What It Actually Means To Order An Angel Shot At A Bar

Whether you want to go check out a new bar, try a unique cocktail, or go dancing with friends, a night out shouldn't come at the cost of worry. However, there are times when you may grow to be uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. Maybe someone you meet is being overly pushy or getting physical, or the alarm bells go off in your head that they could have slipped something in your drink.

According to American Addiction Centers, the latter is quite a pervasive issue, whether at a house party with close friends or a bar with strangers. American Addiction Centers surveyed 969 people, and the results showed 56% of women and 44% of men were unknowingly spiked with drugs or alcohol, primarily through eating or drinking. 

With that in mind, bars and restaurants are finding ways to help their customers feel safe by using discreet tactics. One of these is using a code word when ordering a drink at the bar — specifically, the angel shot.

Calling for an "angel shot" is an immediate red flag for your bartender, signaling that you're in an extremely uncomfortable situation and need help from the staff if no one else is around (via Restaurant Clicks). To get even more specific, you can order it three ways depending on your level of danger and urgency. 

According to Toast, ordering "straight up or neat" indicates that you'd like to be accompanied when you leave, while "on ice or on the rocks" will let your server know that you'd like them to call and arrange a service to come to pick you up. If you say you'd like your drink "with a twist or lime," it is the highest level of danger, alerting the restaurant you need help pronto, and authorities should be called.

College student, Lily Skidmore, told Ozarks First that as a woman, she deems it "ridiculous" to constantly feel like she has to be on the lookout to keep herself safe, so something like this is very needed. Another student explained that implementing this system is essential to keep everyone extra protected while out. "I mean, when there's alcohol in the system, judgment is gone; you don't really think things out as much," said Connor Goldsborough. "I think it's very important to have something like that you can go to."