Many times professional bartenders ask how to properly serve a Crangerale™.

As a professional drink-master, the most important thing to know is that anyone who orders a Crangerale™ is someone to be treated with the upmost respect.   A Crangerale™ drinker is a person who obviously knows their way around a bar, and by ordering a Crangerale™, they are simply saying “hello”.

It is well-known that Crangerale™ drinkers are generally extremely generous when tipping, especially when a bartender serves a Crangerale™ properly.   If someone asks for a Crangerale™, they are asking for a very specific beverage, so there is no need to clarify it (unless clarifying the garnish option).   If you don’t carry Crangerale™, you should immediately demand some from your supplier.   There is no excuse for not offering Crangerale™. See below for what to do if you’re out of  or don’t carry Crangerale™.

Standard Crangerale (AKA “A Crangerale”)

A standard Crangerale™ (or often referred to as simply “a Crangerale” is served on the rocks (cubed or chopped ice) in a pint glass with a straw.  A lime wedge garnish is optional.

Because of the variety of glassware that most bars and nightclubs use these days, sometimes it’s better to use the Crangerale™ Serving Rule of Thumb:   in YOUR bar, if someone ordered a double-tall vodka cranberry, what would you seve it in?   That is what you should serve a Crangerale™ in.

What to do if you’re out of Crangerale™

This is a very tricky situation.  Obviously something has gone terribly wrong with your inventory system or you’ve just had a run on Crangerale™.   But sometimes it happens.  After you get off the phone with your Crangerale™ Supplier to order some more Crangerale™, don’t panic….you still have some options.

While not recommended, in a pinch, you can offer Gingerberries.  Gingerberries is what we call any concoction created by combining generic gingerale and cranberry juice from a mixing gun.   Don’t even try this if you don’t have actual gingerale.   If you don’t have even have real gingerale in your gun, you’re just need to find a new place to work.

Never, ever, never pass off Gingerberries as real Crangerale.™  Not only is this unethical, it might just get you a shiv in the kidney.