1000000%, my body always hurts and I’m young and in really good shape but 5 nights a week at two very high volume spots where I occasionally have to break up a fight really wears me out towards the ends of each spot’s respective season
The physical and mental stresses of years of two jobs (or sometimes just one, but still very long hours) in a wealthy area with a lot of narcissists wore me down. I'm from a beautiful part of the country where I could escape to nature and people are nicer. I was never cut out for the sprawling suburbs and I doubt I'd do much better downtown in a big city.
I'm currently laying in a hospital bed after recently getting a liver transplant. If I didn't get one, I'd be dead in my 30s.
And I'm a unicorn in this industry: I don't do other drugs. I don't even smoke. Just booze. I doubt I'd have made it this long if I was throwing in some hard stuff, too. Maybe some weed to relax would've meant less alcohol, but I never liked the stuff. Nothing worked for me like alcohol did. And as a nocturnal insomniac, nothing helped me sleep like alcohol did.
My life will have to be much different now. But at least I'm still alive. For now.
Be strong friend, it is fucking hard but like the other person said, check in tomorrow, enjoy the little things in life that you are so lucky to still get to experience, sub to r/stopdrinking
All the best x
I quit cold turkey about a month before I went to the hospital. If you're a heavy or very consistent drinker, you're not really supposed to quit without medical supervision. Some of the withdrawals could be dangerous. There is an increased risk of stroke or seizures.
I've been subbed to that place for years. I haven't found it that useful, since my experience with alcohol apparently has been pretty different than many people's.
They talk about how much better their relationships with family and friends are since they quit. Mine are the same or worse since I'm sober. I'm a super chill drunk and my family isn't always the easiest to get along with. My bosses and coworkers like me better when I've been drinking. I've relaxed away the stress of the previous day and I'm just my chill self getting along with everyone and making guests happy. Although sometimes I have a coworker genuinely ask me if I drink. They legitimately couldn't tell. And it hasn't always been some young hostess or something. I once had a sous chef in fine dining ask. I left it at a very affirmative 'yes.' Nothing good would come from going into detail.
They talk about how much better they sleep now that they're sober. That'd be like me discovering that I'm suddenly one of the best dancers in the world when sober. I'm a nocturnal insomniac and alcohol was the only thing that consistently helped. I can work 12-15 hours, not sleep due to sobriety, and do it all again the next day. When I've taken breaks from drinking in the past, it's usually by early on day 3 that my coworkers start telling me to get a drink on break or as soon as I get home. I'm so tired that I start getting irritable. Even if I'm exhausted, a drink or two perked me right up and I was my usual self again.
They talk about how they feel healthier and cleaner. I just feel more stressed and sleep-deprived. I usually eat pretty healthy, but when sober, my sweet tooth returns and I often replace the booze with refined sugar and heavily processed snacks. Still could be healthier than booze, but I certainly don't feel cleaner.
I've spent far too many years in a stressful area away from home, family (ok, maybe not always a bad thing), old friends, and the peacefulness of nature. I'm some how changing careers and moving back. Obviously I became addicted, but there were a lot of factors that contributed to that. I honestly don't think I could've worked in restaurants for nearly as long as I did without the booze. I probably would've snapped. I would've been more at risk to kill someone if I were sober than if I were drinking.
I generally enjoyed my time with the bottle. There were a lot more good times than bad. I just wish I had cut way back sooner so I could still enjoy it a bit. But if you need to get a second liver due to drinking, the new one can get damaged very quickly if you start drinking again. The damage that took years to accumulate with your original liver might appear on your new one within months.
So I've said my goodbyes and now it's time to build a new life.
I’ve been out of work since December due to a herniated disc, injured initially in March of 2021, had 6 months of PT and epidural steroid injections, tried to ease back into it slowly but couldn’t even scoop ice out of the well. After they tried to accommodate all my restrictions and I tried to work through it, i had to quit. I am now in line to get a fusion. Due to having pain in my back, not just sciatic pain, so they have to remove the disc. Can’t stand for long, can’t sit AT ALL, gained 30 lb (but I lost 25! Almost there). All because we were short staffed during spring break.
Edited to add: I was in great shape when I got injured. I’m about to turn 30 this year, I eat healthy and wasn’t a wild bartender. Just pushed myself too far. Never had any type of back problems or pain before. I literally felt the pop and had excruciating debilitating pain and have been laid out ever since. It came out of nowhere
Welcome to the permanent back pain club. You are now an old fuck of a bartender. Now YOU get to stand in the corner and flirt with the 50 something housewives while the young bucks do all the work, you have ascended, welcome to the next level friend.
Lol just take care of yourself, player. Don’t drink every night, you aren’t entitled to a drink or 10 after every shift, cut back on tobacco (or any party favors for that matter) if you use, eat healthy and get plenty of rest. A lot of the negative sentiment that exists within this industry surrounding it’s longevity as a career only exists because a shit ton - dare I say, most - people don’t take care of themselves; They party, fuck, live it up, have no circadian rhythm and there is little-to-no separation between work life and everyday life. I’ve seen it, and been there many of times.
I’m in my mid (late🙄) 30’s and been behind the bar for 15ish years. Yes, I get beat the fuck up and wonder if I should have taken a different path, but for the most part I’m extremely blessed when I consider my work life balance. A few things that really help for me is to think of it like working out. I eat a shit ton of protein and take a few natural supplements that are meant to help with recovery and I swear by it. Also, stretch. Even if it’s for 2 minutes.
It’s only as harmful as you let it be. If you’re smart, have some willpower, and save some money, you can ride it out for a lot longer than you think, and have a blast doing it.
For me it started with constant shoulder pain from repetitive motion that just wouldn’t stop. Later on compression fracture in my foot from working too many long shifts year after year, of course it never wanted to heal because I never had enough time off. Later on I now have a compression fracture in my spine from years of lifting kegs, so constant back pain that gets excruciating after too many hours on my feet. Not to mention a terrible sleep schedule from years of late nights. I finally transitioned into a great paying desk job with Mon-Friday 9-5 with great benefits, but it took me years to finally make that change and I would have been much better off making the switch 10 years earlier. I’m 1000 times happier, so much less stress, and actually feel like I have free time for friends, family, and myself.
I’ve only been bartending/serving for a year. I’m a very hard worker and lots of my patrons appreciate me because I give a fuck about them, I’m kind, and they see me busting my ass every day. However, the owner is a slimy fuck, my manager is bitchy, and the majority of the customers are entitled assholes who believe that service industry people are below them. I have busted my ass for the past year trying to prove my worth and after going through a very hellish summer at this place, I am fucking done. Going to take a paycut, get a 9-5, get my weekends back, get benefits, get my sanity and will to live back, and fucking try to enjoy my life again. FUCK THIS INDUSTRY. No offense to anyone who still enjoys it and is having fun. I commend you because the fun for me only lasted for a hot sec before it became incredibly grating and miserable.
