Contrary to the popular belief, bartending is far more complex than taking orders and pouring drinks. From setting up your bar and maintaining inventory to making mixers and prepping garnishes, there is a lot going on behind the bar. Here are some easily implemented hacks that will help you up your efficiency while prepping without sacrificing finesse.
Chilling drinks on the fly
It may seem obvious, but making sure your drinks are cold is an elemental, and sometimes stressful, part of bar service. If you run out of cold beers, what are you going to do? Definitely not serve them warm or tell customers to wait 30 minutes until they get cold.
What if you someone orders a $100 bottle of Chardonnay and the only one you have is un-chilled in the liquor room?
Here are two great ways to get bottles cold in a hurry:
For bottled beer or soda, wrap the bottle in a damp paper towel and put it in the freezer. In 10-15 minutes, the beer will be cold enough to serve, saving you a great deal of time and grief. (NOTE: avoid putting wine in a freezer. While it may help cool the wine down, if you freeze it for too long you can easily ruin the wine’s structure and taste.)
For both beer and wine, put the bottle in a large bucket of ice and add salt. The salt helps to cool the ice faster and allows you to get the bottle to the customer faster.
Ice hacks
Ice, while overlooked by most, plays a significant role in the composition and presentation of a drink. As pro bartenders know, the type of ice cube you use can make or break a drink and prepping for this needs to be executed flawlessly.
One easy way to make your ice look clean and crisp is by boiling the water before you freeze it.
This removes the dissolved gas, making it clear and not cloudy. Clearer ice allows the colors of your cocktail to flourish. The best example of this is in an Old Fashioned, which uses one big ice cube, and the clearer the better.
Using crushed ice will also help take your cocktails to the next level. Many summer-time drinks thrive when served with crushed ice. Make your own as needed by taking a ziplock bag with your cubed ice and beating it with a rolling pin or strong muddler. Simple as it may seem, your patrons notice the details, especially when they enhance the drinking experience.
Making syrups
No bar is complete without mixers and syrups, but they don’t grow on trees. Bartenders spend countless hours prepping before their shift, making their syrups and mixers. Here are some simple tips for enhancing your mixers and making them last longer.
There is no bar without simple syrup and, as any bartender can tell you, it’s an easy recipe: combine equal parts sugar and water, and boil until the sugar is dissolved.
The real trick here is about making it last; by adding a splash of vodka, you can extend the life of your syrup.
Everyone knows about the bar staple, Rose’s grenadine, but you don’t have to use the brand-name stuff. Making your own grenadine syrup is an easy task. Whether you’ve run out of your Rose’s or want to use your own version, simply boil one part sugar in one part pomegranate juice to achieve the classic taste, then add your own twists to put a spin on it.
To change it up, and add some pizzazz to your drinks, use a jam-like mixture instead of syrup. Marmalade or raspberry jam are perfect examples that will sweeten up your drink and add a little viscosity; add a tablespoon to 2 oz of liquor and 3/4 oz of citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit juice).
Garnish like a boss
Garnishes should bring a cocktail’s ingredients together, not be used carelessly as decoration. From an olive in your martini to a bourbon cherry in your Manhattan, there is rhyme and reason for every garnish, so make it count!
Here are some garnish ideas that will bring the wow factor you’re looking for:
Adding edible flowers to ice can enhance your cocktail’s flavors with its fragrance while also creating an aesthetically pleasing accent. The key here is using the right flower and quantity without going overboard, so be sure to play around with the technique.
Sticking a rosemary sprig or an aromatic leaf, like mint, to the top of a cocktail can bring out the sweet and earthy tones in your drink that previously had gone unnoticed.
By placing the herbs on the top of the drink, you can take advantage of both its smell and taste, adding another layer of complexity to your cocktail.
To add a bit of flare to your cocktail (pun intended), burn the outside of an orange peel to give your drink some sharpness and unique character.
Chase the taste away
While most people will ask for a soda or juice to help eliminate the burn of a shot, offer a homemade pickleback as a chaser to change things up. The salty, acidic taste will instantly take away the taste of alcohol and add a distinctive note that will bring customers back.
Try making a traditional pickleback with cucumbers and something hotter, like pepperoncini or jalapeños, for those who want a bit of burn. If you need somewhere to start or some inspiration to get you going, check out this pickleback recipe.
