Bartending

[Bonez]

I'm extremely self conscious behind the bar. I carry a mindset that people love me, but I still get the coquettes and the jerks trying to make me feel like ****.

I treat bartending like I treat the game its freaking weird. It works but its weird.

My biggest obstacle right now is developing a personality. Right now people only see me as speedy gonzales, I do my job, I can ring in 50% more a night than the other bartenders... thats about all I have going for me. I still have to ask how to make every drink.

Does anybody have any advice on how to bartend? I feel so lost right now.

This is probably the best advice I've found so far... http://youtube.com/watch?v=BD9I9Wy7Tmc

 

[basbhat]

I think I can give you a little advice having watch one of my best friends bartend for years.

1.)Know your drinks! The more you know, the more in control you are. You will improve your productivity and this will make room for other areas. Also, it's really cool to be able to recommend a certain drink people might not even know of to, say, a group of women. When you can make a great reco, people love it and it opens the situation up and establishes a connection of sorts. Study, study, study your drinks!

2) Learn a simple bar trick. Start small though. People love to be entertained. My friend would do a pretty complicated one where he lit a match behind his back and then flipped it over his head into an ashtray and caught to light the cig. Money, in more ways then one. There are dvds out about this, check one out!

3) Create a persona. You don't have to be "you" back there, that's the fun of it all! Of course, with the really cool people, you get to know them and network, but this is YOUR STAGE!! Everyone else is stepping to your bar, not the other way around. You will come into the role if you make it your desire to be the man with the plan. When you have that attitude(persona, role, whatever) you can always play it up and then go back to being you.

It sounds like you are not happy with who you are. Be proud my man, have the desire, and it will all take care of itself! Peace3

 

[Bonez]

I feel so lost lol, thanks for giving me some direction bashbat!

 

[Vulpine]

Study, study, study your drinks!

I've just started as well, and I can say from those I asked, this is 70% of your worries.

I mean, that's your business: that's why you are there.

Consider it like this, you are an artist. Booze is your medium. The customers are your critics. They like your work, they buy your masterpieces. Aside from that, it's showmanship, service, and sales. Oh, with a little "babysitter" thrown in.

My first few days have been bumpy, only because of the "new job" factor. Booze for me is "old hat", as is hanging out in bars. But the owner and bar manager are steady eye-fuxing me when I'm doing my work. It's unsettling.

Once I get the technical crap taken care of, I can ease some of my personality into the masterpieces. But for now, it's all X+Y-Z=$$$. I'm sure I'm coming off as a robot now, but when I get used to the functions then I can goof around.

I'm not very worried about it. There is a period of "catching on" I'm sure.

I've been reading up on as much booze heritage as I can. Absinthe, ****tail shakers, boozes themselves, whatever I can get my hands on. Because of my home bar (click the "X" in my sig), I have been given a few books and have read them a couple times over. I've also been rummaging around on the net. My bedtime reading has been a "bartender's handbook".

I've been falling asleep dreaming about making mai tai's, golden cadillacs, B52's, and sh!t. :crazy:

I should really just relax, really.

 

[onyx]

I used to work behind a bar it was easy after a few weeks having learnt the drinks and how to operate the cash register properly. I remember when I first went to serve someone on my first day i felt proper self conscious i felt the people were studyin my every move. but after a while it was cool and i felt comfortable I made friends with alot of the regulars and used to mess around with alot of them with the banter

 

[KarmaSutra]

Thee absolute most important rule of bartending is:

RULE #1 - KNOW YOUR DRINKS!

Learn all you can about the classics and what's hot. Some of the classics being martinis', collins', rum runners, your various margueritas and daquiries, and most importantly your whisky's. When I started tending bar I forced myself to learn as much as I could about the nuances of bourbons and rye whisky. Which were good which weren't. I know cigars too so it helps in that regard as well.

Rule #2 - Always smile. You'll get an assload more tips just by smiling.