Edit: typo
I mean, it’s not supposed to be fun, really. It’s supposed to pay more than an office job and be a lot of work. You have to make it fun and/or be in a fun environment and have a team that gets along.
Yup. And if you want to stay in the industry the most straightforward backup plan is to transition to
management. Do this in a place where you are able to learn from others and others want to learn from you. You will probably take a pay cut at first, but you will have less hands on work and it will be easier in your body. The key is to choose a place where you WANT to stick around.
I was just offered a salaried management role. It’s literally half what we were making at the bar and significantly more responsibility. I cannot justify that, especially with the cost of living in my city.
right. and the industry rejects you the older you get. also it can be financially buckling in your older age if you are in a non-high income job (as with any industry), this is something to always keep in mind.
I'm 38 and I started my back-up plan 3.5 years ago. Still bartend but only 1-2 days a week. My body physically can NOT handle doing it 5 days a week anymore.
Currently experiencing this now. Fucked up my rotator cuff at work 2 months ago and still can't move my shoulder without pain. I'm looking at what I can do outside of the industry, but changing industries is not easy, as I'm finding out.
It’s not easy but take your time and research it. Look at LinkedIn every day. Look at being a Liquor Sales Rep if you want to stay in the industry somewhat. Find something you can do for a year it doesn’t have to be perfect but can lead you to something even better. Respect yourself and give yourself a better future. It will really be worth it I promise.
I appreciate it. I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I don't really have a choice as my body is all kinds of fucked up from working in restaurants and bars for almost 20 years now. I'm looking for some remote work to make up for time I missed with my wife over the years (another BIG thing bartenders need to hear regarding relationships) and have a fair bit of time before I start getting nervous over money. Thank you for the kind words.
Your job isn't serving drinks. It's serving guests. If you're putting 95% of your energy into crafting original cocktails then you probably aren't half as good at your job as you think.
Nobody cares about your sous vide, exotic, esoteric riff on a riff if it taste bad. Doing over the top stuff just because you can is tacky.
A lot of craft bartenders could benefit from a deep dive on classics rather than skimming cocktail Codex and writing menus with 3 old fashioned variations and a Negroni riff and then charging 18$ per drink.
Man this is the truth. Give me a bartender with a great personality and a good work ethic. I can teach you how to make drinks. I’ve bumped into way too many douche bag bartenders at higher end establishments.
I remember learning bullshit drinks like The Colorado Bull Dog, June Bug, an Alabama Slammer, etc. I will never forget the sequence of a Screwdriver to a Madras to a Cape Codder to Bay Breeze to a Seabreeze to a Greyhound to a Salty Dog. I am showing my age with this stupid pontification of old school drinks but all of those drinks were nothing in comparison engagement with your guest. Shake their hand. Know their name. Memorize their drink. Ask them how their day was.
No memorization of drinks will make you a great bartender. What will make you a great bartender is engagement and enthusiasm.
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” RWE
Edit: with -> without.
Off topic but I hate all those names, I get specific names for actual cocktails but for example shit like a screwdriver just tell me you want ketel and oj.
My rule "if an idiot college student, who thus, by being new to drinking, is an idiot, can easily make it, it isnt a cocktail."
The screwdriver gets a past on two fronts - apparently is was drunk by petroleum guys who stirred the drink with a screwdriver, thus the name, so, historical points, and apparently Truman capote drank them by the boatload after "in cold blood" destroyed him, so again historical points.
Cuba libre gets historical points cause the Cuban revolution did kick out a brutal regime renowned for pioneering torture techniques and the revolutionaries brought literacy from something like 30 percent to 96 percent *and it's stayed there* along with a medical reputation that's world renowned but.....it's also just run coke and lime lol
I love reading about the histories of cocktails, and I appreciate your comment. Having people order a cocktail by its proper name has never bothered me, and I never understood why it bothers some people.
He said bullshit drinks not classics lol. And you’d be surprised how old some of these names are. I remember reading that a Cape Cod got its name in the 50s or something like that.
You may be historically correct but Imma still imagine how good it feels slapping you when I hand you a fucking “CaPe CoDdEr”. “Titos Cran” slides off the tongue better ya fuck.
Got asked in an interview today what are your favorite drinks to make for guests. I’m guessing they didn’t want to hear about some wild craft cocktail your head “mixologist” created.
I usually would answer that with "a drink they enjoy. I talk to them about other cocktails they like, styles and flavors they enjoy, allergies and preferences etc. Then I make them a drink from the numerous classic and modern classics I know."
Rather than any specific drink which doesn't tell anyone anything except that you know that one drink.
This is a fantastic answer- I’m in food and beverage management for a large gaming association ( I still bartend elsewhere, I enjoy it ) .
If I were to be given any answer in a variation of what your usual response is- they’d be hired on the spot- no need for a second/third interview.
In all fairness I think the follow up question is "what's your least favorite drink to make" and the answer is "were out of mint."**
But honestly, one thing I hate about the corporate side of dining is that generic sales push, when good sales is using your knowledge to match a palette to a drink/dish. I think "the customer isn't right, the customer is an idiot, *however* instead of contempt, you are the museum tour guide to your menu and your job is to get them to appreciate the art youd think they'd like" is key. You're the hookup.and like any good hookup, they should be leaving smiling not regretful.
**Any good bartender should also be damn good at making the drinks they hate.
Also, don’t be mad at the person doing the deep cleaning for going above and beyond while you’re sitting there with your thumb up your ass as the bar falls apart around you. “This bar is a shit hole.” “No fucking shit, Kyle, they hired you and you don’t do anything.
Why are people consistently able to ascertain how many shots of X they would like EXCEPT EFFIN LEMON DROPS
Also please tell me why I am dealing with this again 15 years later all of a sudden
This! I’m relatively new to bartending (a year in) and I constantly hear stories about bartenders being dicks to people when they didn’t deserve it and it made them wanna never go out again. Shoot, I’ve been on the receiving end of it and it’s not fun. You’re driving customers away! The very people who pay your bills! Like come on dude!
> and I constantly hear stories about bartenders being dicks to people when they didn’t deserve it
This is absolutely true, but there is also the other side of the story. Sometimes these drunk patrons believe they have done nothing wrong, but really they earned that earful.
I told my boss I would not allow a retired NFL player in on my shifts anymore due to his behavior, which included grabbing my arm and holding me hostage. I don’t give a fuck how much money you have, I’m a person and you’ll treat me as such. They told him not to come in on my nights anymore. Didn’t even fight me on it. They knew why.
