What Is a Well Drink? | 11 Facets of the Well Drinks List

What's that Lassie? There's a drink in the well?

There are actually plenty of drinks in the well and a number of other cocktail ingredients and tools too. These items play a vital part in a bar's profitability and in the quality of the drinks served. Understanding what a well drink is can help you make better decisions about where bars get their alcohol for cheap and what you should purchase.

We've put together a guide explaining what well liquor is and a handful of the best and most common well drinks. So begins your study of restaurant terms.

What Is a Well Drink or Well Liquor?

Well liquor is lower-cost liquor that a bar uses more frequently in mixed drinks than the top-shelf brands. Well drinks are the mixed drinks made using this liquor. Do your customers request a particular brand of liquor when ordering a cocktail? If not, you will likely be serving a well drink. Stock your bar with a full bar liquor list and choose to use these liquors more often since it keeps liquor costs to the bar down. Our liquor cost calculator can help determine that. This is particularly true if your bartenders stick to the standard pours.

Some more expensive cocktail bars will actually use more expensive brands in their wells. Understand that the prices in a bar are generally reflected in the quality of the liquors they use. If a rum and Coke is only $5, it probably isn’t made with top-shelf rum.

What Does a Well Drink Mean?

A well drink is any cocktail made using low-cost well liquor and other common ingredients kept behind the bar. This term encompasses all mixed drinks that are made using these ingredients. This is the opposite of a "call drink" which uses a specific brand as requested by the customer. Call drinks often overlap with high demand products in bars.

The average patron doesn't request a particular brand of liquor for their mixed drinks. Using well liquor allows bars to keep their costs low and sell as many drinks as possible to maximize profit. Still, you need some level of quality in a well drink to ensure you continue to have patrons. Just make sure to clean the well regularly as it is the most likely place for spills and messes. Add this your bartender duties checklist.

Why Do They Call It a Well Drink?

The area behind a bar within easy reach of a bartender is called a "well." Drinks made using common ingredients found there are called well drinks. Ingredients other than liquor include club soda, seltzer, sodas, bitters, and a variety of fruits.

The well area of a bar can also be called a "speed rail," "speed rack," or "speed well." As these names imply, this area is set up by the bartenders to ensure they can put drinks out as quickly as possible. Maintaining a clean and orderly well is imperative for any professional bartender.

What Qualifies As a Well Drink?

Any cocktail made using lower-cost liquor can be considered a well drink. Many of the drinks every bartender should know are well drinks and are ordered often. Most well drinks contain three ingredients or fewer. Usually, these drinks will have a part liquor, a part cocktail mixer, and a fruit or garnish. Some of the most popular well drinks include gin and tonic, rum and Coke, and Long Island Iced Tea among many others.

Best Well Drinks

You don't need top-shelf liquor to make a great cocktail. Well drinks can be just as tasty and cost both the bar and patron a lot less. Playing with ingredients is part of learning how to increase restaurant sales. Here are a few lists of our favorite well liquors and some of the most popular cocktails.

Well Whiskey: Top 5

1. Evan Williams. Contrary to popular opinion, this is more than a knock-off of Jack Daniels. This 86-proof whiskey (see: where did 86 come from) has a subtly sweet taste that makes it great for mixing.
   

2. Old Crow. This 86-proof bourbon is distilled by the same people who make Jim Beam. It uses the same ingredients but aged for less time.
   

3. John B. Stetson. A solid, 84-proof bourbon with a caramel and honey taste. You could definitely do worse.
   

4. Four Roses. An 80-proof bourbon with a warm, buttery taste. It is a bit rougher than some others, so it may not be to everyone's liking.
   

5. Fleischmann's. This 80-proof blended whiskey has a solid taste matched by an amazing price. A bar can get twice as much whiskey for the same cost as many other well options.

Well Vodka: Top 5 Well Vodka Brands

1. Tito's Handmade. This 80-proof vodka is distilled using yellow corn in Texas. It has a sweet, peppery taste that lends itself well to mixed drinks.
   

2. Svedka. Made using Swedish spring water and wheat, this 80-proof spirit is ideal for vodka cocktails. It has a balanced taste that doesn't overpower and comes in a variety of flavors.
   

3. Smirnoff No. 21. One of the most well-known names in vodka and common in most bar wells. Smirnoff No. 21 is a multi-award winning, 80-proof corn vodka with a smooth feel.
   

4. Sobieski. The #1 selling vodka in Poland, Sobieski is an 80-proof rye vodka that tastes very smooth without a bite.
   

5. Wodka. Another 80-proof rye Polish vodka, Wodka is an even cheaper alternative to Sobieski. It does have a stronger mineral taste but is nearly as smooth.

Well Cocktails: Top 5 List of Well Cocktails

1. Rum and Coke. This highball cocktail, also known as a Cuba Libre, is one of the easiest cocktails to make. Using just rum, Coca-Cola, and lime juice, it's hard to go wrong with this classic.
   

2. Gin and Tonic. What's easier than three ingredients? Two ingredients. Just one part gin (see: best gin brands) to three parts tonic water, this fits right in with the best summer cocktails.
   

3. Screwdriver. A tasty vodka treat, the screwdriver is another simple highball cocktail. Just add one part vodka to two parts orange juice and you're all set.
   

4. Long Island Iced Tea. More complicated than the rest, but loved by many, the Long Island Iced Tea makes use of the whole well. The drink uses syrup, lemon juice, cola, and a slew of liquors. You can see why this is one of the most popular cocktails in the U.S.
   

