You’re in a bar, maybe celebrating the weekend or just blowing off some steam, but you’re not enjoying yourself because you’re getting the cold shoulder from the bartender. Maybe it’s them, but probably not. What’s more likely is that your etiquette is lacking, so what to do?
Well, if you want a drink, then DON’T…
1. Fail to have your money ready
We’re waiting on you. Everyone else is waiting on us. Therefore, by the Transitive Property of Equality, everyone is waiting on you. Rule #1: Have your stuff together. Not only will following Rule #1 get you served quicker in a bar, it’s a good general rule to adopt in life. All about efficiency, people.
2. Put pennies and nickels in the tip jar
We don’t want that crap in our pockets any more than you do. We don’t have anything smaller than quarters. Have you ever ordered a drink that cost $3.17?
3. Wave money
Oh, you’ve got a dollar! So does the guy next to you.
4. Give the ever-expanding drink order
You want a Bud. I go get it. I come back and now you want a Margarita. Okay, no prob. I come back, and (oh yeah!) now you want a shot of Tequila, too. You really could have told us this all at once. See Rule #1.
5. Say “make it strong!” or “put a lot of liquor in it”
Are you one of those rare people at bars who like their drinks “strong?” When you say this, it’s like you’re assuming I make weak drinks (which is insulting) and you’re assuming that I’ll stiffen this one up for my new best buddy, you. This is the best way to get a weak drink.
6. Yell out the bartender’s first name
There’s something unnerving about hearing your name called out, turning around and seeing a complete stranger. That’s one of the reasons strippers use stage names. Bartenders do too. Mine is Pixie.
7. Whistle. Just don’t.
You whistle at dogs, not people.
8. Assume we know you’re in the band
We know, we know, you’re gonna be really famous, but you’re not there yet, tiger. Tell us you’re in the band and which band you’re in…chances are we’ll have something to talk about. If you act like a pretentious ass, then we definitely won’t. Capiche?
9. Assume we know you. Period.
Unless you’ve followed the first “Do” rule below, we don’t remember you. You are one of a thousand faces for us, and when you point at an empty glass or a beer bottle that’s invariably facing away from us, your attempt at a shortcut backfires. Please just tell us what you want.
10. Apologize for sucking
Don’t apologize for not tipping. Acknowledging that you suck is not the same as not sucking. Oh, and don’t say “I’ll get ya next time.” We know all about you.
11. Be “The Microbrew Aficionado”
Usually a pseudo-hippy who can’t tip a quarter but can’t bring himself to drink “schwag,” and who has to sample some new berry-wheat-harvest-ale that he heard about at Burning Man. “Do you have the new Vernal-Equinox Special Welcome-Fest?” “Does Anyone?” Here’s your Newcastle. Go.
12. Assume soft drinks are free
Are they free at McDonald’s? Are they free at Wal-Mart? Are they free anywhere? I blame M.A.D.D. for this myth.
13. Ask me to charge your phone behind the bar
Every bartender is different about this, but if they’re busy no one wants to deal with your technology. Also, if you drink too much and leave your phone you’re going to have a bad morning. And no bartender wants you to have a bad morning.
They’re the reason you use emojis instead of email and Snapchats instead of real chats. But will millennials also upend the wine establishment? As Lettie Teague, wine columnist for the Wall Street Journal discovers, this relationship status is complicated.
“So many millennials are interested more in the narrative of the wine rather than the wine,” said Jason Jacobeit, the 29-year-old head sommelier of Bâtard restaurant in New York. “A lot of mediocre wine is being sold on the basis of a story.”
Mr. Jacobeit lamented the fact that few of his generational peers took the time to understand why certain wines are greater than others. The rustic sparkling wine Pét-Nat (short for pétillant-naturel), for example, may be hip and fun, but it will never be as great as Champagne. Mr. Jacobeit said that his peers need to learn to distinguish the difference between “being excited about wine and wine that is genuinely exciting.”
Taylor Parsons, the 35-year-old wine director of République in Los Angeles attributes these “gaps” in millennials’ wine knowledge to their incessant search for the next cool thing, be it orange wine or Slovenian Chardonnay. “We get tons of requests for Slovenian Chardonnay,” he said.
Which might just mean you’ll soon be seeing many more Slovenian Chardonnays on restaurant wine lists. After all, millennials have been heralded as the generation capable of changing everything. The largest generation to date at 75 million strong, they certainly have clout.
This group of 18- to 34-year-olds is technologically savvy, environmentally engaged and eager for stories about the things they love.
They’ve helped transform the way we connect with one another, but will they also (re)shape the way we drink?
I’d say “perhaps,” although a millennial might answer “Yaaaasssss!”
