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C O M P L E T E B A R T E N D E R ' S G U I D E THE BARTENDER'S FIELD MANUAL

Become a Professional Bartender, Make Great Money, Craft Delicious Cocktails, Travel the World

T O M B L A K E

Creator of craftybartending.com

The Bartender’s Field Manual

Become a Professional Bartender, Make Great Money, Craft Delicious Cocktails, Travel the World.

By Tom Blake Creator of craftybartending.com Table of Contents

The Bartender’s Field Manual ...... i Table of Contents ...... ii Disclaimer & Copyright ...... iv About the Author ...... v Dedication ...... vi First and Foremost ...... 1 1. FAQs ...... 2 2. My Story and Why you Need this Book! ...... 4 3. What Going Through this Process will Teach You ...... 7 4. How to Get the Most out of this Book ...... 12 Part 1 - Becoming a Bartender...... 20 5. An Overview of the Hiring Process ...... 21 6. Meet the Requirements ...... 24 7. Writing Your Resume ...... 34 8. The Job Search...... 44 9. The Interview ...... 54 10. The Trial Shift ...... 67 11. Making the Transition ...... 77 Part 2 - Being the Bartender ...... 85 12. The Road to Greatness ...... 86 12. Learn to be The Best ...... 91 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs ...... 96 Part 3 - The Theory of Alcohol...... 109 15. What is Alcohol? ...... 110 16. Beer ...... 115 17. Cider ...... 126 18. Wine ...... 127 19. Liquor ...... 141 20. Liqueurs ...... 153 Part 4 - The Craft of the Cocktail ...... 158

ii 21. The Craft of the Cocktail ...... 159 22. The Principles of Mixology ...... 162 23. The Tools ...... 168 24. The Techniques ...... 175 25. The Ingredients ...... 183 26. Prepping The Bar ...... 192 27. Mastery & Speeding Things Up ...... 198 Part 5 - The Recipes ...... 204 28. Overview ...... 205 29. Cocktails Recipes ...... 208 30. Shooter Recipes ...... 263 31. Mocktail Recipes ...... 273 Last But Not Least ...... 279 32. Making the Most of Bartending ...... 280 33. Some Final Advice ...... 288 Appendix A - Measurements ...... 291 Appendix B - The Glassware ...... 293 Appendix C - Glossary & Bartending Terminology ...... 298 Appendix D - Further Reading: The Few that Matter ...... 303

iii Disclaimer & Copyright

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher. The only exception is a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a published review. Commercialised book summaries are expressly prohibited and unauthorised unless speciﬁcally licensed by the author.

The information presented herein represents the view of the author as of the date of publication. This book is presented for informational and entertainment purposes only. Due to the rate at which economic and cultural conditions change, the author reserves the right to alter and update his opinions based on new conditions. While every attempt has been made to verify the information in this book, neither the author nor his afﬁliates/partners assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. At no time shall the information contained herein be construed as professional, investment, tax, accounting, legal, or medical advice. This book does not constitute a recommendation or a warrant of suitability for any particular business, industry, website, security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy.

iv About the Author

Tom Blake is the creator of the Crafty Bartending website and has been a professional bartender, bar manager, and travelling bartender for over 6 years. Throughout his career, he’s worked in all sorts of venues & positions, the bar manager at an exclusive nightclub in the French Alps, to washing dishes at a pub in Melbourne, Australia.

He’s travelled and bartended his way through Europe, the UK, South-East Asia and Australia. Some of the highlights were learning how to do a backﬂip on his snowboard in the alps, getting into the ring for a pro Muay Thai ﬁght in Thailand, and marrying the woman of his dreams - a colleague he worked with in France.

In Tom’s words, “Becoming a bartender literally changed my life. It saved me from a boring career in accounting and encouraged me to pursue the life of my dreams. I couldn’t be happier for it and I can only hope this book will help others do the same.”

The Website: https://craftybartending.com/

Social Media: facebook.com/craftybartending instagram.com/craftybartending twitter.com/iamtomblake1

v Dedication

For my parents, brothers and loving wife, Wendy, Kelvin, Lewis, James & Talia Blake.

