Besides the traditional rip-offs when fictional drinks are added to your final bill, there are a few tricks that bartenders pull when pouring drinks.
Have you ever felt that your drink is very weak? Of course you have. There are three of these scams:
1. The measurement shot glass that the bartender fills with the alcohol is either made out of metal or dark in color. In 99% of cases, the bottom of the shot glass is double, leaving room for only few drops of alcohol.
2. The pourer (which is the plastic or metal thing stuck in the neck of the bottle) is tighter. This way, the bartender might seem like he is pouring for a longer time - 4-5 seconds - but the alcohol is barely squeezed through the thing. This works well for them especially since the glass is full with ice or coke already.
3. Watch what he is doing with your glass before pouring the drink. If he is about to pour in less alcohol, as in the previous two cases, he might have a little sponge soaked in alcohol, out of sight under the bar (see photo above). He quickly turns the glass upside down and pushes the rim into the sponge. This way, although your drink has less alcohol, you smell the spirit every time you have a sip.
How to avoid: keep a clear head – which is easy since you aren’t getting much alcohol!