Basics To Becoming A Bartender

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.

The majority of the drinks that a bartender will be serving contain alcohol in them. They also serve beer and wine, along with other types of alcohol. Not only do they serve alcohol they also have to serve juice, soda, water, and non alcoholic beverages to those who do not drink alcohol.

Serving and making drinks are not the only responsibility of a professional bartender now. They are also in charge of making sure that there are plenty of clean glasses and mugs, plenty of ice in the cooler, and switching out kegs on the beer that is on draft. They can also be responsible for serving food if food is offered at the bar, which in most cases it usually is.

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 .

A good bartender must have excellent people skills, as communication and also a person that will listen to the customer. When people are drinking they are more to open up, and sometimes as a bartender you must be that shoulder to cry on. Knowing what your customers are going to order is also a good thing, you will learn this over time.

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.