WELL, CALL or TOP SHELF (Upselling)
A well drink or rail drink is an alcoholic beverage served using the lower-cost liquors stored within easy reach of the bartender in the counter ‘speed rail’ or well. Rail drinks differ from “call” drinks in that the former is offered when a customer does not specify a particular brand of liquor when ordering a mixed drink. The terms “well drink” and “rail drink” comes from the name for a bartender’s workspace, known as either the well or the rail. In any given establishment, the rail/well liquors available may be known as the “house pours” or “house brands”.
The actual liquors used by a drinking establishment will vary. A bartender’s well may include at least one variety of gin, rum, whiskey, vodka, bourbon, tequila,triple sec, and vermouth. Some establishments that cater to higher-end clientele or wish to project an aura of luxury choose premium brands to be their well liquors (thus offering a “premium well”).
Rail/well vs. Call vs. Top-Shelf
A rail or well drink is usually served when a customer does not specify that a particular brand of liquor be used. For example, a customer order for a “Scotch and soda” would lead the bartender to use a rail/well Scotch whisky and would be priced as a rail drink, whereas ordering “Glenfiddich and soda” would be a call drink.
Call liquors are known as such because the customer “calls” or requests a particular brand of liquor. Certain expensive brand-name liquors are not considered or priced as call, but are instead known as “top-shelf” liquors, both from their placement on the shelves and from their price relative to the other liquors available.
Drinks using the ‘Well’ liquors are the lowest priced drinks.
Drinks using the ‘Call’ liquors are charged at a higher rate.
Drinks using ‘Top shelf’ liquors are the highest priced drinks.
Drinks using several liquors are charged at a higher rate.
EACH establishment has its own price structure, but the following may give you an idea:
Top Shelf VODKAS frequently include: Grey Goose, Kettel On, Belvedeire
Call VODKAS frequently include: Stolichnaya, Finlandia, Skyy, Absolut, Smirnoff
Top Shelf GINS frequently include: Bombay Saphire, Tanqueray Silver
Call GINS frequently include: Beefeater, Bombay, Boodle, Tanqueray
Top Shelf RUMS frequently include: Bacardi 151, Mount Gay
Call RUMS frequently include: Bacardi Superior, Captain Morgan, Meyers, Malibu
Top Shelf TEQUILAS frequently include: Patron, Cuervo Reservo, Cuervo 1800
Call TEQUILAS frequently include: Cuervo Gold, José Cuervo, Cortez
Top Shelf WHISKEYS frequently include: Crown Royal, Crown Royal Special Reserve,
Call WHISKEYS frequently include: Seagrams, Four Rose, Jack Daniels, Canadian Club, Canadian Mist
Top Shelf BOURBONS frequently include: Old Grandad, Wild Turkey, Makers Mark, Knob Creek
Call BOURBONS frequently include: Jim Beam
Top Shelf SCOTCHES frequently include: Johnnie Walker Black, Chivas Regal, Glen Fiddich
Call SCOTCHES frequently include: Johnnie Walker Red, Dewars, J&B, Cutty Sark
Below are some drinks you can plan on that will likely be ordered. Unfortunately, their name doesn’t tell you the ingredients. So, over time, you need to learn them. Until that time, keep a file handy that you can refer to in an emergency.
Alabama Slammer
Amaretto Sour
Appletini
B-52
Bay Breeze
Bellini
Black Russian
Bloody Mary
Buttery Nipple
Cosmopolitan
Cuba Libre (rum & coke)
Daquiri
Fuzzy Navel
Gimlet
Irish Coffee
Kamikaze
Lemon Drop
Long Island Ice Tea
Madras
Maitai
Malibu Bay Breeze
Manhattan
Margarita
Martini
Melon Ball
Mimosa
Mojito
Mudslide
Old Fashioned
Piña Colada
Red Headed Slut
Rob Roy
Screwdriver
Sea Breeze
Seven & Seven
Strawberry Daquiri
Tequila Sunrise
Tom Collins
Whiskey Sour
White Russian
MARTINI ‘FAMILY’ of RECIPES
GIN MARTINI
4 parts Gin
1 part Dry Vermouth (green bottle)
Garnish: olives or lemon twist
VODKA MARTINI
6 parts Vodka
1 part Dry Vermouth (green bottle)
Garnish: olives or lemon twist
PERFECT MARTINI
5 parts Gin
1 part Dry Vermouth (green bottle)
1 part Sweet Vermouth (red bottle)
Garnish: olives or lemon twist
GIBSON (Gin Martini w onion garnish)
4 parts Gin
1 part Dry Vermouth (green bottle)
Garnish: cocktail onions on a toothpick
DIRTY MARTINI
6 parts Vodka
1 part Dry Vermouth (green bottle)
1 part olive brine
Garnish: olives
COSMOPOLITAN (Vodka-Cranberry Martini)
2 parts Vodka
1 part Triple Sec
1 Part Cranberry Juice
Wedge of lime
APPLETINI (Apple Martini)
1 parts Vodka (Absolut Citron)
1 part Apple Schnapps (DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker)
1 part Apple Juice (optional)
LEMON DROP (Lemon Martini)
3 parts Vodka (Citron)
2 parts sweet & sour mix
1 part lime juice
Lemon peel
CHOCOLATE MARTINI
3 parts Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 part Creme de Cocoa
Garnish: chocolate shavings
MANHATTAN
5 parts Whiskey
1 part Sweet Vermouth (red bottle)
Garnish: cherry
ROB ROY
5 parts Scotch
1 part Sweet Vermouth (red bottle)
Garnish: cherry
PREPARING MARTINIS
Generally, when a guest orders a ‘Martini ,’ they are asking for a Gin Martini.