This book wouldn’t have been possible without your help & support. Thanks for putting up with up me. I love you all and am forever gratefu l.

vi First and Foremost

“There are few professions whose primary objective is to advance the cause of humanity rather than simply to make money or accrue power. Among this limited group of humanitarians I would number teachers, nurses, bookstore owners, and bartenders.” Jack McDevitt 1. FAQs

Is bartending for you? If you’ve picked up this book, chances are good that it is. Here are some of the most common questions people have who are new to the bartending world.

Should I go to Bartending School? It’s optional. But since you’ve picked up this book, you won’t need to. Bartending school can be helpful in the beginning of your journey to quickly learn the basics. But reading this manual, practicing what you learn and getting on-the-job experience will teach you far more than bartending school ever could.

So this book can replace bartending school? Yes! That’s one of the many reasons why you should continue reading :-).

How do I Become a Bartender When I Don’t Have any Experience? Good question and don’t worry, we’ll get to this. In fact, part 1 of this book is dedicated to answering this question. Throughout part 1, you’ll learn exactly what you need to do to land your ﬁrst job & become a professional bartender, regardless of your experience.

Do I Need to be a Bartender Full-Time? Of course not. One of the best things about tending the bar is its ﬂexibility. You can work another job, study, or work towards your dreams (like being an actor, artist, etc) while you’re earning decent money. You could be a bartender for the rest of your life or use it as a temporary solution to compliment your lifestyle.

Do I Need to Be a Drinker? Absolutely not. While going out & drinking after work can be a big part of a bar’s culture, there are always bartenders who prefer not to get involved. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve worked with these bartenders, I’ve been one of those bartenders and when I wasn’t going out drinking, I learnt & got far more done than I ever could as a drinking bartender.

Do I need to travel? YES! Only kidding. No, you don’t HAVE to travel. Throughout this book, you’ll hear about my obsession with bartending & travel, but what’s important is the underlying

Chapter 1. FAQs 2 theme of freedom that a career in bartending gives you. How you choose to use that freedom is completely up to you.

How Much do Bartenders make? This is highly dependant on the country, state, and venue you work for. A bartender’s salary is usually made up tips & wages. Wages are predictable but tips can vary widely so how much a bartender makes varies widely. See Part 2 ‘Quicks Wins and More FAQs’ for more details.

Chapter 1. FAQs 3 2. My Story and Why you Need this Book!

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Albert Einstein

It was 9:55pm and my hands were sweating…

It was hard to believe, 4 years into my bartending career and I was here, managing a team of bartenders at one of the most prestigious night clubs in the French Alps, Dick’s Tea Bar. If someone had told me 5 years ago that this is where I’d be, I would have laughed at them and said, “I can’t even get a job at a fast-food joint, how am I supposed to manage a bar in the French Alps!”

And yet, here I was…

“Are you ready for this?” Jon (the venue manager) asked.

“Hell yeah mate. This is going to be epic!” I replied with some obvious fake conﬁdence.

Jon must have picked up on it. I’ve never been good at acting. But it didn’t matter because he was just as nervous as I was.

It was the team’s ﬁrst real test together. After a month and a half of training, preparation and practice, one of the biggest nights of the season was upon us.

New Year’s Eve.

Dick’s Tea Bar was the venue where everyone would be for the count-down. That meant there was only one thing coming for us…

CHAOS!

The doors opened at 10pm and the guests ﬂooded in. Within an hour, the night club was full and the bar was 3 rows deep. And I don’t know how, but the DJ was already hammered!

We were bombarded with cocktails orders, champagne showers, and Jager Bombs, and despite how crazy everything was, the team was holding up well. I was impressed. For most of them, this was their ﬁrst bartending job. And with only a month and a half of experience, they were bartending like superstars and were absolutely loving it!

Chapter 2. My Story and Why You Need This Book 4 5…

4…

3…

2…

1………..

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I don’t remember much of what happened after that. I know we brieﬂy stopped serving after the count down for a ‘team jager bomb’ (why should we miss out on all the fun?) and celebrate the New Year together. I also vaguely remember our Swedish bartenders dancing on the bar-top on and off throughout the night.

They deﬁnitely earned some solid tips out of that.

But there’s one thing I remember for certain… Throughout it all, I couldn’t help but think to myself…

“How the hell did I end up here?? How the hell did life turn out so damn good?!”

—————

From the outside looking in, the life of a stereotypical bartender looks glamorous, exciting and somewhat similar to that of the rich & famous.

