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Bartender Fan Mail

Every once in a while I get a comment that rubs me the wrong way. I usually ignore them and press the “junk comment” button, sending the offending comment down the proverbial data toilet. But this comment is epic. When dumb people speak, or type, the truth can be found in-between the lines. Hell, some of it is spelled out […]

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Liquor Inventory for the Bar

With the new restaurant, Mint Restobar, opening on Thursday it has been sucking up a lot of my writing time, but things should be back to normal this week. With the opening date finalized the purchase of the bar inventory needed to be done. Since we are a fine dining establishment, I went with some better quality products, but still […]

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Being a Bartender: Product Knowledge

There are lots of bartending styles, but some styles are different than others. The most basic bartenders pop tops off beer bottles, and mixes up a mean rum and coke, but beyond that they are just very hard working “;droids.” This is mostly because of the establishment they work in. On the other hand, there are establishments that do quality […]

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Bartending School

“He’s beyond bartending, beyond being a poor journeyman bartender, and has obviously morphed into a misinformed, opinionated, elitist snob.” At first, I thought I had a misdirected email for Jamie Boudreau. Then I realized it was for me. That is the opinion of one David Rattner, president of National Bartender’s School, regarding me. There were a few more shots fired […]

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What It Takes to be a Bartender

In many conversations I’ve had with people, the perception of a bartender is rather simple. The fact is that being a bartender can be fairly hard, if you take the job seriously. It’s not so much the obvious, such as pouring a pint that is hard, it is dealing with people that presents a challenge. Not only dealing with customers, […]

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Five Drinks Bartenders Hate To Make

This is an article from the San Francisco Chronicle that’s been making the rounds in the blogosphere. As a bartender, and a customer of bars, I have an opinion on this list of drinks and more specifically the responses of these so-called ’bartenders’. This article is the specific reason bartenders will remain on the bottom of the pile and never […]

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Five Drink Predictions for 2011

It is that time of year where people like to predict what’s going to happen in the near future. And since I’ve been jumping on a number of bandwagons lately, why stop. Most of my predictions are less Nostradamus prophecy and more progressive thinking about where drinks are going. Or more likely, where I’d like drink trends to go. Feel […]

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Bar Tools and Equipment List

Behind the bar, you need a lot of bar tools and equipment, often more than you think, especially if you want to be perceived as a professional. Most bars will have the essential equipment, such as shakers and bottle openers, but depending on where you work, they may not provide all the things that make your job easier. Aside from […]

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Bar Tools & Equipment List: Part II

In the previous article on bartender tools, I looked at the equipment that you will use frequently. In this article, I’ll be looking at items that if you didn’t have, you would survive, but having them will make your life easier and your guests experience more pleasant. If you take bartending as a profession, then giving your customers the best […]

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Top Skill to Have as a Bartender

sk any bar manager what’s the most important skill for a bartender and you’ll get a lot of different answers. Some will respond that speed is critical; others will say a good personality, more will say appearance is important, and then you’ll get one or two who say mixology skills are essential. There are a lot of things that make […]

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Finding a Job as a Bartender

As many of you know, I’m currently not tending bar. This is the first time in about four years that I’ve had Friday and Saturday nights off, which is kind of nice, but I don’t know what to do with my weekends. Anyway, I’ve been browsing the “Want Ads” and there seems to be plenty of bartending jobs out there, […]

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Bartender’s Resume

When you first decide you want to be a bartender, you usually pick up a book or two about cocktails and then maybe sign up for a bartending course. All of this effort will get you started, but bar schools usually don’t impress employers, they want experience. Knowing all of your cocktails is great too, but just because you know […]