Random questions to which you seek an answer
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I need a little coaching on bar etiquette from our American friends. The only places I have really been hardcore drinking in the U.S are once in the Greenwich/ SoHo area of NY when I was too drunk to really know what was happening, and likewise on Sunset Strip in L.A.
In England the process of buying alcohol in a bar is ridiculously simple, you pay the bar tender for the alcohol you have ordered….and that's it. I seem to recall uncomfortable moments for me in the US, where I have ordered booze and have not been too sure whether to tip for each drink, or even pay drink by drink or pay all together at the end, or some other variation.
In short, when I want a beer in a bar in NYC, what is the process?
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If you're walking up to the bar and then walking away to get to your friends, I usually tip heavy for the first one (100% of the cost of the drink), and then leave a buck or two for every subsequent drink. This guarantees that the bartender will be attentive to you for the rest of your stay
If I'm sitting at the bar and I know that I'm going to be there for awhile, I'll leave a massive initial tip and then not tip for the next couple
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Hi guys! I don't smoke but want to try out a cigar. What brand would you recommend to someone who doesn't smoke but wants to test the "flavours" of a Cuban cigar? I'm willing to pay ca. 20 € (25$) per cigar but only want to buy two pieces max.
Any help is appreciated
Alex1976 if you read this:
Welche Zigarre würdest du einem Einsteiger empfehlen, der den Geschmack einer kubanischen Zigarre entdecken will und bereit ist ca. 20€ pro Stück zu investieren? Will nur zwei kaufen. Jede Hilfe ist willkommenThanks!
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Hi guys! I don't smoke but want to try out a cigar. What brand would you recommend to someone who doesn't smoke but wants to test the "flavours" of a Cuban cigar? I'm willing to pay ca. 20 € (25$) per cigar but only want to buy two pieces max.
Any help is appreciated
Alex1976 if you read this:
Welche Zigarre würdest du einem Einsteiger empfehlen, der den Geschmack einer kubanischen Zigarre entdecken will und bereit ist ca. 20€ pro Stück zu investieren? Will nur zwei kaufen. Jede Hilfe ist willkommenThanks!
Bin nicht Alex, aber eine Cohiba ist immer eine gute Wahl. Ich würde ne Siglo III (ca. 17,00 €) nehmen. Die ist für nen Anfänger gut geeignet und nicht zu schwer.
Go for a Cohiba Siglo III. It's not to big and to heavy in taste for an am. It's about 17,00 €.
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If you're walking up to the bar and then walking away to get to your friends, I usually tip heavy for the first one (100% of the cost of the drink), and then leave a buck or two for every subsequent drink. This guarantees that the bartender will be attentive to you for the rest of your stay
If I'm sitting at the bar and I know that I'm going to be there for awhile, I'll leave a massive initial tip and then not tip for the next couple
You can also have the option to run a tab. The bartender will usually take a credit card from you and then give you a total at the end of the night. You can add your tip in at that point. This works well if you're planning to stay and drink for a while, order food, etc. Otherwise, Doug's advice is pretty much dead on for how I operate at a bar.
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Romeo y Julieta Petit Coronas is a decent cigar. Once you are ready to branch out, you can try different sizes (e.g. churchill / double corona / robusto) and leaves (e.g. maduro). You will need plenty of time to fully enjoy a cigar. Relax and try to have at least an hour or two. Sit down in your favourite chair with a glass of cognac/scotch/port/beer. These drinks will bring out the unique flavours of the cigar. Enjoy!
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The American tipping system takes some getting used to.
When I was visiting my friends in NYC a few years back the advice they gave me was: a tip of $1 per drink is considered the minimum (otherwise the barman/waitress may ignore you in future). Tip more than this if you want priority service on your next trip to the bar.
This was a simple approach I could get my head around. Does this still hold true?