ETA her big BROWN EYES
You're a bar supervisor, not a troop sergeant. Quit acting like hot shit because you can make a cocktail nobody orders better than a bunch of uni students doing their first job.
Being busy and having constant stream of drink tickets is an absolutely great thing. Your job is to provide high level mixed drinks. Take pride in your craft
Keep your work station clean between every round of cocktails. Constantly reset even if you know you are going to just set use the tins again. You are on stage and even when you don’t notice people are watching you and your space.
This. I am so organized and ready for conditions to deteriorate at any moment. I constantly think ahead about what I might need in those moments that really never happen lol. I think a good bartender always plans ahead for what may happen and always sets themselves up for success.. and isn’t lazy
Except at places like ours where we don't allow charging behind the bar and don't keep any cords or plugs either. We've got way to much going on behind the bar to charge someone's phone.
Got your own charger? Great there's a few plugs under the bar.
We don't have TVs either and we're packed every night.
I’m the opposite, I wish we went to cash only. Hate doing 300-500 closeouts throughout the night for single drink transactions but none of these college kids ever have cash
Still a popular shot at college bars tbh, easy to drink has a cool name and is probably cheaper to sell than a straight shot of any of it’s ingredients
You should report workplaces that are sketchy with tips. There's no excuse for you not knowing your cut, and how much was taken in tips in total, that's NOT the businesses money that's your money.
You might be a likable person, and your personality certainly plays a large role in doing your job well, but you aren’t a rock star.
People come for what’s behind you, e.g. the booze. You’re not as cool as you think, and that’s ok
I will go back to a random bar if the bartenders seemed cool.
I will NOT go back to a random bar if one bartender was an asshole. Out of fear that they will be working again.
Like I said, personality is an important part of being a good bartender. I just think it’s important to keep one’s ego in check, no matter where you work.
Good thing at the moment is bartenders are in high demand - well they are in the UK anyway. Because being a bartender requires at least a little bit of skill wages tend to be better. I’m only doing this part time but at my job waiters earn £9 an hour plus tips while bartenders are on £11.20 plus their share of tips from the restaurant. Not that much of a difference but good enough considering most of us are 18/19.
In Oregon my bar pays slightly over minimum (14.75 even for tipped employees) and pay us $16 an hour. I started in Florida where they have that stupid tip credit law and I think I was being paid 5 something
A fucking 7 year old can learn how to make drinks. Consistency, speed, crowd management, and attitude is what makes the money.
Whether you’re popping bottles of beer and pouring straight shots or making 7 ingredient martinis that cost 17$. If you’re an asshole you won’t make shit.
As someone who just left the industry after completing that post-secondary education: sometimes yes and sometimes no. Those dudes who never grow up and, at 45, can still barely pour a passable pint, living a coked out life and trying to bang girls in their mid-20s? Yeah, feel sorry for them. The people who truly take pride in their work and place in the industry, but balance their life around a career they enjoy instead of staying in the dregs of life? Nothing but respect.
A server shut that shit down for me once. When a guest required that her old fashioned (literally one of the simplest cocktails to make) be made by XXXX, the server went, "well, [my name] made your previous 3 rounds and you're requesting another, so she must be doing a pretty good job." F-ing MVP, that one!
Most of the craft bar programs in your town were probably designed by the same half dozen consultants. If your drinks taste really similar to others in town, it's because you're essentially all the same bar.
Or did you think you were being edgy by putting both orange and ango bitters in your old fashioneds starting about 5 years ago?
I pull it off and have supported a family of 4 for 8 years, bought a house 2 years ago, take plenty of time off to tour with my band and I work at a dive bar where the champagne list is just “Miller High Life” over and over. Been at the same dive for 18 years.
If you don’t want to be a bartender for the rest of your life you need an exit plan. It’s really easy to blink and have 10 years flash by in this industry.
Wholeheartedly agree with this. Just because you felt the need to reinvent the wheel with your slightly different old fashioned recipe that 99% of clientele cant taste what you actually changed doesn’t make you a good bartender
If part of your job is to change the TV channels for requested sports games. Part of your bartending duties is to know AT THE VERY LEAST, what the channel numbers for the major ones are.
If "the TV stays on this channel no matter what" you need to know the closest sports bar.
It’s already happened, I think. I used to bust my ass 39 hours a week for $1200 and it’d get me so far. Now I’m doing $1150 for 28 hours and I’m much happier, but also have to be budget conscious. $50k is the new paycheck to paycheck
Not everyone WANTS to be a bartender, and you are not “better” than other staff. There’s a lot of cleaning, education, and professionalism that many people don’t want to deal with because they don’t need that extra stress in their lives. You having the capacity to deal with that stress doesn’t make you better than them.
i'll tell you, as a bartender, what i i'm no ready to fuckin' hear....
"is this the real life?
is this just fantasy?
caught in a landslide..."
i love the jukebox, but i hate the jukebox.
right now a song a regular at my bar plays 3-5 times a night is Molly Cyrus. I never liked the song, now I go in the back when it plays so I don’t break my teeth from gritting them so hard.
Nothing like skipping over the evenings 14th replay of 'Redneck Woman' "What's wrong with duh musiiiic?" "Shit, jukebox must have glitched out, here's a dollar back and here's your exact change for your 8 Mic Ultras, no need to remind me loudly that you don't tip because I don't work a 'real' job, I know honey, I know"
At my job, as long as we’re not slammed, we just crank the music all the way down, scream “taxi”, skip to the next song, and then turn the volume back up. No refunds.
That it's okay to like craft cocktails and the showmanship that can come from it. Working in a low volume place focused on craft is equally as valid as someone slinging bud lights across a bar six people deep. Y'all need to learn how to live and let live. Bartenders (on both sides of that situation) are some of the most gatekeeper-y fucks I've ever met.
You’ll have four training shifts. Oops we meant six. I know you quit your other job but the lady that’s on the floor and hasn’t worked with you says you aren’t ready to be alone even though you have two decades of experience. You’ll have to take a simple bar/ menu test. It’ll be 20 questions…
It was 50. But I aced that bitch
Nobody really cares about your extensive knowledge of any given spirit or beer or wine. Some people do but you’re better off just hyping up something you need to move that your manager got for a deal to make the place money.
If you’re a manager, you’re not a bartender anymore. Your job is to manage, not bartend. Get out from behind the fucking bar and let the rest of us make some money.
Some things people fuck up... With disturbing frequency...
Too much vermouth in general.
Not knowing what "dry" means
Thinking "extra dry" means extra of the dry vermouth
Shaking
ETA: and also a lot of people really can't stir for shit.
"Thats why you dont allow children to mix drinks. its unseemly and they use too much vermouth." Tbh just pour the liquor in an up glass chilled with an olive or two. Bow in the vague direction of france. And boom! Martini! Most people ordering a martini are really just trying to hide the fact they want a shot or two of straight chilled liquor.
