“This one’s on me” are perhaps the four best words one can hear at a bar, especially considering the rising prices of cocktails these days. Whether you’re in the industry, a regular who’s racked up a lofty tab, or just happen to be well liked by the bartender, getting comped for a drink is a telltale sign that your presence at the watering hole is appreciated. Even if it’s not a bona fide cocktail that’s getting knocked off the bill, a free shot isn’t a bad consolation prize.
Unfortunately, the social tango that comes with receiving free drinks can vary from bar to bar, and there’s never a guarantee that it’s going to happen. After all, this is a business that’s notoriously hard in which to make a profit. However, there is one fairly surefire way to get a free shot. Admittedly, it’s a little weird, and it involves one particular bottle that every respectable bar has.
As far as we know, the trick comes from LeNell Camacho Santa Ana, owner of LeNell’s Beverage Boutique in Birmingham, Ala., and was relayed to VinePair via bartender KJ Williams of Brooklyn’s Long Island Bar. LeNell was a big figure in the NYC bar scene in the early aughts. Not because of any chops behind the stick, but due to the curated selection of hard-to-find bottles she stocked at her now shuttered Red Hook shop, LeNell’s. She also gained considerable fame for her short-lived Red Hook Rye, a small batch of whiskeys that
