Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Introduction..................................................................................................................... 1
Mastering Your Craft..............................................................................................................1
A Little About Me...................................................................................................................3
PART I: Becoming a Bartender......................................................................................... 6
Qualities Of A Good Bartender............................................................................................. 6
Speed................................................................................................................................. 6
Skill At Multitasking............................................................................................................ 7
Good Memory.................................................................................................................... 7
Patience.............................................................................................................................. 8
Strong Math Skills...............................................................................................................9
Sound Knowledge Of Booze..............................................................................................9
An Understanding Of Where You Live............................................................................. 10
Cleanliness And Grooming.............................................................................................. 10
At Least Some Physical Strength......................................................................................10
Conversational Skills And Charm..................................................................................... 10
Life Of A Bartender.............................................................................................................. 11
Part Of The Team............................................................................................................. 12
Let The Good Times Roll..................................................................................................12
Watching The Money Roll In................................................................................................ 13
How Much Does A Bartender Make?...............................................................................14
No Really, How Much Does A Bartender Actually Make?................................................15
Are You Old Enough To Bartend?........................................................................................16
The Scoop On Bartending School....................................................................................... 18
What You'll Learn During Bartending Training.................................................................18
What Does Bartending School Cost? ..............................................................................19
Is Bartending School Really Necessary?.......................................................................... 19
The Best Alternative To Bartending School..................................................................... 21
The Basics Of Bartending.....................................................................................................21
Practice Your Pour............................................................................................................ 22
Get An Eye For Shots....................................................................................................... 22
Three Straining Techniques.............................................................................................. 23
Beware Of “Mixologists”..................................................................................................... 24
Liquor Certification.............................................................................................................. 25
Bartending Laws...................................................................................................................25
Building A Bartending Resume............................................................................................ 28
Keep It Organized............................................................................................................ 29
Header..............................................................................................................................29
Education..........................................................................................................................30
Work Experience.............................................................................................................. 30
Special Skills And Languages...........................................................................................32
References And Objectives (And Why You Don't Need 'Em)..........................................32
The Job Search..................................................................................................................... 34
Consider Your Personality................................................................................................ 34
Who Do You Know?..........................................................................................................35
When You Don't Know Anyone........................................................................................35
Using Craigslist Effectively............................................................................................... 38
Set Yourself Apart............................................................................................................. 38
Compensation.................................................................................................................. 40
Remember To Log Off......................................................................................................40
Consider Event And Charity Bartending..........................................................................41
Acing The Interview............................................................................................................. 43
Dress For The Part............................................................................................................ 43
First Impressions...............................................................................................................44
Answering Questions....................................................................................................... 45
Attitude Is Everything.......................................................................................................46
When Things Don't Go Your Way.................................................................................... 47
Advice On Your First Job..................................................................................................... 47
On Your First Day............................................................................................................. 48
Know When To Ask For Help........................................................................................... 49
Make It Up As You Go...................................................................................................... 49
Learn To Check Your Stock...............................................................................................50
Always Count Out A Customer's Change........................................................................50
Stay Sober........................................................................................................................ 51
Learn To Use Two Hands.................................................................................................. 51
Never Make One Drink At A Time................................................................................... 51
Don't Scoop Ice With The Glass...................................................................................... 52
Communicate Your Presence........................................................................................... 52
Stay Positive..................................................................................................................... 52
PART II: Being a Bartender............................................................................................. 55
Be The Bartender Everyone Loves...................................................................................... 55
Leader Of The Pack.......................................................................................................... 55
Lose The Attitude............................................................................................................. 56
Don't Be Stingy ............................................................................................................... 56
Get To Know Your Customers.......................................................................................... 57
Over Service..................................................................................................................... 58
Life Of The Party...............................................................................................................59
When You're Off The Clock.............................................................................................. 59
Dealing With Drunks............................................................................................................ 60
The Over-Enthusiastic Partier Drunk................................................................................ 60
The Creepy Drunk............................................................................................................ 61
The Violent Drunk.............................................................................................................63
The Creepy-Violent Drunk................................................................................................64
Taking Charge Of The Situation...........................................................................................67
Wrangling A Taxi.............................................................................................................. 67
Make The Call...................................................................................................................68
Improving Your Tips............................................................................................................. 69
Put A Little Oomph In Each Drink.................................................................................... 69
Remember Everything You Can About Your Customers..................................................69
Avoid Eavesdropping....................................................................................................... 70
Don't Talk About Your Problems...................................................................................... 70
Provide Endless Entertainment........................................................................................ 71
Never Have An Opinion On Anything............................................................................. 71
Go For The Good Shifts................................................................................................... 72
Handling Poor Tippers......................................................................................................... 73
Don't Be A Poor Sport......................................................................................................73
Sometimes You Simply Need To Ask............................................................................... 75
What If You're Doing Something Wrong?........................................................................ 75
Be Realistic, Be Forgiving.................................................................................................76
Sleeping With Customers.................................................................................................... 76
Establishing Your Presence.................................................................................................. 77
Getting The Lay Of The Land...........................................................................................78
Generosity........................................................................................................................ 78
Making Use Of Connections............................................................................................ 79
Return The Favor.............................................................................................................. 79
The Good And Bad Sides To Comping A Drink.................................................................. 80
The Pros............................................................................................................................80
The Cons.......................................................................................................................... 81
Drinking On The Job............................................................................................................ 82
Sometimes Things Go Wrong.......................................................................................... 83
Handling Disasters............................................................................................................... 83
The Ice Machine Breaks................................................................................................... 84
The Dishwashing Machine Breaks.................................................................................... 84
Vomit In The Ice Machine.................................................................................................85
Broken Glass In The Bar Well........................................................................................... 85
The Stereo Stops Working............................................................................................... 85
You Run Out Of… Anything............................................................................................. 86
Keep The Job Interesting.................................................................................................... 86
Change Up The Music......................................................................................................87
Talk To Everyone...............................................................................................................88
Invent New Drinks............................................................................................................ 88
Learn Everything...............................................................................................................89
