First, Business and Main Cabin Extra all share a common benefit - complimentary alcoholic beverages. This includes beer, wine and spirits. This published benefit doesn't appear to differ any of those cabins of services in terms of limitations of types of beverages or specified hard limits.

However, it seems more and more obvious to me that the FAs serving MCE are less "willing" to serve more than 2, maybe 3 drinks to an MCE passenger whereas on the same flight in First class the drinks would be more liberally served.

Case in point - I'm not a heavy drinker by any means, and I never have boarded a plane in any state of intoxication. But after sometimes a long, challenging week at work, I want to decompress on my ride home. I also don't drive home from the airport. I always have a ride arranged.

This past year, I often fly the same route and flight number(s) 2-3 times per month and am either in MCE or First on mainline flights. When I'm in F, there is never any issue asking for a refill. When I'm done, I'm done. I'll sip and nurse my last drink and just relax and watch my tablet.

When I'm in MCE, at the initial drink service I'll usually ask for 2 minis with the mixer because I know they don't tend to the cabin like the F FA would, so I figure I'm helping them by not pressing the call button later. But then I feel like I get a less than warm response. Recently in MCE when giving me the 2 minis, the FA said under her breath as she's turning way from me "that'll be all I can give you". In other flights in the past, when I would ask for a 3rd mini during a bathroom break at the rear galley, I've been told "ok, but this is the last one I can give you.". It's gotten to the point that I think they're just annoyed to have to break out the cart again to serve the customer.

In over 20 years of flying an assortment flights in First, an FA has never cut me off after 2 or given me a stern warning after 3. I'm 215lb, 5'11", so 3 for me in a 2 hour period relaxes me, but in no way is putting me in the "drunk" zone.

Back to my opening sentence - if First/Business/MCE all state the same beverage policy (i.e. no hard limits other than an FA's discretion), why are MCE passengers seemingly given a limit? Or are my experiences just isolated to me?