They travel the world, socialise for a living, they’re the life of the party, and they always seem to be holding something alcoholic in all of their Instagram photos.

At night, they’re either working or partying. Usually both.

During the day, who knows… They could be sleeping in until 3pm, jumping off cliffs, snowboarding, or drinking in preparation for another night of shenanigans.

There’s a reason why these stereotypes exist… They’re true!

Bartenders often live crazy lifestyles fuelled by alcohol, sex, and adventure. I lived that life for years and it was awesome.

But just as most stereotypes turn out to be true, they’re almost always blown out of proportion.

Chapter 2. My Story and Why You Need This Book 5 Those crazy situations people expect to ﬁnd bartenders in don’t happen as often as you would think. And the nights out on town working & partying are often followed by crippling hangovers that limit your options the next day.

Also, every bartender is different & they’re all at different stages in their careers & life. Some have no interest in going cliff jumping, some have no interest in drinking, some really love sleeping in, some are in it for the long haul and others are just doing temporarily while they work towards something else.

Whatever the case is, it doesn’t matter because what’s great about being a bartender, is the freedom it gives you to live a life mostly of your own making.

You could move overseas & learn another language. You could take full advantage of being constantly in ‘the party’ & go out every night. Or you could pay off your mortgage, spend your days outdoors, study, build a business, etc, etc.

This is one of the main reasons why bartending is such an amazing job.

But there’s more to it than that. What you learn as a bartender is also extremely useful in the real world. It teaches you practical skills that you can use in almost every aspect of your life. And once you’ve tended bar for a while, you’ll carry these skills with you forever.

That’s how it’s been for me anyway.

Sure, it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, practice, disciplined effort, and the will to want to improve & change.

But if you stick with it, you’ll have the opportunity to live the kind of life most people only ever dream about.

There’s more to being a bartender than meets the eye. And throughout this book, you’re going to learn everything you need to know & do to live your ‘bartending dream.’

Chapter 2. My Story and Why You Need This Book 6 3. What Going Through this Process will Teach You

“I think everyone should go to college and get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cabdriver. Then they would be really educated.” Al McGuire

This book will teach you the exact principles, skills, strategies & mindset I used to do the following:

• Overcome my crippling social anxiety, make a ton of life-long international friends and go on a lot of ‘dates’. • Never have to worry about getting a pay check again - Bartending is recession proof job and once you’re good at it, employment is virtually guaranteed. • Earn enough cash to pay off all my debt & travel as a bartender for over 6 years. Bartending is almost the same everywhere you go. Once you learn how to tend the bar, you learn a set of skills that can take you around the world. • Learn how to speak French. • Memorise over 100 cocktail recipes with quick recall. • PARTAYYYYY! • Become the head bartender at a nightclub in the French alps 1.5 years into my career. • Become a bar manager 2 years into my career. • Start a blog that has helped thousands of bartenders (aspiring or otherwise) improve & get better at their jobs. • Learn how to snowboard & subsequently do my ﬁrst backﬂip 1 year later. • Learn a ton about beer, wine, whiskey and cocktails - tasting (read drinking) A LOT of alcohol along the way. • Meet the woman of my dreams, get married, and sit down to write this book.

All of this sounds more impressive on paper. But keep in mind that it’s taken me 6 years to get to this point. That’s 6 years of my life distilled into 12 dot points…

Kind of depressing really.

When you take into account that I spent more than 5 years fantasising about being a bartender ﬁrst, it’s not impressive at all.

Chapter 3. What This Process Will Teach You 7 Here’s a brief overview of my long relationship with bartending to date.

(2006) - Turn 16 & realise I want to become a bartender Out at a restaurant with my parents having ‘the talk’ (yes, I know… I was a late bloomer). As I sat there embarrassed trying not to listen to my parents awkwardly explain where babies came from, I notice the bartender at the end the restaurant working behind a beautiful mahogany bar, shaking a cocktail, and chatting up one of the attractive waitresses. He looked… cool. I wanted to be cool and I wanted to chat up attractive women. Becoming a bartender was THE way to do it.

