Send all questions to [email protected]
Can I go to the bar to order a drink if the cocktail waitress is ignoring me?
Bars where sitting at a table requires you to order from a server can definitely be annoying. Trust me, I FEEL YOUR PAIN. But if you saunter up to the bar to place your order instead of waiting, no matter how long that wait might be, be prepared for a tongue lashing from said server when you return to your seat with a drink that they didn’t bring you. The reason for this is because if the establishment does not pool tips, you’re actually taking money out of their pocket and placing it in the bartender’s instead, and no one likes to lose out on money.
However, if the bar does pool tips, there is no reason that you can’t order from the bar instead of speaking to the server. Whether or not you want to get into that discussion with the server or the bartender is up to you. People can be very territorial regardless of how they’re being compensated. Proceed at your own risk.
I feel like I can’t taste wine when I spit into the spit bucket. How can I train my brain to realize that it’s tasting wine when it’s in my mouth, not when I’m swallowing it?
You’re right that there is no difference in the taste of a wine when you swallow it compared to when you spit it, and that’s because all the flavor receptors on your palate are inside your mouth, not down your esophagus. But I can also see how swallowing it can give you the opinion you’ve really tasted the wine, compared to spitting it out. That’s because when we swallow a wine, we more clearly experience its finish, that lingering moment when the wine’s flavor is still present in our mouth. When we spit, the finish isn’t as strong, because spitting naturally also involves saliva which sort of washes away that flavor. But that doesn’t mean you didn’t fully experience the flavor; you just think you didn’t because you didn’t fully experience the finish.
In addition, spitting is gross. Spit buckets are gross. And spitting in public can be a pretty anxiety-inducing experience. You may be worrying about not making a mess, still looking somewhat classy, and not getting any splash back from the spit bucket. All of this can distract your brain and take your attention away from what you tasted. Just remember, we’re all in this together.
Why are some wine bottles heavier than others?
Welcome the the world of perceived value. While heavy wine bottles are much worse for the environment than lighter ones, I bet when you hold a thick heavy glass bottle in one hand and a much lighter one in the other, instinctively, you believe the heavier one is fancier. And that’s exactly the point. Packaging doesn’t just exist to hold the vino you crave. While that’s the original purpose, it also is used to sway your purchasing decision. And if a heavier bottle can make you more likely to buy it, you can’t blame a winery for doing whatever it takes to make the sale.
