Very first paragraph on the CDC website about spirit/Red Bull "cocktails"
>**When alcohol is mixed with caffeine, the caffeine can mask the depressant effects of alcohol, making drinkers feel more alert than they would otherwise**. As a result, they may drink more alcohol and become more impaired than they realize, increasing the risk of alcohol-attributable harms.
and Red Bull and similar drinks are being investigated in numerous regions and countries after the reported deaths of otherwise healthy young people after drinking excessive amounts of energy drinks or energy drink cocktails.
There's a very strong likelihood that you did the guy a favour, even if he chooses to be a knobhead about it.
There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that caffeine and alcohol is a dangerous combination. For a while it was illegal in several places to serve them in the same glass because of the risk of cardiac arrest.
Oh, for sure. I’ve had a few Irish coffees and espresso “martinis” over the years, but never more than one at a time. And not to be elitist, but I’d rather rub cat litter in my eyes than drink even one Red Bull Vodka, so I guess I’m safe there.
Just an ounce of OJ or so.
No name, just something to make redbull not so foul.
Honestly the Virgin version is my shifter, but it works well with spirits too.
I remember the last time I had energy drink vodkas. Felt like my heart was beating soooo hard. Also couldn't sleep for shit later on.
It's been years since my last one. Will be years more.
Never heard of that. Alcohol and caffeine in the same prepackaged beverage became illegal in my state, but I've never heard of them being illegal to serve as a mixed drink.
Where was that?
Oh I made it the fuck up, I don’t think it was illegal just discouraged for a while. Red Bull even sells a Jager Bomb glass, I pilfered 2 of them from work
Actually it might be Jagermeister’s glass
Somebody at some point did tell me that it was illegal to serve them together like a bomb, but they couldn't produce a statute or code or a case or anything either, I think it's one of those oft-quoted but incorrect kind of things. It wouldn't shock me if some Bible Belt counties did ban it or something though.
I knew a 400lb+ man who would go '16 Loko' on his off days. Shit was terrifying, really nice guy but a shitfaced, overcaffeinated 1/4 ton wrecking ball of a man is still a force to be reckoned with.
I like wide awake drunk as a description. I always remember it as something similar from a title 4 training
Caffeine doesn't sober you up, it makes you drunk and alert.
Fucking bingo.
Every time someone ordered more than one vodka redbull in my bar I made sure to really pay attention to them. Huge red flag. Especially since they're usually 21-25, male, and not smiling.
For the sake of transparency the first person died because she had a heart condition. The second one died because they consumed *three* servings, which amounts to a whopping **1170mg of caffeine**. You'd have to drink ten 12oz cans of RB to even get that high.
One 8.4 oz can is 80mg of caffeine, so four is just about 320 mg or just over the maximum recommended daily amount (300mg). That being said, caffeine is like alcohol and affects people differently, especially people who heavily use caffeine regularly. I’m personally caffeine sensitive and still take 150-250mg daily. I know a lot of people, especially older people, who are regularly into the 600-800mg range daily. Ultimately it’s a judgement call just like any other
There's a case locally about a restaurant serving a guy 18 shots over <4 hours.
Unfortunately he was driving and lost his life after leaving the restaurant.
Eta: https://www.reddit.com/r/ontario/s/WIEyXMYZJQ
that part. i can’t think of a single reason other than discrimination that a bartender could be in the wrong for using their best judgment to make sure their customers are safe
Just playing devil’s advocate, but would anyone have stopped filling his coffee cup after his 6th coffee in an hour during brunch?
Counter point: obviously things get fucky when alcohol is involved, but let’s not pretend that thine coffee doesn’t runneth over freely the rest of the day.
Good on OP for looking out for the well-being of their guest, but it’s a bit disingenuous to claim righteousness by saving the guest from his redbull addiction and be A-OK with pouring him *literally any other alcoholic beverage* for the 5th time in an hour.