(2008) - Turn 18 & try to become a bartender Get my responsible service of alcohol certiﬁcation (sometimes called a bartender’s license) and apply for every bartending job I can ﬁnd online. Then sit back & relax while I wait for the job offers to roll in… Needless to say they didn’t. The rejections hurt, so I gave up on the job hunt completely. When you’re new to this, breaking into the industry can be tough…

(Jan 2012 - June 2012) - It’s time to BECOME A BARTENDER! After 3 and a half years of uni, working in a factory, and feeling lonely & depressed, I decide it’s time to do something about it. So I print off my resume & hand it out to every single bar, restaurant, cafe, and pub I can find. 1 week later, I get my first hospitality job. Throughout that job, anxiety plagues me and I feel judged by everyone. But I love what I’m learning & I love that I’m finally working in hospitality. Those first 6 months were essential.

(July 2012) - Move to France 6 months later, I move to France with more conﬁdence & better social skills than I’d ever had in my life (it still wasn’t much). Even so, when I arrived in France I was scared shitless! But I pushed through, started a French language course, and tried to make some friends. 2 weeks later, I had friends, I had a girlfriend and I was having the time of my life. I’ve never stopped wanting to travel since.

(September 2012) - Time to get a job After 2 months of relaxing & partying, my money was running out so it was time to get a job. I use the exact same approach I used in Australia, and manage to land a server position at one of the most popular bars in the South of France - Wayne’s Bar. After 2 months of working there & almost getting ﬁred at least twice, I realise I love it. So I

Chapter 3. What This Process Will Teach You 8 reject a corporate job waiting for me back home & decide I’ll see where this life takes me. It was a great decision.

(July 2013 to Nov 2013) - The next adventure 10 months of working in this crazy part of the world had taught me a lot. I was a good server now & I had learned enough about the bar that the boss hooked me up with my ﬁrst real bartending position at one of the most popular night clubs in the French alps. With loads of cash in the bank & my visa running out, it was time to move on. So I backpack around Europe for 3 months, go to Thailand, and started preparing for my ﬁrst ski season.

(Dec 2013) - 1st ski season I arrive at the ski resort and realise I’m 1 of only 3 guys in the bartending team. The other 10 are female bartenders from Sweden. Need I say more? 2 months into the ski season, I get promoted to head bartender. I fall in love with the alps, snowboarding, and the Seasonaire lifestyle. Being a bartender was ﬁnally a dream come true. Ski seasons should be mandatory for traveling bartenders.

(May 2014) - Back to Australia After 5 months of drinking, partying & snowboarding, my liver needs a break. So I head back to Australia, land a job at a fancy restaurant bar, and meet my cocktail mentor. He attempts to teach me everything he’s learned over his 10 year career in a month. Some of it stuck, a lot of it didn’t, but that experience was priceless. One month later, he moves on and I become the new bar manager.

(Dec 2014) - 2nd Ski Season With 5 months of experience managing a bar & training a team, I move to London for 2 months to sort out my visa. During that time, I get a job at a crazy nightclub and I get the call that I’ll be the bar manager at Dick’s Tea Bar for my second ski season in Val D’isere. This was going to be interesting.

(May 2015) - This time my liver REALLY needs a break! Second season is crazier than the ﬁrst… I learn how to train inexperienced bartenders from the ground up and I almost have a nervous breakdown because of the stress. Alcohol seemed to help. But now, my liver really needs a break! So I vow to quit drinking & move to the UK with my future wife (Talia). I end up landing a job at a

Chapter 3. What This Process Will Teach You 9 plush 4 star hotel that specialises in French wine and Scotch. With the vow long forgotten, I proceed to learn as much as I can.

(Nov 2015 - Feb 2017) - Summer in Australia I move back to Australia and bring my future wife with me. With management experience behind me, getting a job is far easier than I could have ever imagined. Bars are literally asking me to work for them. For the next year & a half, life was much more quiet than it used to be. I continue to learn about beer & wine and I start the Crafty Bartending blog.

(March 2017) - Married life in a Campervan Married, happy, and with plenty of cash saved up, I’m ready for the next adventure. Talia and I buy a campervan and spend the next four months driving around Australia living off oats & cold water. Along with seeing plenty of crocs, vicious snakes, and deadly spiders, we saw dolphins, seals, Koalas and Kangaroos. We swam in some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, camped in isolated outback towns, and got caught in a raging bushﬁre (turned out to be a controlled burning). We also discover the pleasures of $5 pick-up pizzas at dominoes.

