First things first. Hold the bottle by the neck. This will keep your hand
much closer to your pourer and give you more control. As for pouring, it's
all in the wrist and learning to keep the spout over the glass. keep working
on it. The first drink I ever poured in my bar ended up with more liquor on
the bar then in the glass. Luckily, I was making the drink for the owner and
she thought it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen.
> Well I signed on to a bartending crew for a catering company. I am
> super nervous, it's in a very nice hotel for my first gig. Likely a
> xmas party. I am nervous because this will be my first time, I won't
> know the enviroment or the people I work with. Also I never went to
> bartending school, so the bits I do know are just self taught things.
> I have a few stupid questions:
>
> I have seen people fill an old fashioned up with coke before, is that
> normal?
no
> What is the real difference between, 7up, soda water, tonic water and
> carbonated water?
7up- lemon lime flavored soda. It has flavoring and sugar.
Soda water/carbonated water- As far as I know these would be the same thing.
I haven't heard a reference to carbonated water since I was like 10
Tonic- carbonated water flavored with fruit extracts, sugar and quinine.
> Do I use a cocktail glass for a manhattan, however I've seen people
> use like an old fashioned glass or tumbler.
Cocktail glass unless it's on the rocks. Then an old fasioned glass or
tumbler. I prefer them all in a low glass, but i'm not a fan of the cocktail
glass.
> Do you use the shaker to mix/stir/drain everything, or is there a
> time you can just throw the stuff in a glass?
No, most highballs can be made in the glass. As a basic rule, if it is
carbonated, it can be made in a glass. There are exceptions both ways though.
> For wine, you pour only 1/2 glass right? And when finishing you
> twist the bottle slightly to avoid drip?
5 Ounces. Depending on the glass this may be more or less then half the glass.
I don't know much about wine, so I may be wrong here.
> I think that is it for now. Any additional tips you can offer that
> would be awesome!
The best advice I could give you would be to have fun, don't worry about
making mistakes (it happens), and when you feel comfortable; develope your own
style.
modnar