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 Message 10028 of 22774 in Behind the Bar
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Subject: Re: So I'm going to Bartending Academy....question...
From: Mister2
Posted: Thu Dec 22. 2005, 05:10 UTC
Followup to: "Re: So I'm going to Bartending Academy....question..."  by Tooney  (Thu Dec 22. 2005, 02:14 UTC)
> When you graduate do not go straight into bartending. Look for a bar 
> backing job and work your way up. You will get out what you put in. 
> The harder you work and the more knowledge you acquire the faster you 
> will rise. Simple as that.
> 
> Bar backing is very hard and some will treat you like shit. But 
> remember that some of it is mind games - when you are working the 
> floor and watching the bartenders strut their stuff a small part of 
> the idea is to increase your determination and make you work harder 
> for it.

I've never seen a bartender mistreat a barback, at least a good one - good 
barbacks are generally thought highly of, as they're so rare.

I'll repeat the comments about being willing to work from the bottom up.  
Barbacking is better at training you to be behind the bar, serving is better 
at training you how to handle customers.  Both will teach you consolidation 
and a good work ethic, if you allow them to.

While I won't speak ill of bartending schools in general (and I hope yours 
turns out to be very good), the things that should be emphasized, IMHO, would 
include the following:

What you learn in class is NOT everything you need to know behind the bar, 
some can only be taught by experience.
How to pour properly and accurately.
The basics of mixing drinks - how various alcohols and mixers affect one 
another, and how various serving techniques differ.
How to handle a customer, and how to keep a proper bartop.

If you walk in and find out that 90% of what they're doing is making you 
memorize recipes, I'd ask for a refund.  A good bartender will know a large 
number of recipes, easily in the hundreds - but it isn't the foundation of 
bartending.  Being able to work quickly, accurately, cleanly, and with a large 
amount of perceived attentiveness towards the customer are VASTLY more 
important.


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