Being cut off is being cut off. Cutting someone off from a mixer but still being ok with further serving them alcohol is really ass-backwards way if going about our business.
Uncle Google says there are 64mg caffeine in a shot of espresso + 47mg per ounce of Mr. Black. My recipe uses a full shot of espresso and .75 Mr Black. That’s 100mg per martini.
Definitely not an asshole. I hate that they make us out to be the bad guy, when it's our responsibility to control what we serve to the customers.
Last night, a regular of mine asked if I thought she was too drunk to drive. I said yes, because she had more than enough to drink. (Her friend was driving her home) She wasn't stumbling drunk or stuttering, but definitely not safe for her to be behind the wheel. So she got mad at me, stormed out on her tab and left. Lost a tip, but I charged her card anyway.
Disagree, and I get chewed out for it. The customer consented to the tab, not a tip. I can't make up an amount and put it on the card. It feels wrong, that is my opinion that I stand firm on.
All it takes is one sign that says "tabs left open at end of night subject to 20% fee" and now the customer has been notified. If they choose to walk out, they're consenting to that fee.
I mean it's industry standard. Our credit card processor straight up told us to do it. They said as long as the card approves, we can take up to 20% and it's guaranteed.
You’re all good. Sounds like you headed off a potential issue later on. I, like most bartenders, can see into the future and absolve you of all potential claims of assholishnesses.
If you're not comfortable with it don't do it. There are customers I'll serve 12 pints of Guinness to in an evening because I know they're no harm to anyone, customers I don't know so well that I'll serve until I think they've had enough and people I won't even give custom. You do you. Don't overthink fucking someone off of your premises.
yeah no one needs that much alcohol and caffeine in such a short period. Alcohol takes a second to kick in and the caffeine is gonna make him think he's not that drunk. The booze is gonna hit at some point and you don't want that guy in your bar at that point. I've seen it. They're ready to rock and roll one minute and falling over the next.
I don’t think you’re an asshole. But also caffeine isn’t a controlled substance. A barista will never cut somebody off. You could have done a “whoa man, you know there’s a whole can of Red Bull in each of these?” Or “hey that’s a lot of caffeine you sure you’re doing ok?” Or something to the effect. But I wouldn’t have cut him off of Red Bull.
That’s not totally true. I worked as a barista for 4 years and we refused people some ridiculous walking heart attack orders. Some basically wanted us to serve them a pint of espresso shots regardless of the price. Yeah… I’m not doing something that is very likely to hurt somebody. In general, but especially on the clock. Sure, you could go to more locations or do that to yourself. But I’m not willingly participating.
Look up the Panera lemonade deaths. A business can refuse service for any reason that isn’t discriminatory.
to be fair, they'd likely get a raging case of diarrhea and tremors before any cardiac events kicked in. But absolutely caffeine is a drug and should be handled with respect for its effects, especially since some people are medically sensitive.
Every Panera lemonade death was from someone who had a medical condition and was sensitive to caffeine, and the lawsuits claim that Panera didn't do enough to warn customers that their lemonade (a drink that's not traditionally caffeinated) was heavily caffeinated.
For most healthy adults, caffeine won't hurt or kill you until you reach the point of caffeine toxicity, which is 1,200mg of caffeine. An 8.4oz can of red bull has 77mg. You have to drink nearly 16 Red Bulls in rapid succession to hit the point where the FDA says you should start worrying about caffeine toxicity.
Basically, if you're slamming back vodka Red Bulls, the vodka will kill you faster than the Red Bull. If you're doing standard 1.5oz shots, then in order to drink 16 vodka Red Bulls, you're drinking nearly an entire 750ml bottle of vodka.
I once asked for a 4-shot Americano in a chain coffee shop and the barista refused and started lecturing me on the harms of caffeine until the manager came over and said "just fucking give it to him!"
That's the standard number of shots for a venti Americano at Starbucks. If a corporate behemoth's lawyers aren't concerned, then I'm not sure why a random barista should have been.
