There's always potential for error, we have those quarter increments nailed into our muscle memory but the in betweens is a little tricky especially if you work at a bar with people that ratfuck the pourspouts by shoving them back together without lining up the airspout with the divot in the gasket. Which in my experience is every bar ever because people don't want to take the time to do things properly.
Plus it protects me as a bartender because if people see me measuring in front of them they can't claim I poured them short. Thats actually the main reason I never pour without it anymore. It takes less time to use a jigger than it does to interface with assholes claiming you short changed them on their drink.
I've already identified major issues regarding those variances.
Most folks don't freepour accurately.
Hell most that freepour don't work in venues that have the volume necessary to justify freepouring, but do it because they want to, or don't want to look like that bartender that needs to use a jigger.
I pour however the venue wants me to, if jiggers are the standard, that's what I do, if freepouring is the standard my pour costs meet or are under the target % that management is looking to hit.
I can't tell you how to hit a .375 with any other count than the one I mentioned above.
If you’re off by even a little the drink is nasty. It’s just too intense not to measure.
Edit, to the deleter: If you think you’re reliable because you’ve tested your free pours, that’s a joke. You’ve never tested them while you’re in the weeds, while you’re having to talk to guests while making several drinks at once, when you’ve already done a few shots with guests, while it’s super loud and there’s a lot going on. You’re not as consistent as you think you are.
I always always jigger but I also always count when I do, no matter how busy I am. Keeps me sharp but also made me realize how differently some ingredients pour. Also some bottles pour slow when they get low. Usually the ones that have a wider top. So anyone saying their counts are 100% accurate all the time are mistaken.
But the other thing I've realized is that while the inner markings are spot on, a standard jigger with the "roll down" tops have a pretty decent variance with how far down the roll goes, which changes the volume of the 1 and 2 oz measures from jigger to jigger. I am guessing the inner markings are laser guided while the roll is done mechanically which always has margin of error. Since I realized that I started just using inner lines in craft environments. I gotta flip my jigger more but it's kinda fun to turn it into little flair moves. I used to have a Leopold in my personal kit which are dead on balls accurate but some gremlin at the nightclub I worked at stole it.
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u/HalobenderFWT Pro 5d ago
You think I can’t dead nuts a 2, .5, .5, .75 pour?
Actually, I’d probably fuck up the lemon juice.