I don't want this to appear as a stupid question, but I don't drink and thought maybe one of you might have an opinion on this. I was at a restaurant the other day and was looking at the bar, and wondered if the bartenders watched what a person got so they couldn't get drunk, or gave the customer as many drinks as they want? I'm sure some of you have experience with this. Thanks

 

Well, technically, bartenders up here are supposed to cut you off before you get out of hand. The last thing a bar owner wants is a bill from a bunch of lawyers for an accident someone caused for being over served. It's a liability thing.

Then again, a bartender will cut you off for just about anything. If you don't tip right, he'll slow down your supply until you leave, or up your tip.

On the flip side, some bartenders don't cut anybody off. It's sometimes up to the waitress. And if tips are flowing, the beers keep coming no matter what.

 

In some places, it's against the law to serve alcohol to someone visibly intoxicated. Of course, that's subjective, too.

I can recall being served a couple times when I should have had the smarts to quit.

The fact that I tip better when drunk might have something to do with it.

 

I have been in the bar business for 25 years. The laws have become more severe over the years. There are "Dram Shop Laws" that put the responsibility of the patron on the bartender or server. I have been part of three lawsuits over the years. One was dropped, and the other two settled out of court.
The case that was eventually dropped (after two years) happened because some random guy came into my bar and was served ONE DRINK by me and then left and ran over and killed a pedestrian (who was also drunk). He had a BAL (blood alchohol level) of .22. He was already intoxicated when he came into my bar. At that time I had been bartending for 10 years, and I would have sworn under oath (actually I did!) that he was sober. Since he was served his final drink at our bar, we were liable. The ONLY reason the case was dropped was because the dead guy was never identified. (no relatives--no civil action)
The other two incidents I knowingly over-served the people (bar regulars) Fortunately there were no injuries, only property damage. Our company had insurance (if we hadn't there wouldn't have been a suit) In both cases we were also sued by the person that was drunk and caused the accident. "I didn't know that I had THAT much to drink" Blah Blah Blah...
As a bar/restaurant manager I have to constantly moniter EVERYBODY that is consuming alchohol. It's not like the old days when you could cut them off and throw them out, now you have to bend over backwards to make sure them get home safely. It's the right thing to do and it limits your civil liability.
James

 

In a bar that has Karaoke at the time...The Karaoke Host has the power to cut people off & be removed from the premises.

 

I tip better when I'm drunk too.

One time I tipped so much I fell over....

 

Before mariage, when I was a wee lad and used to visit night clubs (bars with dancing here in Montana). My friends and I would wait until the people at the tables around us would get up to go dancing and then switch the pitchers of beer. A quarter full pitcher for a full pitcher. (Cost saving device for you younger guys.) We got kicked out once when Mark threw up his pizza on the table and Randy picked up the chunck of pineapple and ate it. Then the hostess knew we had enough to much to drink and had the bouncers make us leave. Drunk or not when you see 4 guys bigger than most moblie homes coming at you with their knuckles dragging on the floor and no front teeth and a smile from ear to ear. Then its time to leave. Other ways of telling when someone has had to much to drink. Dancing on the tables, stripping, peeing on the back of someone's chair, trying to kiss a girl who you don't know, and reaching up the hostess skirt to see if she is wearing any panties. I still say ouch when I see a female hand raise in the air in a slapping motion. Now, 20 years of mariage, a bottle cap will get me tispy.

Tom

 

I know that my bartender will sit there and pour booze into my mouth if I asked him enough, but he also knows that I'm walking home and not driving anywhere for the night (in the city, you're a moron to drive anywhere period, let alone drunk, let alone drunk on a friday or saturday night). I've seen him boot people no problem that were getting out of hand, and even booted a regular for bringing a girl in 3 weeks before she turned 21. He was asked never to return for his lack of respect. I also tip like a madman, but only tip at the end. Kinda hurts your drinks if its a new bartender, but will put you in the tank if its a bartender who knows you'll tip at the end.

 

my brother is a bartender and i occasionally help him. the restaurant he works at is in a closed community so most of the people there are driving their golfcarts. anyway he serves as long as hes gettin tips, if someone comes in and leaves lousy tips or no tips that jack n coke they ordered becomes straight coke on the rocks. there have been some people i know of that had to be cut off and had someone bring them home. he does have to keep an eye out and he normally keeps track of how many everyone has had.

 

In restaurants with service bars it's generally tougher for the bartender to monitor how patrons are doing. More times than not, this is the waiter's responisibility. Walk-up bars are a different story.