The Different Kinds of Bartenders

There are approximately one million kinds of bars in the world.  From the traditional Irish pub to the uber-fancy cocktail bar, there’s something to suit every taste.  And behind the counter in each one you’ll find a different kind of bartender pouring and shaking.  

Here we’ve given you our take on some of the classic types you’ll find during your bar hopping adventures.

The Mixologist

This bartender is someone who cares about craft.  They may have studied bartending under a well known restaurateur or perhaps they’re a self-taught drink scientist.  Although often mocked amongst other industry people, secretly we thank you; you have elevated the art of bartending in society’s eyes.  The Mixologist understands things like “flavor profiles” and how to balance bitterness with sweetness.  The bars they work in most likely have a dozen mason jars filled with unique garnishes and ingredients.  While the drinks might cost a bit more, if you love liquor, there’s nothing better than being served by someone who really knows their stuff.

The Career Bartender

For a lot of people, bartending is a means to an end; a job to keep you flush during college or something you do during a brief stint of unemployment.  However, there are many, myself included, that have been doing this for years.  Bartending is a great gig; flexible hours, a rich social life, and excellent money.  You’ll know the long-term employee by their unflappable attitude, seemingly unending drink knowledge, and how they appear to know everyone else in the industry.

The Club Bartender

All hail club staff.  You are truly the unsung heroes of our world.  Your workplace is hot and loud, your customers are drunk and demanding, and your hours are long and grueling.  You may not always have it in you to smile, but you serve and serve and serve.  If it weren’t for your high-volume skills, everyone would go thirsty.  And we know you’re laughing all the way to the bank.

The Local Bartender

Sometimes similar to the Career Bartender, the local bartender isn’t just some random person behind the stick, they are a beloved part of the community.  They know everyone in the neighborhood and are often friends with many of their regulars.  They may even live nearby and participate in group outings with their customers.  The Local Bartender is like the glue that holds the neighborhood together.  Ok, maybe alcohol is the glue, but you get the idea.  Often working for years in one place, they have a true following of patrons who would take a bullet for them.

The New Bartender 

Ah the New Bartender.  Maybe you’re in college, or maybe this is the first real world job you’ve had since you grew out of babysitting.  You arrive on the scene with stars in your eyes ready to make fists full of cash and live that heady lifestyle you’ve heard so much about.  While you will make cash, and you will have fun, get ready for a tough awakening.  The rest of us wish you well.

The Showy Bartender 

Often confused with The Mixologist, the Showy Bartender is another entity entirely.  They can be seen crazily flipping bottles and pouring 20 shots at a time with three shakers.  They’ve probably picked this up working in a place where “flare” bartending is part of the appeal.  Wherever they learned it, they’re definitely using it to their advantage.  If you’re not a little bit nervous while they’re working, they’re doing something wrong.  So, while patrons ooh and ahh over flaming Sambuca, the Showy Bartender smiles calmly and then scoops up all their money.

Original Article: https://botyapp.com/blog_different-kinds-of-bartenders/

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Bartending Terms and What They Actually Mean

If you are a newbie when it comes to bars you probably hear a lot of terminology being yelled out that does not make any sense to you. And if you are anything like me, you might be too intimidated to actually ask someone what a term means. No worries, here is a quick guide and definitions to some of the more common terminology that you might hear from a bartender.

86

Now this is a common term not only used in bars but also in restaurants and any establishment that serves food and drinks. It means that you are running out of something or that you want to get rid of something. A bartender can yell out to the staff to 86 the margaritas because they are running out of tequila or they can tell the manager to 86 a patron because they have had too much to drink. The use of the term supposedly dates back to the 1930’s restaurant industry, but a popular belief is that it came from the Prohibition-era at a bar called Chumley’s at 86 Bedford Avenue in New York City. The story goes that a paid-off police officer would tell a bartender to 86 his customers when a raid was about to happen.

Up

An up drink is a drink that has been chilled through by shaking or stirring then strained into an empty glass with no ice. The origin dates back to 1874 and most likely meant that a customer wanted a drink served in a glass with a stem.

Neat

When you order a Neat drink it means that the alcohol will be poured from the bottle into a glass and served at room temperature without any ice. Most likely this term was used in the late 16th century to signify or order unadulterated wine.

