A well drink or rail drink is an alcoholic beverage served using the lower-cost liquors stored within easy reach of the bartender in the counter "speed rail", "speed rack", or "well".
In any given establishment, the rail/well liquors available may also be known as the "house pours", "house brands", "house spirits", "pour brands", or "proprietary spirits".
Well drinks differ from "call" drinks in that the former are offered when a customer does not specify a particular brand of liquor when ordering a
mixed drink.
The actual liquors used by a drinking establishment will vary. A bartender's well may include at least one variety each of
gin
Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis'').
Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...
,
rum,
whiskey
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden cask ...
,
vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...
,
bourbon Bourbon may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash
* Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels
* Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit
* A beer produced by Bras ...
,
tequila,
triple sec, and
vermouth.
Some establishments that cater to higher-end clientele or wish to project an aura of luxury choose premium brands to be their well liquors (thus offering a "premium well").
Call and top-shelf
A rail or well drink is usually served when a customer does not specify that a particular brand of liquor be used.
For example, a customer order for a "Scotch and soda" would lead the bartender to use a rail/well
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky (; sco, Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland.
All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distil ...
and would be priced as a well drink, whereas ordering "
Glenfiddich and soda" would be a call drink. Another example would be a "Jack and Coke" rather than a "Whiskey and Coke."
Call liquors are known as such because the customer "calls" or requests a particular brand of liquor.
Certain expensive brand-name liquors are not considered or priced as call, but are instead known as "top-shelf" liquors, both from their placement on the shelves and from their price relative to the other liquors available.
References
{{Bartending
Cocktails
Lists of cocktails
Bartending