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The Problem Isn't the Bartender
When it comes to making the world of cocktails a better place there are a few things that halt the growth. Many people would say it is the bartender because they focus too much on speed or the money, instead of customer service. This is partly true and there are a lot of bad bartenders out there. I almost never order a cocktail, on a night out, because I know the quality won't be there, unless I'm in a known place where the bartenders are skilled. But most bartenders don't have any formal training nor is there any encouragement at their establishment to work on quality. Also, the culture of "bartending schools"; focuses so much on speed that quality isn't even mentioned. A typical bar school teaches about 150 drinks, of suspect quality, and then there is the speed test where you have to make as many drinks as fast as you possibly can. Good drinks are crafted, not slapped together at 100 kilometers per hour. This isn't the fault of the bartender, it is managements fault, because that’s what they want, efficiency.
When it comes to quality, everything leads back to management. Most places are happier to employ one really fast bartender who makes poor quality drinks, instead of having two bartenders (or at least one bartender and a bar-back) who make quality drinks, but slightly slower. This is because more drinks sold, equals more profits for the bar and more money for the bartender. If a bartender makes $1 per drink, then of course they are going try to sell as many drinks as possible, so quality takes a back seat. Same for the bar / restaurant, more drinks sold equals greater profit. But this style of thinking is flawed.
The key to a great restaurant is great food and great service. So why does this not apply to the bar? If a bartender is over-loaded, because management is trying to increase profits, then the service is going to be lacking. If the kitchen is expected to make every dish a culinary masterpiece, why then does management insist on cutting corners for their drinks? This really shouldn’t be the case, but the bar is looked at as a way to increase profits, without too much overhead. A well crafted cocktail will usually elicit a second or third order. Sometimes it can even start a dining room wide request for “that drink”. This type of buying is spontaneous and it has the benefit of increasing sales. A glass of wine or bottle of beer can’t do what a cocktail can.
The worst case scenario is that wine and beer are easy to serve, but cocktails take a little more time to make, so if a restaurant makes the cocktails sub-par then people will be less likely to order them. Then they can focus on beer and wine which is faster to serve, requiring less staff. I personally think this is why the trend in “ready to drink” (RTD’s) beverages like Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Breezer, Mike’s Hard and others of that ilk have become so popular.
Even if an aspiring bartender, attended a great bartending school, like Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) run by Dale DeGroff, or Cocktails in the Country (Gary Regan) could still ended up working in a restaurant where cocktails are an after thought, and the aspiring bartender really can’t do anything. Generally, an employee has two option, obey or leave. Sadly, the idea of a bartender being a skilled job hasn’t truly been established. Sure in certain places like London, New York and San Francisco bartenders may have more respect, but the rest of the world still needs help and the help needs to be focussed at management level.
Management types need to understand that the bar is a profit centre, like the kitchen. Theoretically, you shouldn’t have fine dining service in the kitchen and fast food service at the bar. Unfortunately, at many places that is what is being done. I would personally like to see equal quality throughout an establishment. I don’t mind dive bars, I know what I’m going to get. It’s fine restaurants where the servers make the drinks that scares me.
127 Comments on The Problem Isn't the Bartender
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Hear, hear - with the best example being Trader Vic's, where there are always several bartenders on duty. The Trader's carefully constructed cocktails are usually far better than the food!
That being said, I've certainly been served many a crappy cocktail by bartenders who had the time to be reading the paper or polishing glassware before I ordered. Management can be a big part of the problem, but don't let bartenders off too easy - they gotta have the skills and motivation to make a good cocktail.
I agree completely. I recently moved to a new city (San Diego) and am having the hardest time finding a new set of good bartenders. Anyone know of a place that hosts reviews of bars by people who know the first thing about cocktails? It seems like we have access to all kinds of wonderful material to make drinks at home (which I do, and love), but we need one that tells us where to head when we want someone else to mix us something wonderful. Anyone know of a site out there?
Alternatively, as your main point states, the decent restaurants could start to invest in their bartenders instead of just building a fancy bar.
Ardenstone - I feel your pain. Over the holidays we went to a beautiful, well-stocked bar at McCormick & Schmick's restaurant in Vegas. I asked for a Sazerac, and after heming and hawing, the bartender told me he couldn't make one because he didn't have the right syrup! I realized he probably meant Peychaud's bitters, but I was so dumbfounded that a bartender would call bitters "syrup" that I just ordered a whiskey sour. Against all expectations, it was actually pretty good.
I am fortunate to tend bar in a small fine dining restaurant in a small town. It is my first bartending job and I have not attended a bartending school. The volume of orders does not demand great speed on my part which is great for a novice who gets to spend quality time crafting each drink using quality ingredients (whisky and amaretto sours using fresh squeezed lemons). My repertoire of cocktails is small after just five months on the job but it's growing. I research recipes online and then try them out in the "lab." Most of the drink orders are for diners and I don't really make much in tips yet. But I love having this opportunity to learn and I really love CREATING something, endeavoring to get it right and to please the customer. There's nothing like crafting a classic cocktail for a patron in his 70s who has had that drink enough times to telll a truly good one from the mediocre or sub par. I am glad that I do have a boss who cares as much about the quality of the cocktails as she does about the quality of each dish that leaves the kitchen. Anyway, I have been enjoying your blog. It has been a lot of help to me. And so much of what you say in this particular entry not only rings true but has been demonstrated in action.
As a bartender I cant agree more. Bartending is a career, but most places hire cute little girls in push up bras or try to make a bartender out of a server. Most managers dont know anytning about a bar or drinks. They pray the bartender shows up to work. Too often the bartender is someone who is working part time to pay off a student loan or is in between jobs or worse, the managers girl friend or boy friend. 70 percent of the people I have worked with in 6 years are just doing the job to pass some time
I do not know, how it is in the US. But the problem here is, that people are impatient. They used to get their drinks within less than five minutes (if it is good or not) and are more aware of the time they've to wait than of the quality they get!
Today I had again the comment: "...yes the cocktails were good, but we waited around 10 minutes!" and I responded just that we do quality drinks and this requires a bit more time (than pouring crappy things on the rocks and give it out!).
Who is responsible for those irritating expectations, that cocktails just has to be poured within a minute? I am not sure; may be bar entrepreneurs, whose are putting
pressure on their bar managers; may be bar managers whose are putting pressure on the bartenders. And may be also the guests, whose getting drinks quite fast (but often not even mediocre), but doesn't care about quality.
No diner assume, that he will get after 4.5 minutes his dessert; though it is often prepared and just has to be arranged on the table! It is a failure in the system, that people assume otherwise, that a drink (which is often more elaborate) could be done faster...
A few weeks ago my boss ditched my cocktails menu for a short spirits list offering only rocks drinks and highballs. The rationale she explained is that drinks which can be made quickly and for which dinner guests will wait less time will result in increased alcohol sales. My observation, however, is that bar sales have actually decreased, and thus my tip-outs as well. I may be wrong but I believe there are some customers, especially female customers, who will order appealingly described cocktails who will not order simple rocks drinks or highballs. Cocktails have a broader sensual appeal--to the eyes, to the nose, and to the palate. I believe there is also the perception by these customers that cocktails are somehow a kinder and gentler consumption of alcohol and more refined than just belting back a stiff drink. Am I right?