where did you learn your craft?

Would you consider yourself a pretty good bartender?


How many recipes do you know off the top of your head?

Tell us something about bartender life that we wouldn't ordinarily know.

7/19/2015 8:38:59 PM

My friend would also like to know if any of them are romantically available.

7/19/2015 9:03:41 PM

my friend

7/19/2015 9:32:42 PM

Are you actually annoyed by making the stereotypical drinks that most people normally order, as the internet would have us believe?

Because so many articles on the internet try to imply that bartenders are silently judging you for ordering the drinks that most people like to order, which seems pretty stupid.

If I'm a waiter, I wouldn't think"This idiot ordered the dish that everyone likes, what an idiot" so I wouldn't think bartenders do that either, right?

[Edited on July 19, 2015 at 9:37 PM. Reason : ]

7/19/2015 9:37:17 PM

AHA, AndyMac probably drinks grasshoppers.

7/19/2015 9:48:24 PM

LOL. I don't even know what that is, but I do enjoy a Long Island Iced Tea.

And I read a (I think it was) cracked article once that was basically saying "If you order an LIT your bartender thinks you are a gibbering retard"

7/19/2015 10:01:43 PM

AndyMac probably drinks Zima

[Edited on July 19, 2015 at 10:02 PM. Reason : d]

7/19/2015 10:01:49 PM

I've never actually tried a Zima. If it's like Smirnoff Ice I'd probably hate it, but I'll try anything once if it's got alcohol in it.

7/19/2015 10:07:28 PM

I usually order a beer at a bar. I imagine the bartender is like "cool, this is an easy order"

7/19/2015 10:09:55 PM

TT probably drinks Natty Light

7/19/2015 10:11:36 PM

Quote :

"but I do enjoy a Long Island Iced Tea"

do you also enjoy suicides?

7/19/2015 10:15:24 PM

I haven't had one of those since I was 10.

[Edited on July 19, 2015 at 10:27 PM. Reason : but when I was 10 I was all about it]

7/19/2015 10:25:46 PM

If I mostly just served beers and watched TV, I might get somewhat annoyed if I randomly had to make a whole bunch of drinks with a bajillion things in them. But, mostly, I think LITs are annoying cause they generally signal that the aim is to get drunk quickly and for cheap. A decent bartender shouldn't have a problem with that though.

And I don't care what anyone says, LITs are delicious.

7/19/2015 10:28:03 PM

<3 LITs.

7/19/2015 11:07:46 PM

My favorite drinks (Dark & Stormy, Moscow Mule, Pisco Sour) are hard to find at anything other than higher-end bars...

So, if I make do with something common while I'm at your common bar, damned if I want you to be judging me for it. I'll usually do some sort of simple highball, like a whiskey and Coke, or rum and Coke, or maybe I'll do a Tom Collins or an Old Fashioned.

[Edited on July 19, 2015 at 11:42 PM. Reason : ]

7/19/2015 11:41:30 PM

Look at this guy with his fancy ass ginger beer cocktails.

I pretty much just order beer or scotch. If it's hot outside I'll get a vodka tonic or a Tom Collins.

7/19/2015 11:46:14 PM

I never order anything except beer, unless I'm already pretty drunk

when the odd drunken urge to consume liquor strikes me, I'll almost always go with Jack and Coke. usually I get cut off after 1-2 of those.

7/19/2015 11:48:45 PM

^^ ginger beer is fucking awesome!

7/20/2015 1:01:28 AM

Quote :

"TT probably drinks Natty Light"

You're close

7/20/2015 8:03:46 AM

Quote :

"where did you learn your craft?"

Working at a bar. Specifically 22 North in Wrightsville Beach and Taco Boy in Folly Beach. And you're always learning, so basically every bar/restaurant I've worked at.

Quote :

"Would you consider yourself a pretty good bartender?"

Top of the line.

Quote :

"How many recipes do you know off the top of your head?"

Depends on what you mean by recipe. I don't consider a "Greyhound" a recipe as it's simply two ingredients. I'm thinking shooters and classic cocktails like Old Fashioned or Manhattan. Most of the newer craft cocktails are all twists on classics or completely new recipes that I don't even bother with. With that being said...I'd probably put it around 50. A majority of those are shooters that I've learned over the years...royal flushes, lemon drops, surfer on acid...crap like that. Then probably 15-20 regular cocktail recipes.

