A bartender job is far more than just pouring drinks, engaging with customers and receiving tips. A good summed up job description of a bartender would be a multitasking professional, a mixologist, an entertainer, a listener and a host.
I will focus on all aspects of the bartending job. Keep in mind that the actual bartender responsibilities may differ from place to place. In example, a bartender working in a smaller establishment may have more responsibilities and one working in a bigger bar may have co-workers that can assist behind the bar. Either way, the bartender position can best be summed up as multitasking.
Main responsibilities
Bartenders are salesmen. You are responsible for selling drinks and bringing the profit in for the bar. In order to keep the sales coming, a bartender relies on a mix of factors: great people skills, entertainment value, providing an ambiance for the customers and encouraging more sales through smart product placement.
Keeping an eye on your customers is essential. As a bartender, you will need to identify customers that are getting too intoxicated and take measures to prevent them from further intoxication. Quite often this means refusing to serve drunk customers, having to explain your decision to them and calling them a cab so they arrive home safe.
Depending on the establishment, a bartender may be responsible for checking the ID’s of the customers to ensure they are the right age. This would include being able to spot fake ID’s, as teenagers seeking liquor go to great lengths in order to get what they want. The bartender is held accountable for serving minors with alcoholic beverages, so when in doubt, you need to check on your customers.
Besides pouring drinks, you will need to know how to listen. Interacting and making small talk with people requires good listening skills. It might be a movie cliché, but it is true that bartenders are somewhat psychologists. Many people come to the bars to drink their sorrows away and many times you will happen to hear some amazing life stories.
At last, no bartender can be a good bartender without the proper knowledge. It is your job to know all there is to know about the drinks, spirits, terminology and bar techniques. If a customer orders one Cuarenta Y Tres on the rocks and one Bloody Mary, you will need to know what they want to drink and how they want to drink it. The right way to attain this knowledge is through education: following a bar school or a course is the proper way to go.
Flair bartending and cocktail making
Not all bars require bartenders to know how to entertain, but if you’re interested in the show aspect of bartending you will need a course in flair bartending. Also, making cocktails requires an additional set of skills which you can also acquire through proper education. This investment will surely pay off, as you will be able to work in more sophisticated places.
Once you complete a course in flair bartending or cocktail making, you will be able to entertain your guests by spinning bottles, throwing bottles in the air and setting drinks on fire. As these techniques are highly entertaining to your guests, you can count on happier customers and thus larger tips.
Preparation
The bartender is responsible for setting up the bar for the night. This includes making sure that the bar is well-stocked with ice, liquor, appropriate glasses and bar supplies. Having to stock the bar means you will begin work a few hours before the opening of the establishment.
If you work with cocktails, there’s more to this preparation. Preparing fresh sugar syrup for use in cocktails comes to mind. As does infusing spirits and making fruit purées. During these hours, you will also prepare garnishes for drinks by washing and cutting fresh fruit and storing them for later usage.
0