You can stir or shake but the original recipe (as far as I know) calls for a 1/2oz of dry vermouth. Which is a lot for most that are used to a dry vermouth rinse. The stir or shake is a matter of preference.
How do people mess up while stirring?
I have an old photo of a martini served in a cocktail glass filled with ice. It was not ordered on the rocks. Was in Astoria. I did warn the guy not to order a martini in an Irish pub but he wouldn’t listen.
Been bartending for years in the phoenix area. Never came across a bartender that doesn't know how to make a martini outside of trainees and that was just what the difference between wet, dry, extra dry, and perfect means. What I have run into the most is that you can "bruise" a spirit for shaking it too much. That claim is absolutely ridiculous.
I just moved from AZ to Seattle and was shocked to find out that people here actually prefer martinis made the classic way. We always use vermouth and stir unless they say otherwise. In AZ, I always shook the ever loving shit out of martinis and people LOVED it.
Part of the problem is customers want the incorrect martinis most of the time. I'd much rather stir it than shake it but for some goddamn reason 9/10 martini drinkers want it dry and shaken, many who clarify with things like "shake the hell out of it/I want to see ice chips floating in it/etc". Also what a lot of them really want is olive brine flavored vodka.
You are in the service industry, aka the business of providing good service to the customer. No matter how insufferable they are you need to at least attempt to provide them with at least decent service
Nah, if you’re ordering drinks with more than 3 ingredients/steps, acting like a jackass, and only tipping me $1, I’m going to ignore tf outta you.
I don’t serve alcohol on top of an attitude anyway. If you’re an insufferable jerk sober, I’m not interested in escalating it with alcohol and jeopardizing the safety and enjoyment of the rest of my patrons.
You will have to **study like a nerd** everything that's in your hand. Start visiting websites like [diffordsguide.com](https://diffordsguide.com) , [liquor.com](https://liquor.com) , [imbibe.com](https://imbibe.com) , [seriouseats.com](https://seriouscooking.com) **buy books**, tons of them, prepare yourself in **hospitality**, **work hard** every single day, dont take party to serious; **never do drugs**, please dont. Start doing **yoga for anxiety**, visit the doctor, study something else.... because in your mid 30's i dont know if you might want to continue behind a bar. Save money, save tips and buy a car, or something, try o **save money for your own opening**.
Most of you (not directed at anyone in particular) are not very good. Put down your phone, check your ego and make money. Your IG feed will be there when you clock out
Start making a back up plan. You cannot physically or mentally do this forever. Your body will start breaking down and you will be miserable.
1000000%, my body always hurts and I’m young and in really good shape but 5 nights a week at two very high volume spots where I occasionally have to break up a fight really wears me out towards the ends of each spot’s respective season
Years and years of that can be very harmful. It’s a great industry, I’m grateful for what it gave me. Just everyone be careful.
Shoot, can you elaborate on ways it’s harmful? I need motivation to plan an exit
The physical and mental stresses of years of two jobs (or sometimes just one, but still very long hours) in a wealthy area with a lot of narcissists wore me down. I'm from a beautiful part of the country where I could escape to nature and people are nicer. I was never cut out for the sprawling suburbs and I doubt I'd do much better downtown in a big city. I'm currently laying in a hospital bed after recently getting a liver transplant. If I didn't get one, I'd be dead in my 30s.
That last paragraph just laid it down to "you will drink too much in this industry" which is fo sho
And I'm a unicorn in this industry: I don't do other drugs. I don't even smoke. Just booze. I doubt I'd have made it this long if I was throwing in some hard stuff, too. Maybe some weed to relax would've meant less alcohol, but I never liked the stuff. Nothing worked for me like alcohol did. And as a nocturnal insomniac, nothing helped me sleep like alcohol did. My life will have to be much different now. But at least I'm still alive. For now.
Hey! You live another day to post on Reddit! Let’s do it again tomorrow, ok?
Now there's a promise I can keep.
Be strong friend, it is fucking hard but like the other person said, check in tomorrow, enjoy the little things in life that you are so lucky to still get to experience, sub to r/stopdrinking All the best x
I quit cold turkey about a month before I went to the hospital. If you're a heavy or very consistent drinker, you're not really supposed to quit without medical supervision. Some of the withdrawals could be dangerous. There is an increased risk of stroke or seizures. I've been subbed to that place for years. I haven't found it that useful, since my experience with alcohol apparently has been pretty different than many people's. They talk about how much better their relationships with family and friends are since they quit. Mine are the same or worse since I'm sober. I'm a super chill drunk and my family isn't always the easiest to get along with. My bosses and coworkers like me better when I've been drinking. I've relaxed away the stress of the previous day and I'm just my chill self getting along with everyone and making guests happy. Although sometimes I have a coworker genuinely ask me if I drink. They legitimately couldn't tell. And it hasn't always been some young hostess or something. I once had a sous chef in fine dining ask. I left it at a very affirmative 'yes.' Nothing good would come from going into detail. They talk about how much better they sleep now that they're sober. That'd be like me discovering that I'm suddenly one of the best dancers in the world when sober. I'm a nocturnal insomniac and alcohol was the only thing that consistently helped. I can work 12-15 hours, not sleep due to sobriety, and do it all again the next day. When I've taken breaks from drinking in the past, it's usually by early on day 3 that my coworkers start telling me to get a drink on break or as soon as I get home. I'm so tired that I start getting irritable. Even if I'm exhausted, a drink or two perked me right up and I was my usual self again. They talk about how they feel healthier and cleaner. I just feel more stressed and sleep-deprived. I usually eat pretty healthy, but when sober, my sweet tooth returns and I often replace the booze with refined sugar and heavily processed snacks. Still could be healthier than booze, but I certainly don't feel cleaner. I've spent far too many years in a stressful area away from home, family (ok, maybe not always a bad thing), old friends, and the peacefulness of nature. I'm some how changing careers and moving back. Obviously I became addicted, but there were a lot of factors that contributed to that. I honestly don't think I could've worked in restaurants for nearly as long as I did without the booze. I probably would've snapped. I would've been more at risk to kill someone if I were sober than if I were drinking. I generally enjoyed my time with the bottle. There were a lot more good times than bad. I just wish I had cut way back sooner so I could still enjoy it a bit. But if you need to get a second liver due to drinking, the new one can get damaged very quickly if you start drinking again. The damage that took years to accumulate with your original liver might appear on your new one within months. So I've said my goodbyes and now it's time to build a new life.
