8 Drinks to Avoid at the Bar, and What to Order Instead

Not every cocktail is a bad order, and context matters. A mojito at a cocktail bar with fresh mint is one thing. Asking for a frozen piña colada at a crowded neighborhood bar with no blender in sight is another. Some drinks also pack considerably more alcohol than they taste like, while others are simply more complicated than they need to be.

It helps to know what you actually like before ordering. Do you prefer gin, vodka, whiskey, rum, or tequila? Do you want something tart, sweet, bitter, creamy, or refreshing? Knowing that much can save you from ordering a drink that sounded better on the menu than it tastes in the glass.

To compile this list, 24/7 Tempo reviewed cocktail recipes and preparation methods from Liquor.com and the International Bartenders Association, focusing on drinks that are unusually strong, require specialized ingredients or equipment, or simply make more sense at the right kind of bar.

The Cement Mixer is exactly the sort of drink its name suggests. The shot combines equal parts Irish cream liqueur and fresh lime juice, commonly about 3/4 ounce of each. The acid in the lime causes the dairy in the Irish cream to curdle.

Some versions instruct the drinker to mix the ingredients in their mouth, which makes that curdling part of the experience. The flavor itself is sweet and tart, but the thick, lumpy texture is the reason this shot has such a notorious reputation. Unless that is specifically what you are after, there are much better ways to get a creamy cocktail.

If you want something creamy, the White Russian is considerably more inviting. A common recipe combines 2 ounces of vodka, 1 ounce of Kahlúa, and 1 ounce of heavy cream over ice.

The cream may create some dramatic swirls when it first hits the glass, but the drink is meant to be stirred before you settle in. You get the rich coffee-and-cream profile without deliberately turning the dairy into curds.

There is no single standard recipe for a spicy skinny margarita. Common versions combine blanco tequila, fresh lime juice, a small amount of agave, and jalapeño, while some also use orange juice or soda water. The fresh pepper and citrus can make it a great cocktail when the bar is actually set up to make one.

That is the important part. At a cocktail bar with fresh ingredients, go for it. At a packed, no-frills bar where the drink is not on the menu, a muddled jalapeño margarita may be asking more of the setup than necessary.

If what you really want is tequila, there is nothing complicated about ordering it straight. A standard shot is commonly 1.5 ounces, with lime and salt available if you want them.

For context, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits counts as one standard U.S. alcoholic drink. It is a much simpler order than turning the same tequila into a multi-ingredient cocktail when the bar is slammed.

The Appletini has been around since the 1990s, but there is no single recipe everyone follows. Some versions lean heavily on sour-apple liqueur and deliver the bright green, candy-sweet drink many people associate with the name. More modern versions can use vodka, Calvados, fresh apple juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup instead.

That variation is exactly why this can be a gamble if you do not know the house recipe. If you like a very sweet cocktail, you may love it. If you want something lighter and cleaner, there are easier vodka drinks to order.

A vodka lemonade spritzer does not have one canonical formula, which is part of its appeal. Vodka, lemonade, ice, and a splash of soda water make a bright, straightforward drink without requiring a long ingredient list.

You still get something citrusy and refreshing, but you have a much better idea of what is going into the glass. It is also easy to adjust the sweetness by changing the amount of lemonade or soda.

The Long Island Iced Tea is famous for a reason. Despite the name, there is no tea in the standard recipe. The International Bartenders Association version combines vodka, tequila, white rum, gin, and Cointreau with lemon juice, simple syrup, and cola.

Exact pours vary from bar to bar, but the important point is that one glass can contain several different spirits and more alcohol than its easy-drinking flavor suggests. Do not assume one cocktail automatically equals one standard drink.

If you still want a spirit-forward cocktail with citrus, the Sidecar keeps things much tighter. A common recipe uses 1.5 ounces of cognac, 3/4 ounce of orange liqueur, and 3/4 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

It is tart, strong, and straightforward, with just three main ingredients instead of the Long Island's crowded lineup of spirits and mixers. A sugared rim is optional.

A properly made mojito is excellent, but it needs the right ingredients. A common recipe includes white rum, fresh lime juice, simple syrup or sugar, mint, and club soda. The mint also needs to be handled carefully so its aroma comes through without turning the drink into a glass full of shredded leaves.

At a cocktail bar that keeps fresh mint behind the counter, order away. At a basic bar that does not stock fresh herbs, you are better off choosing a simpler rum drink instead of asking the bartender to improvise one.

The Dark 'n Stormy keeps the rum-and-citrus idea considerably simpler. Goslings' official recipe calls for 2 ounces of Goslings Black Seal Rum and 6 ounces of Goslings Stormy Ginger Beer over ice, with a lime wedge as an optional garnish.

The name itself is a registered trademark associated with Goslings, so a true Dark 'n Stormy uses the company's rum. Either way, the basic combination of dark rum and ginger beer gives you plenty of flavor without the fresh-mint preparation a mojito requires.

A piña colada is not a bad drink. In fact, if it is on the menu at a beach bar, resort, or cocktail spot with a blender ready to go, there is no reason to feel guilty ordering one. The International Bartenders Association recipe combines white rum, coconut cream, and fresh pineapple juice, then blends everything with ice.

The issue is equipment. Blended drinks require a blender and more cleanup than a simple highball or shaken cocktail. If the bar clearly is not set up for frozen drinks, this is one order worth saving for somewhere that is.

Rum punch can deliver the same tropical territory without needing a blender. One common version combines light and dark rum with pineapple juice, orange juice, fresh lime juice, and grenadine, then shakes the drink with ice.

It is still a full cocktail rather than a bare-bones order, but a bar with basic juices and rum can make it without firing up frozen-drink equipment. If tropical and fruity is what you want, it gets the job done.

The espresso martini has become a modern classic, but fresh espresso is not something every bar keeps ready. The International Bartenders Association recipe calls for vodka, Kahlúa, sugar syrup, and a strong espresso, all shaken with ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.

At a bar with an espresso machine or a dedicated coffee-cocktail setup, that is no problem. Somewhere without one, your options may involve cold brew concentrate, another substitute, or simply being told the drink is unavailable. This is another order where knowing the bar matters.

If the coffee flavor is what you really want, the Black Russian gets there with two ingredients. A common recipe uses 2 ounces of vodka and 1 ounce of Kahlúa, stirred over ice.

There is no espresso to pull, chill, or shake into a foam. You lose some of the fresh coffee intensity of an espresso martini, but you keep the vodka-and-coffee combination in one of the simplest cocktails a bar can make.

The visual effect is obvious, but adding an open flame to high-proof alcohol also adds a completely unnecessary burn hazard. Medical literature includes cases of serious burns caused by flaming cocktails, including injuries that required hospitalization and skin grafts.

There is especially no reason to attempt to drink one while it is still burning. Alcohol, open flames, crowded bars, and impaired judgment are a combination worth avoiding altogether.

If you want a shot, keep it simple and leave the fire out of it. You get the same basic experience without putting an open flame next to high-proof alcohol.