How much and how often should you tip a bartender?
I have done a bartending course, and this advice came from a professional who was instructing the class - Depending on how many drinks you tentatively plan to buy over the night (eight?sixteen?), leave a ten/twenty dollar bill as a tip for the first drink. Then you have the bartenders attention and can enjoy good service for the rest of the night without any additional tips!! Other perks include free bottled water as against tap water; a good impression on your female companion(s) and other females around at the time; and, most importantly - a much much better chance to fulfill your fantasy with the girl who is tending the bar.
On a side note, watch the movie "Pay it Forward" and learn from it.
8 Answers
You should tip for every drink/round of drinks unless you have a running tab.
If you plan on frequenting a particular establishment you'll build a rapport with the bartenders, learning quickly whats customary and what they prefer.
In regards to how much to tip, it depends on the cost of the drink. It's easy to tip $1 on a $4 draft, but the top shelf mixed drinks you should pony up 15-20% or more depending upon the service. If you buy a drink that is $4.75 and you leave them the change, don't expect to be the first person to catch their eye for your next round when the bar gets crowded.
I have done a bartending course, and this advice came from a professional who was instructing the class - Depending on how many drinks you tentatively plan to buy over the night (eight?sixteen?), leave a ten/twenty dollar bill as a tip for the first drink. Then you have the bartenders attention and can enjoy good service for the rest of the night without any additional tips!! Other perks include free bottled water as against tap water; a good impression on your female companion(s) and other females around at the time; and, most importantly - a much much better chance to fulfill your fantasy with the girl who is tending the bar.
On a side note, watch the movie "Pay it Forward" and learn from it.
If you have any desire for being a regular, tip a little more than everyone else.
I start out paying $10 for a $7 drink. Also, pay the tip in cash, even if you pay the bill with a credit card. Many places (At least in NYC) will make the bartender share the credit card tips with the rest of the staff, but let them keep the cash tips.
Once you are a regular and start receiving your free drinks. I tip %20 on what you would have paid if you were charged for all your drinks. (Then round up!)
This may sound excessive, but it has taken care of me well. Sometimes I'll go, where I am a regular, drink my fill, have dinner with friends, and leave with a bill of $10! In NYC!
And if you do go in with groups, the bartenders will definitely make you feel like the bigshot!
I usually tip the bartender $20 on the first order to ensure good service for later on the night. During a crowded club or bar, the bartender will rather serve you than someone who just tips a dollar on the first order. Trust, it's a good investment, you also get perks too.
I'll tip a couple bucks the first drink and the last drink if I get a good bartender. Why should I as the consumer decide how much an employer pays their employee?? It's called minimum wage, sort it out North America
No-one tips me inside my business if I write a good report, plus every bartender I meet brags about how much they make, so the "struggling" bartender is a bit of an urban myth.
It really all depends on how many drinks you are ordering. If ordering just for yourself, I typically do $1 or $2 every other drink. If you are with a group, run a tab and tip big at the end of the night, have everyone throw in an extra $5 or $6.