Quote :

"Tell us something about bartender life that we wouldn't ordinarily know."

We rarely get laid the night of. If we could shut the bar down after last call and just roll out...then it could probably happen on a nightly basis. But after doing the money, re-stocking, and cleaning the bar down...you're getting out of there in the 3-4am range...and that girl who left you her number at 1:15 am is passed out and making better decisions the next day when you're looking for an earlier booty call.

Quote :

"Are you actually annoyed by making the stereotypical drinks that most people normally order, as the internet would have us believe?"

Depends on the situation and what you mean by stereotypical drink. But I'll answer the question I think you're asking. First...if you work at a heavy craft cocktail bar, you should NEVER be annoyed by someone who orders a complicated drink that requires several steps. That's like being pissed off with having to re-fold clothes while working at a retail store...it's the main part of your job, deal with it.

If it's a normal bar (i.e. not a craft cocktail specific bar)j, and it's not busy, and you order a complicated drink, the bartender shouldn't be annoyed unless he/she is just a dipshit asshole. They're not busy, they shouldn't give a shit if they have to take their time and make a drink. Again, part of the job.

If it's busy, and the bar is three deep...yes, I will be annoyed if you order three mojitos and a couple cosmos. Here's where I think I'm different than the majority of bartenders in this situation (and I've personally been told this many times)...I'm only annoyed because it's going to prevent me from serving the rest of the customers waiting for a drink in a timely fashion. Personally...I hate waiting for a drink at a bar...which made me hate it when I had customers waiting for a drink. You making me muddle mint/sugar/limes, chill martini glasses, and clean mixing tins is only compounding the number of people and amount of time everyone else is going to have to wait to get their vodka soda's and bud lights. With that being said...if you are appreciative of me making your drinks and tip reasonably, I don't take it out on you. Lots of bartenders loose their cool way too easily. I was very good at not letting shit get to me. You order drinks, I make them, you're cool, I'm cool...on to the next one. Sounds easy...but not always easy when you're dealing with 100 drunkies at 1 am on a Saturday night, keg just popped, credit card processor isn't working, the new barback just stocked hot Miller Lite in the cooler and everyone is complaining, etc. Shit shows bring out the worst in everybody.

Quote :

"Because so many articles on the internet try to imply that bartenders are silently judging you for ordering the drinks that most people like to order, which seems pretty stupid."

This does happen...but it happens in every walk of life, so I don't see the big deal. If you walked into a clothing store and asked where the cargo shorts were [user]DivaBaby19[/quote] would judge the fuck out of you. Same goes at a bar. If you're a dude that orders a round of lemon drop shots for you and your dudes, then I will judge (and honestly hate you even more because I have to squeeze lemons with my fingers that probably have small cuts in them...which is the worst pain ever...so seriously, DON'T ORDER LEMON DROPS). It's not going to affect the way I serve you (again...unless you're an asshole), but I will judge, because that's what society does.

Quote :

"If you order an LIT your bartender thinks you are a gibbering retard"

Yeah...I get it, but I don't get it. Some people just really like certain drinks. I mean, there are a lot of stereotypes that fit. I've only made "gin and juices" for black people (who also order a lot of LITs). Girls love their fruity drinks, old dudes love their Budweisers, hipsters/broke people their PBRs, etc. I also make a solid LIT, so I understand why you would want another one.

Quote :

"I usually order a beer at a bar. I imagine the bartender is like "cool, this is an easy order" "

This is true.

[Edited on July 20, 2015 at 9:20 AM. Reason : .]

7/20/2015 9:19:58 AM

Quote :

"My favorite drinks (Dark & Stormy, Moscow Mule, Pisco Sour) are hard to find at anything other than higher-end bars..."

Seriously? The dive bar around the corner from me has the first two on special every day. You'd be hard pressed to find a bar that doesn't serve those on a regular basis. They're pretty common drinks. Depends where you live I guess.

7/20/2015 10:43:44 AM

Here is a question.

What are the best liquor drinks I can order at a bar that have little or no sugar?

