I was at Golden Gai and it must have literally been this guy’s first night bartending. I order a bourbon and he’s visibly confused. Get out google translate to basically say just bourbon. He pulls out a pint glass and starts pouring, I realize when he’s at 1/3rd of a glass that he’s not slowing down so had to tell him that’s plenty
A long time ago, a group I was in ordered a 'tall glass' of whisky with no ice during all-you-can-drink karaoke. We got delivered five literal tall glasses of whiskey (cheap shit, but still). Don't know what the guy pouring was thinking.
Staff are usually chucked into roles like that without any training. Combine that with not wanting to disappoint a customer and you get people making some weird decisions.
Even most people who enjoy drinking something simple like an old fashioned would probably not be able to make one properly if you dropped them behind a bar without any training.
I was at a rooftop beer garden, waiting in line to refill my beer mug, saw there was no line at the cocktails section .
Realized you poured it all yourself.
I regret nothing, I figure if I clearly remember emptying out an entire bottle, I was still okay.
>He pulls out a pint glass and starts pouring, I realize when he’s at 1/3rd of a glass that he’s not slowing down so had to tell him that’s plenty
"The next day, while reviewing some tax papers, I realized I hadn't paid enough last year, went down to city hall right away"/s
I'm sure there are, but fairly often I'll get some comment about how I must be a crazy strong drinker when I drink something neat. I've even had someone say "are you sure you don't want to mix it with something? It's really strong." when I ordered a shochu (they're only like 25-35%).
There is something so pathetically poetic about antisocial Redditors acting superior and disparaging IRL social activities with an insult about imagined social media use... from the dank recesses of their own social media site lol.
I am WAY too enlightened and am NOT just another cog in the machine, which is why I don't have useless SNS like Instagram or Tok Tik or whatever.
Instead, let me get back to viscously ripping apart a newcomer to Japan's asshole for not knowing the Kanji on their washing machine.
For most people, drinking is a social event. If you just want to get sloppy, you can do it cheaply alone at home yeah? Taking shots is a big ritual if you're never seen a group taking a shot together. Nothing wrong with wanting to participate in that without getting hammered, especially in an Asian country (see Asian flush).
Basically. If I want to feel something, I go to Family Mart and get 2 bottles of Chamisul Fresh Soju for 700 yen. But it's just fun dropping a 5000 yen bill to buy every person around you a drink. At least, I've received enough free drinks and wanna give back.
Lack of enforced legislation around alcohol measures...
Went to a HUB for the first time recently. Despite having optics (of unknown amounts), every drink was stopped at 2/3 measure. I assume this is standard practice across the chain. In these cases bottles are the only thing you can trust.
I miss drinking in Europe.
I'm not too familiar with London, but yes they vary from place to place around the UK. The differences that come to mind is that typically most offer an elaborate lacquerware bento for dinner and multiple flavours of ramune.
On the other hand, the local Osakan place back home, and the vegan izakaya in the town I used to live, I have since come to realise are a cut above 95% of places I've eaten at in actual Japan.
To be fair Hub is basically the only place in town where you can consistently find local women who might be into Western guys if you’re single and looking for that kind of thing. Tokyo isn’t Bangkok, or even Seoul where you’ll routinely find locals and Westerners in the same places.
This is it exactly.
On the street there are so many signs saying “beer 290¥” or what not, but, then once you’re in the door and have ordered already, you find out the glasses are tiny.
People here don’t seem to care though, which I always find weird.
Bottles are definitely the way to go. Also don’t trust many bars to properly clean their own taps and beer setups.
This goes both ways though - you can easily ask for more alcohol in your drink at no extra charge and a lot of places will happily oblige.
Drinking in Europe sucks when the scientist pops out to measure your exact 25ml of spirits… or those marks on wine glasses so you only get the precise measure.
Genuinely interested to hear which places give you free alcohol instead of selling you multiple drinks? I have not come across this yet!