Generally, a guest who wants a Vodka Martini will specifically say ‘Vodka Martini.’
Martini drinkers tend to be VERY specific about how they like their drink.
Sometimes the guest will ask for a specific gin or a specific vodka, but not always.
And usually if they want their martini to be ‘dry’ or ‘very dry,’ they will specify that as well.
Nevertheless ALWAYS clarify by ASKING the following questions:
1 Would that be a Gin Martini or a Vodka Martini?
2 Would you prefer a specific brand of gin or vodka?
(This is called ‘upselling.’ The owner or manager likes to see his bartenders ‘upsell.’)
2 Do you want that ‘up’ or ‘on the rocks?’
3 Would you prefer olives or a lemon twist?
Rocks glasses tend to be the same size wherever you go,
but ‘up’ Martini glasses come in several sizes. Because you will want your Martinis to nearly fill the glass,
the count for your pour needs to be adjusted for the specific glass size you are using.
If the guest asks for a Martini on the Rocks:
1 Fill a ‘rocks’ glass with ice.
2 Pour your Vodka or your Gin.
3 Pour your Dry Vermouth (green bottle).
4 Stir the Martini.
5 EITHER add olives (2 or 3 on a toothpick (or plastic sword) if you have these).
OR ‘rim’ the glass with the outside of your lemon twist and drop the twist in the martini.
MOST guests order and expect a Straight Up Martini in a martini glass.
1 Fill Martini glass with ice to chill it while mixing the Martini.
2 Add ice to your shaker.
3 Pour your gin or vodka.
4 Pour your Dry Vermouth (green bottle).
5 Cover your shaker with a pub glass and shake gently.
6 Empty ice from your now chilled martini glass.
7 Using your strainer, pour martini into your chilled martini glass.
8 EITHER add olives (2 or 3 on a toothpick (or plastic sword) if you have these).
OR ‘rim’ the glass with the outside of your lemon twist and drop the twist in the martini.
VODKA – CRANBERRY Cocktails
Unfortunately for new bartenders, now there are HUNDREDS of vodka-cranberry cocktails because there are at least 25 new ‘flavored’ vodkas and each have new names. Bars now carry a variety of these new flavored vodkas. But different bars will carry a different set of flavored vodkas because they tend to work with specific brands or distributors. So, nowadays, different bars will sell certain cocktails and not others. So you’ll find that you have to adapt to that particular bar’s repertoire of vodka-cranberry cocktails. You may Google ‘Vodka-Cranberry cocktail recipes’ to get an idea of the diversity of recipes that bartenders need to be aware of.
That being said, there are a few classic vodka-cranberry cocktails (using traditional un-flavored vodka) that are sold at every reputable bar. Some of these are:
CAPE COD (or Cape Codder), or just Vodka Cranberry
1 1/2 oz Vodka PLUS Cranberry Juice
MADRAS
1 1/2 oz Vodka PLUS Cranberry Juice Plus Orange Juice
SEA BREEZE
1 1/2 oz Vodka PLUS Cranberry Juice PLUS Grapefruit Juice
BAY BREEZE
1 1/2 oz Vodka PLUS Cranberry Juice PLUS Pineapple Juice
DIRECTIONS:
1 Using a tall glass or high ball glass if possible, fill glass with ice.
2 Add Vodka.
3 Fill glass with the specified fruit juice(s).
4 EITHER Stir with long cocktail spoon.
OR pour contents in a shaker to mix thoroughly.
5 Garnish with a lime wedge or a lime wheel.
TIP: Cocktails utilizing thicker ‘mixers’ (citrus fruit juices, Bloody Mary mix, and especially cream drinks) are best shaken. Cranberry juice, alone, is not really a thick ‘mixer.’ So stirring will suffice. If your “mixer” is carbonated ALWAYS just stir with a cocktail spoon.
The Cosmopolitan, while it is a Vodka-Cranberry cocktail, will be covered under MARTINIS.
Sex on the Beach, while it is a Vodka-Cranberry cocktail, will be covered under SHOOTERS.
GARNISHES
LIME WHEEL or WEDGE
Vodka Tonic
Bloody Mary
Gin Tonic
Singapore Sling
Gimlet
Rum Coke (Cuba Libre)
MOST Rum drinks in general
Cosmopolitan
Daquiri
Margarita
Mojito
7 & 7
Corona beer
ORANGE WHEEL & CHERRY
Sweet Drinks in general
Whiskey Sour
Tom Collins
CHERRY ONLY
Manhattan
Old Fashioned
LEMON TWIST
Lemon Drop
Martinis
Long Island Ice Tea
ORANGE ONLY
Wheat Beers
Mimosa
Bellini
OLIVES
Martini
ONIONS
Gibsons
WHIPPED CREAM
Coffee Drinks
MINT LEAVES
Mojito
Mint Julips
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