In search of an answer, I talked to as many millennial sommeliers, winemakers, retailers and wine drinkers as I could. I also began combing through piles of data, starting with an August survey from Wine Opinions, a California-based wine-research group. In the survey, the results of which will be released later this month, the group polled 2,634 wine drinkers from three generations-millennials, Gen X and boomers-about their wine preferences, buying habits and information sources.
One of the biggest divides turned out to be the numerical rating system. Millennials regard the 100-point scale as the creation-and the provenance-of their older wine-drinking peers. They won’t be “duped” into buying an expensive wine just because some critic awarded it 92 points; they value stories and a personal connection.
Though their rebellious tastes can lead them into trouble, millennials’ enthusiasm for the obscure has also been a boon. As Mr. Parsons observed, it means “you can have a restaurant wine list today without Napa Cabernet or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc,” two wines that achieved fame thanks to Gen Xers and boomers.
But a wine list designed to appeal to millennials shouldn’t be too pricey. According to Wine Opinions, they spend less money per bottle than their older peers-79% of regular millennial wine drinkers bought wines in the $10-$15 range. (This isn’t all that surprising since most young wine drinkers have less money to spend.)
So how and where are millennials getting their wine education?
“Millennials don’t like ratings, but they like some kind of review,” said Adam Teeter, the 32-year-old editor and co-founder of VinePair, a New York-based online wine magazine for millennials.
“They have a great thirst for knowledge.”
That’s why you’ll find a good deal of VinePair editorial content devoted to educational articles, including an extensive Wine 101 section where readers can learn the names of important grapes and how to taste wine. It’s also why Mr. Teeter says some of his non-wine-professional friends have sought to become certified sommeliers. “I don’t remember my parents’ friends having sommelier certification,” he said.
I thought about pointing out that sommelier certification was virtually nonexistent when Gen Xers-let alone boomers-were growing up, but I held my tongue. After all, the Wine Opinions research showed that only 17% of millennials care what a wine columnist like me says. In fact, just 22% subscribe to a print wine magazine or newsletter-that’s about half the percentage of Gen Xers (41%). All three generations, however, surf the Web for wine information. Interestingly, baby boomers and Gen Xers went online even more than millennials, with 65% of Gen Xers looking on the Web, versus 61% of boomers and 50% of millennials.
There were other points of convergence in Wine Opinions’ data, and the three generations seemed to agree more often than not. For example, when asked if they would buy a bottle they’d never tried or a new wine by the glass, 86% of millennials said that they would; 72% of baby boomers said they would, too. All three liked red wine more than white or sparkling, and they all liked Moscato.
Yet with conventional wisdom holding that millennials don’t care about luxury and aren’t loyal to brands, it’s little wonder that wine producers all over the world-like every other business-are scrambling to figure out what they want.
And it’s safe to say that whatever millennials do want, they’ll probably get it.
By 2017, they’ll have more buying power than any other demographic group.
So though boomers and Gen Xers helped build and sustain the wine business over the years, companies big and small are paying attention to millennial habits and marketing their products accordingly.
Sipping by the Numbers
The majority of millennials are now over the legal drinking age in America, and the habits they acquire might shape the wine industry. Get a glimpse of the future with these factoids from Wine Opinions’ 2015 survey of wine-drinking millennials.
54% haven’t purchased-and have no interest in purchasing-wine in a can.
86% buy a bottle or glass of wine they’ve never tried before at least two to three times a month.
22% subscribe to a print wine magazine, newsletter or other publication.
85% have met someone after work for a glass of wine at least once in the past month.
43% have visited four or more winery tasting rooms in the past 12 months.
61% have commented on wine on Facebook or read the wine comments of others on Facebook in the past month.
72% have posted a photo on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or other social media showing wine they enjoyed in the past month.
E.&J. Gallo Winery’s Carnivor Cabernet is a perfect example. Launched in 2013 and priced at $15, the wine is aimed at young male drinkers.
“Millennials are very driven by word-of-mouth, so we engage key influencers in conversation about our product,”
Molly Davis, Gallo’s vice president of marketing, wrote in an email about the brand’s strategy. In other words, they send bottles to bloggers and hold tasting events. Carnivor Cabernet’s website is heavy on social media, promoting the hashtag #DevourLife and featuring a feed from its Instagram account. And the company has put together a guide to meat cuts, with recipes, in the hope of furthering its millennial appeal.
While it was interesting to read about millennials and talk about millennials, I wanted to actually taste with millennials. So I assembled a mini-focus group, with two men and two women ranging in age from 25 to 32. While my group’s wine knowledge was limited, they were enthusiastic and one of them had recently joined a wine club.
