If we approach the issue of mixing cocktails at home in more detail, then first I would advise looking through the literature on the bar business. For example, a beginner just needs to read “The Bartender's Bible” and “IMBIBE” by David Wondrich. Firstly, it will help you better understand what you are mixing your drink with and what you should get in the end. Secondly, it's very interesting.
Ninety-five percent of what is and what will be has already been invented. And the unique cocktails that fall into the remaining 5% are a small miracle and, as a rule, an accident. But those who do nothing don’t even have accidents.
Tools play one of the important roles in preparing cocktails. They are an extension of the bartender's hands.
All you need for a good result: a convenient and reliable shaker, a mixing glass, a bar spoon, a strainer, a fine strainer and, of course, good ice (large square ice from an ice maker).
When choosing equipment, the rule “expensive - high quality” does not always work.
Shaker - the main symbol of bartending artWhen choosing a shaker, try squeezing the open part with your hand. If the metal bends too much, the shaker will soon begin to leak. The glasses should fit tightly into each other and open easily when hit correctly.
Due to the transparency of the mixing glass, you can always see what is being produced The mixing glass should be made of durable, thick glass. You can choose iron, but it is not very convenient and aesthetically pleasing.
The whole grace of preparing a drink in a glass glass is that you can see the drink, you can see that nothing unnecessary has gotten into it.
The main purpose of a bar spoon is to reach the bottom of the barware, which is why it is long When choosing a spoon, it is enough to make sure that everything is in order with its center of gravity and that it fits comfortably in your hand. The rest is a matter of taste.
A strainer (English strainer - “filter”, “sieve”) is a tool that sifts out large particles of ice or pieces of fruit when the bartender pours a cocktail from a shaker into a glass.
There are two types of strainers:
- Julep strainer (without spring at the edges). It was invented before the invention of straws for drinking from glasses filled with crushed ice.
- A regular strainer with a spring.
They are all good. Which one to choose is a matter of taste.
Julep strainer and fine strainer Fine strainer
In fact, this is an ordinary strainer; even one from a hardware store can work. However, the smaller the holes, the better.
Mixing technique
Drinks without the acidic part (usually lemon or lime juice) - Negroni or Americano, Arno or Bijou - are easy to mix in a glass. Just pour the ingredients into a glass, add ice and stir. Then simply pour from the ice into a chilled glass or drink with ice - it’s a matter of taste.
But, whatever one may say, you can’t mix a good drink without a shaker and ice. There are two main mixing techniques - shake and stir. Everything else - blend (beat in a blender), build (pour on ice), layer (put in layers) - echoes of either a club or a beach party.
Shake
The bartender pours the cheaper ingredients first. If he makes a mistake, the mistake will cost less.
Once the ingredients are in the shaker, you can add ice. The shaker should be full of ice - this way the drink will be less diluted with water.
How more ice in a glass, the slower it will melt and the less water there will be.
After intensively whisking the drink for 3-6 seconds, it must be filtered from the used ice into a chilled glass using a strainer. Maybe the shaker had fruit, mint, basil, etc. The glass should contain a beautiful, clean drink.
Steer
Same story: ingredients, ice, stirring, filter.
ELEPHANT
If you are making yourself a simple mix, there is a funny ELEPHANT club rule: glass, ice, base, filler.
The strong part (base) is poured first onto the ice to smooth out roughness and alcohol content. Since mixed drinks use inexpensive alcohol, it is usually odorous, pungent, and alcoholic. Two or three ingredients do not mix properly, so the alcohol needs to be smoothed, cooled.
Proportions and structure
The word “cocktail” (English cocktail - “rooster tail”), if you really dig deep, is just a small category of mixed drinks.
A cocktail is a strong part, a sweet part, a bitter part, and water or soda.
Each drink has its own specific structure or category. There are no more than 15–17 of these structures in the world.
- Daisy: strong part, sweet part in the form of liqueur, sour part. An example of a cocktail with this structure is the Margarita.
