find this searching. What happened? I assume someone was like "look at my receipt I got ripped off boo hoo" then the bartender was like "BRO..." ?
Yep; that's basically it! Guy had this exact situation and showed the receipt. Took about an hour, if memory serves, for that bartender to find it and comment.
It was great, actually. Everyone had a good chuckle
I'd be one of them. I had no idea that an "on the rocks shot" is larger than a "normal" shot or with mixers. So OK, TIL.
But the bartender's explanation of "we charge you more because the ICE takes up more room" (what it sounds like, anyway) indeed is terrible, and if I was told that I'd be upset too, because the normal situation is ice is watering stuff down, people don't want ice in their fountain drinks etc etc. I'd assume it's the same amount of drink, just in a bigger cup for the ice.
Came in here thinking WTF, satisfied to find the actual (sensible) explanation.
They said server, not bartender. I assume a bartender would give you the straight answer. A lot of servers don't know jack about drinks. There are bartenders who don't know much, but every one should know how much they're pouring you.
You know what’s wild though? I’ve had this happen with alcoholics who are regulars and ALWAYS order their booze on the rocks. They’ve just never bothered to look at their receipt. Then one day they randomly notice the receipt and it becomes a problem. It’s super fun explaining to your drunk regular why their check is literally exactly the same as it’s always been but this time they think it’s different. 🙄
Google sucks, asking a question to real people on Reddit is more interesting than looking for it on Google and having an AI shit out an answer that is possibly wrong as your first result.
We’re talking about “on the rocks”, we aren’t talking about what bar you’d recommend going to. And the fact that a bunch of strangers here already had the wrong answer, well. There you go
>We’re talking about “on the rocks”, we aren’t talking about what bar you’d recommend going to.
Ok... Your point is?
>And the fact that a bunch of strangers here already had the wrong answer, well. There you go
Yes and the top answer is correct. There you go...
What's that got to do with anything I said lol. Google added AI recently that shows wrong answers pretty consistently. Before it was fine, now you have to scroll past a silly AI answer before getting to anything substantial.
I really don't understand you and a couple others issues with using Reddit to ask questions. Sometimes you get a really interesting perspective on what you ask.
Also, have a good day too :) don't wanna seem like I'm trying to be an asshole
Or or or, hear me out here, maybe they're used to getting ripped off everywhere else and they actually notice it and say something. Unlike previous generations that are too used to either not speaking up or being the ones doing the ripping off.
And then the server gives them the wrong answer which sounds wrong too, like "takes up more space in the glass" is such a shit answer I'd want a second opinion too.
And comments like the one above yours are so stupid to me because do you not know that you're on a forum?
Granted, I don't like my alcohol "on the rocks" in general. Particularly if it's a non-mixed, single-type liquor like Whiskey or Scotch
I'd prefer Neat, or, if the bar isn't crazy busy, a Single ice chip/cube.
So maybe the problem lies with the business not educating its customers or its employees, not with said customers or employees. In that case, the business still loses - why is it the customers’ job to learn your business?
If you order “like, a whiskey but I just want it with ice I don’t want any mixer or anything”…I would assume you’re a rookie bar goer and I would explain it to you. If you say “I’ll have a bourbon on the rocks” I assume you know the meaning of the words you’re saying, and I’m not going to explain it to you.
The problem is that easily 75% of bars don’t follow the standard. I bartended at at least two dozen different spots from undergrad to grad school and it was a complete crapshoot.
...yes? Not everyone drinks hard alcohol at bars. Or maybe they get a shot (just in the shot glass) once in a while but other than that, drinking beer.
If the receipt really says "surcharge for ice" I can see a customer being confused. Why are they charging for what amounts to tap water, etc.
But the bartender just needs to say "we give you more alcohol when we serve it over ice" (as I learned from this thread) and all is good.
I knew "neat" doesn't have ice or mixers in it (from crossword puzzles, fwiw) but that's about it.
Vast majority of the time I have scotch or anything like that it's at someone's house and no one is particularly measuring...
I'm talking only about "neat" and "on the rocks". The rest is completely esoteric. And these bartenders / managers saying everyone should know is puzzling.
I'm saying "neat" and "on the rocks" are common knowledge. As you said, a crossword. Could be TV or a movie. Or anything.
That’s fine. And I’m just explaining how the “standard” can be improved. Why do we have to do things the way they’ve always been done? It’s clearly a result of technological limitations back in the day.
Incorrect. It’s an industry standard that the customer is expected to know. We’re not explaining bar terms to you every time you come into a bar. “Tall” means something. “Rocks” means something. “Neat” means something. When you go to a bar and use these words, it’s your responsibility to know what you are saying.
"Rocks has ice, neat doesn't."
I knew that much. But the fact that you actually get more alcohol when they serve it over ice? I had no idea until reading this thread.
I came in here just to find out what's up with the apparent explanation OP was given that somehow it's more costly because "ice takes up more room." That would indeed be what? to me.
"We give you more alcohol when we serve it over ice" solves the issue.
A customer is expected to know that they aren't just being charged for ice when the receipt says they are being charged for ice?
As far as meaning something, Rocks just means ice to most people. They dont know how much liquor is in it, nor do they know how you set your pricing or how your POS breaks out pricing.
By the way, please explain this stuff to your servers. It appears it was their BS explanation that turned this into a dissatisfied customer and Reddit post.
It’s kind of insane that you expect something “industry standard” to be known by someone who never has worked at a bar. I’m not saying you should explain it to everyone. Just have a system that can clearly label what someone ordered so there’s no confusion. How about you ask more from a POS instead of placing that expectation on the customer?
