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How to keep your bar tab under control

There are secrets to managing your tab and keeping your party under control so that everyone drinks responsibly and your tab is not abused.

If you’re running a bar tab it means you’re providing drinks for your guests at your expense – usually to a pre-determined amount for pre-determined drinks.

At most venues I manage, the bar managers and bar tenders restrict the number of drinks a guest can purchase at one time.  Apart from ensuring responsible service of alcohol, it also ensures guests don’t pick up 4 drinks at once and fly through your tab at light speed. 

When it’s a free for all, “grab-what- you-can” mentality, it’s common to find half drunk beer bottles sitting around the venue after being discarded or ignored by the drinker after just a few sips.  This doesn’t have to happen however.  Restrict each guest to just picking up just one or two drinks at a time unless they’re buying for mates.  Even then, my managers often ask them to point out who they’re buying drinks for.

A few glasses or bottles of water passed around the room at the halfway mark keeps everyone in check.

Ironically, the larger the bar tab the more responsible the drinkers.   When guests realize that the bar tab is only for the first hour, or only upto X amount they are more inclined to horde up and drink as much as they can before the tab runs out.  Whereas if the tab is running all night the guests are happy to pace themselves knowing there is no need to panic.

Sometimes even including spirits on the tab can be a better way to manage your guests drinking habits.  Organize spirits in tall glasses instead of short glasses and it may take your guests longer to consume a vodka orange than a glass of champagne. 

At the end of the day, if the people you invite are your friends and they actually do care about you they will respect your tab and not exploit your generosity.