Bartender

A bartender works to prepare speciality alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to customers. They may serve customers directly or provide the waitstaff with the drinks to bring to clients. The job is harder than it may look as there are many types of recipes to memorise and a variety of different alcohols and garnishes to learn about.

Becoming a Bartender

To become a bartender, you must be at least 18 years old to serve alcoholic beverages. Formal education is often not required as most bartenders learn on-the-job. We do recommend that you learn the basics before applying for a job to make it easier. There are many books and recipe sheets on bartending to help you learn the basics. You can even start learning at home with your own bar and inviting your friends over. This is an excellent way to experiment, craft drinks, and get immediate feedback.

Job Description

Bartenders may work directly with customers, waitstaff, or both providing alcoholic or non-alcoholic speciality drinks to patrons. They serve and make drinks, take orders, and also collect payment from customers. Some bars also serve food; therefore, you may need to take/bring orders and collaborate with kitchen staff. You must have good people skills as a bartender and build rapport, as many customers are seeking interaction, especially if they are sitting at the bar. This helps drive revenue for an establishment and keeps customers happy. Bartenders must know and abide by state laws and verify a customer’s age when they request to purchase alcohol or serving them. At times you may also need to politely ask a patron to stop drinking or discontinue serving them if they become intoxicated or unruly. This can be stressful, but if something were to happen due to the intoxication and you served the customer more alcohol, you could be liable. Along with serving clients or providing drinks to waitstaff to bring to customers, you must also keep their area clean. This means bartenders clean tabletops, the bar area, and behind the counters. At the end of the shift, you may also be requested to inventory the stock and replace or fill any low or empty ingredients.

Type

Artisan

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