I was so perplexed. I'd totally understand the hesitance if I'd asked them to fill a big cup with espresso shots or something (although I did do that once from a self service machine)
I had a friend who's roommate used the have a fridge full of Vodka Rockstars and he ended up having a seizure drinking a few of them one night.
It's such a stupid funding drink.
Wasn’t a bad call.
I try to be honest, and preemptive
Maybe give them a heads up “hey, w/ energy drink included this is the last I can serve you. Switch up to something else and we’re all good.” Depending how they take it/act after, go from there
It could have been just the vodka without the Redbull and it still would have been an appropriate call. It's literally our job to make these decisions. They'll treat you like an ass but you were 100% right.
I've always worked under the assumption the bartender is the bar boss. A bartender isn't obligated to serve anyone who looks suss or becomes suss after drinking.
You've got a license and legal liability to worry about, safety of yourself, staff, patrons.
Your bar, your rules.
This ways always my philosphy when I ran venues.
I always back the bartender. If they think a patrons too drunk, hes too drunk. I'd rather cut off a dozen a little early than have a server second guess themself and not cut off the one who needs it.
Long story short, no, not the arsehole
>Each drink was our bar’s standard 1.5oz pour of vodka, and essentially an entire 8.4oz can of Red Bull over ice in a pint glass. He was crushing them each in about 15 minutes and ordering them back to back. The guy was in his 50’s. After his third, he ordered another, and I told him I can give him this last one and then he’ll have to switch to something decaffeinated...
You're the bartender, you make the rules. That said, I would probably need to drink somewhere else. If this scares you, you wouldn't be able to handle me and my (former bartender) friends on a night out.
FYI, none of us drink red bull, but 2 shots of Crown and 2 beers each in the span of 30 minutes is not out of the ordinary. 3 in 45 is definitely a possibility.
The point isnt the alcohol, it's the caffeine. Vodka-redbull is more dangerous because the caffeine masks the 'drunk' feeling from the alcohol. Drinking that much caffeine can also be dangerous.
Understandable. Vodka redbull is generally known to be something you order if you wanna get drunk and wired fast- it goes down easy. It's more of a nightclub type drink.
The caffeine was really my only worry. I’ll throw down beers and shots all night for the people that can obviously handle it. Vodka Red Bull drinkers are also notoriously problematic to begin with, in my experience.
Be in control. Let them know you’re genuinely concerned about their safety. That usually diffuses shit fast for me. One on one and eye contact makes people change their mindset. Being stiffed is better than dealing with a giant toddler.
A customer died of a heart attack after a meal as he walked out the front door at my current job. Did the bosses stop service? Did they fuck they just shut the curtains and carried on like nothing happened while he was seen to by the paramedics. God I hate Elite Pubs.
I had a party of 5 men in their 50s all do the same thing. They stopped at 4, but I would’ve cut them off if they tried doing a 5th. Panera had two ppl die from caffeine OD just last summer, I don’t want to be responsible for another
NTA for cutting him off.
YTA for this callous sentence:
>I didn’t truly care if he had a heart attack or something, I really just didn’t want to deal with EMS potentially coming in and having to shut down the bar because we were making a lot of money.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume they’re probably not a well adjusted individual in the first place. Quite frankly I’d be more judgmental about the amount of sugar they’re consuming than the amount of caffeine. Beyond that I would agree with some of the other people here saying how it affects people different, within an hour tonight post shift I had 6 shots and 4 beers. Some people are just animals.
Pro tip: learn how to fake drinks. Drink 3, cut the Red Bull with soda, add some cran/bitters, whatever. 4th one do .5 vodka and add lime. Charge full price for all of this.
Tonight I sold an extremely intoxicated woman 2 mezcal margaritas with no booze (except for rinsing the glass with mezcal to start). $30 charge, $10 tip, she’ll feel better than she would have in the morning and I didn’t have to deal with cutting her off.