(July 2017 - Now) - More Travel Planning After 4 months of living in a van, it’s nice having enough room to get changed standing up. Happy to move on, we move back to an apartment in Melbourne, start planning our next adventure through Asia and I decide to write this book.

—————

Looking back on it, there were a lot of challenging moments… There were times when I thought I was going to get ﬁred & couldn’t eat or sleep for days because of it. At one point, I thought I’d have to ﬂy back home.

During these moments, all I wanted to do was run home and hide under my blanket. But it’s in these challenging moments that you grow and become a better person for it.

Keep that in mind while you’re reading this book. There WILL be times when it’s tough. When you’re handing out 10 resumes a day, dealing with the rejection that comes with that, moving on and trying again - you’re becoming a more resilient & well-rounded human being for it.

Embrace it and don’t give up.

Chapter 3. What This Process Will Teach You 10 Even though there will be times when things are hard, that temporary pain is worth it. Rest assured, there will be far more times when becoming a bartender was the best thing that ever happened to you.

You spend most of your time socialising for a living & making new friends, you learn & grow, you challenge yourself, and you get to do whatever you want with your days.

For me, the challenges I went through were important. They gave me what I needed to take my life & bartending career to the next level.

Hopefully, this book will help you do the same.

Chapter 3. What This Process Will Teach You 11 4. How to Get the Most out of this Book

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Mark Twain

This book isn’t intended to be a read once, put down to never pick up again. It’s intended to be a reference manual that you can constantly re-visit throughout your bartending career to learn & master the fundamentals, as well as open up your mind to the possibilities this life can give you.

There’s a lot of information throughout this book. From landing your ﬁrst job to the theory of alcohol & history of the cocktail, this book will teach you everything you need to know to become a successful bartender.

A successful bartender being one than can conﬁdently work in the majority of bars around the world.

You’ll ﬁnd bartending career road-maps, job-hunting strategies, bartending principles, the theory of alcohol, beer, wine & liquor, a complete cocktail-making masterclass, recipes, tools of the trade, and much more.

To get the most out of this book, I recommend reading it through once from cover to cover and then going back to revisit the sections you want to brush up on or that are directly relevant to you today.

To help with that, I’ve broken the book up into 6 key sections.

• Part 1: Becoming a Bartender • Part 2: Being the Bartender • Part 3: The Theory of Alcohol • Part 4: The Craft of the Cocktail • Part 5: The Recipes • Part 6: Last but Not Least

Part 1 - Becoming a Bartender Part 1 is all about becoming a bartender. As much as I’d love to tell you that just by reading this book or attending a bartending school, you’ll become an amazing bartender without any extra work, it just doesn’t work like that.

Chapter 4. How to Get The Most Out of This Book 12 Bartending is a profession that requires on-the-job experience to improve in any meaningful way. You need to develop the mental fortitude and discipline that only comes with real-world experience.

That’s why I place a strong emphasis on getting the job ﬁrst BEFORE you start learning about cocktails, beer, liquor, wine, etc.

Throughout this section, you’ll learn how to write your resume, how to look for work, the best job hunting strategies, the interview process, performing at your trial shift, and more, including some practical advice on how to become a great barback or server (often a necessary stepping stone into the bartender’s role).

If you’re already working as a bartender, feel free to gloss over this section. But keep in mind that it will still be useful whenever you’re looking for a new job or traveling overseas in the future.

Just because you have a job now, doesn’t mean you won’t need to look for one in the future and the job hunting system detailed throughout this section is extremely effective. It will work anywhere in the world, regardless of your experience.

Part 2 - Being the Bartender Part 2 is all about the role of the bartender & fundamental principles. This is where you’ll learn what it means to be a bartender, common pitfalls to avoid, and how to become the bartender everyone loves.

This is also where we’ll discuss how to make more tips, the responsible service of alcohol, what to do when things go wrong, and some general advice & quick lessons.

Some of you will be tempted to skip this section and get straight into the practical side of bartending - cocktails, beer, liquor, wine, etc.

This would be a mistake. The people and the customer service side of things are arguably the most important aspects of being a bartender. Being friendly, hospitable, and learning how to give your customers a memorable experience is what being a bartender is all about.

Also, it’s these skills that are directly transferable into most other areas of your life. Needless to say, they’re important.

