Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: lasersailor184 on January 24, 2006, 04:07:35 PM
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Anyone know anything about bartending? I'm looking to pick it up. The problem is how would I learn?
I've been doing some research. I've seen many different bartending schools out there. Even some do it yourself kits.
However, in talking to a couple of bars in my area it seems that they only promote from within their organization. How does it run most of the time?
Would I be able to find a decent job somewhere only being "Bartender Certified?" Or do most places run like the two bars that hire (and train) from within?
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Originally posted by lasersailor184
Anyone know anything about bartending? I'm looking to pick it up. The problem is how would I learn?
I've been doing some research. I've seen many different bartending schools out there. Even some do it yourself kits.
However, in talking to a couple of bars in my area it seems that they only promote from within their organization. How does it run most of the time?
Would I be able to find a decent job somewhere only being "Bartender Certified?" Or do most places run like the two bars that hire (and train) from within?
My X-GF got a bartending job, when asked if she had experience she said "I have lots of bar experience"
It fuggn worked. She had to literally read from a book how to make the drinks, the old men were too busy starring at her 110lb scandally clad frame to care she was a lousy bartender who made peepee drinks.
Oh yea, my point, she left all her bartending books here, if I find them they are yours. In all fairness to her, it took no time before she was mixing decent drinks... it's not rocket science, the most confusing thing was learning the names of the drinks. As expected, when she asked old men what they wanted, "Sex on the beach" was the crowd favorite.
So the real question to your money making possibilities in this feild is: How big are your boobs?
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Shoot me an email
Soupnazi60@yahoo.com
I began bartendering after attending a bartending school, and paid for college by bartending. Lots of tips and information I have for you.
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If Tom Cruise can do it, anyone can.
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Yet again, rip is my hero.
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There's are gay bar near you that will take you on without experience lazersailor. They will train you... only prob is that you will have to work "topless" wearing one of those black choker bow ties... :lol
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I've worked the bar and the door in a nightcub for a year as an extra income. Lots of work, but excellent pay.
Would never do it again.
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Hey, I would have no problem working a gay bar. As long as there is minimal dancing involved...
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Originally posted by lasersailor184
Yet again, rip is my hero.
*Bow chick a wow wow*
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I was a bartender at the local "Ground Round" for 2 years. They have onsite training, not only for the drink making but all the laws, legislations, etc etc.
It was a good time, I still have the drink recipes guides and such :)
Worst part was shutting people off that had had too much. Management never wanted to be the "bad guy" shutting them off. However another bar in town decided to be "nice" and keep serving a guy, they were promptly sued for the resulting DWI/OUI car accident. The restaurant, bartender and owners all were sued. Fun.
So be aware there's an ugly side to the biz too.
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I replied Laser, probably more information than you wanted :rofl If you follow those tips I gave you, you'll be very successful. I used to earn between $150-$300 on busy nights and that was 1985 dollars(today that would be $250-$500). I had a good mentor though, everything he taught me, I passed onto you in the email.
Good luck!
P.S. Lots of woman to choose from when you bartend, choose carefully, and don't be obvious about it. ;)
P.S.S. Consider it your committment to pass the info that I sent you, onto the next bartender you train....the better staff you work with, the more return customers you'll have...they are your cash cows for tips. Don't try teaching an old bartender (one established) your way of doing business, it will create friction...they will learn from your action, not from your lecture.
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I am actually a teacher at a bar school.
Get the book that looks best, learn the basic drinks and JUMP IN.
No one will really want to hire you with zero experience, so do what you have to do.
Don't get your first job at a high volume bar. It would be a very steep learning curve. Look for a service bar, or a "locals" place that volume and speed is not the issue. Once you feel comfortable, work your way to wherever you want to go.
Tapakeg
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Originally posted by tapakeg
I am actually a teacher at a bar school.
Get the book that looks best, learn the basic drinks and JUMP IN.
No one will really want to hire you with zero experience, so do what you have to do.
