Drinks to avoid when a bar is crowded

When a bar is busy, ordering time-consuming cocktails can lead to long waits and frustrate staff. Bartenders and mixologists advise avoiding drinks that require many ingredients, extra prep, or special cleaning. Some clear examples include Long Island iced teas — "a big no-no, especially at a busy bar," Jamie Robinson said — because they need multiple spirits.

White Russians can be problematic when heavy cream isn’t on hand, mojitos demand hand-muddling, and spicy margaritas are specialized and easy to mess up, Zulay Duran warned. Bloody Marys often require garnishes and ingredients many bars don’t keep outside of brunch, Aliz Meszasi noted.

Cocktails that call for egg whites, such as gin fizzes, amaretto sours, or a Ramos gin fizz, are "very labor-intensive" and need extended shaking to get the foam, Nick Jackson said. Espresso martinis and Irish coffees add work too: the espresso smell means extra shaker cleaning and layered hot drinks take time, Vinny Spatafore added.

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