“Society is taught to disrespect labor”: Server explains why mocktails actually should cost more than an alcoholic drink

Your server is not responsible for the price of the $13 non alcoholic beverage you ordered.

“A lot of the fake vodkas I’ve seen are more expensive than a bottle of Grey Goose.”

In his video, Brian admitted he was about to go off with, “more opinions from a server that you probably don’t wanna hear.”

“It is really annoying when some of you get annoyed with us… about the fact that a mocktail is just as expensive or almost as expensive as the actual drink.”

The server explained, “If you order your martini Extra Dry specifically, and you’re not ordering it dirty or anything like that, you’re essentially just ordering chilled vodka. What am I supposed to substitute chilled vodka with if not a fake spirit?… A lot of the fake vodkas I’ve seen are more expensive than a bottle of Grey Goose.”

@wooltogold Mocktails are trending which is awesome to see as someone who usually doesn’t drink, but I also notice the discussion around them usually ignores the fact that these artisanal spirit substitutes are mad expensive #mocktails #trending #bartender #server #restaurant ♬ original sound – Brian 🍉

What do we pay for when we pay for drinks?

Insiders attributed high drink prices to labor costs and encouraged people to understand that developing house-made NAs requires time and resources.

“Yes, the labour! Even when a bar/restaurant is making their NA drinks in-house, it took time to develop, make it taste not ‘just like juice,’ and then also time to prep!” commented @emmiepederson.

Brian agreed, “Soooo much prep, especially if the juices are fresh pressed. You never know how little lime juice is in a lime until you have to fill a quart 🥲.”

Others said the labor argument kind of falls apart when you realize, “the laborer isn’t really getting paid.” They pointed out that bartenders wouldn’t have to work for tips if their labor was covered by the cost of a drink.

“So do you get paid an hourly or are you the owner?”

“I get the whole ‘you’re paying for the labor’ argument. But also, it kind of falls apart when you realize the laborer isn’t really getting paid.”

Some leveraged the logic that drink prices include labor costs to excuse themselves from tipping. The thread reignited the tipping debate and demonstrated a societal trend for devaluing labor.

“So what you’re saying is I’m paying for labor so tipping is unnecessary? Got it!”

“The elements that go into a juice mocktail? 🙄 ‘Labor’ for 30 seconds mixing juice, fruit garnish, and a splash of soda for fizz?🤣🙄🤦‍♂️ Sorry, but no. Mocktails should be $7 max.”

“Our society is taught to disrespect labor.”

But who’s devaluing labor when it comes to the cost of drinks, alcoholic or non? A restaurant industry that won’t (can’t) pay a living wage—or tipping customers? Bars are subject to rising property and goods prices just like the rest of us.

Either way, your server isn’t the person to complain to about the cost of your drink.