We go out to restaurants and bars to enjoy ourselves. The level of enjoyment should ideally go up as the prices of the food and drinks at said restaurants and bars appreciate. In essence, we pay for the service and ambiance of a restaurant more than the actual food. It is therefore irritating to go to a restaurant and have to put up with poor service when you’ve paid for a better experience.
The waiter service must be impeccable. A lot of restaurant owners don’t seem to be bothered by the way the waiting staff carry themselves. We hardly see the manager so our impression of the service will come from our interaction with the waiter. I have sadly witnessed shoddy service at restaurants and bars that are apparently upmarket. The waiter can’t remember your order or goes to get you a drink and vanishes for half an hour. Even worse are the waiters who keep your change especially at bars and must be reminded to give you your change. Always makes me wonder if they were hoping you’d forget all about it. Worst of all however, are the waiters who quote the price of a drink higher than it actually is or add drinks that you did not drink into the bill hoping you won’t notice. The latter usually happens when you’re hosting a large group. I won’t even go into waiters or bartenders who work with unscrupulous individuals to drug unsuspecting patrons.
All this is incredibly irritating and has made me cross off several establishments from my entertainment joints list. However, there’s another thing that irritates me as well. The ambiance is great, the staff are friendly and give good service but wait, the drinks are served in the wrong glass! A lot of establishments serve beer in water or juice glasses. If you ask them to bring the right glass, it magically appears. Is it because water glasses are cheaper and so they use those ones? If I’m paying for it, the least you could do is serve me in the right glass. There are several kinds of glasses for beer, wine, cocktails among others. There is a reason they exist. Different drinks must be served in a specific way so as to be fully enjoyed.
Here is a basic overview. Beer is served in a beer mug/tumbler or a pint glass/lager glass. The right glass allows the beer foam more room. Red or white wine is served in a wine glass. There are four main glass types to consider, two for each colour. The shape of the glass helps you notice aroma and flavor and to swirl the wine while the stem is long to keep you from altering the temperature of the wine. Sparkling wines and Champagnes are best served in a flute glass because it keeps in the bubbles and the curve of the glass aids you to smell and taste.
Brandy/Cognac/Whiskey are best served in brandy glasses/snifters. They have a short stem to allow the glass to be warmed in the palm to release more flavor. Cocktails like martinis are served in a cocktail glass. Mixed drinks like gin and tonic are served in highball glasses. These are straight and tall glasses. Shots are served in shot glasses. Water and juice are served in water and juice/soda glasses respectfully, although they can also be served in a highball glass.
So there you have it, there’s no reason to serve patrons in a wrong glass. If the worry is breakage, charge them which is already the protocol. Otherwise, stop referring to your establishment as upmarket and step up by kindly serving patrons in the right glass.