7/20/2015 10:51:30 AM

Balvenie neat.

7/20/2015 11:01:21 AM

^^ any non-flavored liquor on the rocks or neat. learn to enjoy whiskey or bourbon.

7/20/2015 11:02:47 AM

Quote :

"learn to enjoy whiskey or bourbon. "

Or you do a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. Both have a little sugar/bitters but they help you transition to the good stuff.

7/20/2015 11:05:26 AM

Quote :

"Seriously? The dive bar around the corner from me has the first two on special every day. You'd be hard pressed to find a bar that doesn't serve those on a regular basis. They're pretty common drinks. Depends where you live I guess. "

True. The only difference being the quality of the drink/ingredients as well as the glassware. Bars that are more cocktail-centric will make their own ginger beer and/or lime cordials...or at the very least carry a craft-made ginger beer. And of course, they will have copper mugs.

Other than that, all a bar needs to have is ginger beer to give you a basic mule/dark and stormy. They've become quite popular these days, so most bars will have a case of Goslings Ginger beer on hand.

7/20/2015 11:09:11 AM

so bartender question... how often do people decide to "buy a round for the house"... i'd imagine it's usually a drunk decision and they end up being sticker shocked at the bill and tipping less than would be tipped if the drinks were ordered individually... but that's just my guess. how true is this? is it an annoyance? do bartenders tend to like/dislike it? do you ever refuse?

7/20/2015 11:10:35 AM

Yeah both drinks are fairly easy to make.

Quote :

"or at the very least carry a craft-made ginger beer."

Yeah most bars around here are either going to carry a craft ginger beer or make their own but yeah only the nicer/craftier places make their own.

A "fancy" cocktail like you'd get at a true cocktail bar usually involves some type of duck fat aged whiskey with 5 minutes of manually grinding recipes out of miniature mason jars from a guy with a hipster mustache.

Craft wine is getting big here too.

This place is cool:

http://www.theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com/

They're currently in Denver and Austin now. Many of the bars around here are carrying draft/cask wine now. Pretty cool.

7/20/2015 11:13:00 AM

Quote :

"so bartender question... how often do people decide to "buy a round for the house"... i'd imagine it's usually a drunk decision and they end up being sticker shocked at the bill and tipping less than would be tipped if the drinks were ordered individually... but that's just my guess. how true is this? is it an annoyance? do bartenders tend to like/dislike it? do you ever refuse?"

Doesn't happen as often as one might think. As the bartender, you have to gauge how series the person making the request is. They might seriously want to buy the whole bar a round, but will they refuse to pay their tab later on, or call the credit card company the next day and refute the charge. Normally its a single out outburst, you ignore the guy, then business as usual. Sometimes it really is a baller who wants to and can afford to buy the whole bar the round...and then you do it.

More often there's a well-to-do regular (or non regular sometimes), who just continues to buy rounds for his friends all night (7 or 8 shots per order), that ends up having the $400+ tab full of shots.

7/20/2015 11:28:24 AM

is there a noticeable effect on tip percent when ordered in bulk like that? if it generally is less, is it worth it with the time saved making the drinks in bulk? (i'm assuming that would be quicker than individual drinks)

7/20/2015 11:38:04 AM

Its really hard to tell (especially if it's a non-regular whose tipping habits you aren't aware of).

I would honestly say it's 50/50. You have the person who is a baller who doesn't mind large tabs, respects the bartender, and also doesn't mind leaving the big tip.

Then there is the person who doesn't often order rounds of shots, gets sticker shock at the final tab, and either (a) doesn't want to make the bill larger and skimps on the tip or (b) is pissed that the bartender didn't warn them that this is actually what drinks cost and "punishes" them by skimping on the tip.

7/20/2015 11:47:54 AM

I've never been one to order much of anything except beer or scotch, etc. occasionally i'll order what i condider a mixed drink (ie "jack and coke") but i never considered how much of a pain certain fancy drinks could be to make... i hope that is reflected on tip amounts when you get an order with 15 ingredients that need to be peeled, squeezed, shaved, crushed, whispered sweet nothings to, etc.

7/20/2015 11:55:23 AM

I usually tip bartenders 40% (unless they are shitty). If I had a $400 tab, they would not be getting $160 from me, unless there were sexual favors involved. That is the only way their service is worth that much.

