To wonder where optics have gone.

[Lincslady53]

Been to a number of bars in recent weeks, both in my local rural/small town area and in large cities. None of them had the row of upside down spirit bottles with the optic measure, delivering a measured dose of spirit. They all used jiggers, the little metal cups to measure out their spirits. Where have the optics gone? Is it a hygiene measure since covid? Is it quicker to serve? Or is it a marketing thing done to make us think the drinks are more 'hand crafted' so the bar can charge a premium price for the drink (£12.00 for a single g and t in a bar in Manchester fir example).

They do seem to have gradually faded from existence but I don't know why this is. Perhaps some designs had a tendency to dispense the wrong measure so they fell out of favour. It's a pity though as all the different shaped and coloured bottles with labels the right way up made a pub bar look complete.

I used to know it was a rough pub when the optics had those counters on them.

Optics give the bar a traditional pub feel and therefore probably seen as old fashioned. Pop-up wine bar type places probably can't be arsed to install them because they can probably just use any old bottle of spirit from Aldi and a simple measuring cup .

Optics give you a much more exact measure but they're way too slow for a busy bar. If you have a lot of traffic you'll need your bartenders pouring straight from the bottle.

This has no more basis than an idea that popped into my head, but I'm wondering if people drink more of a variety these days?

So years ago pubs would have a few optics with 1 vodka, JD and 1 other whisky 1 gin etc - where as now even in a basic pub there are 5 vodkas, 3 bourbons, 4 other whiskys and about 18 different flavoured gins so putting them all in optics would take up too much space

Really? It’s many years since I did bar work, but i remember that optics were always much quicker than measuring by hand.

i thought it was more to do with the number of options now available. There used to only be one or two brands of each spirit. Now an ordinary pub will have at least 10 gins.

i thought it was more to do with the number of options now available. There used to only be one or two brands of each spirit. Now an ordinary pub will have at least 10 gins.

I think this is it. Optics were fine 30 years ago when gin just meant Gordons.

I thought it was a legal requirement actually but must have been wrong..

Really? It’s many years since I did bar work, but i remember that optics were always much quicker than measuring by hand.

I guess it depends on the set up of the bar. Where I worked (which was always rammed) each bartender had the 5 most popular spirit bottles in front of them which meant you could pour pints, mix drinks and put it through the till without moving even moving your feet. If we had to keep going to the back of the bar for optics it would have been a nightmare.

When I worked in pubs, people would specify, “Gordon’s gin, Schweppes tonic”, as if there was going to be any other option. (Although if the pub did britvic mixers then Schweppes was not an option.)

Funny thinking back to that. They thought themselves so grand insisting on Gordon’s gin!

Drinks are usually poured at the back of the bar in the UK, though?

Gin should only ever mean Gordon's.

Easier to give short measure with a measure, it should be brim full (I think).

Optics are faster and more accurate than pouring and there’s less spillage. As pp said, they can’t give you a short measure with an optic! They do look very old fashioned though, using a measure is more trendy.

As pps have said, it is largely to do with the amount of drinks now available and most restaurants/bars will try to purchase locally crafted stuff. So, there will probably be at least 4 different gins/vodkas on offer including flavoured ones for example. Optics also look old fashioned to modern day tastes.

In my experience if you're pouring fast then normally you'll over pour rather than under pour. We had an a*hole of a manager who used to work out how much we'd over poured each night and take it out of our tips.

Jesus how? By measuring what should be left in each bottle according to till receipts?

That really is another level of shittiness.

It's wall space. You can have a lot more bottles if they're on shelves or a counter.

The bottles are all different shapes now it would be hard to fit them in. When I worked in bars it pretty much, Gordons, Smirnoff and Old Grouse.

Your manager would hate me then. I always overpour!

Actually in the first bar I worked in, the bar manager taught us to release the optic early, nor enough to show , us enough to get an extra measure out of the bottle; likewise those old sherry schooners; yes, they should be brimful , but few customers would complain if it were skimmed enough to be barely worth mentioning.
Blended whiskies were totally interchangeable and poured together if we wanted to put a new bottle up.
And the manager took 1/2 the tip jar. I was young 😏

I spent ages looking for some online. I’ve lost my eyesight so can’t see to pour using a jigger, so need an optic to measure accurate shots. There were some on Amazon but they’re not very good.

A mix of old fashioned and bars having a wider choice of spirits.

Some venues also buy drinks from supermarkets cos they are often cheaper than wholesalers, and because these aren't designed for an optic measure (the label isn't printed upside down!) it's easier to just shove them behind the bar on a shelf!

LOL. The 1980s called, they want their gin back.

I used to give doubles with every drink to get more tips from happy pissed people. It was years ago and central London so no drivers. It does seem very irresponsible to me now but I was young and heedless I guess!