We hope that these tips and hacks will help make your life behind the bar easier. By using a little bit of foresight, some creativity, and a few tricks, you can take your game to a new level and transform any old drink into an artistic cocktail creation.
While being a bartender may sound like the perfect job, it definitely has its challenges that are more often than not left unconsidered, making for a truly rude awakening for the unsuspecting suckers that don’t do their research before jumping into a job.
To save a few from learning the hard way, here are a few misconceptions about bartending that tend to get overlooked:
1. It’s not as easy as it looks.
On average, bartenders probably do 10-12hr shifts, sometimes with no break. There are hours of prep work, hours of clean-up, and hours of catering to the demands of people who have no concept of a bartender’s actual hours.
2. Their lives are not an endless party.
The bartender is like the parent at a slumber party: they are working to make sure everybody else is having fun, while trying to keep them from getting in too much trouble. And once the kids go to bed, they’re up late cleaning the mess.
3. When you’re in an environment that’s extremely high volume, everything goes out the window.
A skilled bartender always wants to make the best drink possible, but in a busy bar there’s a balance between meticulous craftsmanship and breakneck efficiency. This is particularly true of inexperienced bartenders who don’t have their recipes memorized. If they’re slammed with Negroni, Manhattan, and Old Fashioned orders back-to-back, they’re immediately in the weeds and will be much less excited to discuss the intricacies of their tiki menu.
4. Bartending is largely about multi-tasking and quick memory recall.
Bartenders do everything at once. A home-cocktail-enthusiast might be able to make a good Manhattan, but it’s an entirely different thing to make three at once while taking a beer order, running a credit card, and being eye-pulled by 10 strangers. Most decent bartenders can multi-task like maniacs, good ones can do it while keeping their drinks to a high standard, and only the best can pull it off while maintaining a hospitable smile.
5. Some bartenders drink during their shift, but not all of them.
Some bars don’t allow it. Some bartenders don’t care about that rule. It’s not uncommon for a bartender to do a few shots during a shift to take the edge off and as hospitality lubrication. But many have a general policy of not drinking with customers, and will go so far as to pour water in their own shot glass instead of vodka to maintain the illusion that they are fun party dudes.
6. Bartenders pay taxes too.
The overwhelming majority of bartenders pay extensive Federal, State, and local taxes. Almost all bar/lounge/club/restaurant owners these days are under extreme scrutiny, and as a result, many owners will report their bartenders’ individual incomes as a percentage of sales – whether you’ve been tipped or not. That goes for every single check. Practically everyone, from the smallest pub to the largest multi-bar hotel chain, makes use of Point of Sale systems to track every single aspect of cash flow. So, yes, you’ll still have to pay up come April 15th.
7. Girls, and guys, don’t actually want to sleep with bartenders.
Ok, well, some do. But the reality is that most aren’t patient enough to wait until 4:30am for their bartender-crush to close up shop, return home, down a pair of cheap beers, and catch up on their /r/cocktails Reddit feed.
Bartending is a balancing act, which requires the ability to juggle several responsibilities while under some serious pressure. So, that’s why December’s hacks series is all about tricks of the bartending trade and we’re kicking it off with some time management tips that will make your life so much easier!
Keep a cheat sheet behind the bar
While most bartenders should have the typical recipes down pat, there are those times that the mind skips a beat and you forget. There are also those particular customers who want their esoteric, rarely-seen cocktails that can take a bartender off their game.
For this reason, have a handy cheat sheet to help you instead of taking precious minutes to ask someone else or look it up on your phone.
Whiskey, on the fly
Bartenders are responsible for a plethora of knowledge, the most basic of which is knowing their liquors. Here is a quick guide to the variations of whiskey to help you quickly explain a particular type to a customer:
USA: “Spicy-oak firmness”. Tennessee whiskies tend to have a caramel taste. Canada: “Light, new, perfect for mixing” Ireland: “smooth, spicy, fruity” Scotland: “smokey, peaty” (if Islay). “Sweet and fruity” (If Speyside). “Spicy, salty” (if Cambletown). Japan:“quality, perfected” Japanese whiskeys are detailed and carefully crafted for structure.
Acknowledge customers ASAP
As many of us know, when you’re bartending, you can’t always get to everyone as soon as they want a drink. When that’s the case, simply acknowledging your customer can go a long way. It assures them that you’re aware of them and that you’ll be right there.
It may even clue them into the fact that they are not the only customer at the bar…crazy!
