The Responsibilities Of a Professional Bartender
Sunday, March 29th, 2009The definition of a professional bartender is someone who is behind a licensed bar serving beverages to customers. Bartenders can be found in many places, some examples of where you might find a bartender at are taverns or pubs, clubs, private parties, restaurants, basically anywhere that there is a bar and alcohol.
The bartenders main duty is to mix and serves drinks, and the majority of drinks a bartender is making contain alcohol, such as beer, wine, liquor, liqueur, coolers and cocktails. They also serve water, juice, soda and other non-alcoholic beverages for customers who do not wish to drink alcohol such as a designated driver or a non drinker.
As well as make and serve drinks, the bartender is also responsible for taking payment for drinks, in some cases (either from customers, waiters or waitresses), keeping the liquor supplies and glassware stocked, keeping the bar area clean, maintaining enough ice and garnishes on hand and serving food to customers sitting at the bar, if the bar offers food for sale.
In most scenarios, the bartender is expected to dress appropriately to add to the atmosphere of the bar. In some establishments, the bar tender might participate in flair bar tending, which contributes to the entertainment in the bar.
What makes a professional bartender is the ability to be able to make hundreds of shots and drinks right off the bat. A customer should not have to wait while you are searching in a recipe book for the ingredients on how to make a long island iced tea, you will lose customers that way and also lose your tip more than likely .
Another must from a bartender, especially you are working in a pub or tavern, will be your people skills. It is very important to interact with your customers. The better you try and serve your customers and interact with them, the more likely they are to return, and not only that the more money you will make overall.
There are some places where minors are allowed into the bar, so it is crucial that the bartender checks identification cards to ensure they are at the legal drinking age if someone tries to order a drink. If you think there is any chance that the person may be underage, it is always recommended to check for proper identification.
So there is much more to being a bartender than just serving alcohol as you can see. The most important thing you must do well is your people skills since the majority of bartenders work for tips. The better people skills you have the more money you will see coming in.