Heh... took one last Christmas for pure interest sake as well - really enjoyed the product knowledge aspect of the course... as well as the section on common bar scams.

My personal favourite is the "repackaging scam"; where you take a standard mixed drink, toss it in a cocktail glass (or something else fancy) and seriously mark up the price. Basically selling the "package" or the image it presents, not really the drink. A classic example of this is the Crantini... a Vodka Cranberry re-marketed and a cocktail (usually for almost double to cost)

I have to think someone who isn't a complete idiot would know what that is all about.

You'd be surprised... after all there are the folks out there all concerned over image - who would much rather be seen drinking from a cocktail glass than a simple bar glass. Heck that's how a lot of Martini bars make a killing: the style over substance crowd.

In the crantini, are they not using 2 oz. of vodka? Because that would drive up the price anyway? Or they pouring "single" drinks, but charging people for "doubles"?

Me no understand.

^^^^^
That's one of the differences...a Vodka and Cranberry typically has a SINGLE shot of Vodka, whereas most martinis have 2-3 ozs...approximately a double shot plus a lil

Where I live, bartenders are not supposed to 'free pour'. It has to measured in a shot glass before pouring. The laws for liquor here are uber-strict. So...no "nearly 3 oz" of booze in your martinis. :(:(

Another public service message:
If you don't like getting bloated from drinking beer, don't drink beer from a bottle. Pour it in a glass. When you drink it from the bottle, the neck opening is not big enough to allow the CO2 to escape that quickly. So you end up ingesting way more CO2 gas, than you would if your beer was poured into a glass. Hence, the bloat.
I saw this on a Stella Artois documentary. It was pretty interesting.

very true.

I was assuming the same amount of Vodka in each drink - so to be clear a double vodka cran. and a Crantini... the Crantini will invariably cost more for some reason.

Anyways if you ever wander into the a Martini/Cocktail bar; the suit and tie kind for guys... check out the drink price difference between a mixed double and a cocktail - I've seen some in downtown Toronto where the difference is almost double, but the usual rate is about a buck difference or more a drink.

The Black Marble!:D

Stoly, a Black Olive, wave a Vermouth Bottle over it!;)