- Fizz: strong part, sour part, sweet part, protein and soda. An example of a cocktail with this structure is the Gin Fizz.
- Collins. The only difference from fizz is the absence of protein. An example of a cocktail with this structure is John Collins.
- Sour(usually an egg white drink): a strong part, a sour part and a sweet part. An example of a cocktail with this structure is the Whiskey Sour.
- Martini: A strong piece garnished with a few drops of vermouth.
Any professional bartender can simply substitute the ingredients. It's like putting words into sentences, adding beautiful figures of speech. The rest is a matter of technique and tactics. Tactics here means choosing how well you cook and to whom.
Combinations
When mixing cocktails at home, pay attention to these excellent proven combinations:
- wine, mint and cranberry;
- vodka and basil;
- whiskey and passion fruit;
- amaro (herbal liqueur) and cherries;
- tequila, tomato and celery;
- tequila and orange.
Use not only store-bought syrups, but also homemade syrups for cocktails. This is a whole field for experimentation.
For example, you can make homemade cinnamon syrup from 800 g of sugar, 1 liter of water and 20 g of cinnamon sticks. It is ideal for the Red Neck cocktail (40 ml House bourbon, 20 ml cinnamon syrup, 20 ml sour, 100 ml dry apple cider, 10 g bacon for garnish).
And if 500 g of barberry sweets are poured with 500 ml of water and boiled until liquid, you will get a bright-tasting barberry syrup. We recommend trying “Candy Tree” with it (50 ml vodka, 30 ml homemade barberry syrup, 30 ml lemon juice, 15 ml blackcurrant liqueur, 5 ml pomegranate syrup).
Among the most unusual combinations, I can name our crazy but sophisticated drink “Crusher No. 14”. For this we mixed banana sambuca, passion fruit puree, cream, lemon juice in a shaker and got a new hit.
Cocktail “Crusher No. 14” To recreate this cocktail at home, you will need:
- 50 ml banana sambuca;
- 20 ml passion fruit puree;
- 20 ml cream;
- 20 ml lemon juice;
- 10 ml sugar syrup;
- whipped cream;
- cherry for decoration.
Experiments and cocktail names
To prepare delicious drinks, you need good, proven recipes. You can take classic cocktail recipes as a basis and add something of your own.
It is very important to experiment and try even a product that is obviously unsuccessful. So sometimes very unusual combinations come to mind, which in the end can pleasantly surprise.
There is no exact rule for coming up with a name. It’s easier to make a mental map - everything will fall into place.
For example, we want to celebrate the birthday of the crocodile Gena in Anapa and present him with a cocktail. We are looking for associations with a crocodile, with Anapa, with the sea, with a blue helicopter and ice cream. We collect identical associations from each circle and form a drink. We determine the combining ingredients and sculpt the name.
Most often, the names attract the ears to the ingredients. It's even funny. For example, a spicy drink with ginger “Ostrovsky” or a cocktail with wine “Innocent”.
Everything else is just a play of images and words.
For example, I want the drink to be called “Low Kick”. A cool and fashionable name today, which comes mainly from Thai boxing. A low kick is, as a rule, an invisible blow that, hitting the target two or three times, knocks the opponent off his feet. How to bind it to a drink? It's simple. The drink should be slow-acting, but strong. And then the game of tastes and combinations does its job.
The fact that the continents on the other side of the globe have long been isolated from the influence of Western culture has led to the fact that their achievements in the field of alcohol production are significantly different from ours.
Take, for example, that same tequila. Its taste is very different from everything that people in the West are used to drinking. Undoubtedly, this is what influenced the fact that in quite short term it has become one of the most popular drinks. It is made from agave, mistakenly mistaken for a type of cactus that grows throughout Mexico.
Rum is considered another unique drink of the Northern Hemisphere. He comes from Cuba, a land known for its revolutionary spirit and strict slave laws in the past. It was the slaves who came up with the idea of distilling the remains of the cane in order to obtain a drink that could heal their tired soul. And only many years later, rum became an attribute of pirate adventures and a welcome guest on royal tables.
