Every dive-bar denizen knows: If you order a whiskey and don’t specify your brand, the bartender will give you the “well” — the house’s choice. Fundamentally, this is a moment of trust: You trust the bartender to pour you a drink using a whiskey you will likely never know the name of or much else about it. But even if you go for a top-shelf liquor, you might not be drinking the whiskey you ordered.