Behind the Stick

This means that the bartender is working behind the bar performing the actual bartending rather than managerial tasks.  The term ‘stick’ refers to the tap handles that are used for pouring glasses of beer, but this is not confirmed.

Building a Drink 

This is where you add ice to a glass and then add the spirit and mixers. How you pour the drink afterwards depends on how you are serving the drink. For example if you are serving a martini you build the drink in a glass by adding the ice, the gin, the vermouth and possibly the bitters, stirring it and then straining. If you were to build a margarita, you pour the ingredients into a glass, shake and strain.

Rolling a Drink

This is seldom used term for mixing a drink.  What you do is that you build a drink in a mixing glass and then gently pour it into a shaker tin or another mixing glass to mix the drink together. Bloody Mary’s sometimes are made in this fashion because if you shake them the tomato juice can become all foamy.

Half the fun of going to a bar is being able to learn all of the terminology and use it in practice. Now when you go to a bar, you’ll be able to confidently say these few terms to the bartender and enjoy your evening.

Original Post: https://botyapp.com/blog_bartending-terms/

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Time is Money: Bartender Chronicles

Being a bartender can be an awesome job, but you have to be mindful of all the challenges that comes with it.  Before choosing bartending as a profession, you may want to consider a few things.  Standing on your feet for 10-12hr shifts at a time with no break can be exhausting, and doing that with no customers can be even worse.  Your pay comes mainly from tips, so no customers means no money and that can be a big waste of time.  You can’t purchase or borrow more, so time is a limited resource that runs out every day.  Use it wisely.  

You Can Make Good Money

The money in bartending can be lucrative but is not consistent at times.  You can make good money, but it depends greatly on the establishment you work for, the loyalty of your customer base, and the hours you work.  The shifts you get and the customers you retain greatly impact how much you actually earn.  Other people are more than willing to take your time so you have to figure out what that means to you.  Most bartending jobs don’t offer health insurance and vacation or sick leave so keep that in mind prior to committing to the profession.  

Let’s accept it, bartenders and other tipped workers can get screwed royally.  Only seven states require employers to pay tipped workers the same minimum wage as workers who do not receive tips.  The United States federal government requires a wage of at least $2.13 per hour be paid to employees that receive at least $30 per month in tips. If wages and tips do not equal the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour during any pay period, the employers are supposed to increase cash wages to compensate.  The sad reality is a lot of employers are not doing it.  

Bartenders and Time Management

So, you are a bartender and love what you do and enjoy the people you meet and work with.  You just hate that you get no benefits and more importantly, you work many long hours, and are not compensated for your time.  What’s even worse is when your employer over schedules the shift, you have to split tips with other bartenders when all of you did not need to be there in the first place.  Employers are not on the hook for any hourly costs, so they can over schedule bartenders without any repercussions.  Maybe if they understood the importance of your time, they would manage the schedule better.  

People don’t seem to understand what goes into a bartending shift.  There are hours of prep work, hours of clean up, and hours of dealing with demanding people who have no idea of a bartender’s actual responsibilities.  A bartender has to be at work at 10am but the restaurant does not open until 12pm and the restaurant closes at 11pm but the bartender doesn’t leave until 1am.  That is 4 hours of unpaid services.  In addition, effective bartenders may have to split shifts with ineffective ones and also has to pay the barback.  Your tips cover the time that you interact with customers, so 4 hours of free labor never hurt anyone.  *sarcasm

Bartending is not all bad.  Your income is comprised mostly of tips and with the exception of those attached to credit cards, there is no way for the government to know how much you are tipped.  That means you get free money with cash tips.  But with the average bartender salary of $21,500, how much are you beating the IRS?  With all that said, you also have to keep in mind that bartending is easy to get into, the job is fun, the work schedules are flexible, and you get to meet some great people.  It’s not all bad but it could be a lot better.

No matter how you look at it, there are only 24 hours in a day.  You have to realize that money isn’t the most important resource, time is.  Money comes and goes and you can make it through a variety of resources, but once time is gone, it’s gone for good.  If a bartender spends 12 of those 24 hours working at the establishment, there should be compensated for your time.  A good bartender consistently brings in the regulars, wears company apparel, promotes the establishment, set the mood, and make sure everyone has a good time.  There is a price to pay for that and it ain’t just in tips.  

Original Article: https://botyapp.com/blog_time-is-money-bartender-chronicles/

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