The most unusual drinks
Among all others, there are types of alcoholic drinks that are distinguished by their unique nature and special charm. In addition to their attachment to the country, they also have their own spirit, which has become a symbol of an entire trend in the alcohol industry.
Thus, absinthe is rightfully considered one of the most extraordinary drinks of our time. This is a bitter infusion of wormwood, which has a pronounced green color, which cannot be confused with anything else. In addition to its high strength, over 50%, it also has hallucinogenic properties that can cause attacks of insanity.
Another special drink is Japanese sake. Even if it is not capable of causing obsessions and dreams, the traditions and rituals that accompany the process of drinking it are worthy of attention.
Finally
Although, the diversity that exists in the world alcoholic drinks and amazes the imagination with its wealth, one thing should be remembered. In reasonable doses, drinking alcohol can give warmth, fun, and a special atmosphere to any event, but if you cross the permitted line, it will take you into the abyss of suffering and lost hopes.
The vacancy of a bartender is not opened as often as a waiter, but it is a fairly popular position, especially during the summer season, when there is more work and not enough people. The profession gradually gains prestige, and they stay in this place much longer. But the problem of selecting a good bartender remains relevant; many even start looking for candidates before... This is what we want to talk about in this article.
And also, in order not to lose sales data, track the highest-margin cocktails, protect yourself from theft, underfilling, and quickly carry out selective inventories, we recommend installing an automation system in your bar. For example, Poster can take 15 days to understand how such accounting systems work and what they are needed for. But let's get back to hiring a bartender.
We asked several questions to our clients - bar owners. We hope that their answers will help aspiring restaurateurs.
Types of bartenders
Conventionally, we can distinguish two types of bartenders that restaurateurs most often meet during interviews and internships: the “silent master” and the “chatterbox.” The first type is a professional, flawlessly mixes the most complex cocktails and knows why certain ingredients are used. But often he lacks communication skills - and the guest can only watch his silent manipulations with the shaker. “Chatterbox” is a bartender who can talk about anything and as much as he wants, but his cocktails come out with a different taste every time. Of course, any experienced bartender has a certain share of skills from each type, but which one he develops more is another question.
When hiring a new bartender, you must evaluate how difficult it will be for you to reach the candidate's potential and how much it will cost you. The ideal situation is when your bartender combines both types, which is what happens if a person grows on your team.
Poster: Which type of bartender suits your establishment better: the “silent master” or the “talker”? Which one do you encounter more often in interviews and internships?
Both the “silent master” and the “talker” are two extremes that harm the establishment in their own way. We are looking for people who can communicate. There are both introverts and extroverts on the team. This diversity matches the diversity of our guests. We do not offer shows or entertainment. We are living people who make cocktails for living people.
We prefer the “master talker” - this is our ideal type of bartender. We didn't have many interviews, we managed to quickly select a team.
Bartender Responsibilities
Here a lot depends on the format of the establishment. There are two types of bars: contact and contactless. With contactless, everything is simple: the bartender prepares drinks and gives them to the waiters to distribute to the tables. It is much more interesting and difficult to work in a contact bar, which is familiar to all of us: with a bar counter, heart-to-heart conversations, etc.
Poster: Do you have a contact or contactless bar? Tell us why you chose this type.
We have the maximum contact bar. Actually, we believe that the whole essence of a bar is communication over a glass of a good drink. AND we're talking about not only about the dialogue “bartender - guest”. At our long bar counter, guests get to know each other, joke, have a great time, and then even become friends. The bar is a meeting place for many. Communication begins with the choice of cocktail and continues at the bar. We talk about everything. Over the two years of work, we have had regular guests - we know what is happening in their lives, we rejoice together, we are sad together, we help each other.
