Most diners give at least some thought to what they are drinking at a restaurant, but what about the people that are in that wine or spirit glass? Of course I realize there's not some tiny person in your glass (at least I hope not). And I'm not talking about the sloppy fingerprints that employees at some establishments leave on the rim or the health code challenged place where a server sneezed on your glass before delivering it.

What you drink will likely be influenced by a whole string of people that you may not even consider. The path from the creator of a wine or spirit to its arrival at your dinner table touches on a wide range of individuals, all of whom have an impact on what you ultimately consume. And all of them have their own interests in mind, even while they still try to satisfy you, the consumer.

Winemaker/Distiller. At the start of the chain may be the most obvious person involved in the process. That's the person who actually creates the wine, beer or spirit that you are sipping. Winemakers and master distillers of whisk(e)y may be the most famous artists when it comes to making alcoholic beverages, but if you have any amount of alcohol in your glass, then someone spent some time figuring out how to create it and what it will taste like.

Importer. The United States offers an increasing variety of high-quality wine and spirits every year, but the fact remains that a significant amount of what you drink still may come from overseas. In these cases, importers decide which producers they will carry. In some cases, the spirit producers decide whom they will sell to (when the spirit is in high demand, low supply, or both). The relationships that importers develop can have a significant impact on what you may have available to choose from when you sit down for dinner.

Distributor. Restaurants will purchase their alcohol from a small number of local distributors. These individuals obtain their supplies from importers, wholesalers, or sometimes directly from the producers themselves. Like typical salespeople, they need to make a buck, so they will often have incentives to move certain portions of their inventory. Watch a local rep go to work on a restaurant buyer on the next to the last day of the month, and you have a scene to behold.

Sommelier. If you like wine, chances are you may have spoken with a restaurant's sommelier at some point to get a suggestion for a wine to drink. That's just one role that they fill, however. In most establishments, that same individual will decide which wines to put on the list. That means that this one individual's palate will prove very significant to your choices. That's not to say a sommelier won't stock wines that they don't personally like, but chances are much of the list will be based on their own personal preferences, with a lesser portion devoted to wines viewed as "popular" that will sell well.

Bartender. How many times have you taken a seat at the bar and asked the bartender to suggest a cocktail? Probably more than you can count, unless you are a devoted imbiber of one particular spirit. Like a chef, a good mixologist will have their own style and the spirits they carry will be equal parts of what they hear the most requests for along with what they like to use most in the cocktails that virtually every barman wants to invent these days.

Waiter. If you are drinking wine by the glass at the table - or if you are too bashful to ask to see a sommelier - chances are you will rely on your waiter for advice. Depending on the restaurant, you may find a server who is very knowledgeable, or you may encounter one who regurgitates just the basics as instructed. Often I get my best suggestions from waiters, however, as they often recommend really good, yet affordable, choices - the sort of thing they might order themselves.

Media and Reviewers. If you have heard of Robert Parker, you either love him or hate him. Some consumers put a lot of stock in point systems, others hate them. Professionals are often the same way. In any case, popular wine sources of wine scores certainly drive price and demand for certain bottles, and thus influence availability. Feature stories ought not to be overlooked either, as a distillery or winemaker that gets prominent coverage may have a greater chance of making it on to more bar shelves or wine lists.

Chef/Restaurateur. The person in chef's whites has a lot to do with what you drink, too. If she's cooking a fish-oriented menu, chances are there won't be a lot of big reds on the list, but rather plenty of whites and some nice Pinot Noirs. If the restaurateur is going for more of a hip scene, you can bet on the trendiest new liqueurs, whereas a small French place will focus more heavily on the classics.

The Government and Politicians. Of course, the dirty little secret is that government bureaucrats play an obscenely important role in what many establishments can serve. In Montgomery County, Maryland, for instance, the county government decides what spirits a restaurant can purchase. In some cases, two restaurants located just across a city boundary from each other may have wildly different selections of available liquor based solely on the whims of government laws and regulations.

You, Your Friends, and Family. Ultimately, you do get to decide what's in your glass, of course. But do you ever think about what you drink and why? Maybe your Uncle John loved Scotch and you learned at his knee. Or it could be that your college roommate introduced you to Pinot Grigio and you were hooked for life. The trip you took to Belgium or Germany might have given you a taste for European beer that you just can't kick. Perhaps you just read Dottie and John's column in the Wall Street Journal and now you want to dip your toe into Kosher wines. Whatever the case, you get to make the final decision. Just as long as everyone else in your glass put that choice on the menu.