Table of Contents

Introduction..................................................................................................................... 1

Mastering Your Craft..............................................................................................................1

A Little About Me...................................................................................................................3

PART I: Becoming a Bartender......................................................................................... 6

Qualities Of A Good Bartender............................................................................................. 6

Speed................................................................................................................................. 6

Skill At Multitasking............................................................................................................ 7

Good Memory.................................................................................................................... 7

Patience.............................................................................................................................. 8

Strong Math Skills...............................................................................................................9

Sound Knowledge Of Booze..............................................................................................9

An Understanding Of Where You Live............................................................................. 10

Cleanliness And Grooming.............................................................................................. 10

At Least Some Physical Strength......................................................................................10

Conversational Skills And Charm..................................................................................... 10

Life Of A Bartender..............................................................................................................11

Part Of The Team............................................................................................................. 12

Let The Good Times Roll..................................................................................................12

Watching The Money Roll In................................................................................................ 13

How Much Does A Bartender Make?...............................................................................14

No Really, How Much Does A Bartender Actually Make?................................................15

Are You Old Enough To Bartend?........................................................................................16

The Scoop On Bartending School....................................................................................... 18

What You'll Learn During Bartending Training.................................................................18

What Does Bartending School Cost? ..............................................................................19

Is Bartending School Really Necessary?.......................................................................... 19

The Best Alternative To Bartending School..................................................................... 21

The Basics Of Bartending.....................................................................................................21

Practice Your Pour............................................................................................................ 22

Get An Eye For Shots.......................................................................................................22

Three Straining Techniques.............................................................................................. 23

Beware Of “Mixologists”..................................................................................................... 24

Liquor Certification.............................................................................................................. 25

Bartending Laws...................................................................................................................25

Building A Bartending Resume............................................................................................ 28

Keep It Organized............................................................................................................ 29

Header..............................................................................................................................29

Education..........................................................................................................................30

Work Experience.............................................................................................................. 30

Special Skills And Languages...........................................................................................32

References And Objectives (And Why You Don't Need 'Em)..........................................32

The Job Search.....................................................................................................................34

Consider Your Personality................................................................................................ 34

Who Do You Know?..........................................................................................................35

When You Don't Know Anyone........................................................................................35

Using Craigslist Effectively............................................................................................... 38

Set Yourself Apart.............................................................................................................38

Compensation.................................................................................................................. 40

Remember To Log Off......................................................................................................40

Consider Event And Charity Bartending..........................................................................41

Acing The Interview............................................................................................................. 43

Dress For The Part............................................................................................................43

First Impressions...............................................................................................................44

Answering Questions....................................................................................................... 45

Attitude Is Everything.......................................................................................................46

When Things Don't Go Your Way.................................................................................... 47

Advice On Your First Job..................................................................................................... 47

On Your First Day............................................................................................................. 48

Know When To Ask For Help........................................................................................... 49

Make It Up As You Go...................................................................................................... 49

Learn To Check Your Stock...............................................................................................50

Always Count Out A Customer's Change........................................................................50

Stay Sober........................................................................................................................ 51

Learn To Use Two Hands.................................................................................................. 51

Never Make One Drink At A Time................................................................................... 51

Don't Scoop Ice With The Glass...................................................................................... 52

Communicate Your Presence........................................................................................... 52

Stay Positive..................................................................................................................... 52

PART II: Being a Bartender............................................................................................. 55

Be The Bartender Everyone Loves...................................................................................... 55

Leader Of The Pack..........................................................................................................55

Lose The Attitude.............................................................................................................56

Don't Be Stingy ............................................................................................................... 56

Get To Know Your Customers.......................................................................................... 57

Over Service..................................................................................................................... 58

Life Of The Party...............................................................................................................59

When You're Off The Clock..............................................................................................59

Dealing With Drunks............................................................................................................ 60

The Over-Enthusiastic Partier Drunk................................................................................ 60

The Creepy Drunk............................................................................................................ 61

The Violent Drunk.............................................................................................................63

The Creepy-Violent Drunk................................................................................................64

Taking Charge Of The Situation...........................................................................................67

Wrangling A Taxi.............................................................................................................. 67

Make The Call...................................................................................................................68

Improving Your Tips............................................................................................................. 69

Put A Little Oomph In Each Drink.................................................................................... 69

Remember Everything You Can About Your Customers..................................................69

Avoid Eavesdropping.......................................................................................................70

Don't Talk About Your Problems...................................................................................... 70

Provide Endless Entertainment........................................................................................ 71

Never Have An Opinion On Anything............................................................................. 71

Go For The Good Shifts................................................................................................... 72

Handling Poor Tippers......................................................................................................... 73

Don't Be A Poor Sport......................................................................................................73

Sometimes You Simply Need To Ask............................................................................... 75

What If You're Doing Something Wrong?........................................................................75

Be Realistic, Be Forgiving.................................................................................................76

Sleeping With Customers.................................................................................................... 76

Establishing Your Presence.................................................................................................. 77

Getting The Lay Of The Land...........................................................................................78

Generosity........................................................................................................................ 78

Making Use Of Connections............................................................................................ 79

Return The Favor.............................................................................................................. 79

The Good And Bad Sides To Comping A Drink.................................................................. 80

The Pros............................................................................................................................80

The Cons.......................................................................................................................... 81

Drinking On The Job............................................................................................................82

Sometimes Things Go Wrong.......................................................................................... 83

Handling Disasters............................................................................................................... 83

The Ice Machine Breaks................................................................................................... 84

The Dishwashing Machine Breaks....................................................................................84