Change Where You Work................................................................................................. 89
Moving Up To High End Bars...............................................................................................89
The Club Scene................................................................................................................ 90
The Classy Joints.............................................................................................................. 90
The Big Tips......................................................................................................................91
PART III: Making Drinks.................................................................................................. 93
Organizing Your Well............................................................................................................93
The Drink Making Process................................................................................................... 94
Muddling ......................................................................................................................... 94
Sugaring Or Salting A Rim............................................................................................... 95
Garnish............................................................................................................................. 96
Floating.............................................................................................................................96
Shots ................................................................................................................................ 97
Shaken Drinks................................................................................................................... 97
Stirred Drinks.................................................................................................................... 98
Building A Drink In A Glass.............................................................................................. 98
Pouring A Beer................................................................................................................. 99
Champagne.................................................................................................................... 100
Wine............................................................................................................................... 100
Brandy............................................................................................................................ 100
A Few Random Tips....................................................................................................... 100
Flair Bartending.............................................................................................................. 101
Know Your Liquors............................................................................................................. 102
Whiskey.......................................................................................................................... 102
Gin.................................................................................................................................. 103
Tequila............................................................................................................................ 104
Rum.................................................................................................................................104
Vodka..............................................................................................................................105
Brandy............................................................................................................................ 105
Liqueurs.......................................................................................................................... 105
The Art Of The Upsell........................................................................................................ 107
The Power Of Suggestion.............................................................................................. 107
Why Upsell?....................................................................................................................109
Infusing Liquors.................................................................................................................. 110
Absinthe............................................................................................................................. 111
Traditional Preparation................................................................................................... 112
The Czech Technique..................................................................................................... 112
Absinthe Cocktails..........................................................................................................113
Know Your Beer..................................................................................................................114
Lager...............................................................................................................................115
Ales................................................................................................................................. 115
Pale Ale...........................................................................................................................116
India Pale Ale..................................................................................................................116
Bitter............................................................................................................................... 116
Porter.............................................................................................................................. 116
Stout............................................................................................................................... 116
Know Your Wine................................................................................................................. 116
Red Wines...........................................................................................................................117
Cabernet Sauvignon ......................................................................................................117
Merlot ............................................................................................................................ 117
Pinot Noir ...................................................................................................................... 118
Syrah .............................................................................................................................. 118
White Wine......................................................................................................................... 118
Chardonnay ................................................................................................................... 118
Gewürztraminer ............................................................................................................. 118
Riesling .......................................................................................................................... 118
Sauvignon Blanc............................................................................................................. 118
Bar Glossary....................................................................................................................... 119
Glassware........................................................................................................................... 125
A Few Drinks Every Bartender Should Know.................................................................... 126
Bloody Mary................................................................................................................... 127
Cosmopolitan ................................................................................................................ 127
Gin Gimlet...................................................................................................................... 127
Long Island Iced Tea...................................................................................................... 128
Manhattan...................................................................................................................... 128
Margarita (basic)............................................................................................................. 128
Martini.............................................................................................................................128
Mojito............................................................................................................................. 129
Old Fashioned................................................................................................................ 129
Screwdriver..................................................................................................................... 129
Sidecar............................................................................................................................129
Tequila Sunrise................................................................................................................130
Tom Collins..................................................................................................................... 130
Whiskey Sour.................................................................................................................. 130
White Russian................................................................................................................. 130
Exotic Drinks...................................................................................................................... 131
Brandy Alexander........................................................................................................... 131
Champagne Cocktail......................................................................................................131
Daiquiri........................................................................................................................... 131
Espresso Martini............................................................................................................. 132
French 75........................................................................................................................132
Hurricane........................................................................................................................ 132
Kamikaze........................................................................................................................ 132
Lemon Drop................................................................................................................... 132
Mai Tai............................................................................................................................ 133
Piña Colada.................................................................................................................... 133
Negroni...........................................................................................................................133
Rusty Nail........................................................................................................................134
Zombie........................................................................................................................... 134
Shots And Shooters .......................................................................................................... 134
Alabama Slamma'...........................................................................................................135
B-52................................................................................................................................ 135
Blowjob...........................................................................................................................135
Boilermaker.................................................................................................................... 135
Chocolate Cake ............................................................................................................. 135
Flaming Dr. Pepper........................................................................................................ 136
Fourth Of July.................................................................................................................136
Irish Car Bomb................................................................................................................136
Kamikaze........................................................................................................................ 136
Liquid Cocaine............................................................................................................... 137
M&M...............................................................................................................................137
Melon Ball.......................................................................................................................137
Oatmeal Cookie............................................................................................................. 137
Redheaded Slut.............................................................................................................. 137
Touchdown..................................................................................................................... 138
Washington Red Apple.................................................................................................. 138
Conclusion................................................................................................................... 140
A Crash Course Through The World Of Bartending......................................................... 140
Getting Hired..................................................................................................................... 140
Learn To Be The Best......................................................................................................... 141
Learn To Handle Difficult Situations.................................................................................. 142
Never Stop Moving............................................................................................................ 142
When To Walk Away...........................................................................................................143
Have A Life Outside The Bar............................................................................................. 144
Closing Thoughts............................................................................................................... 144