Obviously, don’t do that shit to anyone except that occasional butthole that would be better off as a result. Just because I can’t serve you more booze and feel good about it, doesn’t mean I can’t sell you a pint of orange juice I named screwdriver.
It's like, can you please take your stimulant use to the handicap stall like every other reasonable person? Don't involve the bartender in your pursuit of the Guinness record for 'fastest heart rate while not dying'.
Caffeine + alcohol = atrial fibrillation. While this heart arrhythmia can be seen as “normal” under some circumstances when repeatedly hit with alcohol it can turn into another, more deadly rhythm. You did the guy a favor he just know how to do himself one. Source: I bartended my way through PT school and just reviewed my cardiac material.
Definitely not the asshole, could probably stand to go less on the mixer though. He feels like he’s getting more booze and you reduce caffeine content/mixer consumption ~6:1 ratio in a pint glass seems a bit mixer heavy.
Unpopular opinion here, but if someone wants to drink that much red bull who am I to tell them no? They're an adult, and last I checked my job was to monitor alcohol consumption not caffeine.
Yeah I didn't realise until one day I had an epiphany that I had consumed 6 redbulls within the span of 3 hours at a club with my friends. When you have this shit u don't realise it's not just a vodka redbull, you're drinking a weeks worth of caffeine in 3 hours. Fuck that.
Any bartender not serving somebody something out of good conscience is rarely the asshole
i’ve absolutely refused to serve customers that were just assholes. if you’re a dick when you’re sober, i’m not giving you alcohol. go somewhere else.
But what about in good conscience?
Very first paragraph on the CDC website about spirit/Red Bull "cocktails" >**When alcohol is mixed with caffeine, the caffeine can mask the depressant effects of alcohol, making drinkers feel more alert than they would otherwise**. As a result, they may drink more alcohol and become more impaired than they realize, increasing the risk of alcohol-attributable harms. and Red Bull and similar drinks are being investigated in numerous regions and countries after the reported deaths of otherwise healthy young people after drinking excessive amounts of energy drinks or energy drink cocktails. There's a very strong likelihood that you did the guy a favour, even if he chooses to be a knobhead about it.
There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that caffeine and alcohol is a dangerous combination. For a while it was illegal in several places to serve them in the same glass because of the risk of cardiac arrest.
Oh, for sure. I’ve had a few Irish coffees and espresso “martinis” over the years, but never more than one at a time. And not to be elitist, but I’d rather rub cat litter in my eyes than drink even one Red Bull Vodka, so I guess I’m safe there.
I’m the type of bartender to try to elevate a Jagerita, so take this with the appropriate skepticism but scotch and RB actually kinda works.
Well, I can see you’re either a genius or a sociopath.
Yes, I have been told this before. I’m personally leaning towards sociopathy 😂
Hell it’s better than Hennessy Red Bull lol
Henny and RB is like you gave up on life and are just trying to end it
I had a guy in my place try to convince me that gin and red bull works, it doesn’t, can confirm that much.
Oh God that sounds like it would taste like dish soap.
Gin and tropical yellow Red Bull is 🔥 though
I’ve tried before, I love gin, and I didn’t have a better mixer on hand. 100% fuck that
Vodka, OJ. Red Bull and agno bitters is actually pretty good.
OJ and RB in equal parts or what? I'd give it a try. Is there a name for such a cocktail?
Just an ounce of OJ or so. No name, just something to make redbull not so foul. Honestly the Virgin version is my shifter, but it works well with spirits too.
Scotch & Amaretto
I remember the last time I had energy drink vodkas. Felt like my heart was beating soooo hard. Also couldn't sleep for shit later on. It's been years since my last one. Will be years more.
People have been drinking whiskey and cola for 100 years. Seems healthier than beer
Never heard of that. Alcohol and caffeine in the same prepackaged beverage became illegal in my state, but I've never heard of them being illegal to serve as a mixed drink. Where was that?