5. Tom Collins. This classic cocktail that utilizes gin, lemon juice, syrup, and carbonated water. It's light, refreshing and one of the most common drink orders in the world.

Well Tequila: Top 5 Well Tequila Brands

1. Hornitos Black Barrel. Black Barrel is made by putting aged anejo into oak barrels for four months. This 80-proof tequila has a smooth and smoky taste that goes great in a margarita.
   

2. Espolon Blanco. This 100% blue agave tequila is 80-proof and has a deliciously tropical flavor and smooth feel. 
   

3. El Jimador. Another blue agave tequila, El Jimador has a softer, citrusy taste. At 80-proof, this tequila is a great choice for a drink that can stand on its own flavors.
   

4. Lanazul Blanco. This 80-proof white tequila is also blue agave, but adds a hint of vanilla to its tropical flavors.
   

5. Jose Cuervo. One of the most well-known names in tequila, Jose Cuervo offers a perfectly serviceable tequila at a low cost. Though only 80-proof, it can be a bit harsher than the other options, so reserve it for cocktails with strong flavors.

Tequila Well Drinks: Top 5

1. Margarita. You can't go wrong with a margarita. It's one of the most popular cocktail recipes and contains tequila, lemon juice, and orange liqueur.

2. Sangrita. This spicy drink makes the most out of its tequila. Tequila, orange juice, lime juice, and chili peppers make a deliciously peppery drink.

3. Tequila Sunrise. Named for its beautiful gradient, the Tequila Sunrise is a great summer cocktail. All you need is tequila, grenadine, and orange juice. This one typically fits the aphrodisiac meaning.

4. Tequila Sour. Part of the "sour family", the Tequila Sour makes great use of bitters. Egg whites, lime juice, sugar syrup, and tequila all add to the great sour taste from the bitters. You can also learn how to make bitters using a bitters recipe if you want total control over the ingredients.

5. Mexican Mule. Like its counterpart, the Moscow Mule, the Mexican Mule makes use of a copper mug. Just swap the original's vodka for tequila, and add ginger beer, lime juice, and a wedge of lime for a delicious drink.

‍Well Rum: Top 5

1. El Dorado 8 Year. The youngest of El Dorado's offerings, the 8-year aged rum has a soft oak and caramel taste. This 80-proof rum finds the perfect balance between cost and flavor and is perfect for cocktails. It's perfect for anyone looking to learn how to make a cocktail with rum.
   

2. Bankers Club Silver Rum. This mild 80-proof rum has the perfect, light taste to compliment any mixed drink for a great price.
   

3. Angostura 5 Year. Though slightly more expensive than most well rums, Angostura offers a flavorful rum. This 80-proof rum is perfect for tropical drinks with its hints of banana, mango, coconut, and vanilla.
   

4. Bacardi Superior. Bacardi is one of the most common well rums in the world. Backed by a well-known name, this 80-proof tropical rum tastes similar to Angostura but is a bit weaker.
   

5. Captain Morgan. Another household name, Captain Morgan offers the most-used spiced rum in the industry. This 70-proof rum has a strong taste that goes well in cocktails that call for a little spice.

Benefits of Having Well Drinks

The main advantage of well drinks is that they combine affordability for customers and high profits for bars. That’s why businesses should have a properly-stocked bar with various well drinks. They are also among the main ingredients for cocktails as customers rarely request their cocktail to be mixed with a specific liquor brand. Speaking of cocktails, they can be an excellent pairing for a variety of dishes. Aperitif cocktails can also help increase the average order value as they stimulate the appetite before dinner. On the other hand, digestif cocktails help with digestion and can be combined with desserts.

Creating a Profitable Well Drinks Menu

A bartender’s well consists of various types of well drinks like vodka, whiskey, rum, gin, and tequila. The brands are picked based on various factors such as:

1. The type of the establishment;
2. The age and demographics of the place;
3. Seasonality;
4. Prices of well drinks;
5. Quality of well drinks;

As prices can fluctuate in different seasons and based on supply and demand, restaurants and bars should pay close attention to price changes of their most-used liquors and cocktail ingredients. When it comes to well drinks, even a small increase in prices can result in a large cut in profit margins. That’s because these are the most used alcohol products by bartenders.

Make Well Drinks Interesting

Well drinks are often associated with their low price. That doesn’t have to be the case though. Bars and restaurants can make them interesting in order to increase the revenue and profit of the establishment. Here are a few tips on how to do so.

1. Use special glassware. Customers who order well drinks are likely to enjoy them better if it’s served in a high-end glass that seems suitable for top-shelf liquor.
2. Happy hour pairings. Well drinks (and especially cocktails) can be great pairings for various dishes.
3. Fresh garnishes and juice. They can be the difference between a mediocre beverage and a great one. That’s especially true for cocktails.‍
4. Branding. Consider offering private-label whiskey, vodka, or other liquor with the brand of your establishment to increase brand awareness.

Well, Well, Well ...

That's the long and short about well drinks. These drinks are some of the most common in the bar industry. If a customer wants to know what's in their favorite mixed drink, let the bartender share what you use for well liquor. If it's not to the customer’s taste, have them order a call drink.

Running a bar requires knowledge of every tool and ingredient at your disposal. Understanding mixology terms and learning things like how many ounces in a pint can also help streamline processes and ensure you serve the best drinks for optimal prices.