Don't get your first job at a high volume bar. It would be a very steep learning curve. Look for a service bar, or a "locals" place that volume and speed is not the issue. Once you feel comfortable, work your way to wherever you want to go.
Tapakeg
Covered all that in my email. :aok I should forward it onto you...I think you and I would agree on all points I made, and you've probably got some that I forgot...whats your email addy?
Edit. NM, sent you the email per your profile.
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Rip, can you send me a copy too?
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Originally posted by moot
Rip, can you send me a copy too?
You email was disabled so I PM'd it to you.
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I might as well post it here:
There is a class here at my school. It costs 125 dollars and runs 10 weeks, 2 hours a night. Unfortunately, this runs the last 10 weeks of the semester.
So I'm looking at this place: http://www.bartendingonline.com/ . They seem to have all their stuff together, but then again I wouldn't know. I'd be looking into getting the middle practice kit and learning all that stuff. I believe I could pick it up fairly quickly, I picked up hypnotism in about a week.
Also, is there a pay for the bartenders other then tips? Or is it just so insignificant that the tips just overshadow it?
I obviously don't think I could pick up the ideal drink from this school, but right now I need to get going quickly, or as quick as possible.
And the last question I can think of, is it worth it to buy the practice kit (left side: practice kits)? Would any size be of any real advantage to me?
And seeing as how I pissed off my aunt for some god unknown reason, I now have to make up a lot of money to just cover tuition. So this information is really pertinent.
Oh, also I got this back from someone who manages a bar in Pittsburgh:
I think those bartending schools are a joke, to be honest - I think you're much better off learning on your own. Good bartending is something you just pick up; those classes teach you nothing but drink recipes, which you can learn yourself. You'd be blowing a few hundred bucks on something you could otherwise get for $2.50 in late fees from your library.
Start small - find a dive bar that doesn't HAVE waiters or waitresses. Most places like that are always looking for someone to cover the slow shifts - Sunday nights, afternoons, whatever. You'll eventually get to work the busier nights, and can spend your days learning to build different drinks, getting to know all the liquors, getting comfortable with the people you work for as well as the clientele, that sort of thing.
Speed and skill is 90% of bartending. It's not about knowing how to make an Alabama Slammer - it's about being able to remember five drink orders at once, how to most quickly get all the drinks made, and basically just how to whip around behind the bar. It takes practice, but eventually you'll be quick enough, skilled enough and have the experience necessary to get a job at a bigger bar, a nightclub, a restaurant, whatever.
I've been looking into picking up bartending. However, I'm getting many answers as to the path to take.
Some people are telling me to look into bartending schools. Some places are telling me that they only train in house bartenders (I.E. train up a waiter / waitress).
What is your experience as to what is required in bars?
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I was a barback for a year and then a bartender for five years at various places. The worst of which was a hotel bar. Constantly dealing with out-of-towners sucks. You can never please them. Everyone wants you to be their favorite bartender from back home.
I think you will learn more as a barback then any class or book can teach you.
Whatever you do, have a drink that you can make fast that will please the "What do you have that's good?" females that will constantly bug you. They are a pain, they don't tip, and you want them to go away as quickly as possible.
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Barback? Is that a bartender who works out of the kitchen?
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Sailer, if you're a good self-teacher, then books are the way to go...but if you're trying to break into the business for the first time, its my belief that they'll more likely give you a chance if they see that you've actually gone out of your way to take a school in Mixology. Thats my 2 cents. The mixology schools teach you more than drink recipes, but the non-tangible result of a school is the will and desire to hire on at an establishment...that speaks volumns when you're interviewing.
Might I suggest self teaching, then go out and try to get a job as a barback, service bar or even bartender? If no luck, then try the schools...my very first job (for 3 weeks) was a bartender for a catering business, the school helped place me in that job, and that job and the school was just enough experience to squeak me into a full time bartending job at a nice establishment.
