I think that as a female, she gets larger tips from male clients, and is therefore incentivized to provide better service and more options.

Perhaps also she knows that women tend to prefer still.

Regardless, you are free to not tip much or at all if you feel that she hasn't offered you her top level of service.

Perhaps the place is a front for prostitution and still or sparkling is the code?

This is weird because I feel like it’s women who are into sparkling water more than men.

Anonymous wrote:I always ask myself if I could interpret a situation as someone with a positive intent vs. a negative intent, and choose the positive. You should try it! It’s so freeing as a woman to not presume bias everywhere.

Sure, but what’s the positive intent of denying OP the choice to decide?

I always ask myself if I could interpret a situation as someone with a positive intent vs. a negative intent, and choose the positive. You should try it! It’s so freeing as a woman to not presume bias everywhere.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the bartender had served the two men before?

This. Regulars who like both.

If you would have preferred sparkling even if it was extra why didn't you ask?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the bartender had served the two men before?

This. They are somebodies; you and the other woman are a nobody.

Then she'd have pulled out the sparkling without asking.

I think OP might be on to something.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the bartender had served the two men before?

This. They are somebodies; you and the other woman are a nobody.

Maybe the bartender had served the two men before?

Anonymous wrote:Probably she only had big bottles of sparkling and it didn't make sense for one or she was just being consdierate and you can ask for it.

I'm reading as two men came in, each solo, and two women each came in, solo, and the bartender specifically asked both men but not either woman. That is kind of odd. Maybe the other poster is right, the sparkling is an upsell so she was trying to do that with the men only so she could get a better tip.

I wouldn't even waste my time thinking about this. If you want sparkling ask for it.

Maybe she just didn't want to charge you? Usually they say that as an upsell, dont they?

Probably she only had big bottles of sparkling and it didn't make sense for one or she was just being consdierate and you can ask for it.

I (a woman) went to lunch by myself yesterday at a pretty nice restaurant in NYC. I sat at the bar, the bartender (female) poured me a glass of still water. Over the course of the next 15 minutes, two solo male diners came in and sat at the bar as well, and the bartender asked each of them "still or sparkling?" I noted this discrepancy, but assumed she'd just forgotten to ask me. Then another solo female diner sat at the bar, and the bartender poured her a glass of still water, no choice offered. What gives?