7/20/2015 12:03:46 PM

Quote :

"i hope that is reflected on tip amounts when you get an order with 15 ingredients that need to be peeled, squeezed, shaved, crushed, whispered sweet nothings to, etc."

I don't think its taken into account that much. People either tip a certain amount per drink, or a percentage. Whether it's a bud light or the bartender's take on a pisco sour...the patron is probably going to tip the same. The only times I believe that I got tipped higher than what that person would normally tip is for two reasons:

(1): Exceptionally high level of service. This can include many things, but in general, I answer all of the questions the patron might have (go into detail about the food specials, explain how certain things are cooked, make recommendations based on what the patron likes, etc). If it's a visitor, we talk about other places to eat, best place to catch a sunset, a good spot to rent bikes, etc. There's also taking 5 food orders at the same time (or 10 drink orders), and getting them all right without having to write anything down. You'd be surprised how many people are impressed with that. I pretty much always got great tips when all of these things were done.

(2): I'm in the weeds and am performing admirably. Patron feels sorry for me and/or respects the fact that I'm working my way out of the shit-show and actually got them their drink order in an impressive time and manner. Unfortunately, these good tips are usually evened out by the bad tips of people who don't understand that you're serving a hundred other people at the bar and that's why it took them an extra couple of minutes to get their Bud Light.

7/20/2015 12:04:39 PM

well i know that a lot of people give "service industry" people shit when they show any inkling of being concerned about tips (and i've jokingly given a troll on here or two about that) but i have a huge amount of respect for [good] bartenders... they earn every penny.

i went to a restaurant (Tribeca) last night with my family for my sister's birthday, and we had 5 adults, 2 twin infants, a moody toddler, and a 3 year old who had not napped. I'm sure your average server would cringe when they saw us wander into their section. But he was awesome. He didn't write anything down, and got everything right, including one super-custom order and several "no so and so, extra sauce to dip, etc"

He even saw my toddler was getting fussy and he brought him a small plate of fruit to snack on... and brought their full meals out before the rest were ready so we could get their burgers cut up and everything before the table was full. This man earned his tip. (we were extra generous and instead of the standard 10% we left 15%! )

[Edited on July 20, 2015 at 12:36 PM. Reason : ]

7/20/2015 12:36:36 PM

You only left 15%? That would have been 20-25% for me.

7/20/2015 1:03:25 PM

I'm guessing he was trolling, but you can never tell with Smath74. Great service having to deal with kid's needs at a high-end restaurant should get at least a 25%.

7/20/2015 1:06:51 PM

the wink/parrot was supposed to indicate intense sarcasm... wasn't supposed to even be trolling. just a[n obviously unfunny] joke

actually my mom picked up the bill and i didn't see exactly what she left, but once everyone had already started moving to the door, i threw down a ten on top of whatever she left (she is old school and always leaves 20%)... I've never seen a server make such an effort in dealing with kids like he did. I know a ten isn't a ton but it was on top of his 20% from my mom.



[Edited on July 20, 2015 at 1:21 PM. Reason : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law]

7/20/2015 1:08:31 PM

Sarcasm is sarcasm...I don't think intensity is necessary...but duly noted.

7/20/2015 1:09:37 PM

So I always see this getting asked of bartenders. If there's a packed bar and you don't have a clear picture of who got there first what makes you serve a person first (hot girl, not annoyingly waving their credit card at you, etc)?

i.e. what kind of demeanor should you have while you're waiting at the bar for the bartender to notice you?

7/20/2015 1:17:02 PM

I was a bartender/bar manager at a few places for about 5 years in grad school/college.

1. The restaurant I worked at trained me through their own program, and then I quit a bit later to move onto a better bar. To this day, I think anyone who tells me they went to "bartending school" is a total idiot. Why would you shell out hundreds of dollars for a course most people laugh at when you could have your work train you for free?

2. I'd say I was pretty quick and made consistent drinks, but I don't really have the gift of gab where I could charm just anyone into giving me huge tip. I've always hated small talk about anything other than sports, so I didn't enjoy the performance aspect of it. I think I averaged around 18-20%, but I knew people who had a lot more regulars and would make more money and they made shit drinks and took forever. It was always just a means to an end, so I didn't really care that much. It paid the bills and that was about it. Was relieved when I was finally able to quit.