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Hi guys! I don't smoke but want to try out a cigar. What brand would you recommend to someone who doesn't smoke but wants to test the "flavours" of a Cuban cigar? I'm willing to pay ca. 20 € (25$) per cigar but only want to buy two pieces max.
Any help is appreciated
Alex1976 if you read this:
Welche Zigarre würdest du einem Einsteiger empfehlen, der den Geschmack einer kubanischen Zigarre entdecken will und bereit ist ca. 20€ pro Stück zu investieren? Will nur zwei kaufen. Jede Hilfe ist willkommenThanks!
Bin nicht Alex, aber eine Cohiba ist immer eine gute Wahl. Ich würde ne Siglo III (ca. 17,00 €) nehmen. Die ist für nen Anfänger gut geeignet und nicht zu schwer.
Go for a Cohiba Siglo III. It's not to big and to heavy in taste for an am. It's about 17,00 €.
hey Andy du Würstchen;-)…..he asked me!
get a siglo V....mild cigar with a good length...smoketime 30-45 min. price 20-23 bucks
the siglo V is my favorite the moment
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If you're walking up to the bar and then walking away to get to your friends, I usually tip heavy for the first one (100% of the cost of the drink), and then leave a buck or two for every subsequent drink. This guarantees that the bartender will be attentive to you for the rest of your stay
If I'm sitting at the bar and I know that I'm going to be there for awhile, I'll leave a massive initial tip and then not tip for the next couple
This is some solid advice.
Tips. Insure. Prompt. Service. (TIPS)
I look at it this way: If you're trying to decide how much to leave, air on the side of more. It's only a couple of bucks, and it'll save you time and aggravation later on when you're trying to get more drinks or trying to close out your tab. A good bartender sees everyone and will notice when the good tippers walk up to the bar.
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Ok, thanks guys. This could get expensive
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What can be more complicated than 'murican tipping system???
Here everybody gets paid properly, so tipping is absolutely free, and not "must". Of course you tip if you get excellent service or expect that, but as in normal situation tipping is not needed. (well, pretty often if the prices are like 5.60 for a pint you'll round that up to 6…)
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Much the same here IJ, I spent quite a bit of time drinking with some American dudes in LA and none of them could figure how I found tipping so complicated. Just what you're used to I guess.
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Just what you're used to I guess.
It's this, really. In certain situations, tipping is an ingrained response. People have variations in approach, but the basics of the social convention are generally understood and accepted.
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I know, but for a visitor, it is fraught with uncertainty and risk. Paula went to a restaurant in NYC once, picked up the tab and left 15% (way more than you would do in the UK), the waiter came back to the table and in a very aggressive manner asked her what was wrong with the meal. She felt upset, unsettled and confused, she won't be going back….
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Yeah, I get it from your perspective. It's just odd to try to explain, since it's just sort of understood here.
As for your example, that waiter was a dick. Not only should you never go back, I would have complained to a manager. 15% is a respectable tip, and even if it weren't, berating a customer is completely out of bounds.
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If only Americans were more like the Japanese!
I've worked in the food industry for 12 years. I've done every job in the restaurant, and even worked at two restaurants inside a Whole Foods Market, which is why I am posting this:
In America, the only reason tipping is "understood" is because our capitalist society passes the cost of hiring servers/bartenders onto the consumer, and we consumers willingly accept it. For example, at Whole Foods in Columbus, Ohio, we were not allowed to accept tips. The reason? We were making $10+/hr. with benefits as WFM employees. But most restaurants pay their servers between 2 and 5 dollars an hour, with the expected tips making up the large majority of these people's incomes. So the restaurant owners/corporations not only overcharge for everything on their menus, they also skirt the responsibility of paying a living wage. That's why most servers expect the American 20% gratuity, regardless of quality of service, because they need it! Sad.
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Sadly, you are right. Most food service industry (i.e. restaurants and bars) pays minimal wages and expects the tips to make up the rest. Some restaurants will go a step further, taking a % of tip from the waiter at the end of the night!