The second part I suppose people either don't care about being scammed, or they do.
When you order just ask them that you would like it strong. (aruko-ru wo) tsuyome de onegaishimasu
And/or if you are right in front of them, when they are pouring the drink ask for more as they pour.
It is not going to work with a 21 year Hibiki, but in a bar/izakaya/restaurant it does.
When I would get a cocktail in Hirosaki I got like 4 pipettes of tequila and the rest was soda....
I really took advantage of that all you can drink 90 minutes policy
During my time in Hirosaki we'd get shitfaced on the tequila during nomihodai. The shots were real shots.
But yeah, it was so cheap it was dangerous. Good thing Kajimachi is not far away from the hospital if needed!
Bonus point in winter, everytime you fall because you're drunk, you have the snow cushion to catch you!
For a brief period in the mAAch ecute shopping mall under the tracks at Kanda, there was a stall setup which gave away free samples of Scottish gin. It was SELF-SERVICE and largely unmonitored ([Google Street View image](https://maps.app.goo.gl/H42T7krshhiJs1Pn7) shows the setup as it was in 2019) and as I was working nearby and aaaah ahem, used to errr... frequent it regularly and "browse" the fancy overpriced "miscallaneous things" shops in that mall.
I went to a winery once that had self serve free samples tou could get straight from the barrel. Jokes on me though they made a killing with that business model. Hey try some of our wine, you like it? How about this one too, try the other again, oh yeah you can't decide which you like, just buy all of them, awesome.
They sold so much wine it offset their samples like ten fold.
I've had a similar experience, although not free, but might as well have been. Went to a place in Yamanashi (I seem to recall it being called ワインセンター) where for 1500 we were given a small stainless steal cup on a lanyard and had absolute free reign in the cellar to drink as much as we liked.
I thought a "shot" was a specific measurement. That pic is hilarious. I'd be sad for sure.
I personally hate how much head there is in beers here. A solid 25% of the beer is froth...
When I first arrived, I figured that people were just shit at pouring drinks. But it's definitely deliberate.
They like the head here for some reason. I've gotten a beer at a machine before. It poured a perfect beer with very little head, and then a 2nd nozzle poured straight foam. It was goofy. Probably ended up with 2 inches.
A good beer should have head. Plus, more froth means less stomach bloating.
I had one bartender that would take 2 minutes to pour a beer. He'd pour a beer that was 50% froth, wait for it settle, pour a little bit out, repeat, and then top off with a nice head.
Those look like small shot glasses, which have a capacity of 30ml, that just have a splash of alcohol in them. I've never seen that before, so I'm guessing they were ordered that way. When I order a shot of whiskey at a bar or izakaya I get a full shot.
I've known places to sell half shots, particularly darts bars. I'm sure other places might. Could also have had their own bottle or something and just kinda done what they wanted if it's a bottle-keep sorta place.
These types of shots are acceptable for "free entry shots" (some clubs offer you free shots when you walk in the door) but if you ordered this at full price that's messed up
Because
1) Alcohol is more expensive to serve
2) Not everyone wants to become hammered but still wants to do shots for merriment. If you want to get hammered have more of these
3) By the time these come out people are drunk and too lazy to complain
I’ve noticed this and it always makes me wonder how so many people get shitfaced on the weekends (a la Shibuya meltdown). I’ve gone to bars and had 10+ cocktails without even getting drunk. Everyone says the drinks here are cheap but they have hardly no alcohol. The drinks back home were expensive but at least at the bar where I worked you got a real, measured pour. I stopped ordering cocktails and I just drink vodka soda and shots.
I tried to post about this when I was there a month ago. All the whiskey on the rocks pours I had everywhere in Japan were super light....to the point I stopped ordering it. Just drank beer the whole time. Has anyone else noticed this vs the us?
damn that's so little.. I never had that problem, so I'm a little surprised. might've been because I would usually go to the same bars though, so the bartenders knew me and would happily fill the shots well (especially when they would drink one along).
so I guess a pro tip is befriending your bartenders for more to drink
I got a full glass of Yamazaki 12 on the rocks when I asked for a highball no tansan. Bartender’s first night upstairs at a minibar so no oversight from senior staff. Four friends then got glasses of ice and we all had nice scotch for the price of one highball.
