Incident in bar aibu?

Very weird. Were you drunk?

I'd have asked for a glass, of course you were wrong to do that

Really weird to swing from the bottle OP. YABU.

Let it go OP. You were both in the wrong …

What were you thinking ??

Would be an odd thing to do (not a good look), to drink straight from a spirit bottle in a bar.

Would have perhaps been better to have asked first if it was okay or what he intended by handing it to you without a glass.

Bur he shouldn't have snatched it from you although expect you took him by surprise.

Understand you might be reeling from it too though. I'd put it down to experience and move on.

One of those weird things that happen now and then with strangers. You'll never know what was going on in the bartender's mind but you know you meant no harm! Try and forget all about it.

Let's not go mad here. The bottle bashed her teeth a bit. It's hardly a life changing injury.

The barman clearly just reacted in the moment to somebody going mental and thinking it was ok to swig straight from a bottle. It was an accident, caused by the OP being daft.

This about covers it I think.

I certainly wouldn't expect a barman to forcibly rip a bottle away hurting someone's mouth.

He could have verbally said "wait", or, just left it. Both of those a more sensible option.

Grabbing it was not okay, especially when it was a misunderstanding vs her being a drunk stealing a bottle.

I think the bartender should have been more gentle and not caused the OP pain in her mouth by his actions. But I also don't think they were in the wrong to intervene. OP said it was a nice bar, and nice bars don't wish to be associated as the sort of place people swing rum from bottles, most onlookers wouldn't know it was almost empty. In your own home, go ahead, I'm sure most people have done it. But it might really set a poor tone in a nice bar, and give the wrong impression to punters.

Bonkers behaviour on your part. I can’t imagine why you assumed that he was letting you taste it.

Yes this is what I was thinking

Misunderstanding on both parts with no ill intent.

Since drinks are measured there must have been at least one measure left that the bar has to account for. He obviously didn't expect to see you upend the bottle and slurp the contents.

You think the bartender was in the wrong, lots of people think otherwise.

so, no, it isn't "pretty obvious that the bartender was in the wrong"

I’ve worked in hospitality. He broke so SO many policies by handing you the bottle, customers should NEVER handle the bottles

It's kind of weird altogether really - him actually handing you the bottle saying take a shot is odd - normally he'd keep hold of it until he got the shot glass. What barman lets their customers hold the bottle while they go and get the glass? So presumably he meant 'smell this one' but didn't communicate it properly. I can understand how the situation happened but equally didn't you think it was a bit weird to swig from a bottle at the bar like that?! Just a weird situation with miscommunication - don't feel too bad about it though.

This is such a horrible bitchy thread. The OP has had a horrid experience which unsettled them. Piling on to say stupid unhelpful shit is so weird, how unhappy must these people be. Obviously the op regrets it and feels stupid. I actually feel quite depressed at how casually nasty these people are again and again on every thread

Exactly this. The bar I used to work in does that.

Even if they were going to throw that empty bottle away - it’s probably been picked up from a cash and carry type place, stored in a dirty cellar, then on a shelf for god knows how long and had multiple bar staff handle it. Of course it’s unhygienic.

How embarrassing. I’d be wanting to forget all about this incident if it were me, not writing up a post on mumsnet about it.

You should have waited for a glass. He just had an instant reaction, he didn't mean to hurt you, it was an accident. There is no actual damage to your tooth, so no harm done. Not really thread-worthy, is it?

How ? he handed it to her to smell like the other bottle, he said he’d two offerings. Fancy a shot is not swig it out the bottle it’s if you like the smell would you like a shot.

I don’t think anyone is frothing or pearl clutching. I am stunned you actually think that when a bartender hands you a bottle to smell and says have a shot he means slug it out the bottle. 😂

No one is “frothing” or “clutching pearls” but I understand that every thread like this has to have that one poster who’s all “Oh, I’m too cool for MN, me, but I still hang around and post on threads just to make sure everyone knows how cool I am compared to them lmao (have to add that just to show how down with the kids I am).”

Why was the bartender in the wrong for not wanting some random woman drinking directly from a bottle of spirits she hasn’t paid for in his bar? - do explain?

If he was offering you a taste he shouldn't have handed over a bottle. He shouldn't have handed over the bottle at all, even to smell. Tiny amounts in a shot glass are the usual way of allowing a customer to try something before they commit to a full drink.

OP, you need to get your story straight.