The Drink Delivery Standard
Five steps from the order to the glass on the table. A guest tastes a cocktail for a few seconds and looks at it, and at how it arrived, for half an hour.
- Who
- Bartenders and bar waiters, checked by the bar manager
- When
- Every drink served, at the counter or at a table
- You need
- Dry trays, coasters, the glass on each spec, garnish cut today
- Measured by
- Simple drinks served within 4 minutes
- Cocktails served within 7 minutes
- Every glass set down on a coaster
5 steps
01
Keep the time
Our target is four minutes from order to guest for wine, beer and soft drinks, and seven for a cocktail. If a drink will take longer, tell the guest before the fifth minute and give a new time.
Say this
“The Ramos Fizz takes a little longer to shake, Mrs Tanaka. About five more minutes.”
Common mistake Saying nothing and hoping. The guest watches three later orders leave the bar before theirs.
02
Glass and garnish
Use the glass named on the spec, chilled where the spec says so, and check it against the light for chips and lip marks. The garnish goes on last, just before the drink leaves the bar.
Say this
“Coupe, chilled, twist expressed over the top. Ready for table four.”
Common mistake Swapping the glass because the right one is in the washer. A Martini in a tumbler is a different drink to the guest.
03
Carry on a tray
Every drink travels on a dry tray with a mat, even one glass three steps from the bar. Hold stemmed glasses by the stem and tumblers low on the base, never near the rim.
Say this
“Table 4: seat 1 Old Fashioned, seat 2 tonic without ice.”
Common mistake Carrying a single glass by hand because it is quicker. Fingers end up where the guest’s lips will go.
04
Set down and name
From the guest’s right where possible, put the coaster down first, then the glass, with any logo facing the guest. Name the drink as you set it down, so nobody has to say whose it is.
Say this
“Your Old Fashioned, Mr Novak, with the Japanese whisky you asked for.”
Common mistake Asking “Who had the Old Fashioned?” across the table. The order was taken by seat, so the server should know.
05
Check back
Return within two minutes of the first sip and ask about the drink itself. If it is not what the guest wanted, take it away without discussion and make it again, or offer something else.
Say this
“How is the balance, Ms Haddad? I can make it a little drier if you prefer.”
Common mistake Calling “Everything okay?” while walking past. The guest says yes so that you will leave.
Before the Drink Leaves the Bar
Twelve checks in the ten seconds between the bar and the guest. A bar inspection scores each of them on its own.
- Glass matches the spec for this drink
- No chips, cracks or lip marks against the light
- Chilled glass still frosted, not wet
- Ice the right format and freshly scooped
- Garnish cut today and placed as on the spec
- Rim clean, no drips down the outside
- Tray dry, with a clean mat
- One coaster ready for every glass
- Straw or stirrer only where the spec says
- Seat number known for every glass
- Order time under 4 minutes, or 7 for cocktails
- Guest told of any delay before minute five
Pin it at the pick-up point. For one week the bar manager stops one tray a night at the pass and checks it against the list in front of the team. The point is the habit, not catching anyone out.
The Standards Library.
No. 79 · Bar
The Bar Snack Standard
Five steps for the small bowls beside the drink. They cost less than the garnish, and a guest notices at once when they are missing, stale or left empty.
No. 80 · Bar
The Consistency Standard
Five steps that make a cocktail taste the same on Tuesday as on Saturday, whoever makes it. Regulars reorder a favourite partly to see if it has changed.