The best bartenders create delicious cocktails. Unfortunately, they may be asked by customer’s to create a drink that is very over-rated or just plain nasty! You should of course order whatever drink you like as your taste is your own, but there really are some drinks worth avoiding. For many of the drinks you have grown-up with, there are usually much better tasting alternatives. Here are some drinks that bartender’s rate as the worst drinks they have been asked to serve:
Whiskey or rum and coke
When a guest orders a high-end whiskey and Coke or ginger, a bartender is likely to roll their eyes. Why pay the high price of an excellent whiskey, only to mask it with a sugary soda is something that bartender’s struggle to understand. Rum and cola is a drink is another on the list of a bartender’s worst drinks. Rum is a sweet drink and adding more sweetness ruins the drink.
Mimosa
A cocktail composed of equal parts champagne and chilled citrus fruit juice, usually orange juice, is a very popular drink, particularly for those who want a drink earlier in the day. Bartender’s are not generally a fan of this drink because it is usually made with a lower-grade sparkling wine. The alternative they approve is a French 75 of gin, lemon juice and simple syrup (also known as a Tom Collins) topped with sparkling wine. It is a light drink with not a lot of alcohol in it, making it good for a drink earlier in the day.
Appletini
Whilst a real Martini is a beautiful drink, other cocktails called a -tini are some of the worst drinks available. The Appletini became popular in the 1990s onwards as it is easy to produce, needing only some form of dyed green apple schnapps. An Appletini is an extremely sweet cocktail that masks the taste of the spirits. Bartender’s suggest ordering a Southside instead, a mix of gin, simple syrup, lemon juice and mint.
Amaretto sour
A cloyingly sweet, and unbalanced drink, it is easy to see why bartender’s rate it as one of the worst drinks. A Whiskey Sour, with whiskey, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters and egg white is considered a much more enjoyable and balanced drink.
The 7 and 7
This cocktail mix of Seagram’s Seven Crown whiskey and 7 Up is rarely recognised by bartender’s as a real cocktail. Bartender’s rate this as one of the worst drinks to order as there are so many other options, including Old Fashioned with its mix of whiskey, Angostura bitters and an orange slice.
Lemon Drop
Tasting like a sweet lemonade, you need quality products, using fresh lemon juice and a good triple sec, orange curacao, and a nice vodka to create a decent Lemon Drop, but it is like the Appletini to bartender’s… it is just not a balanced drink. Bartenders would prefer you order a Tom Collins made with gin, lemon juice and simple syrup.