$1 a beer, $2 a cocktail. 15 to 20% of a tab. 20% is the solid tab default.
$2 a beer, $3 a cocktail, or 25% of a long, busy tab they kept straight.
$0 extra when a service charge is on the tab, or at a counter pour where tipping is not the house custom.
Tab vs cash per drink
Pick one method. If you already dropped $1 to $2 per round, do not add 20% on the same tab.
Hotel bartender
Same dollars as a bar. A resort fee does not automatically cover the person who made the drink unless the bill says gratuity is included.
Open bar at a wedding
The host may have prepaid gratuity. If you are a guest and the jar is out, $1 a drink is still kind, not a second 20% of the open bar.
United States (default)
Tipping bartenders is customary in US bars. These ranges are compiled custom, not a wage survey.
High-cost cities
$2 a cocktail is typical, not generous. Tabs still sit at 20%.
Outside the US
In much of Europe a service charge covers the bar. In Japan, do not tip. Follow local practice.
How much do you tip a bartender?
$1 a beer or pour, $2 a cocktail, or 15 to 20% if you run a tab. 20% is the solid tab default.
Do you tip bartenders per drink or on the tab?
Either, not both. Per drink is for cash rounds. Percent is for a closed tab.
Do you tip if there is already a service charge?
Usually no. That line is the tip. Extra cash is only for exceptional work, and only if they can keep it.
How much do you tip a hotel bartender?
The same as any bar: $1 to $2 a drink or 15 to 20% of the tab, unless the bill already included gratuity.