Bartending
December 05, 2005
Last weekend while bartending, I figured out a few things. First, I believe I'm a pretty good hotel bartender. I'm sure there's a difference between working at a club, a pub, or a hotel. At most clubs tenders are just trying to make and serve as many drinks as possible. Thus, I don't think the quality of the drink is very important. I'd do fine at a pub, but being that the majority of the drinks you serve will be beer, I wouldn't have as much fun as I would mixing. In a hotel, especially an upscale one like the one I work in, quality is important. Plus I get to make a lot of fun drinks like cosmos, martinis, margaritas, and so forth.
The other thing I figured out is what kind of a bartender I am. I'm relaxed, I'm fast, but most of all I'm friendly and easy to speak with. All of those traits probably sound like the typical bartender. But there are many different styles. I know a guy who doesn't talk much and takes his time. Another bartender has a lot of cheesy one-liners to amuse the customer, but is very proper and formal. He would never talk to customers the way I do, even if I would only do it after serving drinks to that person all night.
The final thing I learned is that simply by being professional and friendly, and of course by being myself I am able to procure a lot more tips than my fellow bartenders. I believe I've gotten the hang of getting tips. Proof? In about 9 hours of bartending this weekend, I made $270 in tips. I know I've still got to perfect some drinks, but overall I think I've got the hang of 90% of the drinks I serve.