Top 10 Alcoholic Drinks of 2016

There are so many amazing alcoholic drinks on the market today make it hard to choose a favorite. However, after a bit of research, social media pondering and asking around I came up with 10 drinks that are on the top of most people’s lists. They are in no particular order, just 10 drinks that we all love and want more of in 2016.

1. The Classic Margarita

The origins of the Margarita have been debated for a long time. Some say it came about during prohibition when people crossed the border into Mexico and made the common drink ‘Daisy’ with Tequila instead of Brandy. Others have claimed it to be their personal recipe. No matter where it originated, this classic drink is still a top-ordered drink around the world. The Margarita, also, is probably one of the most ordered drinks in Texas, other than beer, of course. There are many versions of the Margarita. However, the classic Margarita on the rocks still is an all-time favorite for many. There is something about Tequila and lime juice that makes us fall in love with this drink again and again.

2.  The Dry Martini

Popular in the Roaring Twenties, this gin and vermouth drink is still a favorite for the more sophisticated drinker in today’s age. Martini Cocktails come in a wide array of flavors today, however, nothing shows class and refinery like a Dry Martini. H.L. Mencken  once described the Martini as, “The only American invention as perfect as the sonnet.” This is still true today and could quite possibly be why this is a top drink across the board.

3. Ever Popular Craft Beers

Craft beers have become popular everywhere these days. Of course Budweiser, Miller and other beers are still high up there in the ranks. However, more and more people are looking for craft beers that have been brewed to please. Beer is one of those drinks that is an acquired taste, in fact, craft beer drinkers tend to have a great palate  overall. It’s no wonder why these drinks are popular in 2016.

4. All Things Apple

Apples have been a long time favorite flavor for cocktails. Apple drinks are one of the most popular drinks on the market, right now, from apple cider beers, to AppleJack, Appletinis and even a new Apple Crown Royal. Apple Crown and Cranberry is a new drink on the rise, especially in the midwest. There is something about a good cider beer or a refreshing apple drink that has us thinking all things apple. If you don’t know want to order the next time you are out, do try an apple drink, you won’t be disappointed.

5. The Hot and Sassy Fireball Shot

It’s quite hard to go to a party or a bar and leave without a Fireball shot these days. In the 1980s, Fireball was created in Canada. This now popular drink was not well-known outside of Canada. In 2011, Fireball started having increased popularity. Now Fireball is becoming the shot of choice across the whole U.S. It’s especially popular with those who are in their twenties right now. There was a day that Hot Damn, AfterShock and Goldschlager were the cinnamon shots we went crazy for, yet it seems Fireball has surpassed them all in 2016 and has blown the competition away.

6. The Bloody Mary Meal

It seems everywhere you go these days, someone has a signature Bloody Mary with so many garnishes that you have an entire meal while you sip on your drink. The Bloody Mary, as a stand alone drink, is enough to impress anyone. It has been known as the ‘hair of the dog drink’ for Americans everywhere. Yet add a meal to it and why wouldn’t it be one of the most popular drinks of our time?

7. Everything On The Rocks

There is something sophisticated and manly about ordering anything, straight up on the rocks. Scotch, Bourbon and Rum are quite popular choices. It’s even a bit sexy and appealing to see a woman order a full flavored alcohol on the rocks. This classy style drink seems to be on the rise again.

8.  The Classy Mojito

A mojito is a traditional Cuban highball. This drink is simple but elegant and includes mint, lime juice, rum, sugar and sparkling water. It’s not hard to love it’s simplicity. This is a great summer drink or even just works for a night out with the girls. Either way, more and more people are ordering them at the bars.

9. The Winery Favorites

There will always be beer drinkers, wine drinkers and the everything else drinkers. Wine is just a more refined drink that is hard not to love. Wine is known as one of the oldest and first alcoholic drinks to have been ever created. Yet, it still captures the interest of people today. I think you can not dismiss wine as a top drink in 2016.

10. The Sweet and Sour Lemon Drop

The Lemon Drop candy was so great we couldn’t help but invent the Lemon Drop Cocktail and the Lemon drop shot. This drink typically consists of lemon juice, vodka and sugar, and is usually garnished with a lemon. If you have it as a shot, many people take the shot and after words put sugar on a lemon wedge and eat it much like a Tequila shot. This drink and shot is consistently popular with the ladies.

