A popular bartender who has more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok showed his audience how he cuts off his friends before they have too many.
Benji Smith, best known for his comedic TikTok account @BenjiSpears, recreated his secret technique to stop drinking in a 20-second video he uploaded on Thursday, April 27.
“When your drunk best friend insists on another drink but you know he has to work in the morning,” Smith captioned the video, which has been viewed more than 7.7 million times.
Smith demonstrated that he solves the problem with a non-confrontational approach by pretending to pour a clear liquor while spraying a clear carbonated drink with his soda gun.
Finish off the non-alcoholic drink by pretending to pour another liquor, sprinkling on a red soda, and squeezing in a lime wedge before serving.
“Okay, honey, a strong one is coming,” Smith says before spreading out the secret mocktail.
Fox News Digital contacted Smith for comment.
In many states, bartenders and commercial alcoholic beverage servers can be held liable for damages or injuries caused by intoxicated patrons, according to “Alcohol in America: Taking Action to Prevent Abuse,” a 1985 guide published by The National Academies Press. , which can also be found at the National Library of Medicine.
Similar warnings have been outlined in a legal research report published by the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, entitled “Laws Prohibiting the Sale of Alcohol to Intoxicated Persons.”
At the time of publication, Smith’s recreation of the video has received more than 790,300 likes, 19,100 saves, 6,270 shares, and 1,060 comments.
TikTok users seem to overwhelmingly support Smith’s hack.
“You are a good friend and waiter. Well looked at!” wrote a commenter.
“Yeah, if they can’t tell you’re not serving alcohol, they’ve had too much to drink,” another user wrote.
“You know they’re lost if they don’t ask for your hands on the fruit and stirring it up,” another commenter shared.
Some TikTok users questioned whether Smith charges his friends full price for his non-alcoholic drinks.
In a comment, Smith responded that he doesn’t charge people for alcohol they haven’t consumed. But he can’t speak for other waiters.
Some commenters have responded that they doubt all bartenders are generous enough to reflect the discounted charge or offer a free drink since the fake drink does not contain the alcohol that was ordered.
Several current or former bartenders have admitted to using the same trick when serving customers who appear to be close to their alcohol limit.
And that’s the waiter’s trick! They don’t even know,” wrote one commenter, who received more than 11,000 likes.
“Me when I cut my regulars. They’re like ‘it doesn’t taste like alcohol!’ And I was like ‘wow are you SURE you’re not drunk?’” another commenter wrote, garnering more than 39,200 likes.
One TikTok user wrote that he adds a “little drop of liquor through the straw” so his customers can taste it.
“As a fellow bartender I will admit I have done this multiple times,” another TikTok user wrote. “And I usually follow it with a wink when I hand it over.”