At times, it seems like American tipping culture is out of control. According to a 2023 Pew survey, people feel expected to tip in more places than they did five years ago. Consumers feel the need to tip on everything from housekeeping to Uber rides to coffee.
But when it comes to bartenders, what’s the correct tipping protocol? The survey revealed that only 53% of people always tip on drinks. (Eighteen percent said they tip “often.”) Should bargoers tip the same amount for a bottle of High Life versus a six-ingredient cocktail? We spoke with bartenders to find out how they feel about it.
‘Cash is king’
“Tipping has certainly evolved,” Nick Leighton, co-host and producer of the etiquette podcast “Were You Raised by Wolves?” told HuffPost. “Where 15% may have been the norm in the past, 20% is pretty much the standard now. With so many people using credit cards, tipping as a percentage on the final bill is more common than just tipping a dollar or two per drink in cash.”
Sean O’Neill, a bartender at Cincinnati’s Second Place, bartended in college and said today he sees fewer people paying with cash.
