Message 19499 of 39188 in General Discussion

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> Now that I've said that, I've got to return to the example I sighted 
> against a popular list a few months ago.  The Mojito is often 
> included on almost every list I've seen.  I know many people who are 
> incredible behind a bar and they most certainly don't know how to 
> make a mojito.  Are you seriously proposing that they must obviously 
> not be bartenders because they don't know a drink that (quite 
> literally) nobody has ever tried to order from them.  Of course I'm 
> exaggerating a little bit with this, but it's not wrong to say that 
> the knowledge is impractical and useless to such a vast portion of 
> the bartenders out there that to descriminate against them is very 
> shortsighted.

I think a mojito is a tricky one for something like this, because how many of 
these different types of venues (beach bar, nightclub, college bar) that we 
are talking about actually stock fresh mint and simple syrup?  If you're 
working in a place where you cannot make the drink then there is really no 
point in knowing exactly how to make a Mojito.  However, if someone does order 
a Mojito and you look like a deer in the headlights and don't even know that 
you can't make it, then I see a problem.  Yeah, if you're a newbie its no big 
deal.  Live and learn.  But if you've been around more than a few months, even 
if you can't make a mojito, you should atleast know that its rum and mint.

But then again, and this is the most important line in my post, these are just 
my opinions.

A mojito would be on my list of 20 must knows.  A year ago it wouldn't have 
been though.  

The way that I look at it is that customers expect the bartender (for the most 
part) to know more about drinks and liquor than the customer.  So we need to 
do a little bit of homework outside of our shift hours.  Just because your bar 
doesn't carry all the small batch bourbons, doesn't mean you shouldn't know 
their names.  So if some guy comes up and asks if we carry Booker's, I can 
say, "No sir, but we do have Knob Creek and Basil Hayden's."

And in my opinion, knowing your stuff like that is part of what makes you 
"incredible behind the bar."  Not just how fast you can whip out bourbon and 
cokes or your flair.  But thats just my view on it.

If I don't reply back to ya, I'm not blowing you off... I have a flight in the 
morning...

Hope everybody has a great Fourth!!!!