Tips on Effective Bartending

If you want to enter the world of bartending, it’s a lot harder than it looks. When you ask most people who visit a bar, they will tell you that a bartender simply stands behind the bar and serves drinks to whoever needs them. Granted, if you work somewhere that only serves beer, this could be an appropriate assessment. However, when you take into account the wide variety of drinks, shots, wines and pairings, as well as other scenarios, there are many things for a bartender to consider. Keep in mind, a bartender also needs to be personable, attentive, and entertain everyone at the same time. Those who can do this end up making the most money in this profession.

Study Your Drinks

There’s nothing worse than ordering a drink only to have the bartender pause and tell you he has to go look it up. Don’t be this type of bartender. Know all the drinks before hand. This means all the basic drinks like Margaritas, mixed drinks as well as named drinks such as the Manhattan, Salty Dog or Rum Runner. You should also know how to make a wide variety of shots. Now, if you get thrown a curve ball every now and again, that’s ok. It happens to every bartender at least once. If you do get asked to make a drink you’ve never heard of, don’t be afraid to ask the customer what’s in it. That might help break the ice, which leads us into the next tip.

Be Personable

Adding a little personality to the mix can have a major impact on the amount of money you make. Keep in mind everyone is different, so you have to bring out variations all the time. One group might want a comedian behind the bar, but the next couple may want a more informative bartender with a professional appeal. Just think of it as if you’re putting on a show. Who knows, you may win an Oscar before your career is over. Oh, and if you want your guests to stay longer and purchase more you can manipulate the situation so all your customers interact with each other.

Be Attentive

One of the best tips any bartender can give another bartender is to be attentive. This means you cater to your guest’s needs and still be personable at the same time. Granted, it also means make their drinks correctly, but most people head to the bar because they are trying to escape something. Maybe they just got laid off work, there are marital problems on the home front, or the day just didn’t go as planned. If you understand this ahead of time, there are occasions where you’re going to feel like a counselor. When you think about it, bartenders can be the best listeners if you’re able to find one of the best. This alone can increase your tips tremendously.

These are just a few tips that will help you become the most effective bartender possible so that you can make the most money possible; which should be the goal of any person who chooses a career behind the bar.

One of the myths of getting bartending jobs is that you need to know someone. Well, now you do. Brian has helped people from coast-to-coast learn how to become a bartender and get their first bartending job.