3. We had to memorize about 50+ drinks and had all sorts of stupid acronyms for them. Most mature adults and serious drinkers drink fairly simple drinks, so the only ones you really had to know by heart were martinis, manhattans, margaritas, mojitos, old fashioneds, hurricanes, LITs, etc.

4. The worst part of bartending for me was the additional side work/inventory you'd have to do at the end of the shift. I didn't mind cutting garnishes or stocking the caddy at the beginning of a shift, but the clean up at the end of an extra night and counting everything was an additional hour of side work that really wears on you at the end of the night when you just want to go home. Also, working the service bar is a totally thankless job. You run your ass off making oblivious servers cocktails left and right and you don't get tipped out nearly as much as you'd think. It would drive me absolutely insane when a server wouldn't stab their tickets OR they'd come straight to the bar after ringing in a drink and insisting you made their drink that very second.

Quote :

"Are you actually annoyed by making the stereotypical drinks that most people normally order, as the internet would have us believe?"

Regardless of the bar I was at (I mostly worked in restaurants), any blended drinks would get an automatic mental eye roll from me. Nobody drinks frozen drinks unless they're barely 21 or at a beach bar and it's super hot outside. I also got sick of making mojitos when they were all the rage in the early 2000s. The craft cocktail craze started a few years after I quit bartending, but I didn't work at places where artisanal cocktails that cost $16 were on the menu anyway. A "fancy" bloody mary came with a stalk of celery, cocktail olives and onions, and a spiced rim and those took a few seconds, tops. I think if you're working at a Cheesecake Factory or some chain restaurant, your bartender IS going to be annoyed that you order an overpriced, watered down, sugary cocktail that takes forever to make and won't get you drunk. The customer is going to have to order like 3 of them to feel anything and will take their frustration out on you tip-wise. Serious drinkers keep things simple and value speed over anything else. Now, if you are ordering a fancy craft cocktail in some trendy/hipster place where that's basically their bread and butter, it's a totally different story. If your bartender gives you attitude for ordering off their featured list and that's what the vast majority of what customers are ordering, fuck them. Go work at a dive bar instead, asshole.

7/20/2015 1:22:48 PM

^^

That's a tough one. Most bartenders try to punish bad/annoying behavior. Shit like whistling, snapping fingers, yelling, etc...will normally drop you to the back of the line. At the same time, it does get you noticed. And even though I don't want to serve the guy that just yelled to get my attention, I also want to get him the fuck out of the way...so I might just serve him to get him out of here. Regardless...don't do that shit, it makes you look like a douche.

Honestly, try to make eye contact and just have your hand-up, elbow on bar maybe...just something to signify that you need a drink. You can also put your credit card in your hand to show that you're more than ready to make this transaction go as quick as possible.

Being a hot girl probably helps...but the hot girl that thinks she's going to get a drink sooner just because she's hot is just as annoying as the douche bag snapping his fingers. So its definitely not a guarantee. I also notice really tall people first. So put on your boots!

[Edited on July 20, 2015 at 1:28 PM. Reason : .]

7/20/2015 1:26:36 PM

Quote :

"You only left 15%? That would have been 20-25% for me."

Quote :

"and i've jokingly given a troll on here or two about that...we were extra generous and instead of the standard 10% we left 15%! "

neodata686 pls

Quote :

"Honestly, try to make eye contact..."

Yup, I do that + credit card/cash like u say (I feel like the latter is more attractive). Seems like if you don't establish eye contact at a busy bar you'll be there a long time.

7/20/2015 1:29:29 PM

It's Monday. My reading comprehension hasn't fully recovered from the weekend yet.

7/20/2015 1:50:05 PM

lol no worries. i've been known to think my sarcasm/joke was completely obvious but was defeated by poe's law many times before. the best was a sarcastic comment on reddit... don't remember what it was but it was blatantly obvious i was mocking some conservative political figure by constructing the worst strawman argument i could think of. lol shitstorm ensued and the people who realized i was not being serious continued fanning the fire. it was e-hilarious.