Nina Antoshchenko, co-owner of the Lost & Found bar
We have a contact bar. We initially wanted one because we ourselves like bars like this. You don’t always want to sit at the table, on the couch and drink, especially if you’re on your own. And if you are in a foreign city, even if you are not alone, then, again, sitting at a table can be boring, but in a contact bar you can chat with the bartender at the bar, and see how cocktails are made, and meet someone else . There were very few such establishments in our city; we ourselves lacked such things.
Yaroslav Levitsky, co-owner of Contrabanda Bar
Standard bartender responsibilities set:
Arrive at least half an hour before the start of your shift to prepare the bar for opening, check the balance in the warehouse, the cleanliness of the dishes, etc.
Be careful. Each owner has his own opinion on the style of work clothes, but no matter how holey your jeans are, everything should be clean and fresh.
Fill out invoices, issue invoices. Very often, the bartender has to accept the goods himself; in addition, there is constant work with finances, accepting cash, etc.
Serving customers: greeting, offering and mixing drinks is something every bartender should know.
Requirements for a bartender
In addition to his direct responsibilities - making cocktails and monitoring the bar - he must be an interesting conversationalist and a grateful listener to whom you want to pour out your soul. Customers come to your establishment for a variety of reasons, and the right bar atmosphere means it's okay to show up without company. Here the guest can find solace at the bar when he is lonely and wants to chat with someone. Despite the workload, the bartender must set priorities correctly: pay more attention to someone, understand the situation or problem with which the client came. At the very least, he should definitely leave the bar in better mood, what you came up with - it doesn’t matter whether it was positive or not.
If the bartender demonstratively neglects the client or, even worse, ignores him, then, most likely, this guest will not come to you again. But there is another side, when the bartender intrusively tries to chat with the visitor, but he just came for a drink after a hard day at work and wants to be alone with his glass and thoughts. In such a situation it would be extremely inappropriate attention. The bartender is a psychologist behind the bar, he must feel the mood of the guests, be able to understand after a couple of phrases why they came, and play along with them. If you have such a bartender, then you will be guaranteed a flow of customers. And then all that remains is to sell!
One of the main requirements is the bartender must be able to sell. Thoroughly, at the level of an experienced waiter, understand the menu and be ready to recommend dishes to the guest. Know about all the promotions in the establishment and be able to offer them different types guests.
Poster: What requirements do you set for candidates when hiring? What should a new bartender know?
First of all, the bartender must be a “talker”, because in a contact bar there is no way without this. Desire to work at night: the bar is open from six in the evening to four in the morning, sometimes longer. It is also important to us what a person is interested in, what hobbies he has - the bartender should be an interesting conversationalist. Also a desire to learn and develop in the bar business.
Yaroslav Levitsky, co-owner of Contrabanda Bar
It is very important to understand that a person needs a job outside of the season, that he is really interested in cocktails: how to make them, how to drink them. He knows what he wants. Sociability and adequacy are the main criteria.
Nina Antoshchenko, co-owner of the Lost & Found bar
Poster: What qualities do you think are most important for a bartender?
Communication skills, patience and accuracy.
Nina Antoshchenko, co-owner of the Lost & Found bar
Sociability, adequacy, desire to learn and honesty.
Yaroslav Levitsky, co-owner of Contrabanda Bar
How to find a bartender
First, you should ask if your colleagues have anyone in mind and post the vacancy on your social networks. When hiring a bartender, always check the bartender's reviews. Recommendations are very good, but since you are working with this person, it won’t hurt to check them again. Ask your staff questions: what they think about the quality of their work, how they fit into the team, and how they performed during the internship period. They will be the ones who will be able to give you more objective information than most recommendations from former employers.
Poster: Where do you look for new bartenders for your establishment?
Our establishment is young, so there is no staff turnover. But before the opening, we posted information on social networks and looked at vacancies on job search sites.
Yaroslav Levitsky, co-owner of Contrabanda Bar
We often ask bartenders we know in other establishments. They know what we are looking for. If anyone comes to them looking for a job, they refer them to us. Sometimes they write to us on Facebook. Sometimes our guys bring their friends.
