Jon Taffer Reveals The One Mistake He Sees People Make When Ordering Drinks At A Bar - Exclusive
Jon Taffer, host of the hit show "Bar Rescue," Nightclub Hall of Fame inductee, bar owner, and a former bartender (just to scratch the surface of his decades-long career) has seen a person or two order a drink in a bar (via Nightclub Hall of Fame) — or maybe make that a person or 10,000, to be more accurate. And while Taffer strongly believes there are no good or bad drinks (he says "taste is very personal") he will admit there is one distinct way people order their drinks wrong.
During an exclusive interview with Mashed, Taffer called out one mistake in particular: using top shelf liquor in drinks where it won't be appreciated. "I always got a kick out of somebody who orders ... the super premium spirit and then puts it into a piña colada when it doesn't matter," says Taffer. "I've seen this happen [often]. I saw it just a couple of weeks ago, someone ordered Hennessy and Coke. So they took one of the most expensive spirits you have and they mix it with a product where you couldn't taste the difference ... So things like that I think are a little foolish."
But again, Taffer makes clear that when it comes to the drink itself, there's no right or wrong to the equation. "There's no drink that I would think of that I think anybody's foolish for ordering if it's their taste."
Jon Taffer's favorite drink to order from a bar
Jon Taffer has spent many years serving patrons drinks, overseeing his own staff of bartenders and servers, and helping struggling bars and nightclubs across America find success — he has also ordered his own share of drinks. These days, he tends to stick with the same cocktail most of the time. So what is "Bar Rescue" host Jon Taffer's favorite drink to order at a bar?
"A Godfather, which is Scotch and amaretto," he says. "I've been drinking it for years. But we're so influenced by our parents. In my early days of drinking, I drank Crown Royal. My father drank Crown Royal — he drank Crown Royal and ginger ale, [so] I drank Crown Royal and ginger ale. So it's interesting how we're influenced by our parents and past generations. But for the past 10 years or so, I've been drinking Godfathers. That seems to be my go-to these days."
How to make a Godfather cocktail yourself
If you want to make Jon Taffer's favorite cocktail at home, you'll only need a few ingredients, according to Esquire. As Taffer noted, the main players are Scotch and amaretto, a sweet liqueur of Italian origin (the name essentially means "a little bitter" in Italian, says Best of Sicily). Aside from these two ingredients, all you need is some ice, and, if you'd like, an orange peel for garnish.
To make the drink, simply measure out 2 ounces of Scotch and ½ ounce of amaretto. Stir the liquor and liqueur together in a tumbler glass with a few large pieces of ice. Then sit back and enjoy as many "offer you a drink you can't refuse" jokes as you can stomach.
You can catch the newest season of "Bar Rescue" on TV and Paramount Network's streaming platform now.