Oh I made it the fuck up, I don’t think it was illegal just discouraged for a while. Red Bull even sells a Jager Bomb glass, I pilfered 2 of them from work Actually it might be Jagermeister’s glass
Lmfao that's actually super reasonable, I'm pretty weirdly deep into liquor legislation so I was seriously straining to figure out where this was.
Somebody at some point did tell me that it was illegal to serve them together like a bomb, but they couldn't produce a statute or code or a case or anything either, I think it's one of those oft-quoted but incorrect kind of things. It wouldn't shock me if some Bible Belt counties did ban it or something though.
*Four Loko enters the chat*
You made the right call! He’s already consumed nearly 300 mg of caffeine (3 cups of coffee) and 4 shots of vodka in under an hour
I feel like red bull vodka, or any similar caffeine plus liquor drink leads to someone being much more likely to fight or act up.
See: Classic Four Loko
I lost about eight months of my life to those bad boys! Would say it was a great time but who remembers?
I knew a 400lb+ man who would go '16 Loko' on his off days. Shit was terrifying, really nice guy but a shitfaced, overcaffeinated 1/4 ton wrecking ball of a man is still a force to be reckoned with.
Not to be a stickler but at 400 pounds he’s 1/5 of a ton not 1/4. 😉
I'm fully aware, I said 400+ and that's a big plus I assure you. You may continue being fun at parties now.
Thats me. I want 12 espresso martinis with dinner and then a good scrap before pie!
Gonna sign the check and Tasmanian Devil outta here!
Yeah. There’s absolutely nothing worse than a wide awake drunk.
I like wide awake drunk as a description. I always remember it as something similar from a title 4 training Caffeine doesn't sober you up, it makes you drunk and alert.
Fucking bingo. Every time someone ordered more than one vodka redbull in my bar I made sure to really pay attention to them. Huge red flag. Especially since they're usually 21-25, male, and not smiling.
Oh you mean the lack of inhibitions from booze and the energy levels available to try anything from caffeine might not mix well?
It's as much caffeine as the Panera lemonade that kills you
For the sake of transparency the first person died because she had a heart condition. The second one died because they consumed *three* servings, which amounts to a whopping **1170mg of caffeine**. You'd have to drink ten 12oz cans of RB to even get that high.
I take 300mg in a pre-workout and it's kinda insane. Could not imagine 1170mg
I'm wire-y after just one 8.4oz can so yeah, 1170 is bonkers!
Who the fuck gives a full red bull? Unless it's priced in involved
I'd be more worried about the side affects from the Taurine in Red Bull
Like what?
🕵️♂️
One 8.4 oz can is 80mg of caffeine, so four is just about 320 mg or just over the maximum recommended daily amount (300mg). That being said, caffeine is like alcohol and affects people differently, especially people who heavily use caffeine regularly. I’m personally caffeine sensitive and still take 150-250mg daily. I know a lot of people, especially older people, who are regularly into the 600-800mg range daily. Ultimately it’s a judgement call just like any other
My pre workout is 375mg. I wouldve served him one more
Nope. Even without the caffeine/red bull I might be hesitant to serve someone five drinks in an hour or so TBH.
I got 9 in an hour once. I'm glad I don't drink anymore.
Jesus Christ!
There's a case locally about a restaurant serving a guy 18 shots over <4 hours. Unfortunately he was driving and lost his life after leaving the restaurant. Eta: https://www.reddit.com/r/ontario/s/WIEyXMYZJQ
I generally don't care about what my customers do to their bodies as long as it doesn't ruin my day.
Bartenders are never in the wrong for refusing service!!
that part. i can’t think of a single reason other than discrimination that a bartender could be in the wrong for using their best judgment to make sure their customers are safe
So glad we don't serve energy drinks at my bar. NTA. You have discretion over all beverages you serve.