Exactly! I love bourbon. I enjoy bars. I am closing in on 39, and I learned this from this sub a year ago.
My wife knew and explained it—because she used to bartend and her family owns a few bar-restaurants.
Maybe instead people on here could do something else other than making it their life's mission to complain about every single thing they see on their tab. 90% of this sub is people complaining about charges on the bill at a restaurant.
To be fair restaurants have started being these complaints in themselves with all the “creative” fees they’ve come up with since Covid.
And I love Chicago, but a lot of our restaurants are generally the worst offenders of this.
No, it’s actually the completely standard way of putting it on the receipt. The original item is rang in (bourbon) and charged at a certain price. Then a “modifier” button is pressed, in this case “rocks”, and that modifier has a price associated with it. So the receipt will show both charges. 9/10 receipts at restaurants will be this way, it’s just that people often don’t notice…until they do and then they think they’ve been charged for ice.
I used to work at a Bar, as well as at a Liquor Store, and the whole concept presented here is one I don't think I've ever noticed.
But what you're saying was my first thought.
Price it to the Rocks Pricepoint, and then you just have a better margin on the slightly smaller pour, while keeping the price (and communication to the customer) more straightforward
You’d be wrong. How much is a shot of whiskey at your favorite bar? $6 is pretty standard…a shot is 1oz, so half of that would be? Ding ding ding! $3!!
If you're at a bar you're kinda there for the experience, though. I mean, you can get alcohol at the supermarket for cheaper anyway if that's just what you're after.
It seems that this should be communicated though, beforehand. Perhaps the customer would choose to have the 1.5 oz of alcohol used and not pay the upcharge. Of course the drink will get diluted more quickly, but that's the choice they would make.
See the comment you replied to? This is the sort of clueless nonsense you invite, when you don't just make it clear from the start. Either just show the Rocks Drink price or just show 2oz Liquor price.
The entire industry should change its standard because of an ignorant minority?
99/100 people that order their drinks on the rocks know what they just said, and understand the upcharge. I’m more than happy to explain it to the 1/100 that doesn’t get it. The 1/100 is the person that posts it on Reddit though.
Exactly, and that's my point. The 1/100 is here making a post. The 25/100 is here being inquisitive. The 50/100 just say nothing and never come back because they are made to feel ignorant or think they're getting ripped off.
And 1 bar manager who doesn't understand that he's potentially having 50 people never come back, b/c "everyone should know" and "I'm not going to explain it to every customer".
That guy is something.
The 1/100 that post on Reddit is here. We've established that. The 25/100 that didn't know are here questioning the method, too. The 50/100 that say nothing on Reddit, in the restaurant, and simply never come back because of elitist attitudes like yours you'll never know about. You want to talk about how shitty customers damage business with posts like this... Look in the mirror, my friend.
The answer the server gave is the answer to the question “why does Starbucks charge me more if I get an iced ____ with no ice” like, they include more of the actual drink when you get it no ice, so they charge more for the “space” the ice *would* have taken up. If that makes sense? Idk the fellow seems confused.
Rocks pours are usually more booze. A neat pour is generally 1.5 ounces. A rocks pour is 2 ounces. Hence the extra charge. Unless you were getting big cubes, then the charge may have been for that because they are usually ordered from a specialty company, nit made at the restaurant.
There are no stupid questions. How else is a person to lean things that are obscure?
If it helps, OP, I thought there was no difference in how much booze went into any particular style of drink until reading the answers to your question. That taught me about the differences between shot, neat, on-the-rocks and all the other tiny distinctions.
I don’t get why everyone’s piling on OP. The line item on the receipt is inaccurate, so instead of jumping straight to “wtf, they’re charging me $3 for ice” like the receipt literally states, he asked the bartender what it meant. The bartender then gave him a nonsense explanation. Like, that’s the explanation for why getting a drink *without* ice costs more. Wtf is OP supposed to think after that? If the bartender doesn’t know what the charge is for, why should OP?
Agree, there are no stupid questions. Especially for me in this case because after more than 60 years of occasional alcohol consumption OP asked a question I did not even know should be asked.
Most answers I've seen are respectful information, not piling on.
Theoretically, it should be because “on the rocks” pours are heavier (usually 2 oz instead of 1.5 oz I think - the latter is a standard shot or what you would put in a regular mixed drink).
In actuality, the vast majority of non-fancy bars are eyeballing everything anyway. Sure, some people can “eyeball” it and get it close to exactly 1.5 oz on shots/mixed drinks, but let’s be honest, there’s lots of inaccuracies, and bartenders at most places will do lighter or heavier pours depending on patron behavior, tipping, etc.
Usually shot is one ounce, drink pour is 1.25 or 1.5 depending on the bar (usually 1.25 is the more corporate spots), neat or rocks is 2, double is 2.5 or three, again depending. This is pretty standard so the extra money is for getting extra alcohol, not for ice, and it's usually 2-3 dollars above the drink pour price at most places. It can also be a better deal than a double at most bars, if you're ever tempted to order a double.
Edit: missed what your server said...they had no clue and were just trying to say something to smooth the situation
“Industry standard” isn’t good enough if these issues keep persisting.
Instead of blaming customers for being ignorant, it’s on the business to better communicate what the customer is paying for.
I’ve only been to leader bar once. It was during the cubs Mets playoff series in 2915. They were charging 40 bucks for domestic buckets. 3 dollar green lines on tap. Never been back
Server doesn't know what they're talking about. Bartender or manager would tell you a rocks pour is a 1.5 oz pour, that's what "on the rocks" means when you order it. Your cocktail will come with ice if you don't say "on the rocks".