Also not on this list, however worth mentioning, drinks made with liquid nitrogen are becoming increasingly popular. Here is a short clip of using liquid nitrogen to make drinks:

If your favorite drink did not make this list, it does not mean that it isn’t good. This list is just an idea of what the mainstream population is drinking this year. Every year things change, new drinks come into play and peoples’ taste buds change.

Original Article: https://botyapp.com/blog_top-10-alcoholic-drinks-2016/ 

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What does Bartending mean to you? (Part X)

The Cheap Tipper

How to Fight Shift-Work Fatigue

Working in the service industry is exhausting.  Lots of people think it’s great to have mornings off to sleep in but actually, it can be the worst.  While there are some lucky day-shifters out there, the majority of people in the service industry work extremely odd hours.  Sometimes I start at 10 am and finish at 6pm (hallelujah), but other times I work from 6pm-3am.  This kind of schedule, especially when it’s not consistent, can really take a toll on your sleep.  Read on for some ways to stay rested and fight daytime grogginess.

Try to Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Obviously, this is easier said than done, but do your best to go to bed and wake up at similar times.  It may be super tempting to try and “catch up” on your days off and stay in bed until 2pm, but this is ultimately harmful.  By keeping your body on aschedule, as best you can, you’ll get more restful sleep, wake up fresher, and fall asleep more easily.

Get Some Exercise

If you find that you’re constantly fighting off daytime grogginess, it may be time to hit the gym.  You don’t need me to tell you the benefits of exercise on your physical and mental health, but you may not know how good it can be for your sleep as well.  Studies have shown that getting the recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week improved the sleep of participants by 65%.  They slept better and felt less tired during the day.  If you’re a bartender who has trouble falling asleep at night, an afternoon workout could help you get those much needed Zzzzz.  

Don’t Eat Too Late

An issue I personally struggle with is not eating until late at work.  Sometimes I don’t get the chance to have my shift meal until 10 or 11.  This means that two hours later, when I’m trying to sleep, I’m wide awake while my body processes the huge helping of carbs I’ve just consumed.  If this sounds like you, try having a filling but nutritious meal before work and something lighter if you’re hungry later.  This change will boost your overall energy levels and let you rest easy.

Lay Off the Booze

While it’s tempting to sit down for that shift drink after a long night at work; sometimes it’s best to abstain.  For one, that time you spend sitting at the bar chatting with coworkers is time you could be in bed getting ready for sleep.  Secondly, while a glass of wine helps you fall asleep, it can diminish the quality of rest you’re actually getting.  If you find yourself tossing and turning at night and waking up groggy, those couple of beers before bed could be to blame.

Talk to Your Boss

We know that schedules are usually non-negotiable, but from almost ten years of bartending, I’ve realized I’m no longer willing to sacrifice my quality of life for a job.  There are laws about how long you can work and how many hours you’re supposed to have between shifts.  If you’re being worked to the bone doing turnarounds, have a chat with your manager. You may be pleasantly surprised at their willingness to work with you.

While we hope this advice helps, we are not experts in sleep or your health.  If sleep and grogginess is a real problem for you, make an appointment with your doctor.

Original Article: https://botyapp.com/blog_fight-shift-work-fatique/ 

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6 Ways To Double Your Tips

The money you make as a bartender depends greatly on your tips. It’s no wonder why bartenders are always looking for ways to increase them. I have found 6 simple ways that will help you double your tips and the best part is you should already be doing most of these things. So go ahead, polish up your skills and watch your income increase.

 

1. Be The Bartender Everyone Loves

Attitude is everything when you’re a bartender. If you’re consistently grouchy, chances are you won’t make great tips. Yet if you are the bartender who your customers can relate to and they love coming to see; there is a strong possibility tips will be better and steady. Also, it’s a great idea to know a few jokes, laugh and smile a lot. Customers come into a bar for the atmosphere, the drinks, and the people. If they feel they can relax and have a good time with you, they will keep coming back and your tips will grow.

2. Offer Different Choices

When a customer orders a drink like a top shelf margarita, offer choices that have different price points. Do not overwhelm them with too many choices and be sure to let them know of any daily specials. Give them a few suggestions because customers love to have options and oftentimes they don’t know what they want.  They will appreciate you being the expert and giving them options they can afford. It’s all about being the knowledgeable bartender that gets you better tips.