This little trick will buy you some extra time, relieving some of that pressure we’re all too familiar with. Plus, it will do wonders for your customer satisfaction. And your tips!
When in the weeds, breathe
Your bar is piling up with guests, you’re in the middle of making six different drinks, trying to handle a credit card payment and need a new bottle of well vodka. Welcome to “the weeds” my friend.
All of us who work, or have worked, in the industry has experienced it at least once. So, what to do in this situation: just breathe. It’s almost counter-intuitive but absolutely effective because the best thing you can do is slow yourself down.
Taking 2-5 minutes to step away, collect yourself and regain your thoughts will help immensely. Despite leaving your responsibilities for a couple minutes, you will benefit in the long run by returning to work with a clear head.
Don’t know the drink? This Hail Mary will save you
Say someone comes in and orders a drink you’re unfamiliar with. What do you do? For some, this can cause a major brain fart and send you into a tizzy trying to figure out the ingredients and how to properly mix the drink. A quick fix for this:
“I’m sorry, we actually don’t have all the ingredients to make that here.”
While this is a cop out, it’s a handy last resort that can save you from getting backed up and spinning out of control. When taking this route, be sure to be apologetic and have a go-to suggestion to tell the customer.
Most importantly, while working behind the bar, keep your cool, keep your pace and help yourself to manage your time with these sweet and easy tricks.
Skilled bartending has become an intriguing, flashy trend, inspiring a plethora of competitions all over the world. From dazzling bar flare to unique cocktail recipes and speed bartending, these events are catching people’s eye and developing a strong following. But in this world of colorful drinks and innovative mixology, the art of basic service technique and bar knowledge falls by the wayside.
Together, Monkey Shoulder and the United States Bartender’s Guild (USBG) have created an innovative international competition that refocuses the art of bartending by challenging competitors to demonstrate their knowledge and service rather than just their flare. Labeled a “no b.s.” competition by the members of the Monkey Shoulder team, the event aimed to focus on “skills that pay the bills,” a no-nonsense, practical take on being a good bartender.
Lead by Dean Callan, Brand Ambassador at Monkey Shoulder, the event has traveled to four other U.S. cities including Milwaukee, Charleston (SC), Chicago and Philadelphia and internationally, in Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Poland, France, Germany, and Singapore. Bartenders from each city took part in the same 7-round competition and the overall point leader at the end of this year’s competition will be crowned the Ultimate Bartending Champion.
On Monday, November 18th, 2015, the Ultimate Bartender Championship came to Denver. Hosted by Punch Bowl, the competition featured 12 local bartenders, competing in 7 different rounds that tested their technique, insight, speed and skill behind the bar.
The Rounds
1. Quiz:
In the quiz round, contenders were read 100 multiple choice questions ranging from an array of bartending topics. From identifying recipe ingredients to naming various countries’ national beverage, Callan rapidly quizzed the opponents to test both their knowledge of beverages and their ability to think quickly on their feet.
2. Mixiodic Table:
For the competition, Callan and the Monkey Shoulder team created an ingenious bartender version of the periodic table. The table consists of various components to cocktail recipes, featuring ‘elements’ like sugars, juices, mixers, bitters, ices, liquors, glassware and garnishes. The goal for this round was to solve ‘equations’ by naming the cocktail. For instance, if Vm=vermouth and V=vodka, Ol=olive juice, Sh=shaken, Up=martini glass then V+Vm+Ol+Sh+Up = A vodka martini. Competitors had 10 minutes to solve 20 equations.
V+Vm+Ol+Sh+Up = A vodka martini
3. Nosing:
In this round, opponents had two minutes to identify ten different spirits in a blind nosing test correctly. 1/2 a point was awarded for knowing the spirit (i.e., vodka, bourbon, scotch, Irish whiskey) and a full point for naming the brand (42 Below vodka, Glenmorangie scotch, etc.).
4. Pouring:
This task included glasses listing specific pour quantities (1/3 oz, 1 oz) and the bartenders needed to measure out the exact pour for each. The goal here was to pour the right amount into each glass and be exact on as many as possible while being as quick and efficient as possible.
5. Tray Service:
This round required competitors to take drink orders for ten people, get the drinks from the bar and, in the correct order, serve the right drinks to each corresponding person. To do this, Callan printed off ten pictures of celebrities and recognizable people to serve as the ten places at the table. By doing this, it required the bartenders to remember who ordered which drink and place each drink down in the correct order (women first, than men). Each opponent had a different arrangement of pictures and needed to adapt to the right order. Again, this pushes the importance of service technique, efficiency and drink knowledge.