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Originally posted by lasersailor184
Barback? Is that a bartender who works out of the kitchen?
No, Kitchen bartender is known as a "Service Bartender". Bar back is the guy that keeps your ice bin full, glasses clean, ashtrays empty, "backs up the bartender" when he takes a break, etc. Some bars have them, some don't. Most busy establishments will have them.
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Ok, I think I'll go with the online thing then. Now to just scrounge up some money...
On a side note, after getting a good portion of funding cut off from my aunt for no good reason, I put on some music to calm down. My playlist decided to play "She ****ing Hates Me" by Puddle of Mudd. Sometimes I love my computer...
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Ok, I would ignore the online bar school.
And once again this is coming from a bar school instructor.
Get the best book you can find and start studying.
Learn the basics, margarita's, kamakizies, cosmopolatains, rumncokes, and bud lights.
Knowing how to make these drinks is only the tip of the iceberg. Remember names, be able to make several drinks at once, use both hands, be efficient......cut down on wasted movements when busy. Remember what people drink, know who is in the playoff hunt for any sport. TIPS ARE NOT EXPECTED THEY ARE EARNED!!!!!!
Bad bartenders annoy me to no end. You have to be able to read the customer. Some people want to talk, some dont, no politics, religion, or arm wrestling, PERIOD.
Never watch "Cocktail", never quote "Cocktail", the movie just never happened, just like Caddyshack 2
I've done interviews where people showed me bar school diplomas, nice, but employers want experience.
The post earlier was great. If you can find a job as a barback, great......go for it. The money should be good and you can learn on the job. Before you know it, you will be pouring when the bartender is on break, then BOOM, you have experience.
Go test the waters, throw out some applications. Some places are actually eager to hire people with no experience because you don't have "bad habits"
They want to train you their way.
Some of the corporate places have an excellent bar program.
Chili's, TGIF's (got flair?), and others will teach you and teach you right. Maybe the timing is perfect, maybe they are not hiring. Some only hire within.
In a nutshell, GO, you have the ambition, a little knowledge and on the job training is what you need.
Good luck
Tapakeg
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I should ignore the online school because it's not good? Or because it's not needed?
Also, you said that some employers will ignore bar schools, but want experience. Do I just call around talking to people and ask?
And what would I put on an application if I have nothing?
BTW, I can read people like books. However I cannot remember a name to save my Golly-geen life.
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Originally posted by lasersailor184
BTW, I can read people like books. However I cannot remember a name to save my Golly-geen life.
\
Better to remember them by their drink initially. The name will come naturally. "Hey hiya doing! Rum and coke tonight?"....
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Oh, referring to past drinks. I thought you were talking about remembering what they had been drinking that night. I have no problem remembering things like that.
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Originally posted by lasersailor184
Oh, referring to past drinks. I thought you were talking about remembering what they had been drinking that night. I have no problem remembering things like that.
Right. If they come in often enough, you'll know what they like. If management allows it, comp a drink every now and then, but not consistently or they'll begin to expect that.
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I bartended and DJ'ed for several years at a hotel. I started as relief bartender and worked my way up. The starting base pay is usually pretty low and the tips for male bartenders is definitely less than a female will get, so don't get your hopes up too soon. You will learn how to earn them quick enough.
The online school sounds like nothing more than you would get out of a good bartending book. You need hands-on training.
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I worked as a Barman (worked my way up from the kitchen) at a pub in St. Andrews called the Ardgowan while at college.
I was a terrible bartender as I can't count and so I often got in trouble at high volume times with adding up the tab and making change.
Please keep in mind that tending Bar is hard work (especially on Friday and Saturday evenings) and depending on where you work can actually be dangerous. I had the fun experience of getting taken off guard by a huge drunk I'd cut off, who dragged me bodily across the bar and was about to disconnect my head from my body when an even larger patron and the two other barmen jumped on him. Had he been armed, I'd probably have been in hospital at the very least with a case of GBH.
