There is some dispute about what constitutes an appropriate bar tip. When people pay for drinks, one at a time, one usually tips the bartender a dollar per drink. As well, free drinks delivered in a casino setting tend to require a bar tip of one to two dollars.

When one has a tab at a bar, usually a bar tip is calculated as 15-20% of the total cost prior to tax. If it is happy hour, the bar tip should be calculated toward the higher end, since the drinks are being offered at discounted prices. For example a “buy one, get one free offer” bar tip should reflect the total price of the drinks prior to the discount. The bartender is still serving two drinks, and it is unfair to tip him or her for only one.

Some confusion exists if the bartender is also the proprietor of an establishment. It used to be the custom never to tip the owner since he or she has a greater share of the ultimate profits of the restaurant. This custom is now being replaced by in general tipping anyone who serves one a drink at a bar. Often it is hard to know if a person is the owner or not. A generous bar tip at a place one frequents may result in free drinks down the line.

Sometimes a proprietor will refuse a bar tip, or may give the tip to employees as part of their nightly take. For etiquette’s sake, unless one knows the proprietor won’t accept a tip, it is always appropriate to offer one.

When one attends a wedding with a bartender, even if the drinks are free, the standard bar tip is still a dollar per drink. Some feel this violates etiquette by requiring an invited guest to offer a tip to the bartender. In reality, a bar tip is not required of the guest, but neither is ordering a complex drink. A bar tip at a wedding or similar celebration is simply a mark of good manners.

Most bartenders make the majority of their earnings through tips. This is no less the case with a bartender hired for a wedding or special event. Though the bartender is likely to be paid slightly more than minimum wage, it is still a nice gesture to recognize the work involved and accordingly give a decent bar tip.