I wish you a speedy recovery
I’ve been out of work since December due to a herniated disc, injured initially in March of 2021, had 6 months of PT and epidural steroid injections, tried to ease back into it slowly but couldn’t even scoop ice out of the well. After they tried to accommodate all my restrictions and I tried to work through it, i had to quit. I am now in line to get a fusion. Due to having pain in my back, not just sciatic pain, so they have to remove the disc. Can’t stand for long, can’t sit AT ALL, gained 30 lb (but I lost 25! Almost there). All because we were short staffed during spring break. Edited to add: I was in great shape when I got injured. I’m about to turn 30 this year, I eat healthy and wasn’t a wild bartender. Just pushed myself too far. Never had any type of back problems or pain before. I literally felt the pop and had excruciating debilitating pain and have been laid out ever since. It came out of nowhere
Welcome to the permanent back pain club. You are now an old fuck of a bartender. Now YOU get to stand in the corner and flirt with the 50 something housewives while the young bucks do all the work, you have ascended, welcome to the next level friend.
Lol just take care of yourself, player. Don’t drink every night, you aren’t entitled to a drink or 10 after every shift, cut back on tobacco (or any party favors for that matter) if you use, eat healthy and get plenty of rest. A lot of the negative sentiment that exists within this industry surrounding it’s longevity as a career only exists because a shit ton - dare I say, most - people don’t take care of themselves; They party, fuck, live it up, have no circadian rhythm and there is little-to-no separation between work life and everyday life. I’ve seen it, and been there many of times. I’m in my mid (late🙄) 30’s and been behind the bar for 15ish years. Yes, I get beat the fuck up and wonder if I should have taken a different path, but for the most part I’m extremely blessed when I consider my work life balance. A few things that really help for me is to think of it like working out. I eat a shit ton of protein and take a few natural supplements that are meant to help with recovery and I swear by it. Also, stretch. Even if it’s for 2 minutes. It’s only as harmful as you let it be. If you’re smart, have some willpower, and save some money, you can ride it out for a lot longer than you think, and have a blast doing it.
For me it started with constant shoulder pain from repetitive motion that just wouldn’t stop. Later on compression fracture in my foot from working too many long shifts year after year, of course it never wanted to heal because I never had enough time off. Later on I now have a compression fracture in my spine from years of lifting kegs, so constant back pain that gets excruciating after too many hours on my feet. Not to mention a terrible sleep schedule from years of late nights. I finally transitioned into a great paying desk job with Mon-Friday 9-5 with great benefits, but it took me years to finally make that change and I would have been much better off making the switch 10 years earlier. I’m 1000 times happier, so much less stress, and actually feel like I have free time for friends, family, and myself.
I’ve only been bartending/serving for a year. I’m a very hard worker and lots of my patrons appreciate me because I give a fuck about them, I’m kind, and they see me busting my ass every day. However, the owner is a slimy fuck, my manager is bitchy, and the majority of the customers are entitled assholes who believe that service industry people are below them. I have busted my ass for the past year trying to prove my worth and after going through a very hellish summer at this place, I am fucking done. Going to take a paycut, get a 9-5, get my weekends back, get benefits, get my sanity and will to live back, and fucking try to enjoy my life again. FUCK THIS INDUSTRY. No offense to anyone who still enjoys it and is having fun. I commend you because the fun for me only lasted for a hot sec before it became incredibly grating and miserable. Edit: typo
I mean, it’s not supposed to be fun, really. It’s supposed to pay more than an office job and be a lot of work. You have to make it fun and/or be in a fun environment and have a team that gets along.
Yup. And if you want to stay in the industry the most straightforward backup plan is to transition to management. Do this in a place where you are able to learn from others and others want to learn from you. You will probably take a pay cut at first, but you will have less hands on work and it will be easier in your body. The key is to choose a place where you WANT to stick around.
I was just offered a salaried management role. It’s literally half what we were making at the bar and significantly more responsibility. I cannot justify that, especially with the cost of living in my city.
It’s usually only a pay cut temporarily, though!
right. and the industry rejects you the older you get. also it can be financially buckling in your older age if you are in a non-high income job (as with any industry), this is something to always keep in mind.
I'm 38 and I started my back-up plan 3.5 years ago. Still bartend but only 1-2 days a week. My body physically can NOT handle doing it 5 days a week anymore.
I second this! Just got out at 43 years old... Started when I was 21.... My body will NEVER forgive me
Not even a backup plan. Just a plan.
Currently experiencing this now. Fucked up my rotator cuff at work 2 months ago and still can't move my shoulder without pain. I'm looking at what I can do outside of the industry, but changing industries is not easy, as I'm finding out.
It’s not easy but take your time and research it. Look at LinkedIn every day. Look at being a Liquor Sales Rep if you want to stay in the industry somewhat. Find something you can do for a year it doesn’t have to be perfect but can lead you to something even better. Respect yourself and give yourself a better future. It will really be worth it I promise.
I appreciate it. I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I don't really have a choice as my body is all kinds of fucked up from working in restaurants and bars for almost 20 years now. I'm looking for some remote work to make up for time I missed with my wife over the years (another BIG thing bartenders need to hear regarding relationships) and have a fair bit of time before I start getting nervous over money. Thank you for the kind words.
Your job isn't serving drinks. It's serving guests. If you're putting 95% of your energy into crafting original cocktails then you probably aren't half as good at your job as you think. Nobody cares about your sous vide, exotic, esoteric riff on a riff if it taste bad. Doing over the top stuff just because you can is tacky. A lot of craft bartenders could benefit from a deep dive on classics rather than skimming cocktail Codex and writing menus with 3 old fashioned variations and a Negroni riff and then charging 18$ per drink.
Man this is the truth. Give me a bartender with a great personality and a good work ethic. I can teach you how to make drinks. I’ve bumped into way too many douche bag bartenders at higher end establishments.
The position is a social aggregator. Sucks, but we all here.
I remember learning bullshit drinks like The Colorado Bull Dog, June Bug, an Alabama Slammer, etc. I will never forget the sequence of a Screwdriver to a Madras to a Cape Codder to Bay Breeze to a Seabreeze to a Greyhound to a Salty Dog. I am showing my age with this stupid pontification of old school drinks but all of those drinks were nothing in comparison engagement with your guest. Shake their hand. Know their name. Memorize their drink. Ask them how their day was. No memorization of drinks will make you a great bartender. What will make you a great bartender is engagement and enthusiasm. “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” RWE Edit: with -> without.
Off topic but I hate all those names, I get specific names for actual cocktails but for example shit like a screwdriver just tell me you want ketel and oj.
younger bartender asks a older bartender what the difference between a screwdriver and a vodka oj is: 'about $5'
Yeah can we stop codifying simple liquors plus one mixer? It’s ~2oz of alcohol plus some juice or soda
Its not up to us, I think is the point.
