What to Order at a Bar: A Guide for Every Situation
Tips & Tricks · 2026-08-09 · 9 min read · by Jake
Standing at a bar with no idea what to order is one of those universal anxieties. The menu is overwhelming, the bartender is waiting, and you don't want to order something embarrassing or complicated during a rush. Here's a guide to ordering with confidence in any bar situation.
At a Cocktail Bar (Craft/Speakeasy)
These bars have trained bartenders who can make anything. This is where you order proper cocktails — Negronis, Old Fashioneds, Daiquiris, Manhattans. Look at their menu first; most craft bars have a seasonal cocktail list with house creations.
If nothing on the menu appeals to you, tell the bartender what spirits you like and whether you prefer something sweet, bitter, citrusy, or spirit-forward. A good bartender will make you something perfect based on those cues.
Don't order: Long Islands, Vodka Red Bulls, or anything blended. These bars aren't set up for it and you'll get a look.
At a Dive Bar
Keep it simple. Beer, shots, and basic mixed drinks. Whiskey ginger, rum and coke, vodka soda, gin and tonic. These are two-ingredient drinks that any bartender can make quickly.
Don't order: Anything that requires fresh juice, egg whites, or more than 2 ingredients. Dive bars don't stock fresh limes or have shakers. Ordering a Whiskey Sour here gets you whiskey and sour mix from a gun.
The safe bet: whatever's on draft (ask what's good), or a shot and a beer combo. Dive bars are for drinking, not for cocktail experiences.
At a Restaurant Bar
Restaurant bars are usually somewhere between a cocktail bar and a dive. They can make classic cocktails but might not have obscure ingredients. Stick to well-known drinks: Margarita, Old Fashioned, Martini, Moscow Mule, Aperol Spritz.
Before dinner: Aperol Spritz, Negroni, or a glass of wine. These are aperitifs — they stimulate appetite.
With dinner: Wine or beer usually pairs better with food than cocktails.
After dinner: Manhattan, Sazerac, or an amaro (ask if they have Fernet or Averna).
At a Club or Busy Bar
Speed is everything. The bartender is making 200 drinks an hour and doesn't have time for a Ramos Gin Fizz. Order drinks that take 5 seconds to make: vodka soda, gin and tonic, rum and coke, whiskey neat, beer.
Have your order ready before you get to the bar. Know what everyone in your group wants. Pay with card (faster than cash in most places). Tip well on the first round and you'll get faster service all night.
Don't order: Anything shaken, anything with multiple ingredients, anything that requires explanation. If you have to describe it, it's too complicated for this setting.
Universal Safe Orders (Work Anywhere)
Gin & Tonic — works at every bar on earth. Simple, refreshing, hard to mess up.
Old Fashioned — if they have bourbon and bitters (most bars do), they can make this. It's the most ordered cocktail in America for a reason.
Whiskey neat or on the rocks — impossible to mess up. Just whiskey in a glass.
Beer — always available, always fast, always safe.
Aperol Spritz — if they have Aperol and Prosecco (most restaurants do), this is easy and delicious.
How to Talk to a Bartender
Be specific: 'Can I get a bourbon Old Fashioned with Maker's Mark?' is better than 'Can I get something with whiskey?'
If you don't know what you want, give them parameters: 'Something refreshing with tequila' or 'Something spirit-forward and not too sweet.'
Don't say 'make me something good' or 'surprise me' during a rush. That's fine at a quiet craft bar but annoying when there are 15 people waiting.
If you have a budget, it's okay to ask 'what bourbons do you have in the $10-12 range?' Nobody judges you for that.