Archive for the ‘Education’ Category

Professional Bartending Duties

Sunday, March 29th, 2009

The definition of a professional bartender is someone who is behind a licensed bar serving beverages to customers. Bartenders can be found in many places, some examples of where you might find a bartender at are taverns or pubs, clubs, private parties, restaurants, basically anywhere that there is a bar and alcohol.

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.

Not only do bartenders have the responsibility of making and serving drinks, they are also responsible for the over cleanliness of the bar area. They must make sure they have enough clean shot glasses, wine glasses, mugs, and drink glasses at their disposal, so there is a light amount of dish washing that is involved.

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.

What makes a professional bartender is the ability to be able to make hundreds of shots and drinks right off the bat. A customer should not have to wait while you are searching in a recipe book for the ingredients on how to make a long island iced tea, you will lose customers that way and also lose your tip more than likely .

Another must from a bartender, especially you are working in a pub or tavern, will be your people skills. It is very important to interact with your customers. The better you try and serve your customers and interact with them, the more likely they are to return, and not only that the more money you will make overall.

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.

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