Next time you visit a bar, club or any other place serving drinks and that place uses free-pour, watch carefully what is happening. Most probably you will see the bartender putting ice in the glass and shake it a bit before he pours liquor in it. When you look at the glass, it appears he filled the glass half-way up. In many places, the ice is often also slightly melted, allowing use of more ice and less space for the drink.

Before he puts in the mixer (if you asked some), ask an empty glass and pour the liquid into it. See the difference? Suddenly your half-full glass is three quarters empty. If you don’t believe this, order, lets say, a whisky on ice and ask your friend to order other one neat with a glass of water. Drink the water and pour your whisky into that empty water glass and compare which one of you have more to drink.

Of course, it is simple really, more ice in the glass leaves less room for liquids but gives an impression of filled up one to poor punter. Smart punter asks his/ her drink(s) without ice, because most of times, they don’t dare pour as little liquor as they would in a glass filled with ice first. Once the liquor is in the glass, ask few cubes ice. After all, you can always change your mind.

Of course, with low margins, bars have to maximise their profits any way they can, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have the drink you want - as much of it as you possibly can. After all, you pay for it.