VIIService
Taking the order
Neat, up, on the rocks, short, long. What each asks for.
4 min read
Most guests order in a shorthand that's standard and almost never explained. Getting it right isn't being fussy, because "neat" and "straight up" are different drinks, and serving one for the other is a drink sent back.
| They say | Glass | Ice | You pour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long | Highball | Filled | Spirit first, then mixer |
| Short, on the rocks | Rocks | Half to two-thirds full | Spirit first, splash of mixer |
| Neat | Rocks | None | Spirit only, at room temperature |
| On the rocks | Rocks | Glass filled with ice, 30 ml over it | Spirit only, poured over |
| Straight up / up | Coupe or Martini | None in the glass | Chilled first, then strained in |
| Shot | Shot | None | Spirit only, to the brim or the line |
Named mixed drinks
A few spirit-and-mixer combinations have their own names. Most people will just ask for the spirit and the mixer, and that is fine - but the names turn up on menus and in older recipe books, so they are worth recognising. Rum and coke with a lime wedge is a Cuba Libre. Vodka and orange is a Screwdriver. Whisky and dry ginger is a Highball, in the narrow sense of the word.
When the order is ambiguous, ask once and remember the answer. "Gin and tonic" doesn't say which gin, and a guest who wanted the good one and got the rail one won't order a second. The quickest way to ask is to offer the house pour by name and let them trade up: say which gin you would pour and see whether they want a different one.