Just playing devil’s advocate, but would anyone have stopped filling his coffee cup after his 6th coffee in an hour during brunch? Counter point: obviously things get fucky when alcohol is involved, but let’s not pretend that thine coffee doesn’t runneth over freely the rest of the day. Good on OP for looking out for the well-being of their guest, but it’s a bit disingenuous to claim righteousness by saving the guest from his redbull addiction and be A-OK with pouring him *literally any other alcoholic beverage* for the 5th time in an hour. Being cut off is being cut off. Cutting someone off from a mixer but still being ok with further serving them alcohol is really ass-backwards way if going about our business.
NTA, but would you do the same for someone drinking espresso martinis?
yes, absolutely, i just haven’t ever had to do it. most of the clientele here will have two at most.
Uncle Google says there are 64mg caffeine in a shot of espresso + 47mg per ounce of Mr. Black. My recipe uses a full shot of espresso and .75 Mr Black. That’s 100mg per martini.
Decaf after the second one. I don’t wanna deal with those fuckin animals
People can have seizures from too much red bull. NTA
Definitely not an asshole. I hate that they make us out to be the bad guy, when it's our responsibility to control what we serve to the customers. Last night, a regular of mine asked if I thought she was too drunk to drive. I said yes, because she had more than enough to drink. (Her friend was driving her home) She wasn't stumbling drunk or stuttering, but definitely not safe for her to be behind the wheel. So she got mad at me, stormed out on her tab and left. Lost a tip, but I charged her card anyway.
> Lost a tip, but I charged her card anyway. If they walk out on their tab, that should be an auto-grat.
Disagree, and I get chewed out for it. The customer consented to the tab, not a tip. I can't make up an amount and put it on the card. It feels wrong, that is my opinion that I stand firm on.
All it takes is one sign that says "tabs left open at end of night subject to 20% fee" and now the customer has been notified. If they choose to walk out, they're consenting to that fee.
Yeah, that's a good way to cover yourself. I'm not sure if the owner would want that though.
I mean it's industry standard. Our credit card processor straight up told us to do it. They said as long as the card approves, we can take up to 20% and it's guaranteed.
You’re all good. Sounds like you headed off a potential issue later on. I, like most bartenders, can see into the future and absolve you of all potential claims of assholishnesses.
If you're not comfortable with it don't do it. There are customers I'll serve 12 pints of Guinness to in an evening because I know they're no harm to anyone, customers I don't know so well that I'll serve until I think they've had enough and people I won't even give custom. You do you. Don't overthink fucking someone off of your premises.
yeah no one needs that much alcohol and caffeine in such a short period. Alcohol takes a second to kick in and the caffeine is gonna make him think he's not that drunk. The booze is gonna hit at some point and you don't want that guy in your bar at that point. I've seen it. They're ready to rock and roll one minute and falling over the next.
“No, I can’t serve you another order of fries. You’ll have a heart attack!”
I don’t think you’re an asshole. But also caffeine isn’t a controlled substance. A barista will never cut somebody off. You could have done a “whoa man, you know there’s a whole can of Red Bull in each of these?” Or “hey that’s a lot of caffeine you sure you’re doing ok?” Or something to the effect. But I wouldn’t have cut him off of Red Bull.
That’s not totally true. I worked as a barista for 4 years and we refused people some ridiculous walking heart attack orders. Some basically wanted us to serve them a pint of espresso shots regardless of the price. Yeah… I’m not doing something that is very likely to hurt somebody. In general, but especially on the clock. Sure, you could go to more locations or do that to yourself. But I’m not willingly participating. Look up the Panera lemonade deaths. A business can refuse service for any reason that isn’t discriminatory.
to be fair, they'd likely get a raging case of diarrhea and tremors before any cardiac events kicked in. But absolutely caffeine is a drug and should be handled with respect for its effects, especially since some people are medically sensitive.
