Do you tip your bartender?

Well yeah, with the kind of system you describe, I don't think he'd get tips in the U.S. either.

Sounds more like standing in line at a vending machine to me.

Here, if you sit at a table, a cocktail waitstaff comes by, takes your order brings the drinks and asks if you'd like to set up a tab. Otherwise you just pay and tip at the same time.

Usually, in an old country pub or a even an ordinary one in town, the place is run by the Landlord or Landlady (or as a couple) and it works really well.
You stroll in, note the log fire crackling in the corner, smell the faint whiff of wood smoke mixed with beer and roast dinners, see an empty table in the little nook in the corner, go and claim said table whilst round buyer goes to the bar, noticing landlady's ample cleavage, order and pay for drinks whilst nodding at locals who gently enquire as to your life story, bring back drinks, chat, scoff, drink some more, repeat, repeat again, get carried home and wake up the following morning with a new tattoo on your left buttock that reads "See? I told you I was gay!"

Yes I tip my bartender whether open bar or cash bar. It depends on the bar/situation how I tip. If I am paying cash and just getting one drink or if it is a situationwhere you may use different bars or an open bar situation, for example, I will leave a dollar or so tip per drink depending on how much I am spending - no less than a dollar a drink and at least 20%. Otherwise I will set up a tab and then tip 20% or so of the bill.

Clever...and funny.

Nothing better than an English Pub!

Well I only been to an open bar one other time (last year's firm Christmas party). It took place at the Yale Club so I'm certain (hoping) the wait staff (including the bartenders) are getting more then minimum wage. Last year I didn't tip. Probably didn't think about it as I didn't see anyone tip then. I read a few replies here before getting to the event and just decided to go with my usual $1 a drink tip.

Good for you.

Some of these events will not allow a bartender to put out a tip cup. I always tip those bartenders even more than my usual generous tip.

Right.

I sometimes have questions not so much as to when to tip someone (not necessarily a bartender), but how to go about it.

We're all used to tipping waitstaff. You leave the money on the table, or add it on your credit card receipt (although I always prefer to tip w/ cash, except if it was a business expense).

It's easy if there's a tip jar too, that is if you're going to leave them a tip.

Actually, that's a related question to throw out there...do ya'll normally put money in a tip jar, sometimes or never?
I've done it, like a buck, if I feel the person waiting on me was friendly (not overly friendly), was attentive and in some tangible or intangible way I felt s/he went out of their way for me.
However, let's say I go through a drive through Starbucks, or even walk in. The only thing I ever get is a straight black cup of coffee to go. I don't think taking a paper cup out of a stack, pouring coffee in it and putting a lid on it warrants a tip. If I went in and ordered multiple fancy drinks, I'm thinking I'd leave one in the tip jar.

Hairdressers..for me there's always this semi-awkward moment (I'm sure it's entirely on my part) where I give them my credit card, with money on top if it, obviously for them. Where I go now, my hairdresser walks up to the cashier with me, or sometimes is the one who checks me out.

I used to go to an Ulta for my cuts, and there you pay at the resgisters up front, while the salon is in the back. I was in the habit of giving the stylist a tip, and paying the balance up front. Each time the cashier would ask me if I'd like to add a tip, and I'd tell her I already took care of that. Once or twice, for reasons I can't remember, I hadn't given the stylist money, and when I told the cashier I wanted to leave the tip in cash, she gave me a separate envelope to put it in. I don't know, that just feels weird. I think my problem is that one develops a relationship with your stylist...like paying someone to be your friend (sort of friend).

I've never had to deal with parking valets, not to sound like the little lady, but the man I was with would take care of that....seems like guys always (if they live in the city particularly) always have to have singles at hand.

I always tip the bartender.

My formula is, at a minimum, one dollar for every drink. If I like the bartender the tip is usually higher.

In NY, where I originate, tipping the bartender properly results in free drinks. In the South, where I have lived for the past 28 years, tenders can't "buy back" one for you. They can, however, play with the bill.

Whether they buy back or not is, for me, irrelevant. Generous tipping insures that I will get attention.

Ditto an open bar. I always tip the tender a buck for every "free" drink I get.

The tender is probably not making a lot of cash, and what is a buck per drink to me?

Generosity has its own rewards but it often has more immediate ones.

I can't think of a time when my tipping was not demonstrably appreciated in some way. Should this ever not be the case, you can be sure I will let the tender know of my displeasure.

Not surprising.

A pattern about penny pinching Brits is developing.

It also explains why UK bartenders love me after they get over the thought that I made a math mistake with the first round.

