I got the waitress in trouble

[NecessaryCatharsis]

My kid has been at relatives for a week, I've been working my butt off, I pick up kid tomorrow, and this is my 1 day to relax. So a friend took me out for brunch. Nice restaurant at a hotel, classy place, but I don't suppose they get a lot of 10:30 am hard core drinkers.
We order two brunch buffets, and I ask for a drink 'double jack and ginger, small glass please.'
Waitress: we don't have that
Me: (a little puzzled, I'll admit) which part?
Waitress: we have none of that

So I ordered, and received, a mimosas. But that really wasnt what I wanted. at some point when a waiter (or possibly management) came up and asked how things were, i asked what types of whiskey they had. He rhymed some off including jack daniels! I double checked, 'you DO have jack Daniels? 'Yes of course' he replies. 'Do you also have ginger ale?' 'Yes of course', he replies 'why would you doubt it?' So, foot in mouth, I tell him, 'thats what I originally ordered and the other girl told me you didn't.'
His eyes turn into deadly laser beams as he asks 'Which Girl'
So, like a deer frozen in the headlights I ... sold her out. That one there I pointed.

He took my drink order, brought me my drink, then went and gave her a SERIOuUS ticking off. She looked like she was going to cry! Every time she came to our table after she quivered like a puppy waiting for a beating.

We finished eating, finished our drinks, including the refill she brought me (made prolerly), got our bill (the mimosas was even comped), paid and left, but now I'm feeling upset about the whole thing.

So possible self sighting, possibly her suck, or possibly the other waiter for making too big a deal, but no matter which way, it kind of put a damper on an otherwise nice morning out for me.

Hopefully ranting it out will allow to let go-right?

[Sandman]

Manager asked you a question.. You gave an answer. No suck there

[Teskeria]

There is also the possibility that the girl has been imposing her feelings about drinking (whether drinking before the sun is over the yardarm, or in general) on customers by claiming they don't have certain hard liquors. And this may have been the last straw, he felt he had to stop it right then and there. You did the right thing. You didn't set out to get her in trouble. She brought it upon herself.
And if she had no idea what it was, she could have asked the bartender or a more seasoned waitperson. No suck on your part, imo, at all.

[Librarybabe]

Maybe if you had asked for a double highball? That's really what you ordered, but you specified a brand of bourbon. My last visit to my liquor store made my head swim with all the favored spirits. It wouldn't surprise me if JD came in a "ginger" flavor.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

It wouldn't surprise me if JD came in a "ginger" flavor.

If they dont, someone needs to put this out *Now*. I vote you - you'll be rich!

[Ironclad Alibi]

Maybe the waitress wasn't used to serving mixed drinks and didn't recognize double jack as referring to Jack Daniels, or ginger as meaning ginger ale.

[mathnerd]

You did nothing wrong. The waitress messed up, either because she made an honest mistake or through some sort of malice. She got caught. Maybe she's been doing this a lot recently, and that's why the manager came down so hard on her.

[Deserted]

He took my drink order, brought me my drink, then went and gave her a SERIOuUS ticking off. She looked like she was going to cry!

So possible self sighting, possibly her suck, or possibly the other waiter for making too big a deal, but no matter which way, it kind of put a damper on an otherwise nice morning out for me.

The suck is definitely the management-type. You don't do that sort of thing in front of customers, ever. If he meant to correct a mistake, he should've done it calmly. If he was pissed off about it, he should've taken her in the back for the dressing down. Corrections can be made publicly, as long as it's done in a positive manner -- but punishment (and that's what he was doing, verbally punishing her) should always be done privately, regardless of why she made the mistake. Now she's probably pissed at the management type, and maybe feeling somewhat resentful toward you as well.

[pzychobitch]

Maybe if you had asked for a double highball? That's really what you ordered, but you specified a brand of bourbon. My last visit to my liquor store made my head swim with all the favored spirits. It wouldn't surprise me if JD came in a "ginger" flavor.

As far as I know, it doesn't.

[wolfie]

That's really what you ordered, but you specified a brand of bourbon.

Minor point, but the OP did NOT specify a brand of bourbon. As the ads say, "It's not Scotch. It's not Bourbon. It's Jack".

If the waitress didn't know what your drink order meant, she should have told you that, and asked for clarification. Usually if someone orders a mixed drink in the form "X and Y", they know what spirit and mixer are used. If they order a named drink (e.g. "United Nations", otherwise known as "World Peace"), they might not know what's in it. In that case, the waitress should excuse herself and ask the bartender if they are able to make the drink.

As for what's in a "United Nations", it's Bourbon (United States), Vodka (Soviet Union), Cognac (France), and Gin (Britain). From what I've heard, it tastes AWFUL.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Im still thinking about this, and by the cold hard light of 1 o'clock in the morning I think all 3 participants share the blame.
1) I should have been a little more assertive when I ordered; asked the original waitress what else was on offer, I mean I could have drank C&C and club soda if it came down to it (not really recommended - by me anyways
2) the waitress should have been more open with me, instead of denying the ability to make my drink, asking what I meant or offering to check with another employee if that would be possible first
3) the waiter/manager should have been more professional, at least where I could see them. I was more upset by causing his upset, then I was by my not getting the drink I preferred

I guess I will try to learn from this, and try to make myself clearer at the beginning, hopefully avoiding another situation like this

[Sapphire Silk]

Maybe the waitress wasn't used to serving mixed drinks and didn't recognize double jack as referring to Jack Daniels, or ginger as meaning ginger ale.

I vote this. But she did suck in that if she didn't know what it was, she should have asked the bartender before telling the customer that.

The manager handled it poorly. He should have educated the girl, not ripped her a new one. It was a simple misunderstanding.

[fma_fanatic]

DaDairyDruid likes ordering Roy Rogers. We've had more servers ask us what that is than those who do know what it is.

[mathnerd]

Something's been bothering me here and I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I finally figured it out. It's that you (the OP) are feeling any sort of blame here. You didn't do anything wrong. You asked for a drink, you were erroneously told that they didn't have the components of the drink. When the manager asked how things were, you told him what you thought was the truth: that the bar didn't stock the items necessary to mix your drink of choice. That's a reasonable comment to make. You weren't rude, you weren't nasty. Heck, I'd have been a little caught off guard if a full bar failed to stock Jack Daniels, and I'd have nicely brought it up to the manager because it's a hugely popular brand and it makes no sense that a bar wouldn't carry it.

What happened next is completely out of your control. Who knows why the manager went off on the waitress. Maybe this had been a recurring problem and he finally hit his limit. Maybe he's a really bad manager. Who knows, but one thing we do know is that you are in no way responsible for his actions.

[An Haddock]

I concur with mathnerd. You did nothing wrong. If the waitress didn't know what sort of drink you were referring to all she had to do was either ask you to clarify or ask the bartender if it was something they could make. Flat-out stating they didn't have it without bothering to check is ignorance on her part.

I don't think the manager should have berated her in full view of the public, but she clearly needed to be told how to do her job better.