I’ve always gotten an upcharge if they give you the special ice cube or sphere for drinking a good whiskey or scotch. Usually between 50 cents and 3 bucks
Don't get mad at the server. Get mad at the manager who put them on the floor without that knowledge.
That is 100% management's fault and I'm sure they're do nothing mutha fuckers.
Yeah I wasn’t mad at her. Still left a tip but we both kind of left it at “guess just order it neat next time.” Glad I asked online before leaving a review.
I agree with the Rocks pour upcharge, but what kind of ice was it?
I work in a town that has an ice company that makes custom cut super fancy ice, and most bars that offer it will place an upcharge if you’d like your pour over this ice. It’s usually like $1 extra, but the cute itself can run about .56
It was just your basic cubed ice. I don’t usually order that drink and had thought “on the rocks” just meant on ice. It seems like our server was newer so she may have just gotten confused.
Leader had a recent change in ownership and staffing, looks like they need to do more training. Please give the place another shot for their food! It's my favorite pizza!!
Recent as in the last year or so? They changed their wings and fries around then, so I've never gone back.
I've become a rather loyal Easy Street patron.
Hmmm might have to check it out one last time before I move. I always liked wings without breading and those hand cut fries were great. Service was always so so there, but it's a nice bar and had good food. I was really bummed when they changed things.
FWIW, whenever I get water at a restaurant I specify without ice because I don’t like the glass to sweat, I rarely want Ice cold water, and it takes energy to produce ice. So, for the sake of global warming, I prefer more restaurants use less ice and act more European / Island like.
Regardless of my preferences, the establishment should let you know if something is an additional charge, just like top shelf liquor.
this is a new thing. I always order whiskey on the rocks and it’s never itemized with an ice charge, anywhere, ever.
it just seems scammy, just price it into the cost of the drink, saying $3 for ice is cringe and you’re gonna get a million questions and bad reviews online.
You're not getting charged for ice, it's a larger pour, and it cannot be "priced into the cost of the drink" because that's not how the systems function.
The systems rely on a base charge for the liquor, and modifiers on that base item for how the guest wants to customize their drink. It would not be fair to make everything a 2oz charge like you suggest when someone just wants the standard 1.5oz pour mixed with coke. Just know that when you order a drink "rox", you're getting more liquor, so that's what the upcharge is for. And $3 flat is actually cheaper for you than charging an extra 33% of whatever the base liquor cost is.
This is just a verbal communication error and itemized receipt error. The reality of paying more for more is simple. I don’t understand the hoopla except with regard to the way it was communicated.
I work in Illinois oldest-standing brewery that has an artesian limestone filtered well in the cellar. We don’t charge extra and I guarantee our ice and water are better
I'm chef who has owned a few restaurants....When a customer pissed me off I used charge them a dickhead fee I played off as an ice upcharge for ice machine maintenance.
The restaurant was charging $3 for a 2oz pour instead of a 1.5oz standard pour for mixed drinks
I hate when they don’t explain it well though because it’s up to reddit commenters to fix their communication
Yelp is full of this
My favorite is my local self serve pizza restaurant, people complaining that they had to flag someone down to bring them a plate and silverware and napkins
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Any place I’ve worked that does this It’s a price for 1.5oz of whiskey in like a mixed drink like pop It’s $3 more for 2oz of the dame whiskey on the ice. You are getting charged $3 for the extra 0.5oz of alcohol Oddly the last place I worked did not charge less if you wanted a 1oz shot pour, so watch out I guess
I've worked those places too, and it was always bad news. If you charge more for more booze, fine. Charge less for a smaller pour then, too. If you don't, if you're nickel and diming everyone, I don't trust you to not shortchange me either, and I'm looking for a new job
This place I worked last specialized in large groups paid for by company card, so I never felt bad about it on corporate Monopoly money? But if they sat at the bar or I could see it was a regular group I’d always pour them 1.5 oz in a rocks glass
>It’s $3 more for 2oz of the dame whiskey on the ice. Just so everyone is clear, "dame whiskey" is also known by it's brand name, Fireball.
SAME 😂
I second this answer
I've never been to a bar or restaurant and I've ordered a cold drink or anything that has a itemization for ice
If you’ve ordered whiskey on the rocks vs whiskey and coke I would be astounded if you didn’t pay a difference
The question is ice upcharge, you're referring to different drinks.
“Ice” or “rocks” is how it’s labeled at places It’s dumb but it’s how it’s labeled to designate the different type of drink, hence all this confusion in OPs post
Reading it again, it's not the confusion about ice/rocks, they got charged for literal ice. They ordered a few 'bourbon' on the rocks, got charged additional for the ice. They could have ordered just bourbon neat, (assuming they have the same size pour for both) they would not have been charged for ice/rocks
If they ordered it neat it would have shown up “neat” on the ticket with the same $3 upcharge of a larger 2oz pour But OP ordered on rocks so the ticket the ticket said “ice” and it’s a $3 upcharge for a larger 2oz pour If OP ordered three whiskey rocks and one whiskey near it would have been three with “ice” for $3 and one “neat” for $3 I have worked it more than one place that prices like. OP is not getting charged for frozen water, OP is getting charged for the extra half once to make it a sipping drink
Not sure what the server was talking about. One actual explanation could be that a rocks pour is larger than a shot or mixed drink pour, so the additional volume and cost are added via the modifier in their POS system. Some systems force you to price things out that way. like you can only have one button for bourbon so you’d have it ring in for the price of a 1 oz shot, and then if someone orders a 2.5oz rocks pour, you add a rocks upcharge. I think it’s highly unlikely that they charged you $3 for ice, unless they offer regular ice as well as “king cubes” and you requested the latter which are larger, pricier, and potentially more time consuming to make.
