‘NOT THEM TRYING TO PLAY US’: Customers catch bartender charging them for Casamigos after they order 1800
A bar customer experienced an issue with an upcharge that you'll fully understand if you know your tequilas. The patrons ordered 1800, a respectable and reasonably priced tequila, but were charged the more expensive and more trendy Casamigos.
The video documenting the mix-up comes from TikTok creator Brianne (@divinebrianne), getting more than 2.1 million views since going up on Sunday. The on-screen caption gives an all-caps indication of the outrage Brianne and her friends were feeling. It stated, "NOT THEM TRYING TO PLAY US LIKE WE'RE DUMB AT THIS BAR CHARGING US FOR WHATEVER THEY WANT!!!"
The video gives the patrons' POV as they're contesting the bill the bar manager. Early into the exchange, one of the patrons asserts, "They gave us a receipt with something we didn't even order!"
The bar manager, puzzled, asks, "Y'all didn't order three Casamigos?"
"No!" they exclaim in unison.
1800 vs Casamigos
They're then able to establish it's 1800s they wanted, while a bartender leans disinterestedly on a wall behind the counter. The manager looks at one of the shots poured for them, which has the amber tint of a reposado tequila. He then compares it the bottle of Casamigos, which clearly is clear and looks to be a blanco tequila.
According to Total Wine's website, a 750-ml bottle of 1800 retails for $20.99, whereas its Casamigos counterpart commands $41.99.
And it's not just perceptions of quality that may be affecting the price. An article in the Atlantic from August 2022 noted, "Turn on any hip-hop or Top 40 radio station and you’ll hear it too: Casamigos this, Casamigos that. Everyone seems to be obsessed with Casamigos." The writer also wondered, "How on earth did a relatively new brand of tequila—one co-founded in 2013 by George Clooney, of all people—seize hip-hop culture and challenge Hennessy’s reign so fast?"
The article quotes Tuma Basa, the director of Black music and culture at YouTube, who asserts that rappers name-check certain brands to give a sense of how expensive their tastes are. "It’s not just ‘I ordered champagne’; they want to tell you how expensive the champagne was through the brand or how top-shelf it is. Artists are trying to paint an accurate picture of the lifestyle that they’re selling to the audience, who’s living vicariously through them."
Viewers weigh in on the two brands
Commenters, who think they pinpointed the bar as 13 on Frenchmen in New Orleans, shared thoughts.
"A lot of times in bars, if alcohols are not entered into the system, or show out of stock when they aren’t, you have to ring them as something similar," said one, who also indicated they charge more for 1800 than Casamigos.
Another said, "So many bars do this because they don’t expect people to actually check their stuff. I know I’ve been played before by not checking before I closed my tab."
Someone else counseled, "I understand both sides as I am also a bartender. Whether she tried y’all or not the manager has to look at the entire situation and right off the bat he’s gonna be on his bartender's side."
@divinebrianne ARE WE TRIPPING???? #nola #racistcheck ♬ original sound - Brianne
The Daily Dot reached out to Brianne via TikTok direct message and to 13 on Frenchmen via Instagram direct message.
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