No Finn, the difference is, UK/European bar staff are paid well. Not minimum wage which is the norm in Canada and the US. The difference up here is that minimum wage is/was far higher than in the US. I bought a house as a waitress. For the most part, service employees can barely make rent down south.

I always tip. Generally, 15-20%.
When I was in the England and Ireland I forgot, second nature and all. In several places, I think I insulted the waiters. When they offered me the change, I told them to keep it, they looked at the handful of pocket change like I'd lost my mind.
And after I got chased down a block for leaving a tip, there were a lot of loud yoohoo's... She thought I forgotten to pick it up and was returning the bounty. I remembered to scoop it up from then on.

I don't tip based on what the tender is making as a base wage. I'm not trying to supplement their base wages.

I tip to express appreciation and (more importantly) insure service and I will do so wherever I go.

If a tender in Canada or Europe doesn't provide me with good service because they are happy with their base wages (and presumably, are a d*ck), then they won't get my tip.

No big deal, I'll take my comerce elsewhere.

In Australia we don't routinely tip either. Tips are given when the service has been excellent, or when the person has gone the extra mile to help you.

As in Britain, staff here are paid a proper wage, and don't have to rely on tips to get by. Having said that, I'm sure any extra money is always welcome.

Finn, I get it. But, it does translate across the pond. They don't want tips. They don't need them. They also don't care about service, as previously pointed out.
In N. America, where service staff are hungry, they'll jump if you ask 'em.
My point is, it's a shitty system. Depending on the mood of the diner decides whether or not you can pay your bills or not.
Nobody gets to decide not to pay the bus drivers, the store clerk or the politician if they're being a dick. Why are wait staff any different?

I beg to differ.

I have gotten better service, outside America and including Canada and the UK, through tips.

Maybe the tenders thought "Who is this daffy Yank tipping us?" after the first tip, but the subsequent ones delivered what I desired.

i enjoyed the simplicity of the no tip european model, and unlike in America cant recall every having really bad service, but I do sometime like the ability to reward up or down based upon performance. I do think that the no tip system puts more pressure on employers to hire good people and train them well, where as in America the staff gets the blame. in the no tip system if I have already paid up front extra and I get bad service I am going to be asking why the employer hired this substandard person, I am going to be pissed at the employer.

as a restaurant owner I like the tip system, because it allows me to run a lot of the employee compensation scheme off of my books, I dont pay taxes on it.

In restaurants, pubs/bars in (continental) Europe, you don't tip bartenders at all. (You might give some tip in the "tip collecting box for all staff, if there's some on the counter.)

Otherwise, service is included in the bill - so you really just give a tip for the service to that person, who served you well. Most restaurants/bars here use a fonds or tronc sytem for tips - thus, the kitchen and cleaning personal gets at least some of it as well.
That's regulated individually at all place, but usually, the person, who gets the tip, can't keep (all of) it for herself/himself.

In Germany, like in a couple of other countries) the apprenticeship for a waitress/waiter [servant, here officially called restaurant specialist] lasts 2 1/2 to 3 years like in any other job.

I tend to agree (a bit with both sides). It is not customary to tip a bartender in Britian - just their custom. I know they will sometimes get confused (some maybe insulted) if you do tip - just hearing from friends who tried to tip in a pub and also having friends that live or have lived in Britain.

Those though that work in areas that tend to get more tourists probably know the deal with us US people. And as a result will (if they want more money) provide greater attentive service.

Also whether one thinks it is a "shitty" way of doing things depends on your prespective. Most waitstaff and bartenders (even with the cheapos around) end up making a good wage with their tips espcially if they are good at their job and at a busy restaurant/bar. On one side yeah if you got paid a so-called living wage without tips - then you don't have to worry about whether you get stiffed or not. On the other hand if you do rely more on tips and are good - both the customer and you win - the customer gets better service; the waitstaff get more money (on average). Without the tips in a service industry there is a much less significant incentive to prove great service.

So if you prefer good service from service individuals and on the other hand as a server you like to get monetary reward for providing better service - it is not a "shitty" way of doing things.

On the flip side it makes things easier on all sides if you go to a no tip service and really don't care about being "fawned" over.

I always tip whether it's by the drink, running a tab (which I do when I'm planning a longer stay) or for club soda with lime if I'm not drinking alcohol that day. I stop drinking alcohol after 2-3 drinks and switch to club soda, then plain water. I tip $1/drink unless I'm running a tab, in which case I tip 20% of the bill.

Buying the bartender a drink is common in New Orleans. A bartender buying a drink for a good customer is also common. What goes around...