Drinks at Restaurants

So, I just made a little list of things that I'd thought about adding to the blog over the past week, and there were like ten different things to write up... I need to go to bed, so I'll just throw this rant out for you:

What's the deal with restaurants keeping the prices of their drinks secret? Wine lists show the prices, but when a restaurant has a list of specialty cocktails they make, most places just show the different drinks but neglect to tell you the price. Why is that? Why do they tell you how much the food costs before you order it but keep the price of their their apple martini with prickly pear syrup hidden? Do they figure that cost is no object when buying alcohol? This is why I hardly ever drink in bars. Why would I pay 6 bucks plus tip for a shot of whiskey when I can get 750 ml for 20 bucks at the supermarket? I don't get it.

Some places don't even list the prices of their soft drinks on the menu. Everything else gets a price, but they leave that one blank. You know what that tells me? That they're planning on ripping me off for $2.50 if I want a Coke. That's why more often than not I get water with my meals when I'm at a restaurant. The drinks are a total cash cow. A 20-oz. fountain drink only costs them a few cents. They'd be making money off of me even if they only charged 50 cents a drink. I understand there needs to be some kind of a markup, but I have my limits.