Nina Antoshchenko, co-owner of the Lost & Found bar
Questions for a bartender during an interview
Be sure to ask the future bartender to describe the environment at his previous workplace. You need to understand how similar his previous bar is to yours. Perhaps this type of establishment is radically different, and the bartender will have to get used to working with a different audience for quite a long time. Do not hesitate to ask tricky questions to the bartender when hiring him, he should answer any question, your guests can ask him anything.
In addition to standard interview questions, be sure to ask your potential employee the following questions:
How will you behave with a guest who has had too much to drink?
What will you talk about with a guest if he is upset or in a bad mood?
Let's say you have a conflict with a colleague. How will you solve it in a work environment?
Tell us about the history of this cocktail.
Bartender certification in practice
An internship is almost always a must when hiring a new bartender, unless you are completely confident in the candidate or it is an old employee who has not worked for you for some time. Each establishment has its own approach to testing bartenders, internship conditions, etc. For small bars this period is about a week, because in a small team it becomes clear quite quickly whether a person is suitable or not. In network institutions, the internship period can last up to several months, very often with a gradual increase in salary.
Poster: How long is the internship and how does it work? How quickly do you make a decision about hiring a new employee?
The internship lasts from three days to a week. The trainee goes to work with the regular shift and works with them, one might say, as the third bartender on the shift. If we see that he works well, talks with guests, finds mutual language with employees, then we take him into the team.
Yaroslav Levitsky, co-owner of Contrabanda Bar
This is all very individual. We only trained our last bartender for four shifts, then we made a positive decision.
Nina Antoshchenko, co-owner of the Lost & Found bar
Bartender salary
Poster: What does your bartenders' salary consist of? How else do you motivate bartenders?
The salary consists of the shift rate and tips, which employees divide equally. Our motivation is good attitude to a person.
Yaroslav Levitsky, co-owner of Contrabanda Bar
There is a rate, a percentage of the profit (in fact, each bartender is a co-owner of the establishment) and a tip. We keep them engaged in their work. Also, each bartender has a personal discount of 50% on cocktails in the establishment. For the bar's birthday, we all take a week's vacation and leave the city - last year to the Carpathians, and now we want to go abroad.
Nina Antoshchenko, co-owner of the Lost & Found bar
How to control a bartender
Theft and underfilling are the most serious and common sins of bartenders. It’s good when you have a small establishment and you can personally monitor the work of the staff and know. But what happens when you don't keep your finger on the pulse?
The simplest and effective method - bar inventory.
Poster: How often do you inventory your bar? What is required from the bartender at this moment?
We try to do it every two weeks. Although it happens differently. The bartender is required to weigh the bottles, enter the weight into the table we have already created, in which we then get the balance.
Nina Antoshchenko, co-owner of the Lost & Found bar
We take inventory once a week, when the shift changes. Bartenders must wash all the dishes in the bar and all equipment. Take into account broken dishes. Remove the bar counter, shelves, floor behind the bar, also all lamps, hood and hard-to-reach places in the bar (for example, horns on the wall). Measure the amount of alcohol in the bottles and the amount of food needed.
Yaroslav Levitsky, co-owner of Contrabanda Bar
Poster: How else do you supervise the bartenders?
We have excellent and responsible guys, and they don’t need much control. But still, during a shift change, one of the bar’s co-owners is present.
Yaroslav Levitsky, co-owner of Contrabanda Bar
We put specific tasks, then opening and closing shifts. The guys are quite autonomous, everyone understands that we are one team.
Nina Antoshchenko, co-owner of the Lost & Found bar
experience
Poster: How important is work experience?
Not important at all. Everything can be taught, if the candidate had a desire to become a bartender, but you can’t teach communication - this is the most difficult thing.