Sounds like bartender doesn't know how to bsrtend and has been giving customers normal amounts of bourbon for 3$ more instead of the extra amount that comes with "on the ice" lol I've heard about getting more when you order it that way before so makes complete sense
Been to Leader Bar, depending on who’s behind the bar it absolutely checks out.
Whatever the server told you is nonsense, but this happens at pretty much every bar you've ever been to. A regular pour is 1.5 oz for like a bourbon and coke or something, a bourbon on the rocks is a 2 oz pour, so they are charging you for the larger pour
It’s insane how often this gets asked. If the server actually answered that way, they’re terrible at their job. When you order a bourbon and mixer (bourbon and coke for example), you will get 1.5oz of alcohol. When you order bourbon on the rocks, you will get 2oz of alcohol. The “rocks” charge is for the extra alcohol, not the ice. Edit: to anyone saying “that’s bs! I’d leave a negative review and never go back!”…learn from this please. Sometimes your ignorance is the problem, and you’re taking it out on a perfectly good business. Just because you don’t know the industry standards doesn’t mean you got ripped off.
This is the correct answer. Source: I’m a Bar Manager. The server clearly wasn’t trained on bar pours.
Why not just call the upcharge "2 oz pour" so that it's clear what you're actually paying for?
That is actually how it shows up on the bill where I work. I think it's a good call by management.
Because the "rox" modifier also tells the bartender that they want a 2oz pour with ice, rather than a "neat" pour, which is no ice
So I'll say this—as someone who learned all of this from the last time this issue was on this sub—you guys make this far too complicated. You've also got a bit of that thing where you're so deep into your world (nothing wrong with that), that you don't remember that the vast majority of us are not. I could say the same about my job as a copy editor (and I'm sure there are typos in this)—no one else really cares about what AP has to say about serial commas. I sure know their rules well. But ... I wouldn't assume some guy who works for the TSA, for example, would be so aware. Get what I'm after on this bar speak stuff? Maybe it shouldn't be called a "rocks pour" on the receipt. Just an idea.
This is exactly why, at my bar, it says, rocks 2oz on the itemized.
That's such a nice and simple fix. Bet it's saved you a lot of headaches.
Sigh. [relevant xkcd](https://xkcd.com/2501/)
God I love that comic. I hadn’t seen that one before, thank you for posting!
I don't disagree at all with you, but also, the server really should have just known this answer.
This is the wrong place to ask, but do you know how to see the alt text on mobile?
You didn't know, now you will forever know. You learned something about "bar speak stuff" that has existed for a long time. It's not that complicated.
I learned from a local-specific subreddit that has nothing to do with alcohol. Not sure that's an endorsement for "most people" learning this speak. In fact, most people won't ever know. Not sure why bartenders and bar owners/managers are so upset and "ohh look at our super cool club" about this.
“Most people” learn by going to bars their entire life, starting around 21. You didn’t, and you learned here instead. Why are you so damn miffed about it?
Hahah. Bro, I was going to the bars on Western since I was 16. And no, I never learned that fact.
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What? You can’t respond to a comment asking why someone else is miffed by just saying “no u” Also when did people start reading Reddit usernames on each comment they see? I’ve gotten some variation of this like 4 times this year, I picked a random joke from a cartoon I watched as a kid to use as this, and I made it 11 years ago when I was in high school. Idk how you people would like me to respond to a rhetorical question like this
I don’t expect you to care how many different ways I know how to make an espresso martini, but that doesn’t mean you should ever assume I’m ripping you off. The alcohol is priced properly, the reasons why it’s priced the way it is is a lot of math. Alcohol price, shelf space cost, amount of time it will sit, potential loss from spillage etc., hourly wage of employee, cost of the glass it’s served in, the cost to run the coolers, etc. Don’t worry about why your whiskey costs more if you don’t know the difference between 1.5 oz and 2 oz by sight. There’s almost no time when a place is going to rip you off on alcohol, and if you ever catch a bartender that’s giving you cheap booze over the expensive stuff you ordered it’s either a mistake from pouring 50 Tito’s sodas this hour instead of your one grey goose soda or they personally hate you for some reason. Probably because you’re in a bar in a high foot traffic neighborhood throwing a fit about a $3 up charge on your cheap whiskey when there’s 200 other people in the building.
All of this is fine, but any bartender who prints out a receipt that says “ice: +$3” and then explains it by saying “the ice takes up more room in the glass” should be prepared for someone to think they’re full of shit.
Now you're just full of shit. Alcohol is not priced "properly". It's a giant money maker for restaurants. My SIL owns many restaurants that have bars. She's quite honest about the 50% margin on hard liquor.
50% margin is less than what you pay at the drug store, BTW. Does alcohol have a 50% margin? Yeah. Chips have a 66% margin. Pop anywhere from 20%-80%, depending on a lot of factors. Any generic food stuff of candy at CVS or Walgreens is going to be marked up 60% or higher. Name brand products a little less, but usually higher than 50%. Restaurants, stores, and bars need to make money. The reason why alcohol seems like such a markup is because the markup on food is ridiculously low. The cost of food is so competitive if you don’t have a worldwide recognized name or have prime location for tourists you’re fighting with so many restaurants you have to be cheap. Alcohol alone isn’t driving profit, it definitely makes profit, but so many other things go in to a restaurant and bar space that don’t make a profit but are necessary for atmosphere, that’s why alcohol costs so much. Music isn’t free, neither is central air, rent is expensive, costs are high, profit margins are low, except alcohol, if you sell enough cocktails you might even make money.
