Sacrifice is necessary in the midst of economic tumult but for some, giving up booze is crossing the line. Drowning one's sorrow sounds more appealing the more one drowns in debt, but that appeal can sour once a work-weary patron gets the check.

Some local bartenders helped us shine a light on the secret to drinking right despite a tight budget. Tip No.‚1? Treat bartenders with respect, and you're more likely to hear about the special deals or be pleasantly surprised when you get the bill.

The mixologists:

Monica Fortich, 33, has been tending bar for 11 years. You can find her behind downtown Hollywood's Coyotes Bar.

Kelley Marchette, 23, works at the Fontainebleau's Bleau Bar in the hotel lobby. She's been a bartender for six years.

Cary Castille, 27, has worked at the Purdy Lounge on Miami Beach for more than seven years.

Andrew Castelli, 29, has worked in hospitality for 15 years and has tended bar at the Oceanaire in Mary Brickell Village since it opened in January 2007.

Q: Define a

bartender's

dream patron.

Andrew: Six-foot-one, blonde hair [laughs]. You know, I like when people come in, and they're happy to be there. When you're at the bar, you're somewhat trapped with these people. Your job is to entertain and be charismatic. When people are happy to be there and be out of work, it makes everything easier. Honestly, your dream customer isn't based on how much they spend. It's really about how often they come. Having the repeat business is what's going to pay your rent month in and month out.

Cary: Girls who come in, and they're fun, and they want to talk. For the guys: big tippers. There are always big tippers in [Purdy Lounge]. The local crowd is phenomenal. We get a lot of people from Hialeah and Kendall. They travel to come see us, because we're on Miami Beach, and we never have a cover. We always have good music, DJs playing as well.

Kelley: I just really like people with a lot of personality and quick wit. But it is pretty rewarding when someone comes in with a bad attitude, and you totally turn it around. I guarantee, by the time they leave, they'll be smiling. A smile is contagious.

Q: What's a

bartender's

worst

nightmare?

Monica: The jealous girls. For some reason, they think that you want their boyfriends. I treat people the way I would like to be treated when I go out. Some of these girls get the wrong impression, and they get jealous. The perverts are also bad, the ones who sit at the bar and stare at you all night. . . . I have a rule where I try not to get involved with anybody who comes to my bar because in the long run it messes up your tips, and that's something you don't want.

Kelley: People who feel entitled or are just really rude to everyone around them. I can spot 'em. And I don't know if I should say this . . . guys who have a conversation with just my lower half. It's just not good.

Cary: People who order drinks, and they have no cash on them. If they don't have any money, and it's expensive, then I say, ``Dude, sorry, but I can't give you this.'' If it's just a beer, I say, ``Dude, don't worry about it; go for it.'' I buy people beers all the time.

Andrew: I've had to make 20 mojitos, and you can get a pretty sore arm with that. . . . Sometimes when you get so many piled on at once you can get real behind. When people walk in already drunker than they should be, and you're already uncomfortable giving them a drink, that's a nightmare, because you're liable. We're liable if they get in a car, we're liable 100 ways from Tuesday.

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