Nina Antoshchenko, co-owner of the Lost & Found bar
Experience is important, but, as our practice has shown, a bartender with a year of experience can give a head start to colleagues with many times more experience. But still, an experienced bartender with extensive experience working in an alcoholic bar is a valuable personnel. The bar will be supported on it.
Yaroslav Levitsky, co-owner of Contrabanda Bar
Conclusion
It is very difficult for a restaurateur to control all the staff and be in all places at once. But nevertheless, you need to watch how the new bartender works - you should not shift this to your senior bartender or head bartender. You yourself must form an opinion about the person and the level of his skills, and only then supplement it with third-party reviews.
Poster: What are the most common problems you have with bartenders and how do you solve them?
Probably moral fatigue from the routine. To maintain engagement, you need to provide interesting challenges.
Yaroslav Levitsky, co-owner of Contrabanda Bar
So far we have not had any problems in our team. There was only one case when one of the employees came to the bar with friends on his day off and had a little too much. Everything turned out to be a warning conversation. After this incident, we have a rule in our bar: actively drinking in the establishment is prohibited for employees. No one will object to a beer or a cocktail, but if you want more, then there are other establishments for this.
Nina Antoshchenko, co-owner of the Lost & Found bar
Remember to monitor the amount of alcoholic drinks and use the right one. If you notice that a certain type of drink is disappearing from the bar's shelves, check through your accounting system who sold that drink and how much. For example, you can easily track write-offs from the warehouse and actual sales by receipts. Found any inconsistencies? Then you should talk to the bartender directly.
The sooner you realize if your staff is stealing, the less you will lose. Do not agree to compromises in the form of a built-in percentage for write-offs; it is better to motivate bartenders with a good percentage of sales, then there will be no point in them stealing.
23 tips for aspiring bartenders:
Cocktails are served on a variety of occasions. They are usually a mixture of several compositions strong drinks, complementing one another; most of them are multicolored and justify the origin of the term: "cocktail" - in English means "cocktail". Often the ratio between the drinks included in a cocktail can be arbitrary, depending on taste and desire, as well as the availability of starting products.
What do you need to prepare a cocktail masterpiece?
Need to know:
First, the difference between one type of alcohol and another;
Secondly, the names and recipes of classic mixed drinks;
Thirdly, how and in what glasses to serve them;
Fourthly, how to translate one measure into another.
1. Wash dishes immediately after using them. It is better to do this either with plain hot water or with detergents, but never soap. Always keep two clean towels on hand: one for drying dishes, one for polishing. When applying shine, hold the glass against the light. This way you control cleanliness and, at the same time, make a strong impression on visitors with your attitude towards hygiene.
2. It’s best to clean the bar counter once a week. linseed oil, and daily - with water and soda, then wipe dry with a clean cloth.
3. A weak solution of lemon juice or ammonia V warm water Removes stains and layers left on the mirror by dust and cigarette smoke. Wipe and shine paper napkins- then there will be no fibers left on the mirror.
4. The bar shelves should not be empty. By putting all your empty bottles in one drawer, you can easily see what needs to be added to your bar stock at the end of the day.
5. Freshly cut fruits will retain their freshness if they are stored in the refrigerator in plastic bags. When peeling lemons and oranges, remove the white, bitter substance just under the skin. Never use spoiled fruit for cutting. Cover cut fruits after removing them from the refrigerator. wet wipe- this will keep them fresh.
6. Lemon mixture (sour) can be prepared in advance. To do this, mix 3 parts fresh lemon juice with 1 part simple syrup. For every 750 ml of this mixture, add 1 egg white and mix everything together.
7. Remember that the most The right way making a drink is the way that the visitor likes, even if the drink he ordered is prepared completely differently.
8. If a visitor orders a drink exactly according to the brand of a particular alcohol, place a bottle in front of him before starting to prepare the mixture.
9. Silently replace spilled or unsatisfactory drinks.
10. It is always better to pour a few drops into the liquid being measured than not to add at all. If, after mixing and filling the visitor's glass, there is still some of the drink left in the vessel, do not pour it out; After your guest has finished their cocktail, top up their glass as a courtesy.
