We’ve all heard of the classic vodka cranberry, a totally respectable cocktail order, right? Well, according to Mackenzie Timianis, a former server based in Toronto, if you’re a man ordering that drink, you’re missing out on the joke. In a TikTok video, Timianis revealed her favorite way to handle male customers ordering the cocktail.
She explained that anytime a man requested a vodka cran, her immediate response was, “For your UTI [urinary tract infection]?” That’s right, she’d hit them with the bladder infection joke. Timianis admits that this joke almost always resulted in “immediate hate” from the customer. But she doesn’t regret it one bit. She looked straight at the camera and smiled, noting that she genuinely missed the “rush of it all.”
If you don’t know why a vodka cranberry is the perfect comedic setup, here’s the scoop as reported by BroBible. UTIs are typically caused when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and start multiplying in the bladder. While the urinary system usually fights off invaders, sometimes those defenses fail. The infections aren’t usually life-threatening, but they are certainly annoying, causing a painful burning sensation when you try to urinate.
You’ve got to admire the commitment to the bit, even if it cost her a few smiles
This is a must-know fact: UTIs primarily affect women. Because of this long-standing association, folk wisdom suggests that drinking cranberry juice can help prevent and treat the symptoms of the infection. That’s the key connection Timianis was making, implying that any man ordering a cranberry-heavy drink must be dealing with a painful urinary issue.
One user named Kelly fully supported the move, avowing, “When I worked at hooters this would have gotten me a 50% tip.” Another commenter, Gnarlycarlyy__, said they would be “howling” if they heard a bartender say that to her husband, who orders vodka crans sometimes. Itsonlyfair00 offered a strong clap-back to the haters, arguing that “EVERYONE saying ‘OH gOoD FoR A 0% TiP’ has no personality or sense of humor.” Big Kyle agreed, writing that he would “love a server to have that sense of humor.”
While the joke is hilarious, it does raise an important question: is there any scientific backing to the idea that cranberry juice actually helps treat UTIs? In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) weighed in on the topic when the company Ocean Spray submitted a petition. The company was trying to link the consumption of their cranberry juice to reduced risks of recurrent UTIs and was asking for an “authorized health claim.”
The FDA ultimately decided the evidence presented didn’t meet the bar for “significant scientific agreement.” Instead, the company received permission to make “qualified health claims.” This means the claims are supported by some evidence, but not rigorously enough to be considered definitive. Because of this, the company has to include a disclaimer to communicate the level of scientific evidence supporting the claim accurately to consumers.
So, while the science behind the red liquid remains somewhat murky, Timianis definitely cracked a top-tier joke. It’s a great example of how you can mix a little folk medicine knowledge with a lot of sass to get a rise out of your customers.
Published: Feb 11, 2026 03:30 pm