That ginger ale you’re sipping at your favorite restaurant? It might just be a knock-off.
According to TikTok user @aromarob, when ginger ale runs out, some restaurants start mixing other fizzy drinks to create a convincing alternative. And it leaves many customers none the wiser.
The video is captioned, “When the guest asks for gingerale.” It shows @aromarob filling a cup mostly with Sprite. Then he adds a few splashes of Pepsi and mixes the concoction with a straw. The result? A drink that looks strikingly similar to ginger ale. And, according to some, it tastes just close enough to fool unsuspecting customers.
Since its upload on Sept. 15, the video has accumulated 1.5 million views.
@aromarob Sprite and coke really does taste like Ginerale #serverlife #server #sproke ♬ LA REID – Concrete Boys & Lil Yachty
Commenters did not approve
Some pointed out the ethical issue of serving customers a substitute without explicitly informing them first.
One outraged user wrote, “I HATED the servers too lazy to go behind the bar and get ginger ale from the gun. It’s not the same and if you don’t tell them you are doing this, it’s just plain wrong.”
Others backed up this sentiment, noting that the taste is a far cry from the real deal.
“I’ve sent back this horrible concoction,” commented one user.
Servers defend the practice
Despite this, several servers admitted to using the trick, swearing that most customers can’t tell the difference between the improvised drink and real ginger ale.
“I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for 9 years and I have never in my life had someone return it and tell me it’s not ginger ale. It’s actually insane,” one user commented. Another agreed, saying, “I always did that when I was a waitress.”
Does serving fake ginger ale pose health risks?
Other commenters raised the issue of allergens and caffeine content in the fake ginger ale that wouldn’t be present in the real thing.
“I got an awful stomach and get ginger ale bc other sodas make me throw up,” one commenter explained.
Another shared: “Not to be dramatic but when I was pregnant I would order ginger ale bc it was caffeine free. If I had caffeine, it’d make me swell so bad I couldn’t use my hands/feet for hours. I could ALWAYS tell.”
In response to the backlash, @aromarob clarified that the trick isn’t meant to deceive customers. “I let them know I can make something that tastes very similar,” he wrote. “ALSO: people would tell us beforehand if they had an allergy.”
This isn’t the first time this practice has been brought to customer attention. Recently, a customer’s video went viral after she shared her suspicion that the “ginger ale” she ordered received a similar treatment.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @aromarob via TikTok comment.
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