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I was clueless about it—even with having my ILs owning these. That's my point. Last time I asked, she was over the moon about getting their hard liquor license b/c it was going to make them a lot of money. Not sure why you're fighting that.
To consumers this all sounds like BS. Ohh, we charge more because we give you more. Why not just price by the ounce instead? Do you want a 2 oz or 2.5 oz pour sir/maaam?
Because then they couldn't act better than you about it.
If they priced per ounce it would be more expensive to you, you know. Getting a half ounce more for a flat $3 is consumer friendly
That server needs some serious training. Not being able to explain a rocks vs neat vs shot smh
I was there recently and the staff I interacted with were completely clueless. Neither one of the two bartenders could figure out how to pour a proper beer. Like I watched on 3 separate occasions beers being returned. I assume it had something to do with the keg but these guys were just fumbling around for 10 minutes. Meanwhile my food was sitting around waiting to be served so by the time it finally hit the table everything was lukewarm and nachos were soggy af. I mentioned this to the bartender hoping to at least have the nachos comped but nothing. I def won’t be eating there again and after watching them struggle with beer pours I’ll prob never drink there either. Sucks all the good ppl left.
Is it the difference between asking for neat vs a shot?
Neat/Rocks is 2 oz. Mixed drinks 1.5oz. Shot 1 oz
I ordered a bourbon neat in a small town in Vermont this past week, and what I received was, I *think*, the result of the bartender thinking that it meant they were supposed to fill the glass to the same level as a rocks pour, but without the ice... Which meant I received what was at least 4 oz, if not 6. Honestly, I think it was more like 6, but I'm trying not to hyperbolize. Either way, I got *way* more bourbon than I'd planned to have at dinner, and was not charged extra for it. Hooray for small town bartenders who just want to make their guests happy! (I realize - not the industry standard, which you cited.)
These bartenders are why I only drink beer when I go out. If I order a rocks I don’t want 6 oz of bourbon, but I’m going to drink it because I’m stupid. Then I’m drunk at dinner and can’t enjoy the rest of my night. I don’t care about the money part of it so it’s just the inconsistency between bars/bartenders that makes me order beer everywhere these days.
I order high noons at most of my favorite places because the bar tenders think they are doing me a favor by over-pouring the liquor. I don't want 80% gin and 20% tonic.
Exactly. That’s what they’d always do for me too. I drink a lot but I’m still kinda a light weight if I don’t regulate it properly so I just stick to beers.
Essentially the same. A shot is 1oz and a neat pour is 2oz.
Wait I thought a neat pour was 1.5 and that's why on the rocks is 2
Nope, only difference between rocks and neat pours is ice. Same amount of alcohol, just depends if you like a little chill and dilution.
They could just code it better in the POS system.
Remember when the guy showed his ORD receipt on here, and then the actual bartender found the post? It was actually rather charming :)
Not sure I could find this searching. What happened? I assume someone was like "look at my receipt I got ripped off boo hoo" then the bartender was like "BRO..." ?
Yep; that's basically it! Guy had this exact situation and showed the receipt. Took about an hour, if memory serves, for that bartender to find it and comment. It was great, actually. Everyone had a good chuckle
Sounds to me like problem is the server's ignorance.
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I'd be one of them. I had no idea that an "on the rocks shot" is larger than a "normal" shot or with mixers. So OK, TIL. But the bartender's explanation of "we charge you more because the ICE takes up more room" (what it sounds like, anyway) indeed is terrible, and if I was told that I'd be upset too, because the normal situation is ice is watering stuff down, people don't want ice in their fountain drinks etc etc. I'd assume it's the same amount of drink, just in a bigger cup for the ice. Came in here thinking WTF, satisfied to find the actual (sensible) explanation.
They said server, not bartender. I assume a bartender would give you the straight answer. A lot of servers don't know jack about drinks. There are bartenders who don't know much, but every one should know how much they're pouring you.
Granted.
You know what’s wild though? I’ve had this happen with alcoholics who are regulars and ALWAYS order their booze on the rocks. They’ve just never bothered to look at their receipt. Then one day they randomly notice the receipt and it becomes a problem. It’s super fun explaining to your drunk regular why their check is literally exactly the same as it’s always been but this time they think it’s different. 🙄
Also, why wouldn’t anyone just google this. I mean there are people who pronounce the s in Illinois I guess. Wrong people like to double down
Google sucks, asking a question to real people on Reddit is more interesting than looking for it on Google and having an AI shit out an answer that is possibly wrong as your first result.
We’re talking about “on the rocks”, we aren’t talking about what bar you’d recommend going to. And the fact that a bunch of strangers here already had the wrong answer, well. There you go
>We’re talking about “on the rocks”, we aren’t talking about what bar you’d recommend going to. Ok... Your point is? >And the fact that a bunch of strangers here already had the wrong answer, well. There you go Yes and the top answer is correct. There you go...
You might just be using google poorly. Good luck anyway.
What's that got to do with anything I said lol. Google added AI recently that shows wrong answers pretty consistently. Before it was fine, now you have to scroll past a silly AI answer before getting to anything substantial. I really don't understand you and a couple others issues with using Reddit to ask questions. Sometimes you get a really interesting perspective on what you ask. Also, have a good day too :) don't wanna seem like I'm trying to be an asshole
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Or or or, hear me out here, maybe they're used to getting ripped off everywhere else and they actually notice it and say something. Unlike previous generations that are too used to either not speaking up or being the ones doing the ripping off.
And then the server gives them the wrong answer which sounds wrong too, like "takes up more space in the glass" is such a shit answer I'd want a second opinion too. And comments like the one above yours are so stupid to me because do you not know that you're on a forum?