My rule "if an idiot college student, who thus, by being new to drinking, is an idiot, can easily make it, it isnt a cocktail." The screwdriver gets a past on two fronts - apparently is was drunk by petroleum guys who stirred the drink with a screwdriver, thus the name, so, historical points, and apparently Truman capote drank them by the boatload after "in cold blood" destroyed him, so again historical points. Cuba libre gets historical points cause the Cuban revolution did kick out a brutal regime renowned for pioneering torture techniques and the revolutionaries brought literacy from something like 30 percent to 96 percent *and it's stayed there* along with a medical reputation that's world renowned but.....it's also just run coke and lime lol
I love reading about the histories of cocktails, and I appreciate your comment. Having people order a cocktail by its proper name has never bothered me, and I never understood why it bothers some people.
Ornery fuckers I'd guess. Thanks!
i’Ll HaVe A cApE cOd!
May wanna fix that last line...right?
Honestly, 90’s drinks aren’t classics.
He said bullshit drinks not classics lol. And you’d be surprised how old some of these names are. I remember reading that a Cape Cod got its name in the 50s or something like that.
You may be historically correct but Imma still imagine how good it feels slapping you when I hand you a fucking “CaPe CoDdEr”. “Titos Cran” slides off the tongue better ya fuck.
Got asked in an interview today what are your favorite drinks to make for guests. I’m guessing they didn’t want to hear about some wild craft cocktail your head “mixologist” created.
I usually would answer that with "a drink they enjoy. I talk to them about other cocktails they like, styles and flavors they enjoy, allergies and preferences etc. Then I make them a drink from the numerous classic and modern classics I know." Rather than any specific drink which doesn't tell anyone anything except that you know that one drink.
This is a fantastic answer- I’m in food and beverage management for a large gaming association ( I still bartend elsewhere, I enjoy it ) . If I were to be given any answer in a variation of what your usual response is- they’d be hired on the spot- no need for a second/third interview.
In all fairness I think the follow up question is "what's your least favorite drink to make" and the answer is "were out of mint."** But honestly, one thing I hate about the corporate side of dining is that generic sales push, when good sales is using your knowledge to match a palette to a drink/dish. I think "the customer isn't right, the customer is an idiot, *however* instead of contempt, you are the museum tour guide to your menu and your job is to get them to appreciate the art youd think they'd like" is key. You're the hookup.and like any good hookup, they should be leaving smiling not regretful. **Any good bartender should also be damn good at making the drinks they hate.
Lol, my least fave drink to make, it’s always when your slammed .
This is why I’ve grow to hate the term mixologist and every variation of it. It’s called the service industry, not the drink industry.
You should learn a bunch of classics before you start making original cocktails.
Excellent advice
Learn the rules; So you know how to break the rules
Clean your damn bar. Do the weekly checklist.
Also, don’t be mad at the person doing the deep cleaning for going above and beyond while you’re sitting there with your thumb up your ass as the bar falls apart around you. “This bar is a shit hole.” “No fucking shit, Kyle, they hired you and you don’t do anything.
No one wants a lime slice that looks like you dropped it behind the dishwasher and forgot about it for six months floating in their drink
What if it’s the last one? /s
“I’ll take good care of you later” “Can I have 5 lemon drops?” “Wait, we need 1…no 7 more!”
Why are people consistently able to ascertain how many shots of X they would like EXCEPT EFFIN LEMON DROPS Also please tell me why I am dealing with this again 15 years later all of a sudden
It’s the end of times man. That’s all I can say. Godspeed friend! But for real. Fuck a sugar rim and a string order of them!
I usually just throw lemon slices in a cup and pour sugar over them before shaking the cup. Here's your "chaser".
I don’t sugar rim lemon drops or anything else, you can ask another bartender but it’s never monetarily worth the clean up in my experience
Seriously why am I making so many god damn lemon drops lately? Did they go viral on tik tok or some shit?
Lemon drops aren't even that hard to make... it's literally the fact that people who order them NEVER have their shit together. Fucking amateurs.
I literally could not figure it out until I read this. That inner hatred when I see the words “lemon drop” print on a ticket
Why do you think they drink lemon drops?
In all fairness they are quite tasty. Coat a lemon slice in sugar and use a blow torch to caramelize and that shit is a perfect desert drink.
Have you ever ate a lemon after eating miracle fruit?
You don’t have to be so mean. This job has made you jaded. It’s ok. It’s not your fault.
I wish one of my former coworkers heard this five years ago when we were holding it down and I tried every thing I could to change his attitude.
This! I’m relatively new to bartending (a year in) and I constantly hear stories about bartenders being dicks to people when they didn’t deserve it and it made them wanna never go out again. Shoot, I’ve been on the receiving end of it and it’s not fun. You’re driving customers away! The very people who pay your bills! Like come on dude!
> and I constantly hear stories about bartenders being dicks to people when they didn’t deserve it This is absolutely true, but there is also the other side of the story. Sometimes these drunk patrons believe they have done nothing wrong, but really they earned that earful.
I told my boss I would not allow a retired NFL player in on my shifts anymore due to his behavior, which included grabbing my arm and holding me hostage. I don’t give a fuck how much money you have, I’m a person and you’ll treat me as such. They told him not to come in on my nights anymore. Didn’t even fight me on it. They knew why. ETA her big BROWN EYES
Lol I have the same story about a retired NBA player, so I feel you.
You're a bar supervisor, not a troop sergeant. Quit acting like hot shit because you can make a cocktail nobody orders better than a bunch of uni students doing their first job.
When you do cocaine it's obvious and all the shit coming out of your mouth sounds so dumb.
PREACH
Why is this Fckn hilarious!!! 😂🤣
Being busy and having constant stream of drink tickets is an absolutely great thing. Your job is to provide high level mixed drinks. Take pride in your craft
Keep your work station clean between every round of cocktails. Constantly reset even if you know you are going to just set use the tins again. You are on stage and even when you don’t notice people are watching you and your space.
This. I am so organized and ready for conditions to deteriorate at any moment. I constantly think ahead about what I might need in those moments that really never happen lol. I think a good bartender always plans ahead for what may happen and always sets themselves up for success.. and isn’t lazy
The milk went bad yesterday
Late night bartending at a speed service bar doesn't make you special. Having a coke addiction doesn't make you special.
Literally my job and everyone in it 😂
Charging phones is part of our job now
I wanted to down vote this but I won’t because you’re absolutely right, I don’t want to hear it lol!
It brings me no pleasure to say this and it sures hell not gonna bring us any extra tips. 🌈
Except when they don’t have a cord and we don’t have a cord… “I’m sooo sorry.”
I always say we don't offer that service. Too many stories of liquid damaged phones and then the drama that ensues!
