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It’s the quintessential image of a bartender: Cocktail shaker in one hand and bar towel in the other. But what is the story behind this fairly specific bar tool, and how do you choose the best cocktail shaker for you? This guide will give you all the information you need to get started.
Check out the links below if you want to jump ahead, or read on!
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In the previous article, we talked about some of the types of bar apprenticeships available to bartenders. While there are not many examples of “textbook” apprenticeships in our industry, there’s no shortage of ways to learn a new set of skills. Whether you work a guest shift here and there, seek out a stage, or apply to be the boots on the ground for a massive cocktail conference, you’re taking part in the tradition of apprenticeship.
In this portion of our exploration of apprenticeship, we’ll be looking at how to set your career on that fast track by finding apprenticeship opportunities that align with your career goals.
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As bartenders we deal with a lot of stresses — from long, late night shifts to packed bars full of annoyed customers who want to be served faster. But, one of the hardest things to deal with as a bartender is inappropriate customers.
Do you kick them out?
Do you call over security?
Do you just deal with their bad behavior?
I know first hand how difficult it is. A few years ago, I was working at a live music venue. While the vast majority of my customers were a pleasure to serve, there was a group of rowdy, overly-entitled men who’d come in once a week and make non-stop demands:
“Give me a vodka and soda on the house. We spend so much money in here you should give us some free drinks.”
“Put double vodka in that, your manager isn’t looking.”
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You may have heard the term “simple syrup” or “sugar syrup” in a drink recipe, or overheard a bartender mention just “simple”. If you’re wondering what it is, you’re in luck – you’ve found the ultimate guide! Here’s what’s covered here. (Click to jump straight to each section!)
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In episode 126 of the Mixology Talk Podcast, bartender and author Micah LeMon, joins Chris to talk about his new book, The Imbible and some of his insights about starting a craft movement in a small town. Chris got hold of the Imbible and he highly recommends it – the book is more than just great photos, but goes over Micah’s simple but effective approach to cocktail design.
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Apprenticeship is a tradition that stretches back centuries and across cultures, well before the sound of the first cocktail shaker graced the ears of thirsty bar patrons. In many ways, it’s a more formalized Mentor-Mentee relationship. The original structures created centuries ago by tradespeople and guilds the world over are still the framework for training in any skilled profession today. Actors have understudies, priests have their novitiates, Journeymen butchers have their apprentices.
The craft of tending bar is no exception. You would no more hand the keys to a bar to a teenage barback any more than you would ask a pre-med student to conduct surgery. Whether it was a stretch in the trenches of barbacking or learning from a wizened master, senior bartenders will all attest to the importance of their own humble beginnings. The finest aged spirits take skill and a good bit of time to reach full maturity. It is only after years of dedicated work that bartenders find themselves at the top of their field or local market.
In another era, becoming an apprentice was as easy as having your parent essentially hand you over as a child to the local craftsperson for a term of 3 to 7 years. The roadmap to apprenticeship may be a little different today from its medieval roots, but it’s still there for those that want to learn a trade, and no less important. Tending bar is a skilled profession, and if your goal in the world of bartending is to succeed, your primary goal is to become skilled.
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Bartending an outdoor party can be a lot of fun, especially if the weather cooperates. But being outdoors also introduces some challenges and logistical issues that you may not expect if you’re used to working behind a traditional bar. If you’re planning to work an outdoor event, this article will give you some great advice for planning ahead to make sure everything goes swimmingly.
Firstly, you want to know what the venue is. Your event will be very different if you’re in a state park 2 miles from the parking lot without running water instead of a client’s backyard with easy access to water and refrigeration.
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Ever wanted to be a Brand Ambassador? Check out our chat with Reyka Vodka ambassador Trevor Schneider to hear about what it’s really like – the good and the bad!
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Whether it’s the beginning of the shift, the middle of the shift or the end of the night, there is always sidework that needs to be done. Sometimes some of these items can fall through the cracks and become frustrating for everyone involved. How do you make sure that everything gets done without your staff going Lord of the Flies blaming each other?
Check lists. That’s right grab that clipboard and make sure everything gets done!
We’ve all been there before: it’s a busy Friday night and you’ve just walked in the door for your shift to find none of the prep work is done. You spend the rest of the night is playing catch up. Another common scenario: you walk in and start setting up the bar or restaurant for the opening shift and there’s a pile of dishes that need to be done, no one wiped down the bar top, and the bar hasn’t been restocked. I’m getting anxious just thinking about it!
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Let’s be honest. As bartenders, we sell a drug. It’s addictive and dangerous when misused. (Not to leak all the fun out of your bubble, but it’s true.)
We make the party happen. We make delicious drinks. We enable fun and relaxation. But we can’t pour the love all around indiscriminately. Sometimes we have to say no.
The worst of us take this as a long-awaited opportunity to be nasty. We’ve been fake-friendly long enough. Now we can turn it around and tell the patrons what to do:
“You can’t have any more drinkies. Get out.”
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A properly set up POS system is a simple but beautiful thing to behold during a busy shift. Every interaction at the computer is fast and efficient which allows your team to spend more time with their most important task, taking care of their guests and ringing in the next order.
If I had to guess, most of our readers are happy with their current POS layouts and don’t really have a need to change it, but like anything there is always room to improve. Small changes can add up to easier training (POS is usually one of the harder areas to train a new staff member on) , higher revenue and better customer service. Keep reading, and you may pick up a couple of new tricks to help streamline your POS.
Something to keep in mind is that there are many different POS companies on the market. It seems like every bar conference I attend I come across a handful of new POS companies that I’ve never heard of before. Some are cloud-based, some are in-house-server based. Whichever you choose, most likely the data structure will be pretty similar. That being said, there can be slight differences on how each POS is structured and more importantly how the POS displays its information in reports.
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This article is the fourth installment in a series focusing on mentorship in the bar world. In earlier parts of the series, we discussed the potential of a relationship with a mentor, how to cultivate that relationship as well as how to grow into the role of mentor. This final piece is focused on keeping the relationship healthy and thriving – something that can often be as big a challenge as finding a mentor in the first place.
Finding a mentor doesn’t happen every day. Having one in your life can mean the difference between an insurmountable obstacle and a fresh challenge. Their perspective can help you along your way, brushing away a lot of the guesswork in what can be an incredibly tough and unforgiving industry.
Behind every mentor is another mentor, all the way back into the pre-history of bartending in the 19th century USA and the infancy of the cocktail itself. Being a link in that chain is not only rewarding, but it’s important. If the secrets of the tradition are taken to the grave, they take a long time to come back, as proven by most of the 20th century: the Dark Ages of cocktails.
Here are a few thoughts on ways to maintain your mentor-mentee relationship to make sure it will continue and thrive.
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