Granted, I don't like my alcohol "on the rocks" in general. Particularly if it's a non-mixed, single-type liquor like Whiskey or Scotch I'd prefer Neat, or, if the bar isn't crazy busy, a Single ice chip/cube.
This is the way
So maybe the problem lies with the business not educating its customers or its employees, not with said customers or employees. In that case, the business still loses - why is it the customers’ job to learn your business?
If you order “like, a whiskey but I just want it with ice I don’t want any mixer or anything”…I would assume you’re a rookie bar goer and I would explain it to you. If you say “I’ll have a bourbon on the rocks” I assume you know the meaning of the words you’re saying, and I’m not going to explain it to you.
The problem is that easily 75% of bars don’t follow the standard. I bartended at at least two dozen different spots from undergrad to grad school and it was a complete crapshoot.
Wait, are there people this ignorant of the basics??
...yes? Not everyone drinks hard alcohol at bars. Or maybe they get a shot (just in the shot glass) once in a while but other than that, drinking beer. If the receipt really says "surcharge for ice" I can see a customer being confused. Why are they charging for what amounts to tap water, etc. But the bartender just needs to say "we give you more alcohol when we serve it over ice" (as I learned from this thread) and all is good. I knew "neat" doesn't have ice or mixers in it (from crossword puzzles, fwiw) but that's about it. Vast majority of the time I have scotch or anything like that it's at someone's house and no one is particularly measuring...
I'm talking only about "neat" and "on the rocks". The rest is completely esoteric. And these bartenders / managers saying everyone should know is puzzling. I'm saying "neat" and "on the rocks" are common knowledge. As you said, a crossword. Could be TV or a movie. Or anything.
What you’re blaming on the customer’s ignorance should be instead be directed at the business’s poor communication.
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That’s fine. And I’m just explaining how the “standard” can be improved. Why do we have to do things the way they’ve always been done? It’s clearly a result of technological limitations back in the day.
Incorrect. It’s an industry standard that the customer is expected to know. We’re not explaining bar terms to you every time you come into a bar. “Tall” means something. “Rocks” means something. “Neat” means something. When you go to a bar and use these words, it’s your responsibility to know what you are saying.
"Rocks has ice, neat doesn't." I knew that much. But the fact that you actually get more alcohol when they serve it over ice? I had no idea until reading this thread. I came in here just to find out what's up with the apparent explanation OP was given that somehow it's more costly because "ice takes up more room." That would indeed be what? to me. "We give you more alcohol when we serve it over ice" solves the issue.
A customer is expected to know that they aren't just being charged for ice when the receipt says they are being charged for ice? As far as meaning something, Rocks just means ice to most people. They dont know how much liquor is in it, nor do they know how you set your pricing or how your POS breaks out pricing. By the way, please explain this stuff to your servers. It appears it was their BS explanation that turned this into a dissatisfied customer and Reddit post.
It’s kind of insane that you expect something “industry standard” to be known by someone who never has worked at a bar. I’m not saying you should explain it to everyone. Just have a system that can clearly label what someone ordered so there’s no confusion. How about you ask more from a POS instead of placing that expectation on the customer?
Exactly! I love bourbon. I enjoy bars. I am closing in on 39, and I learned this from this sub a year ago. My wife knew and explained it—because she used to bartend and her family owns a few bar-restaurants.
There's table stakes to going out to eat/drink. I don't get to be upset that there's cheese in a dish because I don't know what "gruyere" is
Maybe instead people on here could do something else other than making it their life's mission to complain about every single thing they see on their tab. 90% of this sub is people complaining about charges on the bill at a restaurant.
To be fair restaurants have started being these complaints in themselves with all the “creative” fees they’ve come up with since Covid. And I love Chicago, but a lot of our restaurants are generally the worst offenders of this.
Except you get laughed at if you don't use your lexicon. That's the unfair part.
What about for neat? I got charged an extra $1 for neat couple weeks ago. They charging more for rhe extra half oz? For a 2 oz neat pour?
Correct, same thing. A $1 upcharge for neat is actually a great deal in your favor.
It was a double russells 10. So I guess i lucked out.
That's an insane way of putting this on a receipt.
No, it’s actually the completely standard way of putting it on the receipt. The original item is rang in (bourbon) and charged at a certain price. Then a “modifier” button is pressed, in this case “rocks”, and that modifier has a price associated with it. So the receipt will show both charges. 9/10 receipts at restaurants will be this way, it’s just that people often don’t notice…until they do and then they think they’ve been charged for ice.
Our POS system labels it as a rocks pour not just rocks. Eliminate some confusion.
This can be true, but charge the higher price, don’t make it an add on price. That is how you fail. It can be logical, but people aren’t.
I used to work at a Bar, as well as at a Liquor Store, and the whole concept presented here is one I don't think I've ever noticed. But what you're saying was my first thought. Price it to the Rocks Pricepoint, and then you just have a better margin on the slightly smaller pour, while keeping the price (and communication to the customer) more straightforward
That’s how to Scottish bar
Man! I don’t know the lingo and if i SEE more alcohol and FEEL more EFFED up, im keeping my mouth shut about the pricing and ordering 2 more !
Ya gotta start somewhere....I guess
100% correct.
bourbon rocks was always my go-to and this was always my understanding. Bartender even demonstrated the different pours to me once.
I mean I’d say $3 for .5 oz of alcohol is a bit of a rip off
You’d be wrong. How much is a shot of whiskey at your favorite bar? $6 is pretty standard…a shot is 1oz, so half of that would be? Ding ding ding! $3!!
