What to say to a bartender instead of "surprise me"

Say this, not that

Not "Surprise me". Try "Something bitter, with gin." One flavour and one spirit narrow a long menu down to two or three drinks.

Not "What's good?". Try "What are you excited about?" Everything on the menu is good, on paper. What they're excited about is the drink they'd order themselves.

Not "Something fruity". Try "Bright and sour, not sweet." Fruity can mean a Daiquiri or a Sex on the Beach. Sour and sweet are the words that tell them which.

Not "Nothing too strong". Try "Something low-proof." It's the word bartenders use, and it points straight at the sherry, vermouth and spritz drinks, like the Bamboo.

Name a drink you already like

The quickest brief is a drink. "Something like a Margarita, but smokier" tells a bartender more than a paragraph of adjectives, and gets you a mezcal drink you might never have picked off the menu.

If you can't name one, rate a few drinks you already know in Stirred Art and it builds a profile of your taste. Photograph the menu and the drinks closest to that profile come first.

When the bar is busy

Know what you want before you reach the bar, order the whole round at once, and save the questions for a quiet moment. You'll get a better answer when they have time to give one.