Drinks at the bar is a Tampa nightlife classic. There’s nothing quite like sitting at the bar with your closest friends, enjoying a few drinks, and laughing the night away.
However, if you’re going to be drinking at a bar that serves more than beer and two dollar wine, it can be easy to find the whole experience a little intimidating. Fancy cocktails, liquors that you can’t pronounce, all made with ingredients that, in your opinion, have no place anywhere near alcohol.
But if it’s always healthy to broaden your horizons, so maybe you and your friends decide to check out a nice bar, once that serves more than your usual fare. But as soon as you’re faced with the bar menu, you find yourself at a loss.
How do you order the right drink without looking like a fool, or worse, you’re stuck with a drink that you hate? Here are some tips to help you order a drink at a Tampa nightlife bar the right way.
Don’t be afraid to ask the bartender
The same rule in restaurants also applies at bars. If you’re not sure about what drink to order or the right way to do it, don’t be afraid to ask your bartender. Their main job is to make sure that they serve a drink that you enjoy, and they have a lot of experience in that department.
Just make sure that the bar isn’t too busy if you have a lot of questions, otherwise, you’re going to make a lot of people very frustrated.
Study up on some terms
It’s okay to not know everything about buying a drink, but try to study up on some of the most basic drink terms. This way, all you have to worry about is asking the bartender about which combination of flavors tastes better.
If you’re determined to make the most out of your experience, do some research ahead of time on what drinks might appeal to you the most, or you can even take a look at a bar’s drink list ahead of time.
Don’t pretend to know more than you actually do
One thing that people hate the most is someone who pretends that they know more than they actually do, especially in front of someone whose entire profession revolves around that particular subject. Alcoholic drinks encompass a wide variety of points, and pretending to know more than the bartender making your drink is a very poor move.
If you don’t know much about a particular drink, don’t be afraid to ask the bartender for their professional opinion. They will be more than happy to give it to you as long as it means that you enjoy your Tampa nightlife experience.