I bought wines that millennials were purported to like: Prosecco, a red blend (Bordeaux), Riesling, Beaujolais, Moscato, Malbec and an obscure wine with hipster cred-Cour-Cheverny, a white wine from the Loire Valley. I spent around $15-$20 a bottle, staying close to their favored price point.
The group didn’t particularly like the Prosecco I’d chosen. The Le Vigne di Alice Doro ($20) was too fruity, they said. In fact, they didn’t much like Prosecco at all. They did like the slightly sweet and frothy 2012 Jorge Ordonez & Co. Botani Sparkling Muscat ($16) from Spain, but none could recall ever buying a Moscato before.
The same was true for the Riesling. Although they liked the 2014 Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof Wiltinger Alte Reben ($17) from Mosel, it wasn’t a wine they’d ever think about buying because they didn’t know much about German wines. “Aren’t they all sweet?” asked Rachel, a 30-year-old freelance fashion consultant.
The Cour-Cheverny was acceptable, but the back story I told them-an obscure white grape (Romorantin) that almost disappeared-was deemed uncompelling.
“Maybe if the story was more interesting I would have liked the wine more,”
Said Steven, a 32-year-old lawyer. In this regard, at least, my focus group supported the research I’d found.
Egidio, a 25-year-old financier, preferred Italian reds above all. They were the wines his father had taught him to love. (Both he and Steven had wine-collecting fathers.) As for the Beaujolais, a 2013 Fleurie from Château de Fleurie, it was simply “too light.”
They loved the rich, lush, concentrated 2013 Achaval Ferrer Mendoza Malbec ($18), and all knew something about Malbec. But they said that there were too many different types. “I would never order a Malbec in a restaurant. It’s too various, unlike a Cabernet,” said 28-year-old Leah, a public-relations professional.
The red blend was a hit as well, though none of them knew that Bordeaux was a blend. The 2010 Château Sénéjac Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois ($24) initially failed to thrill-too tannic and dry, according to Leah-but when I suggested trying it with some cheese, the wine was transformed.
When it came to buying wine, three of the four said they sought the counsel of retailers, while Egidio asked his father’s advice.
None consulted online sources or, of course, magazines. They preferred a personal connection to the person making the suggestions. “You really want someone with experience who knows you,” Steven said. This may have been a classic millennial attitude, but it’s something I’ve heard said by many Gen Xers and boomers as well.
Will millennials in the end “revolutionize” wine- or banking or dining, for that matter? Will they render wine scores obsolete and classic wines like Bordeaux and Burgundy mere runners-up to Slovenian Chardonnay?
Perhaps. They’ve certainly done their part to promote small producers creating interesting wines in odd corners of the globe.
But to truly claim their position as the most powerful consumers in the world, they’ll need to develop a broader context and a deeper understanding of the entire world of wine, and not just an appreciation of a good story or a few obscure grapes.
For me, wine is a fun, elaborate sect of the food and beverage industry. From finding the right wine to pair with right food to the structures and characteristics of a grape, to the history and geography of different varietals, there is an endless amount to absorb. Most important to the server or bartender, is being able to get people to buy good wine without having a sommelier’s mastery of knowledge.
The Basics
First thing’s first: having basic knowledge of the varietals and characteristics of the wines will greatly improve your ability to sell. At the very least, become very familiar with one or two wines in order to show that you have some knowledge and are not only BSing your guests.
Before we get into selling, here are a few notes to use when selling wine:
Body: (Light-Medium-Full); this describes the structure of the wine on your pallet. Pinot Noir, for instance is a light-bodied red while Cabernet Sauvignon is Full-bodied
Tannic: Referring to the presence of tannins, this is almost all about the finish. The grippy, lasting taste at the finish is primarily caused by the tannins.
Acidic: having a distinct feeling and taste of acid, almost tartness
Dry vs. Sweet: these are opposites and a wine can not be both. A wine is either sweet and fruity or dry.
Other terms I like to use to indicate the character of wine include: bright, fruit forward, buttery (mostly for Chardonnay), peppery (Cab. Sav.), crisp, earthy, elegant, jammy, refined. These are mostly broad terms that will help you designate tastes and characteristics that are attractive and accessible to your guest.
Since wines differ so greatly by varietal (grape type), vintage (year produced), location (where wine or grape is made) and taste, there are countless ways to describe a wine and it is important to find what works for you.
Selling wine
1. Plant the Seed
When greeting a table, make sure to mention the ‘great wines’ you have to offer and indicate that you are there to help them with pairings or explanations.
Immediately, this plants the seed of drinking wine even if that was their initial intention. If you are convincing in your approach, you can use their eagerness to guide them toward a food and wine pairing that you are familiar with and have confidence explaining.