Vomit In The Ice Machine.................................................................................................85

Broken Glass In The Bar Well........................................................................................... 85

The Stereo Stops Working............................................................................................... 85

You Run Out Of… Anything............................................................................................. 86

Keep The Job Interesting.................................................................................................... 86

Change Up The Music......................................................................................................87

Talk To Everyone...............................................................................................................88

Invent New Drinks............................................................................................................ 88

Learn Everything...............................................................................................................89

Change Where You Work................................................................................................. 89

Moving Up To High End Bars...............................................................................................89

The Club Scene................................................................................................................ 90

The Classy Joints.............................................................................................................. 90

The Big Tips......................................................................................................................91

PART III: Making Drinks.................................................................................................. 93

Organizing Your Well............................................................................................................93

The Drink Making Process................................................................................................... 94

Muddling ......................................................................................................................... 94

Sugaring Or Salting A Rim............................................................................................... 95

Garnish............................................................................................................................. 96

Floating.............................................................................................................................96

Shots ................................................................................................................................97

Shaken Drinks................................................................................................................... 97

Stirred Drinks.................................................................................................................... 98

Building A Drink In A Glass.............................................................................................. 98

Pouring A Beer................................................................................................................. 99

Champagne....................................................................................................................100

Wine............................................................................................................................... 100

Brandy............................................................................................................................ 100

A Few Random Tips....................................................................................................... 100

Flair Bartending.............................................................................................................. 101

Know Your Liquors............................................................................................................. 102

Whiskey.......................................................................................................................... 102

Gin.................................................................................................................................. 103

Tequila............................................................................................................................ 104

Rum.................................................................................................................................104

Vodka..............................................................................................................................105

Brandy............................................................................................................................ 105

Liqueurs.......................................................................................................................... 105

The Art Of The Upsell........................................................................................................ 107

The Power Of Suggestion.............................................................................................. 107

Why Upsell?....................................................................................................................109

Infusing Liquors.................................................................................................................. 110

Absinthe............................................................................................................................. 111

Traditional Preparation................................................................................................... 112

The Czech Technique..................................................................................................... 112

Absinthe Cocktails..........................................................................................................113

Know Your Beer..................................................................................................................114

Lager...............................................................................................................................115

Ales.................................................................................................................................115

Pale Ale...........................................................................................................................116

India Pale Ale..................................................................................................................116

Bitter............................................................................................................................... 116

Porter..............................................................................................................................116

Stout............................................................................................................................... 116

Know Your Wine................................................................................................................. 116

Red Wines...........................................................................................................................117

Cabernet Sauvignon ......................................................................................................117

Merlot ............................................................................................................................ 117

Pinot Noir ...................................................................................................................... 118

Syrah ..............................................................................................................................118

White Wine......................................................................................................................... 118

Chardonnay ................................................................................................................... 118

Gewürztraminer ............................................................................................................. 118

Riesling .......................................................................................................................... 118

Sauvignon Blanc............................................................................................................. 118

Bar Glossary....................................................................................................................... 119

Glassware........................................................................................................................... 125

A Few Drinks Every Bartender Should Know....................................................................126

Bloody Mary................................................................................................................... 127

Cosmopolitan ................................................................................................................ 127

Gin Gimlet...................................................................................................................... 127

Long Island Iced Tea...................................................................................................... 128

Manhattan...................................................................................................................... 128

Margarita (basic)............................................................................................................. 128

Martini.............................................................................................................................128

Mojito............................................................................................................................. 129

Old Fashioned................................................................................................................129

Screwdriver..................................................................................................................... 129

Sidecar............................................................................................................................129

Tequila Sunrise................................................................................................................130

Tom Collins..................................................................................................................... 130

Whiskey Sour.................................................................................................................. 130

White Russian................................................................................................................. 130

Exotic Drinks...................................................................................................................... 131

Brandy Alexander...........................................................................................................131

Champagne Cocktail......................................................................................................131

Daiquiri........................................................................................................................... 131

Espresso Martini............................................................................................................. 132

French 75........................................................................................................................132

Hurricane........................................................................................................................ 132

Kamikaze........................................................................................................................ 132

Lemon Drop................................................................................................................... 132

Mai Tai............................................................................................................................ 133

Piña Colada.................................................................................................................... 133

Negroni...........................................................................................................................133

Rusty Nail........................................................................................................................134

Zombie........................................................................................................................... 134

Shots And Shooters .......................................................................................................... 134

Alabama Slamma'...........................................................................................................135

B-52................................................................................................................................ 135

Blowjob...........................................................................................................................135

Boilermaker.................................................................................................................... 135

Chocolate Cake .............................................................................................................135

Flaming Dr. Pepper........................................................................................................ 136

Fourth Of July.................................................................................................................136

Irish Car Bomb................................................................................................................136

Kamikaze........................................................................................................................ 136

Liquid Cocaine............................................................................................................... 137

M&M...............................................................................................................................137

Melon Ball.......................................................................................................................137

Oatmeal Cookie............................................................................................................. 137

Redheaded Slut..............................................................................................................137

Touchdown..................................................................................................................... 138

Washington Red Apple.................................................................................................. 138

Conclusion................................................................................................................... 140

A Crash Course Through The World Of Bartending......................................................... 140

Getting Hired..................................................................................................................... 140

Learn To Be The Best......................................................................................................... 141

Learn To Handle Difficult Situations.................................................................................. 142

Never Stop Moving............................................................................................................142

When To Walk Away...........................................................................................................143

Have A Life Outside The Bar............................................................................................. 144

Closing Thoughts............................................................................................................... 144