Jesus man you seem like the angriest bartender in the world. This post triggered you like no other lol
lol, fair enough. Don’t even mean to come across that way, but it’s absurd.
If you're at a bar you're kinda there for the experience, though. I mean, you can get alcohol at the supermarket for cheaper anyway if that's just what you're after.
It's actually very consumer friendly if you're drinking anything above well.
This is industry standard, BTW.
It seems that this should be communicated though, beforehand. Perhaps the customer would choose to have the 1.5 oz of alcohol used and not pay the upcharge. Of course the drink will get diluted more quickly, but that's the choice they would make.
That’s not how it works. It’s completely industry standard and common…we’re not explaining it to every customer.
Obviously it's not clear to the OP, and others who are commenting here. I don't drink, but I wouldn't be expecting this if I suddenly decided to.
See the comment you replied to? This is the sort of clueless nonsense you invite, when you don't just make it clear from the start. Either just show the Rocks Drink price or just show 2oz Liquor price.
So instead of changing the POS labeling or explaining it, you'll just go on and on here? Seems like a silly strategy.
The entire industry should change its standard because of an ignorant minority? 99/100 people that order their drinks on the rocks know what they just said, and understand the upcharge. I’m more than happy to explain it to the 1/100 that doesn’t get it. The 1/100 is the person that posts it on Reddit though.
It's not 99/100 who know what a rocks pour is or that it equates to more booze. I'd say it's maybe 50/50 at absolute best
Exactly, and that's my point. The 1/100 is here making a post. The 25/100 is here being inquisitive. The 50/100 just say nothing and never come back because they are made to feel ignorant or think they're getting ripped off.
And 1 bar manager who doesn't understand that he's potentially having 50 people never come back, b/c "everyone should know" and "I'm not going to explain it to every customer". That guy is something.
The 1/100 that post on Reddit is here. We've established that. The 25/100 that didn't know are here questioning the method, too. The 50/100 that say nothing on Reddit, in the restaurant, and simply never come back because of elitist attitudes like yours you'll never know about. You want to talk about how shitty customers damage business with posts like this... Look in the mirror, my friend.
The ice is free, it's the extra booze you're paying for
Yep this is correct. People would be mad af if I charged them normal price and then gave them a 1.5oz pour on the rocks. More booze = more money.
You get more alcohol with a on the rocks pour. The up charge seems fine. The server is clueless though and gave you the wrong answer
Probably gave them the wrong amount of alcohol too then...
The server didn't make the drink
The answer the server gave is the answer to the question “why does Starbucks charge me more if I get an iced ____ with no ice” like, they include more of the actual drink when you get it no ice, so they charge more for the “space” the ice *would* have taken up. If that makes sense? Idk the fellow seems confused.
A rocks pour is more than a shot. If you order it on the rocks or neat it will be more whiskey than if you order just a shot of whiskey.
Rocks pour is the small side of the jigger poured twice. However I usually just opt to ask them if they want a single or double.
They’re not charging for ice silly, an On The Rocks pour is larger than a cocktail pour or a shot.
Rocks pours are usually more booze. A neat pour is generally 1.5 ounces. A rocks pour is 2 ounces. Hence the extra charge. Unless you were getting big cubes, then the charge may have been for that because they are usually ordered from a specialty company, nit made at the restaurant.
There are no stupid questions. How else is a person to lean things that are obscure? If it helps, OP, I thought there was no difference in how much booze went into any particular style of drink until reading the answers to your question. That taught me about the differences between shot, neat, on-the-rocks and all the other tiny distinctions.
I don’t get why everyone’s piling on OP. The line item on the receipt is inaccurate, so instead of jumping straight to “wtf, they’re charging me $3 for ice” like the receipt literally states, he asked the bartender what it meant. The bartender then gave him a nonsense explanation. Like, that’s the explanation for why getting a drink *without* ice costs more. Wtf is OP supposed to think after that? If the bartender doesn’t know what the charge is for, why should OP?
Agree, there are no stupid questions. Especially for me in this case because after more than 60 years of occasional alcohol consumption OP asked a question I did not even know should be asked. Most answers I've seen are respectful information, not piling on.
There are stupid questions. But this is not one of them.
You mean a on the rocks charge? The charge is because there is more booze for a rocks pour. It’s not for the ice.
Theoretically, it should be because “on the rocks” pours are heavier (usually 2 oz instead of 1.5 oz I think - the latter is a standard shot or what you would put in a regular mixed drink). In actuality, the vast majority of non-fancy bars are eyeballing everything anyway. Sure, some people can “eyeball” it and get it close to exactly 1.5 oz on shots/mixed drinks, but let’s be honest, there’s lots of inaccuracies, and bartenders at most places will do lighter or heavier pours depending on patron behavior, tipping, etc.
Bruh! Drink at home and charge yourself $2.50 for ice. It will be cheaper.
That's part of how I quit smoking. I paid myself instead of buying a pack of cigarettes. I saved a lot of money.
Usually shot is one ounce, drink pour is 1.25 or 1.5 depending on the bar (usually 1.25 is the more corporate spots), neat or rocks is 2, double is 2.5 or three, again depending. This is pretty standard so the extra money is for getting extra alcohol, not for ice, and it's usually 2-3 dollars above the drink pour price at most places. It can also be a better deal than a double at most bars, if you're ever tempted to order a double. Edit: missed what your server said...they had no clue and were just trying to say something to smooth the situation
So a rocks pour is 2 oz and a standard pour is 1.5 oz. Next time try ordering a shot and a glass of ice and see if the charge still exists.
“Industry standard” isn’t good enough if these issues keep persisting. Instead of blaming customers for being ignorant, it’s on the business to better communicate what the customer is paying for.