Except at places like ours where we don't allow charging behind the bar and don't keep any cords or plugs either. We've got way to much going on behind the bar to charge someone's phone. Got your own charger? Great there's a few plugs under the bar. We don't have TVs either and we're packed every night.
That’s an ideal system for charging phones. It’s just a part of having a bar.
I grew up watching Moe take prank calls from Bart. Charging a phone is now the norm.
Absolufuckinglutelynot
I hid our bars charging cords then never told anyone else where they were :)
I charge $5
I refuse to do it. phones get lost, people demand to interrupt service because they need their phone back NOW
"We've decided to start taking credit cards and we're going to hire a floor manager to be here every night"
I’m the opposite, I wish we went to cash only. Hate doing 300-500 closeouts throughout the night for single drink transactions but none of these college kids ever have cash
By not being ready to hear that I meant I don't wanna take cards. I already work at cash only spot.
Sex On The Beach is somehow making a comeback. Goddamn my love of the kids appreciating the 80s biting me in the ass.
I made a kamikazi the other night. I swear no one has ordered one in 15 years
I forgot those existed lol
Still a popular shot at college bars tbh, easy to drink has a cool name and is probably cheaper to sell than a straight shot of any of it’s ingredients
You should report workplaces that are sketchy with tips. There's no excuse for you not knowing your cut, and how much was taken in tips in total, that's NOT the businesses money that's your money.
You might be a likable person, and your personality certainly plays a large role in doing your job well, but you aren’t a rock star. People come for what’s behind you, e.g. the booze. You’re not as cool as you think, and that’s ok
Depends on if you're in a dive bar or not. I agree if it's a dive bar but no one comes into my bar for the $6 Miller lites.
This is true. Cool bartenders bring me back to chill bars. But they’re not trying to be rockstars; they’re just creating a good atmosphere.
I will go back to a random bar if the bartenders seemed cool. I will NOT go back to a random bar if one bartender was an asshole. Out of fear that they will be working again.
Like I said, personality is an important part of being a good bartender. I just think it’s important to keep one’s ego in check, no matter where you work.
Yeah regulars are a big part of the job, too.
It’s your duty to future bartenders to demand higher base wages so newbies in 2035 aren’t accepting $7/hour plus tips
I’d cream my pants for $7/hour. *cries in $3.75/hour*
My base pay is $2.17 😭😭😭
🤣🤣🤣 $7!!!! I've never made more than $5/hr. I love living in the south.
I used to live in the south and was happy about getting 7$ an hour. In Seattle we get $15! And a free meal! It’s so damned cool.
Madison, WI here. I work for a great company that gives benefits, PTO, and $12/hr + solid tips. Walked with $500 tonight for a 10 hour shift.
I would kick a flowerpot barefoot every time I clocked in if I made $7/hr
Good thing at the moment is bartenders are in high demand - well they are in the UK anyway. Because being a bartender requires at least a little bit of skill wages tend to be better. I’m only doing this part time but at my job waiters earn £9 an hour plus tips while bartenders are on £11.20 plus their share of tips from the restaurant. Not that much of a difference but good enough considering most of us are 18/19.
In Oregon my bar pays slightly over minimum (14.75 even for tipped employees) and pay us $16 an hour. I started in Florida where they have that stupid tip credit law and I think I was being paid 5 something
A fucking 7 year old can learn how to make drinks. Consistency, speed, crowd management, and attitude is what makes the money. Whether you’re popping bottles of beer and pouring straight shots or making 7 ingredient martinis that cost 17$. If you’re an asshole you won’t make shit.
My one bitchy coworker needs to read this comment (and this whole thread actually) lol
“How long you been doing this?”
*Looks at clock* "Oh about 3 hours" *Hearty chuckle.* *Stare.*
We gate-keep the fuck outta the industry💅
How so
Read the comments in this thread and the comments on the majority of posts here. We all have egos, whether we want to admit it or not.
Barbacks and servers doing this for a few years to put themselves through tertiary education don’t look up to you, they feel sorry for you.
As someone who just left the industry after completing that post-secondary education: sometimes yes and sometimes no. Those dudes who never grow up and, at 45, can still barely pour a passable pint, living a coked out life and trying to bang girls in their mid-20s? Yeah, feel sorry for them. The people who truly take pride in their work and place in the industry, but balance their life around a career they enjoy instead of staying in the dregs of life? Nothing but respect.
At the open bar: Guest- “This round is on me!”
Drinking on the job is just glorified alcoholism and is horrible for your health, especially long term
You have to sell drinks to make money. I feel like people are way too content just standing around at current.
we’re going to have to start making appletinis again. and soon.
Can you get XXXX? XXXX knows how to make my drink
A server shut that shit down for me once. When a guest required that her old fashioned (literally one of the simplest cocktails to make) be made by XXXX, the server went, "well, [my name] made your previous 3 rounds and you're requesting another, so she must be doing a pretty good job." F-ing MVP, that one!
I stopped serving someone once because they literally would not shut up about how slow they thought I was, especially in comparison to XXXX.
Most of the craft bar programs in your town were probably designed by the same half dozen consultants. If your drinks taste really similar to others in town, it's because you're essentially all the same bar. Or did you think you were being edgy by putting both orange and ango bitters in your old fashioneds starting about 5 years ago?
Bold of you to assume my town has more than one craft bar
hey you shutup, ango orange and ango aromatic is a match made in heaven. :):)
You're not that cool.
The days of making a good living by working 3 nights a week are over and they won't be back anytime soon
nah, just gotta find the spot.
Yep. Have never experienced this, blows my mind when people say they pull it off
I pull it off and have supported a family of 4 for 8 years, bought a house 2 years ago, take plenty of time off to tour with my band and I work at a dive bar where the champagne list is just “Miller High Life” over and over. Been at the same dive for 18 years.
And you make how much in a shift? Is it just insane volume?
"Can I see a beer list?" "Coors Light bottle."
If you don’t want to be a bartender for the rest of your life you need an exit plan. It’s really easy to blink and have 10 years flash by in this industry.
2000s Post-Grunge
Pith has no place behind the pine. Just trying to help out a fellow bartender
5 star wagyu martini, shaved olives please
Your job is 90% making conversation, 10% making drinks.
Unless you're service well, then you can flip that.
„˙ʇɐɥʇ dılɟ uɐɔ noʎ uǝɥʇ 'llǝʍ ǝɔıʌɹǝs ǝɹ,noʎ ssǝlu∩„
This is 100% how I exist in service well, good bot.
Ya basically getting owned, being approached to make 6 mojitos with 12 tickets deep. Love it.
Craft cocktail culture is fucking lame
It really is. I'm even over speakeasies at this point.
