Alcohol & automatic tipping

[Bad Wolf]

Weird question. A few years ago my family did the free dining plan. I ordered a beer at one of the restaurants, which I knew wouldn't be included with the plan. When the seperate check came, it had the same %18 automatic gratuity added. Didn't really think anything of it since the service was good that night, but I'm curious, is this standard procedure for alcoholic beverages?

[PETE FROM NYC]

Way back when, in the early 1970s, I tended bar in a local gin mill.
This was when a draft was 25 cts and a shot was around 60 cts.
A tip was earned, not mandatory.
On the rare occasions that I got stiffed for a tip, it was usually because the customer was either broke, or just cheap.
As far as I am concerned, mandatory tipping is nothing short of un-armed robbery.
If there is something said in the fine print, then let them give me a magnifying glass to read it.

[faline]

Gratuities are automatically added to parties of 6 or more and those using the Tables in Wonderland Card. I don't recall if "Free Dining" automatically added gratuity. I seem to recall them providing information with a "suggested gratuity".

[Bad Wolf]

Definitely not 6 of us, and no TiW card. This was at Rose and Crown, I believe if memory serves.

I'm guessing she just added on the 18% because we had been using the DDP. Like I said, I didn't really care too much since the meal and service were good, and we had gotten the DDP for free (back when the tip was also included). The only thing paid OOP for this meal was the beer and tax/tip for it.

I always assumed she saw a chance to get more of a tip, and took it. But now I'm wondering if there is some obscure rule dealing with alcoholic beverages and a mandatory tip being included. None of us are big drinkers, and nobody has ordered :beer: since to test out that theory.