Chapter 4. How to Get The Most Out of This Book 13 Part 3 - The Theory of Alcohol Part 3 is all about the theory & service of alcohol. Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about alcohol (beer, cider, wine, liquor & liqueurs), how to serve it, and how to recommend products like a pro.

I’ve intended for this section to be far more detailed than necessary for most bartending jobs. The truth is, it’s unlikely you’ll need to be able to recommend appropriate food & wine pairings for your ﬁrst hospitality job. But if you do have this deeper knowledge & skill-set, you’ll have an advantage over other job seekers and you’ll be able to work in a wider variety of venues because of it.

Remember, the goal of this book is to teach you the knowledge & skills so you can conﬁdently work in the majority of bars around the world. That means learning more than most casual bartenders.

You don’t need to learn all of it in the beginning, but it’s a good idea to re-visit this section whenever you have a new question about alcohol, or you decide it’s time to level up your skills.

Part 4 - The Craft of the Cocktail In part 4, we get to what most of you have been waiting for - The Craft of the Cocktail! Throughout this section, you’ll get a complete masterclass on how to make cocktails, regardless of your experience.

For many of us, making cocktails is why bartending becomes so fun. It transforms our job from a seemingly simple profession into a craft that can be endlessly improved upon.

Here, you’ll learn the principles of mixology, how to balance a cocktail & what that even means, the tools of the trade, the glassware, important bartending techniques, the ingredients, how to memorise recipes, how to follow recipes, how to prep the bar, achieving mastery & advice on speeding things up.

If you’ve got the tools and ingredients to practice along at home, even better. You can use the recipes you ﬁnd in Part 5. But that’s not entirely necessary. If you follow the steps in part 1 of this book, you’ll be able to practice at work, which will be far more beneﬁcial in the long run.

Chapter 4. How to Get The Most Out of This Book 14 Part 5 - The Recipes After learning the craft of the cocktail, part 5 will take you through the most important cocktail recipes that are being made around the world today. There are over 150 recipes in this section and they consist of the classics, recent stars that have hit the scene, shooters (shots), mocktails, and some more advanced recipes that I’ve picked up along the way, and that other great bartenders have kindly contributed.

These recipes are good… Really good. And whether you’re at the bar or making cocktails at home, you’ll be able to use these recipes for the rest of your career.

Part 6 - Last but Not Least Finally, the book will ﬁnish with some of my personal recommendations on how to make the most of your time as a bartender. One of the topics we’ll cover here is travel. For me and many others, travelling is a big part of bartending.

But we’ll also look at how you can to take better advantage of your time at work and focus on improving the skills that will most positively affect other areas of your life.

If inspiration and motivation is your necessary ingredient of the day, start here. Not only will this pump you up to get out there and start looking for bartending work, it will open up your mind to the possibilities a career in bartending can give you.

At the back of the book you’ll ﬁnd useful appendices that detail things such as common bartending terminology, measurements, glassware and further readings.

Reference these whenever you need them.

Some More Practical Advice Unless you’re an innate genius, reading through this book once won’t be enough. There’s a lot to learn and as I mentioned earlier, this book is a reference manual that you should constantly re-visit throughout your career.

Whether that be to look up a cocktail recipe, brush up on your wine knowledge or learn how to make better tips.

The idea is that at whatever stage you’re at in your bartending career, you can open this book, ﬂick to the section you need, learn what you need to know, and then apply what you’ve learned in the real world.

Chapter 4. How to Get The Most Out of This Book 15 For example, when you’re starting out, you’ll need to get a job. So you’ll ﬂick to part 1 and follow the exact process detailed on how to break into the industry. All you need to do is apply what you’ve learned (the hard part) to get that job!

Another example would be, say you’re already working in a bar and a customer asks you for an IPA beer. The only problem is, you have no idea what an IPA is.

So what do you do?

You simply navigate to the beer section of this book and read up on the IPA beer style so that the next time a customer orders one, you’ll able to respond with “no problem, how hoppy would you like it?”

That’s the beauty of this book. It’s been written to directly complement your on-the- job experience that’s so necessary to becoming a great bartender.

I can’t emphasise that last point enough. Bartending is a hands-on job and the only way to truly learn it, is by working in a bar. Reading books and taking courses can only take you so far.