11. Shake cocktails vigorously, but not for long, otherwise the ice will dilute the drink. As soon as the outside of the shaker becomes frosty, stop shaking.
12. Don’t try to save on the ingredients of drinks: good alcohol gives good drinks. The visitor cannot be expected to notice the difference.
13. If you need to fill several glasses from one shaker, place them in a line so that their edges touch. Moving the shaker back and forth will distribute the drink evenly.
14. To cool the glass, you need to fill it with ice shavings or put it in the freezer for a few minutes. To warm up a glass, you need to fill it with hot water, wait 1-2 minutes and pour it out.
15. To fill a glass with layers and not mix them, you need to pour the desired liquid along the handle of a teaspoon, slightly touching the surface of the drink already poured into the glass.
16. Simple syrup should be prepared in advance to save time.
Hot method: dissolve 0.5 kg of sugar in 0.5 liter of water, boil the solution for 3 minutes and cool. Cold method: Gradually pour 0.5 kg of sugar into 0.5 liters of cold water, shaking vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved.
17. Lemons and oranges are cut like this: 1 centimeter is cut off from both ends, then the fruit is cut in half lengthwise and then into slices 0.5 cm thick. If the recipe calls for a corner of a green lemon, cut it lengthwise into 4-8 pieces.
18. Impurities in alcohol (plain water, soda water and tonic water) are introduced into alcohol, and not vice versa.
19. Fruit juices (except tomato, cranberry or green lemon juice) should be used fresh or frozen, never canned.
20. Always store cherries and olives in their own juice in a sealed container. Rinse olives in water before using.
21. Install a large funnel in the sink sink and pour the remaining cocktails into it: pieces of fruit will get stuck in the nose of the funnel and be removed as it fills, the ice will slowly melt and flow into the pipe without cooling washing water.
22. Serve the ladies first. Single visitors have priority over groups of two or more people.
23. Try to remember the favorite drinks of bar regulars.
1. LEARN THE HISTORY OF BEVERAGES
You can often meet bartenders who prepare only those cocktails that are on the menu of the establishment where they specialize. This is wrong. The bartender must know and be able to prepare a classic cocktail for everyone, since the classics are drunk all over the world. And if a guest comes to your bar and wants to order, for example, a Margarita, you must be able to prepare it correctly.
Therefore, it is necessary to study the classics and basics of the beverage industry. And a composer cannot compose music without knowing the notes. Likewise, a bartender cannot prepare a delicious cocktail without knowing each and every taste individuality of the drinks that he mixes. There is a lot of specific literature, read it carefully.
2. STUDY MIXOLOGY
When you want to be an expert in your own field, study mixology. There are 70 laws for mixing drinks. Based on them, almost 500 variants of cocktails arise, the recipes of which are required by the bartender in the upper circle.
Here's an example. Absolutely everyone knows a similar cocktail in the form of “Caipirinha”. One of its ingredients is cachaca. If the visitor does not like cachaça, you can change it to another strong drink, for example, vodka, otherwise offer the guest “Caipiroska” or “Caipirissima”, where instead of cachaça add clear rum. Knowing these nuances will make you a professional, both in your sense of self and in representing your guests.
Moreover, such addressing as molecular mixology is now fashionable. It is based on organic chemistry and allows you to give ordinary products new taste and color. Have your guests ever tried White Mary? This is a simple "Bloody Mary" with added transparent tomato juice. Or, for example, have your guests tried vodka jelly, washed down with a liquid snack? No? They will try it if you start studying molecular mixology.
3. READ BOOKS ON PSYCHOLOGY
The bartender is forced to be a well-read person. The profession itself considers the ability to maintain a conversation with a guest, but at the same time never ask him too much. This means that the bartender must, firstly, have knowledge of psychology, and secondly, follow events in the country and in the world, know jokes and funny stories. After all, guests come to sleep, and not only share problems in their personal lives and at work with the bartender.
