Times dishes dirt on the "downpour"
I have always liked the Times blog about drinking. This installment really makes it clear how the "downpour" works and dispels the myth of premium spirits. I bartended a little in a past life, and we never did this, because we never had the time or energy to sit there and pour cheap hootch into the premium bottles. (I do know of one bar that did this; I saw them do it in the basement). I love this part:
Have any of you bartenders and patrons experienced this? Or have a working knowledge of a funnel-and-bottle operation in a back room of your bar or saloon? This is a great blog, and although he is talking about Elaine's, it could just as well be an NYCBP bar.
The bar staff dubbed the place “The Make-Believe Ballroom.” We obviously downpoured to keep liquor costs down, which helped the house. But it also allowed us to buy back more drinks for customers, which got us better tips. It was a fairly busy place and I worked there for three years. In all of that time only twice was the validity of a cocktail’s ingredients questioned.
Have any of you bartenders and patrons experienced this? Or have a working knowledge of a funnel-and-bottle operation in a back room of your bar or saloon? This is a great blog, and although he is talking about Elaine's, it could just as well be an NYCBP bar.
Labels: bartenders, drinking
| By Kevin Fitzpatrick | Permalink 