This book will help you become a better bartender faster but you still need to do the work.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind:

Have a Goal Having a goal to shoot towards will help keep you focused so it’s a good idea to have something speciﬁc in mind as you read this book.

Here are some examples of what those goals could be:

• Land your ﬁrst hospitality job • Progress from barback (or server) to a bartending position • Move overseas & learn a language (or just have fun!) while working as a bartender • Land that job at your favourite cocktail/wine/whiskey/craft beer/etc bar • Learn the fundamentals of mixology so you can consistently craft delicious cocktails for your guests • Become a bar manager

Chapter 4. How to Get The Most Out of This Book 16 It doesn’t matter what your goals are and everyone’s will be different. Just make sure you have one and preferably one that excites you.

I know that goal-setting sounds cheesy & annoying, but they really do help you get what you want out of life.

Invest in the Necessary Equipment There are a few items that every bartender (aspiring or otherwise) should own. These are the essentials:

• Bar Blade (for opening beer bottles & various other uses) • Wine Knife/Waiters Friend (Opening bottles of wine, beer bottles, handy knife) • 2 pens (one to use, the other to lose) • A Lighter

These 4 items should be on you at all times whenever you’re at work. So I recommend picking them up as soon as possible.

There are also some optional tools that you can invest in to practice bartending at home.

These are non-essential but helpful items:

• Empty liquor bottles to practice pouring (you can pick these up from any bar in your area) • Pour spouts/Speed pourers to put in those bottles for pouring • A paring knife for cutting fruit, garnishes, etc - these are awesome • Cocktail making equipment - See “Part 4 - The Tools of the Trade”.

These are non-essentials because you should ﬁnd most of these items at the bar you’re working for. The best kind of practice you can do is behind a real bar anyway. So if you don’t want to invest in these items now, you don’t need to.

That being said, practicing at home will deﬁnitely help (plus, you’ll be able to make awesome cocktails whenever you have friends or a date come over!), but it’s up to you whether or not you want to.

Chapter 4. How to Get The Most Out of This Book 17 Every Bar is Different Different venues have different policies, different ways of doing things, different uniforms, different recipes, and different ways of handling difﬁcult situations. This book isn’t intended to override your boss’ way of doing things.

What I detail throughout this book are general best practices that I found worked well throughout my career. However, don’t try and tell your boss that you know better because you’ve read this book!

That’s a great way to piss people off, lose shifts, and potentially lose your job. Politics behind the bar exist and I recommend staying out of them, but you should be aware of them.

The moral of the story here is, do it their way, even if it’s wrong. If you like, you can mention that there might be a better way of doing things and gauge their reaction (if they’re a good boss, they’ll listen to you), but let them decide whether or not to implement it.

It’s also important for a bar to be consistent in how they make drinks and serve guests. For example, when a guest orders a cocktail, they’re expecting what they ordered last time. If they always get something different, they won’t be able to trust their orders - people like consistency.

Even if it’s the “wrong” way, every bartender should be doing the same thing. If you really don’t like the way your bar does it, I recommend looking for another job because you can’t win here.

Sometimes that’s the best move anyway due to a toxic environment, a narcissistic boss, and bad (or sometimes illegal) practices.

What this Book Is Not This book will not teach you how to become a famous bartender, expert mixologist (cocktail specialist), sommelier (wine specialist), or a master cicerone (beer specialist). It takes years of study, training, tasting, and practice to reach the higher echelons of the hospitality industry.

Instead, this book will give you an incredibly solid understanding of the fundamentals. It will teach you everything you need to know to become the kind of bartender that can get a job & conﬁdently work in the majority of bars around the world.

Chapter 4. How to Get The Most Out of This Book 18 Depending on your career goals, that’s likely to be more than enough.

Start Today! Start putting into practice what you learn throughout this book today! Don’t wait until tomorrow (tomorrow will never come) and don’t put it off until you ‘feel’ like doing it.

Because, YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO FEEL LIKE DOING IT!

As soon as you come across something that you can take action on, like writing your resume, or making cocktail recipe ﬂashcards, DO IT!

You’ll learn a lot quicker this way and that will ultimately help you reach your goals faster.

This is the bartending manual I wish I had when I was starting out. If you read through everything, practice and apply, you’ll become a much better bartender than I ever was because of it.

With that out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff.