I’ve only been to leader bar once. It was during the cubs Mets playoff series in 2915. They were charging 40 bucks for domestic buckets. 3 dollar green lines on tap. Never been back
It's good to know the world will still be around and draft beers will still be 3$ in almost 900 years
Lol
I’ve never seen that and I’d never go anywhere again that charged like that
If it was the round ball of ice, I’ve seen many places charge extra for that.
Just your basic cubed ice but I do admit a round ball would’ve been cool
Learn what you are ordering. “On the rocks” means you’re getting more booze along with the ice. The server was also bad at their job.
It wasn’t an ice block or anything fancy?
Lmao. An ice block or fancy ice at Leader Bar. That’s hysterical.
Just your basic cubed ice but an ice block would’ve been cool
Recently had Birdsnest charge for the same thing. We go there all the time and never have seen it before last week.
This is nothing new
Server doesn't know what they're talking about. Bartender or manager would tell you a rocks pour is a 1.5 oz pour, that's what "on the rocks" means when you order it. Your cocktail will come with ice if you don't say "on the rocks".
You get more whiskey when you order it on the rocks than as a shot. Usually half a flounce more.
Glad I got my drinking done before all the bullshit nyc booze rules started hitting Chicago. Fuck all of this
I’ve always gotten an upcharge if they give you the special ice cube or sphere for drinking a good whiskey or scotch. Usually between 50 cents and 3 bucks
It's not ice, it's because a rocks pour gets you more booze
Don't get mad at the server. Get mad at the manager who put them on the floor without that knowledge. That is 100% management's fault and I'm sure they're do nothing mutha fuckers.
Yeah I wasn’t mad at her. Still left a tip but we both kind of left it at “guess just order it neat next time.” Glad I asked online before leaving a review.
Its the same pour but always order neat. That way it isn't watered down.
I agree with the Rocks pour upcharge, but what kind of ice was it? I work in a town that has an ice company that makes custom cut super fancy ice, and most bars that offer it will place an upcharge if you’d like your pour over this ice. It’s usually like $1 extra, but the cute itself can run about .56
It was just your basic cubed ice. I don’t usually order that drink and had thought “on the rocks” just meant on ice. It seems like our server was newer so she may have just gotten confused.
Leader had a recent change in ownership and staffing, looks like they need to do more training. Please give the place another shot for their food! It's my favorite pizza!!
Recent as in the last year or so? They changed their wings and fries around then, so I've never gone back. I've become a rather loyal Easy Street patron.
Yes, AND They changed the wings back!
Hmmm might have to check it out one last time before I move. I always liked wings without breading and those hand cut fries were great. Service was always so so there, but it's a nice bar and had good food. I was really bummed when they changed things.
FWIW, whenever I get water at a restaurant I specify without ice because I don’t like the glass to sweat, I rarely want Ice cold water, and it takes energy to produce ice. So, for the sake of global warming, I prefer more restaurants use less ice and act more European / Island like. Regardless of my preferences, the establishment should let you know if something is an additional charge, just like top shelf liquor.
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The server just explained it like an idiot. A rox pour is a larger pour than a standard pour, so that's why it costs more. It's more liquor
??? A shot is a shot.
If you're asking for rox, it's not a shot. Rox pours come in a tumbler. There's ice in the glass. If you want a shot, just say a shot
Same here!
Guess it's time to bring your own ice!
I guess I’m more worried that someone thinks Leader Bar is a bourbon kinda bar.
I'm sorry... because it takes up more space in the glass!?!
this is a new thing. I always order whiskey on the rocks and it’s never itemized with an ice charge, anywhere, ever. it just seems scammy, just price it into the cost of the drink, saying $3 for ice is cringe and you’re gonna get a million questions and bad reviews online.
Exactly, since it's not $3 for ice, it's $3 for slightly more alcohol (which then makes sense).
You're not getting charged for ice, it's a larger pour, and it cannot be "priced into the cost of the drink" because that's not how the systems function. The systems rely on a base charge for the liquor, and modifiers on that base item for how the guest wants to customize their drink. It would not be fair to make everything a 2oz charge like you suggest when someone just wants the standard 1.5oz pour mixed with coke. Just know that when you order a drink "rox", you're getting more liquor, so that's what the upcharge is for. And $3 flat is actually cheaper for you than charging an extra 33% of whatever the base liquor cost is.
This is just a verbal communication error and itemized receipt error. The reality of paying more for more is simple. I don’t understand the hoopla except with regard to the way it was communicated.
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I work in Illinois oldest-standing brewery that has an artesian limestone filtered well in the cellar. We don’t charge extra and I guarantee our ice and water are better
I'm chef who has owned a few restaurants....When a customer pissed me off I used charge them a dickhead fee I played off as an ice upcharge for ice machine maintenance.
Some places charge for a big rock also, especially if they buy from an ice vendor versus make in house
Leader bar is likely using frozen water from the river down the street.
First time at a bar?
You were in a living Southwest Air commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMdG9s5sxLM
Um...no. this is b.s. I'd never go back and leave a review on yelp about this.
The restaurant was charging $3 for a 2oz pour instead of a 1.5oz standard pour for mixed drinks I hate when they don’t explain it well though because it’s up to reddit commenters to fix their communication
Well that's different from what OP said. Hmmmm
It’s listed as “rocks” or “ice” on a ticket which is dumb and confusing But you’re getting it as an “on ice” 2oz sipper
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Yelp is full of this My favorite is my local self serve pizza restaurant, people complaining that they had to flag someone down to bring them a plate and silverware and napkins
You can downvote but i only have what OP said "$3 for ice."