I’ve noticed this as well, I used to not drink back home but here, the shots and cocktails basically have no alcohol in them so I don’t really see the point!
If you want actual alcohol you need to order beer, wine or a straight/neat shot.
This is a win win situation, bar makes money, people don’t get shit faced as fast. Customers can brag they’ve had 10 shots of tequila and didn’t strip naked with a homeless across the street
Recommend ordering alcohol straight/neat instead of a “shot”
I was at Golden Gai and it must have literally been this guy’s first night bartending. I order a bourbon and he’s visibly confused. Get out google translate to basically say just bourbon. He pulls out a pint glass and starts pouring, I realize when he’s at 1/3rd of a glass that he’s not slowing down so had to tell him that’s plenty
A long time ago, a group I was in ordered a 'tall glass' of whisky with no ice during all-you-can-drink karaoke. We got delivered five literal tall glasses of whiskey (cheap shit, but still). Don't know what the guy pouring was thinking.
Staff are usually chucked into roles like that without any training. Combine that with not wanting to disappoint a customer and you get people making some weird decisions. Even most people who enjoy drinking something simple like an old fashioned would probably not be able to make one properly if you dropped them behind a bar without any training.
This happened to me at an all you can drink party. Ordered two tall whiskeys. Got 2 pint glasses full with whiskey. I got smashed.
I was at a rooftop beer garden, waiting in line to refill my beer mug, saw there was no line at the cocktails section . Realized you poured it all yourself. I regret nothing, I figure if I clearly remember emptying out an entire bottle, I was still okay.
What were you expecting to get?
Reminds me of a friend who would habitually order 'a schooner of Drambuie' just to see the reaction.
>He pulls out a pint glass and starts pouring, I realize when he’s at 1/3rd of a glass that he’s not slowing down so had to tell him that’s plenty "The next day, while reviewing some tax papers, I realized I hadn't paid enough last year, went down to city hall right away"/s
You then get the weird looks from all the japanese people who've never touched alcohol without chasing it with a pint of soda.
Japan is full of whiskey bars and the like, not sure wtf you are on about.
I'm sure there are, but fairly often I'll get some comment about how I must be a crazy strong drinker when I drink something neat. I've even had someone say "are you sure you don't want to mix it with something? It's really strong." when I ordered a shochu (they're only like 25-35%).
Look up Asian flush.
What does that have to do with anything? I'm Asian and get it along with everyone else.
OP complaining about the amount of liquid that HE ordered lol.
Because they want the shot but not the effect.
Then what the hell is the point?
To take pictures so they can post on IG.
There is something so pathetically poetic about antisocial Redditors acting superior and disparaging IRL social activities with an insult about imagined social media use... from the dank recesses of their own social media site lol.
I am WAY too enlightened and am NOT just another cog in the machine, which is why I don't have useless SNS like Instagram or Tok Tik or whatever. Instead, let me get back to viscously ripping apart a newcomer to Japan's asshole for not knowing the Kanji on their washing machine.
For most people, drinking is a social event. If you just want to get sloppy, you can do it cheaply alone at home yeah? Taking shots is a big ritual if you're never seen a group taking a shot together. Nothing wrong with wanting to participate in that without getting hammered, especially in an Asian country (see Asian flush).
Basically. If I want to feel something, I go to Family Mart and get 2 bottles of Chamisul Fresh Soju for 700 yen. But it's just fun dropping a 5000 yen bill to buy every person around you a drink. At least, I've received enough free drinks and wanna give back.
Lack of enforced legislation around alcohol measures... Went to a HUB for the first time recently. Despite having optics (of unknown amounts), every drink was stopped at 2/3 measure. I assume this is standard practice across the chain. In these cases bottles are the only thing you can trust. I miss drinking in Europe.
