Post #609149 by JenTiki on Wed, Oct 5, 2011 2:31 PM

The Smuggler's Cove cocktail menu has over 75 drinks on it, so first-timers are often understandably overwhelmed and simply ask the bartender for help in choosing their first drink. One of the questions I often hear the bartender ask is "is this a sprint or a marathon?" That helps guide the bartender toward the optimal strength of drink. Of course there are other questions they ask in addition to determine the patron's palette. My point is that this might also be a good question to ask yourself when decided how quickly to drink your cocktail. Do you want to get buzzed and get out, or do you want to spend your time enjoying a fine cocktail without the inevitable fuzziness that comes after you've imbibed your personal reasonable limit?

Certainly another factor is the strength of the cocktail. Is it a simple daiquiri with just 2 ounces of 80-proof rum, or an 11-ingredient barrel topped off with some LH151? I could down a daiquiri in 5-10 minutes, but the larger, more potent drink is going to take a bit more time, not just due to its size, but because I know it's a strong drink and I don't want to waste the second half of my evening feeling drunk.

In short (I guess it's too late for that), it's all a personal decision based on drink strength, your personal goals, tolerance, and whether or not you have a designated driver. Keep in mind that not all tiki drinks are super potent, just as they're not all sweet. The diversity boggles the mind!