Mention the ‘great wines’ you have to offer.
2. Upselling
Upselling wine is crucial to your check average. If you can get a guest to buy a $13 glass of wine over a $9 glass, you’re on your way to a higher check average.
My style of upselling is to offer 3 different wines, explaining them in depth. The goal here is to not deprecate the cheaper glass but to simply use more elegant verbiage as you describe the higher-priced wines. Instead of saying that the $13 glass is ‘better’ than the $9 glass, explain that there are great qualities to the $9 and that $13 glass has these qualities PLUS many more.
My style of upselling is to offer 3 different wines, explaining them in depth.
For instance. If you have two pinot noirs ($9 and $13, respectively), the first one should be described as a “solid, light-bodied pinot with soft cherry flavors.” Easy, simple, to the point.
The second glass, however, “is a bit lighter and more finessed, with a much more approachable finish and a brightness that pairs well with everything on the menu.” Here, you see that you’re speaking vaguely and using words like ‘finesse’ and ‘approachable’ to express that, even though you said nothing bad about the first, the second is the clear winner.
3. Tastings
If you work at a restaurant that allows you to offer tastings, use this to your advantage! Tastings are the easiest way to gain a tables trust and get them to conform to the service that you are most comfortable with.
Again, using the 3-tier system, offer tastes of a cheap, medium and expensive wine. The goal here is to showcase your knowledge and get them to trust it. Always be sure to be well-versed in the wines you choose to taste and have a recited explanation for both.
Wine A is light-bodied with ‘these qualities’ and ‘this type of finish’ and goes well with ‘these food items’. Wine B has a ‘more complex body’ offers ‘these qualities AND these qualities’ and pairs with ‘these foods’. Wine C, however, has ‘great structure’, ‘these characteristics’, AND ‘pairs with almost anything on the menu’.
it is always easiest to sell something you actually care about.
It is crucial to show both knowledge and interest in the wines you’re selling. For me, it is always easiest to sell something you actually care about. If Wine C is a wine you would drink on your own time, it is a much easier sell to your customer. Show passion for your sales and they will respond to that.
4. Pairings
Pairing wines is a refined skill but there are some basics that are important to know as a beginner.
Start by trying to pair similar flavors of the food and the wine. For instance, a Sauvignon Blanc is a light, crisp varietal that usually contains some type of citrus (lime, grapefruit) and would do well with light, citrusy, acidic foods like ceviche, light fish, sushi.
On the other side, heavy food and heavy wines typically go well together. A Cabernet Sauvignon with a full body and peppery, tannic finish will do well with red meat like steak.
With this knowledge, it is easy to decipher which wines pair with which foods simply based on taste profile and the heaviness/lightness of the dish vs. the wine. One of the most important things to know is that a wine should not over power food.
Always opt for wine as an enhancer as opposed to a dominant flavor for your food.
Do not pair a big, oaky, buttery chardonnay with a light, citrusy cod because the wine will overpower your fish. Always opt for wine as an enhancer as opposed to a dominant flavor for your food.
Here they are, all my tricks for selling wine! Remember, the more wine knowledge you have, the better, so study up.
New managers can be so eager to be endorsed and make others happy that they often make common mistakes. From making changes too quickly to holding friends to a different standard… Use these tips to avoid new management woes and achieve success!
Being the “lone wolf” waiter or waitress at your restaurant or cafe can be tough. But by utilizing these strategies, you’ll be able to make the most out of your shift and maximize your job satisfaction!
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.
The research, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), revealed that over-consumption of alcohol cost the US economy approximately $2.05 per drink in 2010, a marked increase from $1.90 in 2006.
Equating to $249 billion overall, the majority of these costs were incurred through reduced workplace productivity, crime, and the cost of treating people for health problems caused by excessive drinking.
While the federal governement paid for just over 40% of these costs, the median cost per state was $3.5 billion, ranging from $488 million in North Dakota to $35 billion in California.
Furthermore, the study determined that excessive alcohol consumption causes approximately 88,000 deaths each year, including 1 in 10 deaths among working-age Americans aged 20-64.
Robert Brewer, head of CDC’s Alcohol Program and one of the study’s authors, shared his thoughts on the study’s findings:
“What surprised us in this study was the extent to which that public health impact was focused on working age adults.”
He also noted that “effective prevention strategies can reduce excessive drinking and related costs in states and communities, but they are under used.” This includes increasing alcohol taxes and limiting alcohol outlet density, among others.
The researchers compiled their cost estimates based on changes in the occurrence of alcohol-related problems and the cost of paying for them since 2006. However, the authors believe these costs have been underestimated because information on alcohol is frequently underreported or unavailable.
