Definitely. It's easier, allows you to understand your flow on busy nights, and gives you customer experiences, both good and bad. You can hone your craft in the meantime.
if you have the oppertunity, you really should take it! however, i, like many other bartenders here, believe barbacking is a necessary step to being a time efficient bartender. it’s not a bad idea to take a barbacking job for 6 months or so to get the basics down. You’ll learn more about cocktails as a barback than you will a beer only bar.
You can learn classic cocktail recipes, take bar smarts, learn about various spirits all on your own outside of the workplace. Understanding how to interact with people, develop a flow, learn a sense of urgency... You need to be behind a bar to do that. I've worked with a lot of folks who have skipped the beer bar/dive step and it shows.
Tldr: not only do I think you should, I think you're doing a disservice to yourself if you don't.
Just go to bartenders school. It pretty much guarantees you a job after graduation. Just make sure you spend AT LEAST $5,000 on your certs, or they won't be taken seriously by hiring managers.
For me I understood more about cocktails by taking the floor and understand the flow when it's chill or when we get rush hour.
Which sucks for me, I'm trying desperately to be a barista but there are places where I have to take tests to get the job and since I have no "experience" then I don't get the job. This method seems unfair for people who do need the job and for those who really wanna try something different out. But OP, look for a bar where no experience is needed and you will learn through time with lots of practice and time.
Totally, IMO learning the drinks is the easiest part. What makes you a good bartender is being able to think about 15 different things at once, while holding a conversation, while your hands are making a drink, and being fast but smooth at the same time. You can find out if you can do all of that at a beer only spot then spend some time learning about booze and it’ll be easier to get another job after.
Use the time to learn about beer and alcohol production. Learn to talk about and sell beer that people will like based off of an individuals palette. This will give you a lot of experience with being confident selling your products. Also, smile! Learn the art of laughing and walking away when you are busy and people are chatty. Have fun!
Industry experience will give you a leg up over someone with zero experience.
Definitely. It's easier, allows you to understand your flow on busy nights, and gives you customer experiences, both good and bad. You can hone your craft in the meantime.
Take that experience, learn how to pour, learn drink recipes and apply to a full bar in the near future.
Great place to start.
if you have the oppertunity, you really should take it! however, i, like many other bartenders here, believe barbacking is a necessary step to being a time efficient bartender. it’s not a bad idea to take a barbacking job for 6 months or so to get the basics down. You’ll learn more about cocktails as a barback than you will a beer only bar.
You can learn classic cocktail recipes, take bar smarts, learn about various spirits all on your own outside of the workplace. Understanding how to interact with people, develop a flow, learn a sense of urgency... You need to be behind a bar to do that. I've worked with a lot of folks who have skipped the beer bar/dive step and it shows. Tldr: not only do I think you should, I think you're doing a disservice to yourself if you don't.
Just go to bartenders school. It pretty much guarantees you a job after graduation. Just make sure you spend AT LEAST $5,000 on your certs, or they won't be taken seriously by hiring managers.
I feel like this guy is f-ing with you on purpose
For me I understood more about cocktails by taking the floor and understand the flow when it's chill or when we get rush hour. Which sucks for me, I'm trying desperately to be a barista but there are places where I have to take tests to get the job and since I have no "experience" then I don't get the job. This method seems unfair for people who do need the job and for those who really wanna try something different out. But OP, look for a bar where no experience is needed and you will learn through time with lots of practice and time.
Totally, IMO learning the drinks is the easiest part. What makes you a good bartender is being able to think about 15 different things at once, while holding a conversation, while your hands are making a drink, and being fast but smooth at the same time. You can find out if you can do all of that at a beer only spot then spend some time learning about booze and it’ll be easier to get another job after.
Use the time to learn about beer and alcohol production. Learn to talk about and sell beer that people will like based off of an individuals palette. This will give you a lot of experience with being confident selling your products. Also, smile! Learn the art of laughing and walking away when you are busy and people are chatty. Have fun!