Katrina,
regardless of the squabble that cheryl and swizzle seem to be having... I work
in a very busy bar and the barback is respected as highly as our top
bartenders. Without a decent barback a bar grinds to a halt. The barbacks
duties are to ensure that the service never skips a beat, they change barrels,
restock ice wells, replace stock, and ensure that the customer never has to
wait because the bartender is ill-equipped. To suggest that a barback is there
because the bartender is lazy is really a quip towards managers who aren't
getting the most out of their staff. Our head barback knows the cocktail list
inside out and knows far more than our most experienced mixologist about the
running of a bar. For this reason he is well paid and held in high esteem. One
thing which annoys me is when people seem to think that unless you're flirting
with customers, juggling bottles and giving the banter then you're worthless.
The barback is the backbone of a well managed bar. All of the staff within our
bar have to barback to begin with and once they're ready to serve on the bar
still do at least one shift per week as barback because it helps you know what
is happening on the bar at all times... including head bartenders and managers.
don't be afraid of being a barback, worry more that you're employers know
the worth of all positions and you'll learn more than just memorising a
cocktail list.