POLL: How much should you tip for fancy, pricy cocktails?

Over at the advice section of the New York Times Dining Journal, Florence Fabricant writes:

The dollar per drink you might tip for some “well” alcohol on the rocks is not adequate these days for that Cucumber Basil Crush. Mixologists are becoming chefs and take special care in how their drinks are assembled and served. And for that reason, I’d tip $2.50 to $3 on a $14 cocktail — even if the bartender isn’t a great conversationalist.

Of course, even if bartenders are becoming more like chefs, it doesn’t necessarily follow that they should receive heftier tips—after all, most cooks usually receive a relatively meagre tip-out at the end of the night. Over at the Awl, Alex Balk argues, “If you’re drinking $14 cocktails you should be tipping the same way. Which is to say, stupidly.” We thought we’d put the question to our esteemed readers.

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