Who’s This Guy?
Aloha!
My name is John Carrera and I run The Barcarrera. I currently live in Ewa Beach, Hawaii on the island of Oahu but have lived in London England, Scotland and originally from Houston Texas. I’ve managed to hit about every country and major city in the world over the years but decided to make my home here in Hawaii.
Barcarrera is a bartender’s guide where you will find tips, mixed drink recipes, and information for both beginning and experienced bartenders. The tips are here to help you along the way as you apply, interview, and begin your first bartending job.
Bartending is not an easy job, but it is fun and exciting. You will also find that as you get better, you will be taking home tons of cash for just a few hours of work.
Have a look around and be sure to check out the Bartender’s Guide link at the top to access all of our bartending lessons and articles. And please feel free to let us know what you want to learn by heading over to the contact page. And if you like what you see, please subscribe.
Bar tending: What It Is All About?
You must have come across people offering bar tending service at least once in your life. You may have even been inspired by the often charsimatic and charming person behind the bar to become on yourself. This arena of work is ruled by skilled and talented bartenders.
A Bartender will serve customers a mix variety of drinks such as beer, wine, liquor, coolers and cocktails. They also serve non-alcoholic drinks, alcohol-free beer, juice and sodas. Bartenders are recognized as the primary attractions of bars, taverns, nightclubs, pubs and even at some parties. You might think that a bartender’s job is an easy one, but you are very wrong. A bartender has many duties and responsibilities that may not be visible to the customer or the newly inspired bartender recruit..
Basic Responsibilities
Besides serving drinks, a bartender has to also keep track of the payments from customers and other servers. That is a tough job in a popular bar. Bartenders also bear the responsibility to keep the bar fully stocked, keep ice and garnish at hand. In some small places like taverns they also serve the customers with food. This is sometimes handled by a “bar back” (i.e. the short order cook in the back, bus boy, or the new wanna be bartender that made it on the schedule.
The most important job of a good bartender, the critial job any bartender is “Age Policing”.The bartender has to be sure that everyone that is served is of legal age. Further more, the mixologist also must know when to stop serving when particular customers get too intoxicated. This responsibity often become the back up position to a hired bouncer on weekends nights. Some bartenders may also be assigned the job of cleaning up the crockery, glasses and tables after closing the bar. Although the cleaning duties can be handed off to a bar back for the proper monetary incentives.
Presentation Skills
The bartender should always present himself in a suitable way. The bartender should be properly dressed suiting their bar’s environment. They should be able to make cocktails in an accurate way that would please the customer.Having a passion for liquor and mixing, putting people in a good mood with a little charm, and knowing a vast list of drink recipes. Bartenders should be friendly and should act as a good listener to their customers. This attitude keeps a customer coming back to the same bar. Good bartenders can attract regular customers and those regulars become the “bread and butter” money of the bar keep. You keep them happy, they keep coming back to get happy.
Bartenders should remember favorites of regular customers and occaionally recommend something different or unique. The better a customer feels about the bartender, the more tips and higher tips they get.
Juggling skills is always a plus as well, as it can add appeal and be used as an attraction for the bar. This can be done with the glasses and bottles. Having this extra flare will bring more attention (meaning more paying & tipping customers.). Take the time to know the bottles and glasses, their shapes and weights, fill the empties with water and practice with those. The Owner and Mangers will be greatful for your forethough. Adding fire to a nice bar juggling routine is a sure to bring in the big tips.