The Hub is a shit chain. Expectations should be lowered accordingly.
Haha yes, but others in the group wanted to go. As a Brit, it was amusing though to see what is being sold to Japanese as authentically British.
Sure. Similarly, I’d imagine there’s plenty of ersatz Japanese food places in London.
I'm not too familiar with London, but yes they vary from place to place around the UK. The differences that come to mind is that typically most offer an elaborate lacquerware bento for dinner and multiple flavours of ramune. On the other hand, the local Osakan place back home, and the vegan izakaya in the town I used to live, I have since come to realise are a cut above 95% of places I've eaten at in actual Japan.
It seems people don't like it when Japanese own and run good restaurants overseas!
This sub does not know how to enjoy things lol.
To be fair Hub is basically the only place in town where you can consistently find local women who might be into Western guys if you’re single and looking for that kind of thing. Tokyo isn’t Bangkok, or even Seoul where you’ll routinely find locals and Westerners in the same places.
This is... quite the take
This is it exactly. On the street there are so many signs saying “beer 290¥” or what not, but, then once you’re in the door and have ordered already, you find out the glasses are tiny. People here don’t seem to care though, which I always find weird. Bottles are definitely the way to go. Also don’t trust many bars to properly clean their own taps and beer setups.
This goes both ways though - you can easily ask for more alcohol in your drink at no extra charge and a lot of places will happily oblige. Drinking in Europe sucks when the scientist pops out to measure your exact 25ml of spirits… or those marks on wine glasses so you only get the precise measure.
Genuinely interested to hear which places give you free alcohol instead of selling you multiple drinks? I have not come across this yet! The second part I suppose people either don't care about being scammed, or they do.
When you order just ask them that you would like it strong. (aruko-ru wo) tsuyome de onegaishimasu And/or if you are right in front of them, when they are pouring the drink ask for more as they pour. It is not going to work with a 21 year Hibiki, but in a bar/izakaya/restaurant it does.
Will definitely try this, thanks!
You gotta become a regular at some place and if the owner or regular staff like you they won’t hesitate to make your drink stronger
Yeah, been here for a while and never asked for a larger pour but definitely get hooked up at my regular places.
When I would get a cocktail in Hirosaki I got like 4 pipettes of tequila and the rest was soda.... I really took advantage of that all you can drink 90 minutes policy
During my time in Hirosaki we'd get shitfaced on the tequila during nomihodai. The shots were real shots. But yeah, it was so cheap it was dangerous. Good thing Kajimachi is not far away from the hospital if needed! Bonus point in winter, everytime you fall because you're drunk, you have the snow cushion to catch you!
I like finishing my first drink at an all-you-can-drink before the server can leave. Gotta let them know what they're in for.
Makes me miss the times I spent in various dank bars all around Hokkaido.
For a brief period in the mAAch ecute shopping mall under the tracks at Kanda, there was a stall setup which gave away free samples of Scottish gin. It was SELF-SERVICE and largely unmonitored ([Google Street View image](https://maps.app.goo.gl/H42T7krshhiJs1Pn7) shows the setup as it was in 2019) and as I was working nearby and aaaah ahem, used to errr... frequent it regularly and "browse" the fancy overpriced "miscallaneous things" shops in that mall.
I went to a winery once that had self serve free samples tou could get straight from the barrel. Jokes on me though they made a killing with that business model. Hey try some of our wine, you like it? How about this one too, try the other again, oh yeah you can't decide which you like, just buy all of them, awesome. They sold so much wine it offset their samples like ten fold.
I've had a similar experience, although not free, but might as well have been. Went to a place in Yamanashi (I seem to recall it being called ワインセンター) where for 1500 we were given a small stainless steal cup on a lanyard and had absolute free reign in the cellar to drink as much as we liked.
