With April being the cruelest month, I’ve decided to answer a question on the darker side of bartender culture. A friend of mine recently asked me to translate what the term “eighty-six” means. As for the origins of the term there are many stories. The most common theory stems from the days of soda fountains. Soda jerks used a two-digit code for each item and 86 meant they were out of an item. For example, a 33 was a cherry coke and a 55 was a root beer. If the bar is out of a beer, liquor or mixer, it is 86’d. If a patron is 86’d, it means he is denied further servings of alcohol. It is the latter of the two meanings I intend to illuminate.
Most people who are 86’d are either cut off or asked to leave for that day only. It means merely, “See you tomorrow, Bob.” There are myriad reasons that this could happen. Maybe Bob has had a few too many and has suddenly become a danger to himself or others. Maybe he went beyond some societal norm with a blatantly sexist or racist remark and forgot that he was in public and not at home. People often misplace their verbal filters between martinis number three and four.
Sometimes a bartender will try to be discreet and say something like, “I think you’ve had enough.” Translation: In my professional opinion, based on years of training and experience, and being sober (or at least soberer than you), you’ve had enough to drink here. If you believe this not to be true, you are certainly entitled to a different opinion. By this I mean that you’re welcome to try any of the many other bars in town and see if the bartender there will serve you. The old saying, “You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here,” applies before 2 a.m. once in a while.
Some people’s offenses require a week’s or a month’s penance before they are allowed back in. The bartender arbitrarily decides on the length of time for an 86. It is important to understand that the bartender is not the same as a jury of your peers. His is the final word in the bar. For the most part, bartenders want you to come back another day and hang out, but order must be kept. Anything that affects the efficiency of the bar, the safety of its patrons, or the property itself must be addressed immediately. The bartender must act quickly and decisively to restore peace and order.
No amount of pleading or whining will get you another drink once you’ve been cut off. There is no excuse or circumstance where giving you another drink is worth my job. Don’t even ask. I’m usually too busy to hear your sorry excuses and I don’t care, anyway. Fighting or physical assault on a patron or staff member is always an automatic 86 that could lead to a more permanent status.
A permanent 86 is pretty rare. It means that the offender is no longer welcome in the bar, ever, for any reason. Not to socialize, drink or even use the restroom. To be permanently barred usually stems from fighting or purposeful vandalism. These cases often lead to the bad guy being barred from other area bars, as well. Bartenders talk to each other and no bar (or bartender) wants a mean drunk or a malcontent in that bar. It is not good for business to let a known bad quantity enter the bar in the first place. Don’t be that guy.
