I hope this isn’t too off topic… I live in a blue college town of 11k people (in a red state) that grows by 5k when the fall semester starts. There are not a lot of options for bars, and even fewer options for restaurants. The owners of one of the established restaurants opened another restaurant across the street. They hired a young man to set up the bar. He decided that a shot of whiskey/bourbon/scotch is one ounce, and that a double of two ounces should cost twice as much. After a few years, this young man quit and opened a bar with light fancy food down the street, and he did the same thing with that bar. These two establishments are the best places in our small town to go out to.
Having gone to many bars, I find that a shot should be one and a half ounces, and a double is more than three ounces and costs about fifty percent more than a single because you pay for the service and environment and not the volume of booze. Recently, I ordered two double mid-shelf bourbons (Knob Creek) totaling four ounces. I was charged $37 not including the tip. There is a city a one-hour drive away with much better bars. These bars pour the right volume and charge half the price as I was charged. I tried to talk with the young man, but he wouldn’t hear me out. Am I crazy?
Rest assured that your rectitude is validated here. But even if you convinced them that 1.5 oz (or 50 ml) was a standard pour, they’d still charge you $37 for four ounces.
Matters are not necessarily any better in big cities, and one of the reasons I just don’t go out drinking much any more. Since I do not have effectively unlimited funds, I have to ask myself what I am paying for and whether that is something I actually want. I’ve noticed I’m far more likely to order a whiskey in old man joints, Irish pubs, or bars away from anything remotely fashionable because the markups tend to be more reasonable and/or pours more generous. Otherwise, I’m just better off buying a bottle at retail and inviting a friend over. Plus, I get to listen to whatever music I like. Or no music, which is sometimes best.
I wonder whether the rise in popularity of mezcal, which is commonly sold in 1 oz pours, may have had an effect on general pour sizes?
As from being from an bit farther off of your place i have to say it´s mostly the same here in Germany, although a single shot of, let´s say a singlemalt or something alike is 4 ml a single order.
The prices vary from bar to bar or at least how fashionable it is. Often you come across generous bartenders who invite you on a glass on the house if you go to the same place frequently
Thank you all for your responses. It gives me something to think about.
When I want to drink, I do it at home. When I want to socialize, I go out to drink. I really enjoy the old professors’ dive bar down the street because they do it right, but that’s not fancy enough sometimes.
I’m by far not the most seasoned expert or knowledgeable person on here, but my thoughts were always the same as yours; 1.5oz standard pour and 3oz is a double.
I have seen it where the price was doubled for a double pour, but that’s when the prices are already particularly low. For reference, there’s a local place near me where a single of Buffalo Trace is $5 and the double is $10. So I believe they simply double the charge there because the price is so uniquely low to begin with.