7/20/2015 2:11:01 PM

Compare these two patrons:

#1 orders 8-9 different complex cocktails throughout the evening, some on the menu, some not, some at your recommendation after discussion. Tab is $100 and he leaves a $20 tip.
#2 orders 2 rounds a half hour apart, each of 8 bottles of beer and 8 jager shots, then leaves. Tab is $200. He leaves a $25 tip.

It's expected that #1 tip more than he did due to the amount of your time he consumed, right?
Is #2 expected to leave a $40+ tip even though he didn't consume that much of your time?

7/20/2015 3:40:24 PM

Quote :

"Compare these two patrons: #1 orders 8-9 different complex cocktails throughout the evening, some on the menu, some not, some at your recommendation after discussion. Tab is $100 and he leaves a $20 tip. #2 orders 2 rounds a half hour apart, each of 8 bottles of beer and 8 jager shots, then leaves. Tab is $200. He leaves a $25 tip. It's expected that #1 tip more than he did due to the amount of your time he consumed, right? Is #2 expected to leave a $40+ tip even though he didn't consume that much of your time?"

Honestly...I expect 20% tip no matter the situation. I go by the mantra, "if you can't afford to tip, you shouldn't go out."

I still pick up shifts at a bar that has a frozen drink machine. It's a beach bar and the frozen drink has a cult following in town....suffice it to say we sell a million of these things. We sell them in three sizes, the large size costing $12. Often people come up and order multiple drinks at a time for their group of friends. So the tab total is often $36, $48, etc. Many times you'll get a couple twenties ($4 tip on the $36 tab) or a fifty dollar bill ($2 tip on the $48 tab). All they see you do is pulling a level to dispense the drink (which for some reason they think is less work then popping a bottle on a Bud Light bottle...which they'll tip more for).

What they don't see is that you spent an hour before your shift making 20 - 10 gallon buckets of the mix to put in the frozen machine...outside in the 90 degree heat. You lugged five boxes of rum, ten boxes of OJ and pineapple juice, and a box of coco-lopez outside and mixed and stored everything in the cooler. Not to mention you have to drain, take apart, and clean the machine at night which takes about a half an hour.

So I really try not to differentiate between the orders. Certain drinks might take longer, but overall you're averaging similar times per order. Just because I made you a complicated drink doesn't mean I think you'll tip more. I get you your drink in a timely manner whether its a bottle beer or a drink with 5 ingredients. I also treat customers the same, whether they're ordering PBRs and shots or lots of mojitos. That's why I expect the same percentage no matter what the order.

[Edited on July 20, 2015 at 4:00 PM. Reason : .]

7/20/2015 3:58:55 PM

^and a bartender like you I would gladly tip at least 20% for a beer. What about this... do you prefer a tip after each drink or a tip for everything at the same time when it's time to pay the tab? is cash better than putting the tip on your card, or does it not make much of a difference?
normally if i'm ordering a beer at at time i'll just throw in an extra dollar per beer. usually that is never below 20% unless it's some fancy/expensive beer. If i'm at a place with higher price points I usually use my card and tip at the end of the night... i calculate 20% and round up to an nice even number usually. (like if 20% is $8.67 i'll fudge it to $10.00)


[Edited on July 20, 2015 at 4:13 PM. Reason : ]

7/20/2015 4:10:18 PM

When using a credit card, its always easier to pay everything at the end. Nothing more annoying than the guy who says the following two things "close it out, only going to do one round" then comes back and does the same thing for the next five rounds...and..."close it out, I always leave my card". Just don't be an idiot and leave your card...you're slowing service for everyone else.

Cash vs. Card doesn't really matter that much. Most restaurants have become super strict with declaring tips, so bartenders aren't getting away with as much as they use to in regards to not paying taxes on cash tips (although it still happens). Although if you want the most preferred method, it would be the following: Give your card to start a tab, then pay with cash at the end.

7/20/2015 4:15:46 PM

i've done that except i put the actual bill on the card but used cash for tip... but if it doesn't matter all that much anymore i guess i won't worry about it.

and no, i would never use my card for individual rounds. (well i have before unintentionally... was closed out when others at the table closed out but still wanted another round.)

7/20/2015 4:39:06 PM