But I feel I've seen the same issue where people don't know what neat means in Tokyo. So how did it become a thing? Here's what they actually mean: Neat: Order your whiskey neat if you want it to be poured straight into a glass, at room temperature, without ice. That probably depends on your bartender's mood. For example the paragraph about drink sizes quotes measures in ounces which would not be legal measures in the UK. In New Brunswick, Canada ordering a "Whiskey served Neat" normally gets you the following: How to properly serve up a shot of whiskey “Neat”, A shot glass, containing one ounce of your finest rye whiskey poured out of the bottle at room temperature. The terms can be used interchangeably without confusion though, so fire (or gingerly sip) away! And a good bartender will probably politely ask you to clarify what you really mean. If you want it with just a hint of vermouth (like Winston Churchill did), try ordering it extra dry. I think the right thing to do is generalize the article into an article called "Bartending terms" or "Bartending terminology". Professional Bartender here. Pro Tip: a standard pour of spirit is 1.5 oz., but order a plain spirit "neat" or "on the rocks" and you'll likely get a 2 oz. VeRHWaHL (talk) 18:58, 30 December 2012 (UTC) But when it really picked up was after the Vesper martini, that famous James Bond cocktail. Straight: shaken/stirred with ice and then strained, Up: served in a long stem glass like a martini (straight is usually implied). “ Up, Neat, Straight Up, or On the Rocks”, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Friday, May 9th, 2008 Walkart, C.G. Neat and straight are interchangeable here in Scotland, got to say sounds like the mc at this event was a bit of a dick. A dry manhattan is its own thing—a manhattan made with dry vermouth, instead of sweet, and garnished with olives. Again, if you want to get the best out of your expensive bottles of whisky, drink them without mixers like soda water, cola, or fruit juice. Either way, bars have both on hand, so choose whichever you like best. LivingSocial is the best place to find and share unique things to do in Here's what you need to know: Seltzer: If you're looking for plain, carbonated water with nothing else in it, seltzer is the mixer you're looking for. Share this post. Any thoughts on that suggestion? What does "commonly seen in mixers" mean? During a conversation, I mentioned that I preferred to drink my single malts neat. —BarrelProof (talk) 19:53, 27 June 2012 (UTC), OK, I moved it (and linked it to the {{Bartend}} table). Some would hover the bottle on top of the glass, some would point towards France. Take my advice: learn to savor good single-malt scotch neat (“straight up”: no ice). For example it would be inaccurate to refer to a Cosmopolitan as being served straight up as it contains lime juice, cranberry, juice, and Cointreau. Possibly a cultural difference. 4oz of gin or vodka (Usually Vodka) served on a martini glass/cocktail glass. —BarrelProof (talk) 23:21, 19 August 2013 (UTC), It would be helpful to include some terms that, while not common in current usage, are part of the history and literature, especially colourful jargon such as "jigger", "pony", etc. 2. So what will you actually get if you order your whiskey straight up? "Straight up" always gets me shaken with ice then drained off. But some people might not know, or just not hear in a noisy bar. "On the rocks" has become the more ubiquitous term thanks to its use in movies and TV shows, but "over" is still a common term in some areas of the country or with bar patrons of a certain age. Straight up: The term "straight up" technically isn't a real bartending term at all, but is what a lot of people mistakenly ask for when they really want their drink served neat. Unfortunately, logic has no place here. What is a mixed shot? ", "I'll take a shot of whiskey with a soda chaser.". Believe it or not, this is a common bartending terminology mistake that results in a lot of drinks being sent back—usually because the customer doesn't understand what a twist really is. Neat or Straight Up? A bartender who's a stickler for terminology will probably chill your whiskey and serve it "up". Someone who does not go outside. As in "Give it to me straight. You probably won't want to apply this logic to other drinks, though. Straight vs. neat. But still without ice? But when we are talking about cocktails straight up means no ice but shaken or stirred like a Margarita Straight up, a Manhattan, a Martini. I've asked two Japanese colleagues who both say that the word "neat" is not used in Japan. As it stands, I have little confidence that the distinction being made is justified.--Srleffler (talk) 04:48, 10 October 2008 (UTC). various ways of serving drinks. Professional Bartender here. Straight Up is not really used for whiskey. Just the facts." Like the faux martini, which is basically pretending to add dry vermouth to their neutral grain spirit but never taking the cap off the bottle. Dictionaries would disagree, stating that neat means undiluted or not added to. Right now it says basically that in the US the two terms are commonly used interchangeably, but are technically different, while in the UK they are in fact interchangeable, but are sometimes recognized as different. But with the renewed interest in old-fashioned drinks like martinis, sazeracs, and, well... old-fashioneds comes an uptick in customers using and misusing common bartending terms. To be accurate it should be said that the Cosmopolitan is served up.--Geomedic (talk) 21:08, 3 March 2009 (UTC). Notice the {{Bartend}} table at the bottom of the article page. More generally, this article seems unclear and not entirely necessary. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_rocks 195.137.64.249 (talk) 22:33, 20 October 2010 (UTC), Really though, I think you'll find you're a complete idiot with no respect. Club soda: Club soda might seem like the same thing as seltzer, but it actually has minerals added to it that give it a subtle difference in flavor. So then, in the U.S., you would say straight with ice? "No ice please". When I went to Bartending school, I learned > that straight up is straight into the glass without ice. This is commonly known as a "rocks pour", and some bars charge more for it than they would if you were just ordering a plain shot. Over and on the rocks both mean the same thing: served over ice. a subreddit for Scotch enthusiasts of all walks of life and of all levels of knowledge on anything Scotch Whisky related. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Consequently, I would say neat. If any bartender attempted to serve me whiskey in a shot glass, I would be forced to leave in disgust! I took this out because it makes no sense: How could a half jigger and a double jigger be the same? The terms "dry" and "wet" are most commonly used when ordering martinis and they can actually be a little confusing. Link to post Share on other sites. The "stemmed" part is important here since it's the added elevation that gives us the "up" here.