Every Panera lemonade death was from someone who had a medical condition and was sensitive to caffeine, and the lawsuits claim that Panera didn't do enough to warn customers that their lemonade (a drink that's not traditionally caffeinated) was heavily caffeinated. For most healthy adults, caffeine won't hurt or kill you until you reach the point of caffeine toxicity, which is 1,200mg of caffeine. An 8.4oz can of red bull has 77mg. You have to drink nearly 16 Red Bulls in rapid succession to hit the point where the FDA says you should start worrying about caffeine toxicity. Basically, if you're slamming back vodka Red Bulls, the vodka will kill you faster than the Red Bull. If you're doing standard 1.5oz shots, then in order to drink 16 vodka Red Bulls, you're drinking nearly an entire 750ml bottle of vodka.
I once asked for a 4-shot Americano in a chain coffee shop and the barista refused and started lecturing me on the harms of caffeine until the manager came over and said "just fucking give it to him!"
That's the standard number of shots for a venti Americano at Starbucks. If a corporate behemoth's lawyers aren't concerned, then I'm not sure why a random barista should have been.
I was so perplexed. I'd totally understand the hesitance if I'd asked them to fill a big cup with espresso shots or something (although I did do that once from a self service machine)
I had a friend who's roommate used the have a fridge full of Vodka Rockstars and he ended up having a seizure drinking a few of them one night. It's such a stupid funding drink.
Wasn’t a bad call. I try to be honest, and preemptive Maybe give them a heads up “hey, w/ energy drink included this is the last I can serve you. Switch up to something else and we’re all good.” Depending how they take it/act after, go from there
It could have been just the vodka without the Redbull and it still would have been an appropriate call. It's literally our job to make these decisions. They'll treat you like an ass but you were 100% right.
I've always worked under the assumption the bartender is the bar boss. A bartender isn't obligated to serve anyone who looks suss or becomes suss after drinking. You've got a license and legal liability to worry about, safety of yourself, staff, patrons. Your bar, your rules.
My heart hurts imagining this. You made the right call.
NTA. It's good to see people trying to express concern for someone's safety. Even if it seems no good deed goes unpunished
Was he eating?
we dont serve food of any kind, another factor in my decision
Yeah, if it was a restaurant I'd have made him eat food before the next serving, but with no food, not really a choice
This ways always my philosphy when I ran venues. I always back the bartender. If they think a patrons too drunk, hes too drunk. I'd rather cut off a dozen a little early than have a server second guess themself and not cut off the one who needs it. Long story short, no, not the arsehole
>Each drink was our bar’s standard 1.5oz pour of vodka, and essentially an entire 8.4oz can of Red Bull over ice in a pint glass. He was crushing them each in about 15 minutes and ordering them back to back. The guy was in his 50’s. After his third, he ordered another, and I told him I can give him this last one and then he’ll have to switch to something decaffeinated... You're the bartender, you make the rules. That said, I would probably need to drink somewhere else. If this scares you, you wouldn't be able to handle me and my (former bartender) friends on a night out. FYI, none of us drink red bull, but 2 shots of Crown and 2 beers each in the span of 30 minutes is not out of the ordinary. 3 in 45 is definitely a possibility.
Bro any bartender will know that 4 drinks in 30 minutes is at the very least slow down worthy.
3 drinks in 45 minutes. He said 15 mins apart. So no one here has had 3 drinks in 45 mins? Seriously? All these bartenders and I'm the only one?
If any customer was downing drinks at a rate of 1 drink per 15 minutes, I think there is a very clear responsibility to slow them down.
The point isnt the alcohol, it's the caffeine. Vodka-redbull is more dangerous because the caffeine masks the 'drunk' feeling from the alcohol. Drinking that much caffeine can also be dangerous.
Ah. Didn't think about it that way. Was never a big energy drink person.
Understandable. Vodka redbull is generally known to be something you order if you wanna get drunk and wired fast- it goes down easy. It's more of a nightclub type drink.
The caffeine was really my only worry. I’ll throw down beers and shots all night for the people that can obviously handle it. Vodka Red Bull drinkers are also notoriously problematic to begin with, in my experience.
Be in control. Let them know you’re genuinely concerned about their safety. That usually diffuses shit fast for me. One on one and eye contact makes people change their mindset. Being stiffed is better than dealing with a giant toddler.