3. Deliver Drinks In A Timely And Efficient Manner

If you are slow all the time, your tips will be too. It’s important to learn how to make a drink correctly and in a timely manner. Customers hate to wait! I understand that bars get busy, but if you make customers wait too long, best believe they will walk out the door and you just lost tips and returning customers.

4. Pay Attention To Your Customers Needs

If you are one step ahead of your customers your tips will grow. For instance, your customer is just about done with their beer, be sure to ask if they need another. Or when a customer spills his beer on the counter, you are quick to react and get towels and clean up the mess. Customers love bartenders that seem to be on top of things. Don’t be that bartender who is way too busy doing everything but tending to your customer’s needs. If you don’t pay attention, it is more than likely that your tips will show that.

5. When You Make A Mistake, Fix It

So, you just made the wrong drink for your customer. No biggie! Just make them the drink that they originally ordered and tell them this one is on you. Fixing your mistake and offering to buy that drink for your customer shows that you care about them. It’s okay to make mistakes once in awhile, however if you’re making them repeatedly, you might want to find a new career. Customers love to know that their bartender is a real person so an occasional mistake that you fix quickly is okay. Honesty, trust and a caring attitude will take your far as a bartender.

6. Don’t Get Too Personal

Customers want to relate to their bartenders, however they don’t want to know their bartender’s whole life story. Be a real person but don’t offer too many details about your personal life. Your customers don’t want to know about your dead cat or your crazy ex. If you are personable and relate to them without going into every detail, chances are they will tip you better. If you are the negative, crazy bartender who tells customers about all your problems, they probably won’t want to come back.

Original Article: https://botyapp.com/blog_6-ways-to-double-tips/

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What does Bartending mean to you? (Part IX)

7 Things You Can Learn From Bartenders

It’s been one of those days where all you want to do is have a drink, but unlike George Thorogood’s famous song, you don’t feel like ‘drinking alone.’  So instead you make your way over to your favorite bar where the bartenders know your name and can tell by the expression on your face exactly what you need.

Before you even manage to sit, there’s a drink waiting for you and a smile on the face of the bartender. You take a sip and suddenly things fall into place and all is right with the world once again.  This is what I love about bars.

Being in my mid-twenties I have visited my fair share of bars and have spoken to many bartenders from all over the world.  I have come to realize that bartenders can unknowingly teach you valuable lessons about life.

1. Alcohol

Bartenders are obviously exposed to the world of liquor at many different levels. If you ever have a question about any type of alcohol or drink, the best person to ask is a seasoned bartender.  They can tell you about the best liquors and what to avoid.  

2. Limits

Dealing with intoxicated people comes with the territory of the job.  As a bartender gains experience on they job, they become excellent at determining what someone’s limit is. This is great for anyone to learn in order to keep themselves and their friends safe from alcohol poisoning and getting themselves out of trouble.

3. Diffusing

There are always going to be those incidences where bartenders are going to have to diffuse a situation between two patrons. Bartenders will rarely use physical force for this, only if necessary and more commonly use different verbal methods to rein the situation under control.

4. Storytelling

If you are a writer or someone who wants to be able to learn how to tell a great story, ask a bartender to tell you one. You cannot work in a bar and not have some juicy tales to spill, and for some reason bartenders just have the charisma that allows them to be exceptional storytellers.  Maybe it’s the drinks.  

5. Patience

If patience is a virtue then bartenders are the holy saints of it. In a bar you deal with people from all walks of life and while that makes for an interesting work environment, it can also be pretty frustrating. There are always going to be those nasty customers who are rude, disrespectful and very critical right from the start and a bartender has to take it all while providing good service and timely drinks.

6. Understanding People

Bartending is one part providing and creating drinks and one part people watching. If you work in a bar long enough, you will figure out someone from the moment they step through the door.

7. Maintaining Stamina

People don’t think that bartending is a physically demanding job and they are completely wrong. You are standing/running around for up to 12 hours shifts with barely any breaks.  Bartenders  definitely know some tricks of the trade when it comes to keeping their stamina.

Next time you go to a bar don’t just think of your bartender as someone who lives to serve you, think of them as a teacher, a Jedi perhaps, who can teach you some valuable life lessons.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: https://botyapp.com/blog_7-things-learn-from-bartenders/

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