Some bartenders make recommendations because they genuinely believe you'll enjoy the drink.
Others answer your question so confidently that ignoring them feels like a challenge.
Naturally, I chose the challenge.
When I asked what her favourite cocktail to make was, the bartender answered immediately.
"The Marilyn Monroe."
I thanked her for the recommendation and immediately ordered a La Madrina instead.
Without changing her expression in the slightest, she calmly informed me that La Madrina was her least favourite cocktail to make.
For several uncomfortable seconds I became convinced I had somehow offended the person responsible for making my drink.
Then it hit me.
She wasn't annoyed.
She was absolutely committed to one of the finest displays of deadpan humour I've ever encountered.
No grin.
No wink.
Not even the slightest crack in character.
Just enough silence to let me wonder if I had accidentally become the evening's problem customer before carrying on as though nothing had happened.
Fortunately, La Madrina made it very difficult to regret the decision.
It was exceptionally balanced, smooth from the first sip to the last, and layered with enough complexity to keep revealing something new without ever becoming overwhelming.
It was the kind of cocktail that quietly reminds you why experienced bartenders can make difficult drinks look effortless.
Excellent cocktails are memorable.
Exceptional service paired with perfectly delivered humour is considerably harder to forget.