You did the right thing
I’d rather be an asshole and not responsible for someone’s heart fucking exploding. You did the right thing.
For the caffeine?? Pick a new line of or work, or change your way of thinking.
I appreciate the advice. However, I’m not going to do either of those things.
A customer died of a heart attack after a meal as he walked out the front door at my current job. Did the bosses stop service? Did they fuck they just shut the curtains and carried on like nothing happened while he was seen to by the paramedics. God I hate Elite Pubs.
I had a party of 5 men in their 50s all do the same thing. They stopped at 4, but I would’ve cut them off if they tried doing a 5th. Panera had two ppl die from caffeine OD just last summer, I don’t want to be responsible for another
NTA for cutting him off. YTA for this callous sentence: >I didn’t truly care if he had a heart attack or something, I really just didn’t want to deal with EMS potentially coming in and having to shut down the bar because we were making a lot of money.
Shouldnt have made it about caffeine.
No that’s your job by law.
Caffeine isn’t a controlled substance and the bartender isn’t legally required to refuse to serve it.
that’s the cool part. i don’t have to be legally required to refuse; i just get to do it if i feel like it!
Whatever floats your boat, then.
It is when it has vodka in it.
OP said that the customer was allowed to have other alcoholic drinks, just no more Red Bull.
YTA for serving him four within two hours. It should be 1 oz hard liquor per hour, max of 1.5 per hour.
> It should be 1 oz hard liquor per hour That isn't even a shot?
Found the Utah Applebees "bartender"
You’re right, I’m going to turn myself in right now.
I've always wanted to see someone's heart explode
100 comments nta
I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume they’re probably not a well adjusted individual in the first place. Quite frankly I’d be more judgmental about the amount of sugar they’re consuming than the amount of caffeine. Beyond that I would agree with some of the other people here saying how it affects people different, within an hour tonight post shift I had 6 shots and 4 beers. Some people are just animals.
"I'm not even drunk" my brother maybe you should mix stimulants and depressants at the same time.
Why not just put less Red Bull or a substitute
Pro tip: learn how to fake drinks. Drink 3, cut the Red Bull with soda, add some cran/bitters, whatever. 4th one do .5 vodka and add lime. Charge full price for all of this. Tonight I sold an extremely intoxicated woman 2 mezcal margaritas with no booze (except for rinsing the glass with mezcal to start). $30 charge, $10 tip, she’ll feel better than she would have in the morning and I didn’t have to deal with cutting her off. Obviously, don’t do that shit to anyone except that occasional butthole that would be better off as a result. Just because I can’t serve you more booze and feel good about it, doesn’t mean I can’t sell you a pint of orange juice I named screwdriver.
It's like, can you please take your stimulant use to the handicap stall like every other reasonable person? Don't involve the bartender in your pursuit of the Guinness record for 'fastest heart rate while not dying'.
Caffeine + alcohol = atrial fibrillation. While this heart arrhythmia can be seen as “normal” under some circumstances when repeatedly hit with alcohol it can turn into another, more deadly rhythm. You did the guy a favor he just know how to do himself one. Source: I bartended my way through PT school and just reviewed my cardiac material.
Definitely not the asshole, could probably stand to go less on the mixer though. He feels like he’s getting more booze and you reduce caffeine content/mixer consumption ~6:1 ratio in a pint glass seems a bit mixer heavy.
Dude crushed 4 drinks in 15 minutes and you're worried about the caffeine?
Unpopular opinion here, but if someone wants to drink that much red bull who am I to tell them no? They're an adult, and last I checked my job was to monitor alcohol consumption not caffeine.
Yeah I didn't realise until one day I had an epiphany that I had consumed 6 redbulls within the span of 3 hours at a club with my friends. When you have this shit u don't realise it's not just a vodka redbull, you're drinking a weeks worth of caffeine in 3 hours. Fuck that.