Beautiful

The first time I made a "Beautiful", I didn't know that there was even a cocktail called a "Beautiful". I learned the hard way. Here is the funny story.

A few years ago, I was bartending in a busy nightclub here in the city. On many of those nights I spent behind this particular bar, I had to deal with guys and sometimes girls trying to come on to me. Most of the time, the come ons were over-the-top cheesy and sometimes downright embarassing (for the suitor).

It's inevitable behind the bar. People LOVE bartenders.

On one of those nights, I saw this tall guy standing in front of my well. He seemed nice enough. Sort of the quiet type. You can never seem to hear the quiet types over the loud music when they try to tell you their drink order. I find myself having to ask them to repeat themselves over and over again before I can hear their drink order correctly.

When the tall, quiet guy stepped up to my bar, I heard him say that I was beautiful. At first I pretended like I didn't hear him. Then he repeated himself, "Beautiful!" I didn't want to be rude so I thanked him and asked him what he would like to drink. But all I kept hearing this guy say was "beautiful" over and over again. Ugh. Not what I wanted to deal with on a busy night. Each time I asked him to repeat his drink order, I kept hearing the same answer, "beautiful." Finally, there must have been a break in the music because tall, quiet guy stepped up closer to the bar and in a louder voice said, "Beautiful. It's a drink. Hennessey and Grand Marnier. In a snifter glass if you have one."

I felt like the biggest asshole. The whole time I thought he was trying to come on to me and really, he was just trying to tell me what he wanted to drink. I apologized to tall, quiet guy repeatedly and even bought the drink for him.

It's because of him that I will never, NEVER forget that a Beautiful is an actual cocktail and not always a compliment directed towards me.

Thanks tall, quiet guy!