Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Mastering Your Craft...1 A Little About Me...3 PART I: Becoming a Bartender... 6 Qualities Of A Good Bartender... 6 Speed... 6 Skill At Multitasking... 7 Good Memory... 7 Patience... 8 Strong Math Skills...9 Sound Knowledge Of Booze...9 An Understanding Of Where You Live... 10 Cleanliness And Grooming... 10 At Least Some Physical Strength...10 Conversational Skills And Charm... 10 Life Of A Bartender...11 Part Of The Team... 12 Let The Good Times Roll...12 Watching The Money Roll In... 13 How Much Does A Bartender Make?...14 No Really, How Much Does A Bartender Actually Make?...15 Are You Old Enough To Bartend?...16 The Scoop On Bartending School... 18 What You'll Learn During Bartending Training...18 What Does Bartending School Cost?...19 Is Bartending School Really Necessary?... 19 The Best Alternative To Bartending School... 21 The Basics Of Bartending...21 Practice Your Pour... 22 Get An Eye For Shots...22 Three Straining Techniques... 23 Beware Of Mixologists... 24 Liquor Certification... 25
Bartending Laws...25 Building A Bartending Resume... 28 Keep It Organized... 29 Header...29 Education...30 Work Experience... 30 Special Skills And Languages...32 References And Objectives (And Why You Don't Need 'Em)...32 The Job Search...34 Consider Your Personality... 34 Who Do You Know?...35 When You Don't Know Anyone...35 Using Craigslist Effectively... 38 Set Yourself Apart...38 Compensation... 40 Remember To Log Off...40 Consider Event And Charity Bartending...41 Acing The Interview... 43 Dress For The Part...43 First Impressions...44 Answering Questions... 45 Attitude Is Everything...46 When Things Don't Go Your Way... 47 Advice On Your First Job... 47 On Your First Day... 48 Know When To Ask For Help... 49 Make It Up As You Go... 49 Learn To Check Your Stock...50 Always Count Out A Customer's Change...50 Stay Sober... 51 Learn To Use Two Hands... 51 Never Make One Drink At A Time... 51 Don't Scoop Ice With The Glass... 52 Communicate Your Presence... 52 Stay Positive... 52 PART II: Being a Bartender... 55 Be The Bartender Everyone Loves... 55 Leader Of The Pack...55
Lose The Attitude...56 Don't Be Stingy... 56 Get To Know Your Customers... 57 Over Service... 58 Life Of The Party...59 When You're Off The Clock...59 Dealing With Drunks... 60 The Over-Enthusiastic Partier Drunk... 60 The Creepy Drunk... 61 The Violent Drunk...63 The Creepy-Violent Drunk...64 Taking Charge Of The Situation...67 Wrangling A Taxi... 67 Make The Call...68 Improving Your Tips... 69 Put A Little Oomph In Each Drink... 69 Remember Everything You Can About Your Customers...69 Avoid Eavesdropping...70 Don't Talk About Your Problems... 70 Provide Endless Entertainment... 71 Never Have An Opinion On Anything... 71 Go For The Good Shifts... 72 Handling Poor Tippers... 73 Don't Be A Poor Sport...73 Sometimes You Simply Need To Ask... 75 What If You're Doing Something Wrong?...75 Be Realistic, Be Forgiving...76 Sleeping With Customers... 76 Establishing Your Presence... 77 Getting The Lay Of The Land...78 Generosity... 78 Making Use Of Connections... 79 Return The Favor... 79 The Good And Bad Sides To Comping A Drink... 80 The Pros...80 The Cons... 81 Drinking On The Job...82
Sometimes Things Go Wrong... 83 Handling Disasters... 83 The Ice Machine Breaks... 84 The Dishwashing Machine Breaks...84 Vomit In The Ice Machine...85 Broken Glass In The Bar Well... 85 The Stereo Stops Working... 85 You Run Out Of Anything... 86 Keep The Job Interesting... 86 Change Up The Music...87 Talk To Everyone...88 Invent New Drinks... 88 Learn Everything...89 Change Where You Work... 89 Moving Up To High End Bars...89 The Club Scene... 90 The Classy Joints... 90 The Big Tips...91 PART III: Making Drinks... 93 Organizing Your Well...93 The Drink Making Process... 94 Muddling... 94 Sugaring Or Salting A Rim... 95 Garnish... 96 Floating...96 Shots...97 Shaken Drinks... 97 Stirred Drinks... 98 Building A Drink In A Glass... 98 Pouring A Beer... 99 Champagne...100 Wine... 100 Brandy... 100 A Few Random Tips... 100 Flair Bartending... 101 Know Your Liquors... 102 Whiskey... 102
Gin... 103 Tequila... 104 Rum...104 Vodka...105 Brandy... 105 Liqueurs... 105 The Art Of The Upsell... 107 The Power Of Suggestion... 107 Why Upsell?...109 Infusing Liquors... 110 Absinthe... 111 Traditional Preparation... 112 The Czech Technique... 112 Absinthe Cocktails...113 Know Your Beer...114 Lager...115 Ales...115 Pale Ale...116 India Pale Ale...116 Bitter... 116 Porter...116 Stout... 116 Know Your Wine... 116 Red Wines...117 Cabernet Sauvignon...117 Merlot... 117 Pinot Noir... 118 Syrah...118 White Wine... 118 Chardonnay... 118 Gewürztraminer... 118 Riesling... 118 Sauvignon Blanc... 118 Bar Glossary... 119 Glassware... 125 A Few Drinks Every Bartender Should Know...126
Bloody Mary... 127 Cosmopolitan... 127 Gin Gimlet... 127 Long Island Iced Tea... 128 Manhattan... 128 Margarita (basic)... 128 Martini...128 Mojito... 129 Old Fashioned...129 Screwdriver... 129 Sidecar...129 Tequila Sunrise...130 Tom Collins... 130 Whiskey Sour... 130 White Russian... 130 Exotic Drinks... 131 Brandy Alexander...131 Champagne Cocktail...131 Daiquiri... 131 Espresso Martini... 132 French 75...132 Hurricane... 132 Kamikaze... 132 Lemon Drop... 132 Mai Tai... 133 Piña Colada... 133 Negroni...133 Rusty Nail...134 Zombie... 134 Shots And Shooters... 134 Alabama Slamma'...135 B-52... 135 Blowjob...135 Boilermaker... 135 Chocolate Cake...135 Flaming Dr. Pepper... 136 Fourth Of July...136 Irish Car Bomb...136 Kamikaze... 136 Liquid Cocaine... 137 M&M...137
Melon Ball...137 Oatmeal Cookie... 137 Redheaded Slut...137 Touchdown... 138 Washington Red Apple... 138 Conclusion... 140 A Crash Course Through The World Of Bartending... 140 Getting Hired... 140 Learn To Be The Best... 141 Learn To Handle Difficult Situations... 142 Never Stop Moving...142 When To Walk Away...143 Have A Life Outside The Bar... 144 Closing Thoughts... 144