So You Want To Become A Bartender
What exactly does it mean to be a bartender? A bartender is someone that serves beverages, and in some cases food behind a licensed bar. Bartenders can be found in any establishment that has a bar, such as bars, restaurants, night clubs, pubs and taverns.
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.
As well as make and serve drinks, the bartender is also responsible for taking payment for drinks, in some cases (either from customers, waiters or waitresses), keeping the liquor supplies and glassware stocked, keeping the bar area clean, maintaining enough ice and garnishes on hand and serving food to customers sitting at the bar, if the bar offers food for sale.
In most of the bars that are around, the bartender will be expected to be dressed very neatly, similar to waiters and waitresses at restaurants. This will contribute to the overall appearance of the bar.
A professional bartender should have in their head hundreds of recipes for drinks and shots. The quicker that you can serve the customer the more likely you are to get a good tip. It is not very professional to go over and look at a recipe book while the customer is waiting on his or her drink, especially if you are working at a busy night club.
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 most countries, tipping is expected of the customer, and this is how the bartender gets the majority of their income, as most bar tenders are paid minimum wage. In some places, minors are allowed in bars, and it is the bartenders responsibility to check for identification before serving them alcohol.
So as you can see there are many responsibilities when it comes to being a bartender. You are in charge of a great amount of alcohol. Some places of course will pay better than others, but since you are working for tips your people skills will get you further than your drink mixing skills in the long run.
Before you attempt and get into the wonderful world of mixing drinks you need to know the ropes, for this purpose the author has wrote an excellent report this covers bartending tips for newbies and how to become a bartender.
Tags: bar tend, bartenging, Beer, career, drinks, education, employment, food, jobs, restaurants, service, training, wine