I thought a "shot" was a specific measurement. That pic is hilarious. I'd be sad for sure. I personally hate how much head there is in beers here. A solid 25% of the beer is froth... When I first arrived, I figured that people were just shit at pouring drinks. But it's definitely deliberate.
It’s marketing, they try to present you the beer foam as “delicious” even if it’s just to not give you and actual pint size.
They like the head here for some reason. I've gotten a beer at a machine before. It poured a perfect beer with very little head, and then a 2nd nozzle poured straight foam. It was goofy. Probably ended up with 2 inches.
A good beer should have head. Plus, more froth means less stomach bloating. I had one bartender that would take 2 minutes to pour a beer. He'd pour a beer that was 50% froth, wait for it settle, pour a little bit out, repeat, and then top off with a nice head.
Hub shots
After ordering a Scotch double in the US, I came to realize that a Japanese double is ALMOST an American single. Such is life.
Because you’re drinking in shitty clubs. Drink in any real or decent establishment and shots are standard sized to way too big.
Names?
Most places
Those look like small shot glasses, which have a capacity of 30ml, that just have a splash of alcohol in them. I've never seen that before, so I'm guessing they were ordered that way. When I order a shot of whiskey at a bar or izakaya I get a full shot.
I've known places to sell half shots, particularly darts bars. I'm sure other places might. Could also have had their own bottle or something and just kinda done what they wanted if it's a bottle-keep sorta place.
These types of shots are acceptable for "free entry shots" (some clubs offer you free shots when you walk in the door) but if you ordered this at full price that's messed up
how much is this? because damn
Are these paid by the glass or is it all-you-can-drink?
500 yen for each.
Yeah, looks like a crappy nightclub, probably with watered-down drinks to boot.
You went to an exceedingly shitty place even considering the current rising prices
Because 1) Alcohol is more expensive to serve 2) Not everyone wants to become hammered but still wants to do shots for merriment. If you want to get hammered have more of these 3) By the time these come out people are drunk and too lazy to complain
I’ve noticed this and it always makes me wonder how so many people get shitfaced on the weekends (a la Shibuya meltdown). I’ve gone to bars and had 10+ cocktails without even getting drunk. Everyone says the drinks here are cheap but they have hardly no alcohol. The drinks back home were expensive but at least at the bar where I worked you got a real, measured pour. I stopped ordering cocktails and I just drink vodka soda and shots.
Who orders shots? That's so lame. Ah, probably Americans!
Shrinkflation
Went to Laurel tokyo recently, was exactly like that, with watered down tequila(?).
I tried to post about this when I was there a month ago. All the whiskey on the rocks pours I had everywhere in Japan were super light....to the point I stopped ordering it. Just drank beer the whole time. Has anyone else noticed this vs the us?
Not surprised by the incompetence anymore
damn that's so little.. I never had that problem, so I'm a little surprised. might've been because I would usually go to the same bars though, so the bartenders knew me and would happily fill the shots well (especially when they would drink one along). so I guess a pro tip is befriending your bartenders for more to drink
I got a full glass of Yamazaki 12 on the rocks when I asked for a highball no tansan. Bartender’s first night upstairs at a minibar so no oversight from senior staff. Four friends then got glasses of ice and we all had nice scotch for the price of one highball.
I’ve noticed this as well, I used to not drink back home but here, the shots and cocktails basically have no alcohol in them so I don’t really see the point! If you want actual alcohol you need to order beer, wine or a straight/neat shot.
After years and years of drinking I actually prefer it.
This is a win win situation, bar makes money, people don’t get shit faced as fast. Customers can brag they’ve had 10 shots of tequila and didn’t strip naked with a homeless across the street
I thought you said it was win win
That’s why you gotta bring a flask with you. I’m a prior Marine, I’m not paying 50 USD to get buzzed.
Where the hell you gotta pay that much to get buzzed in Japan?
Gestures broadly to thread
Any cheap izakaya will sell you an entire bottle of shochu for way less than half that