In addition, the bartender is forced to be vigilant. For example, I came to you Old man with a pretty young girl. For you, this is a signal that it is quite possible to offer a pure lady a plausible, delicious cocktail of any cost: in order to impress a girl, a man will pay everything you prepare. It is possible to give an alternative example. A visitor sits at the counter, drinking coffee without any sugar: he likes the bitter, tart taste of coffee. In case he wants to get drunk with a cocktail, you can offer him something with Campari or grapefruit juice and you will hit the mark.
4. USE BEAUTIFUL ACCESSORIES
The fact that the bartender’s movements must be beautiful and confident does not raise doubts. But the devices that the bartender uses in his work also have to attract attention. For example, a silver spoon, which bartender measures out any drink, will certainly arouse interest from guests.
Here's another example. I am preparing a Viennese Banquet cocktail based on vodka with the addition of cleared apple juice and grape nectar. Its final element, which adds splendor to the cocktail and has become its mandatory attribute, is a rose petal. But it is very difficult to introduce the taste of the flower into the drink, so I use rose water. It is sprayed from a spray bottle, similar to a perfume bottle, directly onto the surface of the cocktail, giving it the appropriate aroma and settling on the rose petal like drops of dew. From the outside, all my actions look very impressive.
5. BE FLIRING WITHOUT FANATISM
Almost every novice bartender goes through a stage of excessive juggling enthusiasm: he wants to throw bottles, do various tricks, this is normal. Still, more often than not, a novice bartender is a teenager whose energy is overflowing. I also went through this stage: I juggled streams of water, turned absolute glasses around with my hands. But here you need to decide: either you will do tricks or prepare delicious cocktails. You should be well aware that excessive enthusiasm for tricks often affects the quality of prepared cocktails for the worse.
6. MAKE DRINKS ON THE COUNTER
A favorable bartender must lust at all times in order to earn the trust of guests. How can this be created? All drinks and cocktails must be prepared at the bar counter. Guests will see with their own eyes what the bartender pours and how much. And your honesty will bring you much more cash than if you deceived visitors.
Be sure to try the cocktails after preparation; however, even the limes and mint that go into a Mojito can taste different each time. And if the cocktail turns out sour with the usual number of limes, it must be made again with more sugar. Compliance with these rules will allow you to serve your guest an equally delicious Mojito, whenever and wherever you prepare it. The present is important, but the guest, receiving a cocktail with the same taste every time, will be confident in your professionalism. This means that he will begin to walk carefully towards you.
1. The bartender is always right! 2. The bartender is not “do you hear”, not a brother, not a kid, not a tractor driver, not a combine operator, not a goat, not a cop, not a boss, not a boy or a loser for a long time. 3. The bartender does not know and he absolutely does not care what day it is, day of the week, state\church\unofficial\any other holiday, year, etc. 4. The bartender does not know how to “purely and realistically market.” He only knows how to talk. 5. The bartender does not know where Small, Bald, Oblique, Crooked, Lame, Deaf, Drunk, Dumb, Dead and all other disabled people are. 6. The bartender is not interested in knowing who got into a fight with whom yesterday\met/got drunk/slept with/had a fight/broke up. 7. The bartender does not buy/sell stolen mobile phones, office equipment, antiques, ferrous/non-ferrous/precious metals, cars and drugs less than 50,000 tons per shipment. 8. Stories about how cool and awesome the Bartender is can in no way replace financial rewards for drinks. As well as stories about how “I just have tons of this money.” 9. Treat the Bartender the same way you would like them to treat you! 10. The bartender doesn't dance! (as a rule) 11. If the Bartender says that he cannot drink/smoke/take drugs at work, this does not mean that the Bartender is “showing off”. This means that he really can’t drink/smoke/take drugs at work. 12. A bartender has sex in the workplace only in the most exceptional cases and only with a condom.
