🍸 How to Pour Using Counts (And Why It Still Sparks Debate)

Feb 2 / Al Fon50

Ask any Illinois bartender how they pour a shot and you’ll hear:

“Depends where you’re at.”

Because in Illinois, free-pouring with counts isn’t just a skill —
it’s a philosophy that changes bar to bar.

Same ounces.
Same bottles.
Very different expectations.

🧠 The Question

Should pouring with counts be the standard everywhere —
or does the right method depend on the bar you work in?

Some swear by it.
Some ban it completely.
Most learn it either way.

🍸 High-Volume Bars: Counts Keep You Alive

In busy Illinois bars — clubs, concerts, packed weekends — pouring with counts means:

Fast service
Consistent drinks
No stopping to measure
Keeping the line moving

Here, a standard system usually looks like:
  • 4-count = 1 oz
  • 6-count = 1.5 oz (standard shot)
  • Same rhythm, every drink

🧠 The challenge: staying accurate when speed matters more than perfection.

🍺 Craft & Neighborhood Bars: Precision Over Speed

In slower-paced or craft-focused bars, counts often raise eyebrows.

These bars lean toward:
Jiggers
Exact specs
Guest-facing transparency
Consistency over flair

Free-pouring might still happen — but only with experienced bartenders.

🧠 The challenge: avoiding over-pours, under-pours, and “heavy hand” reputations.

⚖️ Same Liquid, Different Pressure

An ounce is always an ounce.

But:

  • Pour cost pressure
  • Management expectations
  • Bar volume
  • Guest perception

All influence whether counts are trusted — or forbidden.

That’s where the tension lives:
Is counting more reliable than measuring?
Does speed justify variance?
Can one method really work everywhere?

🎓 What Every Bartender Should Know (No Matter Where You Work)

Pouring with counts only works if:
You use the same pour spouts
The bottle is fully inverted
Your count rhythm is consistent
You’ve actually practiced with water + a jigger

Counts aren’t guessing — they’re muscle memory.

And when done right, they protect:

Consistency
The guest experience
The bar’s bottom line

🗣️ So here’s the real question for Illinois bartenders:

Is pouring with counts a lost art — or still a necessary skill?

Should every bartender learn it, even if they mostly jigger?
Or does the bar decide the method, not the bartender?

Same ounces.
Different approaches.
One shared responsibility behind the bar. 🍸