Basics To Becoming A Bartender
Sunday, March 29th, 2009A bartender is somebody who serves beverages behind a licensed bar to paying customers. A bartender can also be called a barkeep or a barmaid. Bartenders are found in bars, pubs, taverns, nightclubs and other similar places.
Bartenders are professionals at serving drinks that contain alcohol in them, some examples are cocktails, shots, wine, beer, liqueur and coolers. But not only do they serve these drinks, they also serve a good amount of non alcoholic drinks such as soda, water and juices for those who choose not to drink, such as a designated driver.
Not only do bartenders have the responsibility of making and serving drinks, they are also responsible for the over cleanliness of the bar area. They must make sure they have enough clean shot glasses, wine glasses, mugs, and drink glasses at their disposal, so there is a light amount of dish washing that is involved.
In most scenarios, the bartender is expected to dress appropriately to add to the atmosphere of the bar. In some establishments, the bar tender might participate in flair bar tending, which contributes to the entertainment in the bar.
What makes a professional bartender is the ability to be able to make hundreds of shots and drinks right off the bat. A customer should not have to wait while you are searching in a recipe book for the ingredients on how to make a long island iced tea, you will lose customers that way and also lose your tip more than likely .
A good bartender must have excellent people skills, as communication and also a person that will listen to the customer. When people are drinking they are more to open up, and sometimes as a bartender you must be that shoulder to cry on. Knowing what your customers are going to order is also a good thing, you will learn this over time.
In the United States, mostly all bartenders are payed minimum wage. So their main source of income will be coming from tips, which is a custom in almost every country. Bartenders must also be strict when it comes to checking if that person is old enough to drink alcohol or not.
If this sounds like a lot of work, with not much reward, there is always a bright side. You are working at an establishment that serves gallons of liquor each day, and you are in charge of it. The job of bartender is management, customer service, and so much more! Even a bar tending job looks good on a resume when you present it in the right way.