What to order at a cocktail bar when you don't know what you like

Start from a drink you know

"Something like a Margarita" beats "whatever you want". One drink you like tells the bartender the spirit, the balance and the strength in a single word, and they can build from there.

Describe the taste

"Fruity, but not sugary" beats "something sweet". Most people who ask for sweet mean they don't want bitter or boozy. Say that instead.

Ask for spirit-forward

"Spirit-forward" means a stirred drink that's mostly spirit, like a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned. "The strongest thing you have" means a Long Island Iced Tea.

Give the spirit you avoid one more chance

"I don't like gin" rules out a big part of most menus. "Which gin drink would change my mind?" opens it, and most bartenders love that question.

Safe first orders, by taste

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  Sour and bright

  Daiquiri

  Rum, lime and sugar, shaken and served without ice.

• 

  Sour and bright

  Whiskey Sour

  Whiskey, lemon and sugar, often with egg white for a soft foam.

• 

  Bitter

  Negroni

  Gin, sweet vermouth and Campari in equal parts, over ice.

• 

  Bitter and light

  Americano

  Campari and sweet vermouth, topped with soda water.

• 

  Spirit-forward

  Old Fashioned

  Whiskey, a little sugar and bitters over one big cube.

• 

  Spirit-forward

  Manhattan

  Rye and sweet vermouth with bitters, stirred and served up.

• 

  Long and fresh

  Paloma

  Tequila, grapefruit and lime, topped up and served tall.

• 

  Long and fresh

  Moscow Mule

  Vodka, lime and ginger beer in a copper mug.

Or photograph the menu

Take a photo of the menu in Stirred Art and the drinks closest to your taste come first, each with a line on why: "bitter and boozy, like your top drinks". It works offline, which helps in a basement bar.