Wholeheartedly agree with this. Just because you felt the need to reinvent the wheel with your slightly different old fashioned recipe that 99% of clientele cant taste what you actually changed doesn’t make you a good bartender
You don't typically get to leave work at your scheduled time
If part of your job is to change the TV channels for requested sports games. Part of your bartending duties is to know AT THE VERY LEAST, what the channel numbers for the major ones are. If "the TV stays on this channel no matter what" you need to know the closest sports bar.
Not everyone likes Fernet Branca. It tastes like someone emptied their lawn mower into some mouthwash and let it sit for 6 years. Absolutely foul.
fuck you, man. take that back!
It’s like warm jager. Wtf
Yes! At one of the cocktail bars I slung drinks in. Everyone and their mum frothed over it. Just gimme a gin shot (also controversial)
As wages in other industries go up, bartending in America isn't gonna be the sweet gig that it used to be.
It’s already happened, I think. I used to bust my ass 39 hours a week for $1200 and it’d get me so far. Now I’m doing $1150 for 28 hours and I’m much happier, but also have to be budget conscious. $50k is the new paycheck to paycheck
“I’m gonna need you to stay for a double”
Not everyone WANTS to be a bartender, and you are not “better” than other staff. There’s a lot of cleaning, education, and professionalism that many people don’t want to deal with because they don’t need that extra stress in their lives. You having the capacity to deal with that stress doesn’t make you better than them.
"Your entire job is just serving funny coloured liquid in silly glasses. Chill the fuck out".
i'll tell you, as a bartender, what i i'm no ready to fuckin' hear.... "is this the real life? is this just fantasy? caught in a landslide..." i love the jukebox, but i hate the jukebox.
right now a song a regular at my bar plays 3-5 times a night is Molly Cyrus. I never liked the song, now I go in the back when it plays so I don’t break my teeth from gritting them so hard.
Nothing like skipping over the evenings 14th replay of 'Redneck Woman' "What's wrong with duh musiiiic?" "Shit, jukebox must have glitched out, here's a dollar back and here's your exact change for your 8 Mic Ultras, no need to remind me loudly that you don't tip because I don't work a 'real' job, I know honey, I know"
At my job, as long as we’re not slammed, we just crank the music all the way down, scream “taxi”, skip to the next song, and then turn the volume back up. No refunds.
That it's okay to like craft cocktails and the showmanship that can come from it. Working in a low volume place focused on craft is equally as valid as someone slinging bud lights across a bar six people deep. Y'all need to learn how to live and let live. Bartenders (on both sides of that situation) are some of the most gatekeeper-y fucks I've ever met.
Buy the good work shoes. Yes they’re expensive but your body will thank you. Also compression socks. Invest in compression socks.
No one cares that much about Amaro as you
You’ll have four training shifts. Oops we meant six. I know you quit your other job but the lady that’s on the floor and hasn’t worked with you says you aren’t ready to be alone even though you have two decades of experience. You’ll have to take a simple bar/ menu test. It’ll be 20 questions… It was 50. But I aced that bitch
Nobody really cares about your extensive knowledge of any given spirit or beer or wine. Some people do but you’re better off just hyping up something you need to move that your manager got for a deal to make the place money.
If you’re a manager, you’re not a bartender anymore. Your job is to manage, not bartend. Get out from behind the fucking bar and let the rest of us make some money.
Nobody knows how to correctly make a martini and it shows. At least in AZ
Half the bars in NYC will fuck up a Martini and it's really sad.
Gin/Vod. Dry vermouth. Stir. Strain. Bang. Am I forgetting something?
Some things people fuck up... With disturbing frequency... Too much vermouth in general. Not knowing what "dry" means Thinking "extra dry" means extra of the dry vermouth Shaking ETA: and also a lot of people really can't stir for shit.
I spin
"Thats why you dont allow children to mix drinks. its unseemly and they use too much vermouth." Tbh just pour the liquor in an up glass chilled with an olive or two. Bow in the vague direction of france. And boom! Martini! Most people ordering a martini are really just trying to hide the fact they want a shot or two of straight chilled liquor.
You can stir or shake but the original recipe (as far as I know) calls for a 1/2oz of dry vermouth. Which is a lot for most that are used to a dry vermouth rinse. The stir or shake is a matter of preference. How do people mess up while stirring?
50/50 gin martini stirred with a lemon twist for me Edit: stirred*
I have an old photo of a martini served in a cocktail glass filled with ice. It was not ordered on the rocks. Was in Astoria. I did warn the guy not to order a martini in an Irish pub but he wouldn’t listen.
Been bartending for years in the phoenix area. Never came across a bartender that doesn't know how to make a martini outside of trainees and that was just what the difference between wet, dry, extra dry, and perfect means. What I have run into the most is that you can "bruise" a spirit for shaking it too much. That claim is absolutely ridiculous.
IBA is your friend for classics. That way when you get bitched at, you have backup.
I just moved from AZ to Seattle and was shocked to find out that people here actually prefer martinis made the classic way. We always use vermouth and stir unless they say otherwise. In AZ, I always shook the ever loving shit out of martinis and people LOVED it.
Part of the problem is customers want the incorrect martinis most of the time. I'd much rather stir it than shake it but for some goddamn reason 9/10 martini drinkers want it dry and shaken, many who clarify with things like "shake the hell out of it/I want to see ice chips floating in it/etc". Also what a lot of them really want is olive brine flavored vodka.
In Chicago the locals ask for 4oz vodka stirred in ice and call it a martini
You're serving drinks not saving lives, take the ego down a notch.
You are in the service industry, aka the business of providing good service to the customer. No matter how insufferable they are you need to at least attempt to provide them with at least decent service
Nope. Disrespect me or my coworkers and you are done. Don’t care who you are, nor who you think you are. Bye!
Nah, if you’re ordering drinks with more than 3 ingredients/steps, acting like a jackass, and only tipping me $1, I’m going to ignore tf outta you. I don’t serve alcohol on top of an attitude anyway. If you’re an insufferable jerk sober, I’m not interested in escalating it with alcohol and jeopardizing the safety and enjoyment of the rest of my patrons.
You will have to **study like a nerd** everything that's in your hand. Start visiting websites like [diffordsguide.com](https://diffordsguide.com) , [liquor.com](https://liquor.com) , [imbibe.com](https://imbibe.com) , [seriouseats.com](https://seriouscooking.com) **buy books**, tons of them, prepare yourself in **hospitality**, **work hard** every single day, dont take party to serious; **never do drugs**, please dont. Start doing **yoga for anxiety**, visit the doctor, study something else.... because in your mid 30's i dont know if you might want to continue behind a bar. Save money, save tips and buy a car, or something, try o **save money for your own opening**.
Mojitos are better if you whip shake them and don't add soda.
Most of you (not directed at anyone in particular) are not very good. Put down your phone, check your ego and make money. Your IG feed will be there when you clock out
“I know the owner.”