6. Stock Take:
A crucial part of being a bartender is inventory. This round featured the skills of taking stock of various liquors as if they were doing inventory. Competitors needed to eyeball measure the amount of liquor in 10 different bottles and output an accurate inventory sheet.
7. Building Challenge:
The final round required the competitors to produce eight cocktails in 5 minutes. These cocktails were taste-tested by the audience. If the audience decided that a cocktail was not adequate, they could send the drink back, therefore, docking points from the bartender. This last round was in place to showcase the skills and mixing techniques of the competitors and tested how they managed their time while optimizing taste and technique.
The competition was a captivating, enjoyable experience that drew a great deal of interest due to its uncommon, practical nature. While the notion of a service knowledge and recipe knowledge-based event may seem pedestrian, Callan and Monkey Shoulder did a phenomenal job with their innovative challenges, unique creations (like the Mixiodic Table) and focused on bartending functionalism and skill. Both competitors and spectators enjoyed this new format, and all benefited from the showcasing of no-nonsense bar knowledge and service technique.
As a member of the food and beverage community, I believe that this innovative, practical-knowledge-based event is exactly what the industry needs. Yes, bar flare is fun and captivating, but the importance of service is what keeps the industry alive. Callan did an extraordinary job of incorporating functional, pragmatic bartending skills into a competitive, unique event. His focus on “skills that pay the bills,” I believe, will inspire more bartenders to pay closer attention to the importance of the basics; knowledge, efficiency, preciseness and good service. I admire Callan’s ingenuity and creativeness in bringing service into the forefront through useful yet fun skill challenges.
While this is the first year of this competition, Callan and Monkey Shoulder look to expand the event throughout the globe, creating new innovative challenges along the way and spreading the focus of service and technique. We can’t wait to see what they have in store for next year and the years to come.
Starting a new job is nerve-wracking whether you have experience or not, but we all have to go through it at one point or another. Here are a few first-day tips to follow that will boost your confidence from the get-go and impress your new boss, managers, and coworkers.
1) Come Prepared
Before starting your shift, make sure you’re both mentally and physically prepared to work. Don’t go out or stay up late the night before and be ready to do a lot of listening and learning. Get your clothes/uniform and anything else you’ll need (like a notebook) for work organized the day before you start. This will decrease pre-shift stress, plus it will save you time. This is key because, more than anything else, be on time, or even better, 10-15 minutes early. Showing up late to your first day of work doesn’t exactly send a great message to either your boss or new co-workers.
2) Make the first move
Whether it’s when you first walk in the door or in the middle of your shift during a slow period, ask what you can do to help. Being proactive will not only impress the higher ups, but it will also speed up the learning process, so you can go from training to tips that much faster.
3) Pay close attention
Even if you’re experienced and highly qualified for the position, there will be differences between past and present employers. From operations to expectations, you’ll have a whole new set of rules to play by, so listen to your trainer to get a lay of the land. Also, to help you remember the important details and also give you a resource to reference, take a lot of notes. Bonus: this will also show your trainer that you’re dedicated to learning the work-flow and getting in the swing of things.
4) Get your hustle on
Whether your new job is slower or faster paced than what you’re used to, make sure to work quickly and efficiently. Strolling around the establishment won’t help you excel at your job, nor will it do anything for your bank account. Commission and tips don’t grow on trees. Even if your paycheck isn’t directly tied to how many customers you have, hustling at work, during and post training, will impress your boss and make your coworkers happy that you joined the team.
5) Be friendly and polite
This applies to all parties: trainer, coworkers, and customers. With your trainer and coworkers, don’t talk back. Make sure you have your facts straight before calling someone out, which means having at least a few shifts under your belt. If nothing else, keep smiling, even if you’re not really feeling it. Not only will this keep your morale up, it will also have the same effect on those around you.
6) Ask questions
There are such things as stupid questions, but you should still ask them because it’s better than making stupid mistakes. Asking questions will only help your cause. You’ll learn more, avoid making errors in the future, and also show that you’re engaged in the experience and on point when it comes to training. So if you don’t know something or are confused, speak up so it doesn’t come back to bite you in the butt.