It's also depressing in the long run, if you work at a local bar, the people you see the most often actually sitting at the bar are your regulars, better than half of them are alcoholics in the process of drinking themselves to death. You'll find that some of them do have interesting stories to tell (unfortunately they tend to forget which one's you've already heard) but others are boring, angry, or just depressing. "Cocktail", it aint.
My advice if you are going to get started is to start with the bar in a chain restaurant where you can get training and back-up and where most of the drink orders will be filled for waitresses. Also you tend to get very few bizzarre cocktail orders at Bennigans so knowing the correct mix for a Harvey Wallbanger won't be as important (incidently its rocks, Vodka, Galliano, OJ, and a twist, I've forgotten the portions). All in all though, I'd say never make bartending your chosen trade unless you really don't have any other options...
- SEAGOON
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i got a cousin that is the #1 bartender in Chico, California (yes, they have a contest).
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BARBACK FIRST!:aok
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Ok, the Barback is starting to sound like the best option right now. Would I ask a chain restaraunt to be a barback right off the start? Or would I aim for a designated bar to actually be a barback?
Seagoon, I would shoot for a construction job (I love hardworking jobs) but my school hours and class times really conflict with when I'd be able to work. I'd just be getting out of class an hour before most places are wrapping up.
I would shoot for a cashier position, but the lack of movement and the monotony almost drove me crazy one summer.
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Originally posted by Ripsnort
I began bartendering after attending a bartending school, and paid for college by bartending. Lots of tips and information I have for you.
The man has layers... many layers. :aok
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Alright bartenders, some questions for you. I'll have more as I come up with them.
In the book I am reading, it explains that Lowball glasses have taken on the nickname "Rocks" glasses. And I accepted this. Throughout the book, they have always used the term "Rocks" to talk about the glass. Suddenly, one of the mixtures asks for a Lowball glass specifically. What's up?
This is the drink called "El Presidente Herminio."
Also, how much ice do I put in a rocks glass? Some recipes specifically ask for Fresh Ice, others ask for "Over Ice". What does this mean?
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Originally posted by tapakeg
I am actually a teacher at a bar school.
Get the book that looks best, learn the basic drinks and JUMP IN.
No one will really want to hire you with zero experience, so do what you have to do.
Don't get your first job at a high volume bar. It would be a very steep learning curve. Look for a service bar, or a "locals" place that volume and speed is not the issue. Once you feel comfortable, work your way to wherever you want to go.
Tapakeg
Another place to look is at hotels and resorts. As a banquet bartender you may have fewer hours but they will be better hours along with better pay. If you get hired at a resort where they do lots of weddings you could make lots in tips since tips are included in the bar service charges....something to check out maybe.
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Originally posted by lasersailor184
Alright bartenders, some questions for you. I'll have more as I come up with them.
In the book I am reading, it explains that Lowball glasses have taken on the nickname "Rocks" glasses. And I accepted this. Throughout the book, they have always used the term "Rocks" to talk about the glass. Suddenly, one of the mixtures asks for a Lowball glass specifically. What's up?
This is the drink called "El Presidente Herminio."
Also, how much ice do I put in a rocks glass? Some recipes specifically ask for Fresh Ice, others ask for "Over Ice". What does this mean?
Don't worry about the glass right now, each restaurant/bar will have their verisons of those types of glasses. The Rocks glass is generally the smallest serving glass outside of your shot glass and cordial glasses. Always fill glass with ice to the top. Alcohol melts it down when you pour. It also makes the drink appear "full" when its straight liquor on the rocks..
As far as that drink goes, never heard of it nor have I ever served it.
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My first job as waiter/bartender started on this Cruise Ship --Sun Princess__
They came in Romania and recruted crew in early "90s, i worked for them 5 years, on diferent ships traveling most of the world, lot of fun and i made good money comparing with post comunist economy in Romania
(http://www.princess.com/ships/sp/images/sp_main.jpg)