Chapter 4. How to Get The Most Out of This Book 19 Part 1 - Becoming a Bartender

“I don’t know who ﬁrst said this, but someone once pointed out to me that if you ﬁnd a job you love, you’ll never work another day in your life. I had a very early retirement." Gaz Regan - The Joy of Mixology 5. An Overview of the Hiring Process

“Give a man a ﬁsh, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to ﬁsh, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Chinese Proverb

Most bartenders agree with me, breaking into the industry and getting a job is one of the most difﬁcult parts of bartending.

I hear these frustrations all the time:

• How do I get a bartending job with no experience? • Will bartending school help me get a job? • Why are bartending jobs so competitive? • What’s a barback? And what are my alternatives?? • Should I apply for jobs online?

These are all valid questions. And believe me, I get it! When I ﬁrst started looking for bartending work, I went through exactly the same thing…

I was excited, I was ready, and I was conﬁdent I’d ﬁnd a job within a week. But nothing happened. I didn’t even get a call back for an interview or a reply email informing me that my applications were unsuccessful.

So I gave up and I blamed my lack of experience for not being able to get a job. Sound familiar?

It was the wrong approach and it’s one of the only things I regret about my bartending career. Instead of wasting 3 and a half years fantasising about tending the bar, I wish I dealt with the rejection like an adult, ﬁgured out what I needed to do to, and broke into the industry sooner.

The truth is, I could have landed a hospitality job as soon as I turned 18. I just didn’t know how.

An Overview of the Hiring Process Landing your ﬁrst hospitality job is essential to becoming a great bartender; that much is obvious. The sooner you get a job, the sooner you’ll be getting paid and the sooner

Chapter 5. An Overview of the Hiring Process 21 you’ll be practicing your newfound bartending skills in a real-world setting. What might not be as obvious is how valuable knowing how to get a bartending job is.

So let me explain.

Knowing that you have the skills & ability to get a job almost anywhere in the world is liberating. It gives you the freedom to travel long-term without having to worry about money because you’re able to pick up work along the way.

It also gives you the freedom to be picky about where you work. If you get sick of your current job, you can conﬁdently look for another one. You’re also able to work at the more competitive venues that are ultimately going to make you more money.

Finally, having these skills gives you an amazing sense of job-security. Bartending is a recession proof job. No matter how bad the economy gets, people still go out for a drink so there’s always work available. When you know how to get that work, you’re always going to be comfortable ﬁnancially.

Needless to say, these skills are useful. And believe it or not, anyone can learn them, regardless of your experience, age, IQ, or gender. It’s a simple process and it’s what I and many of my fellow bartender friends have reliably used throughout our entire bartending careers.

Here’s what the process looks like:

1. Meet the Requirements 2. Write a Solid Resume 3. Look for a job 4. Nail the Interview (not always necessary) 5. Smash Your Trial Shift 6. Make the Transition 7. Bartending & Beyond - Become a traveling bartender, bar manager, brand rep, etc.

Clearly, there’s more to each of these steps. You need to learn what managers are looking for, what to put on your resume, how to look for work, how to prepare for interviews, and how to impress the manager at your trial shift.

To help keep you focused and get everything done, I’ve detailed some action steps at the end of each chapter. I recommend that you do these tasks as soon as you’ve ﬁnished a chapter, while the content is still fresh in your mind.

Chapter 5. An Overview of the Hiring Process 22 There’s a lot to learn and there’s a lot to do, but once you’ve learned, applied, and witnessed the power of this system, you’ll never have to worry about ﬁnding a bartending job again.

Chapter 5. An Overview of the Hiring Process 23 6. Meet the Requirements

“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria.” Benjamin Franklin

I remember my ﬁrst hospitality job like it was yesterday… I must have been one of the worst servers the restaurant had ever seen! I knew nothing about food and alcohol, I dropped trays of red wine on customers, I thought the rest of the staff hated me, and I could barely take an order without having a panic attack.

After a month of working there, I couldn’t believe I still had a job.

But I stuck at it and after a few months, I started to improve. I felt less anxious at work, I learned how to carry 3 plates, I stopped panicking when I was taking orders, and I became friends with most of the staff.

Why am I telling you this?

To show you that if an innocent, anxious kid like me with no experience can become a successful bartender, so can you.

Those first few months working as a server were essential to my bartending career. It gave me the experience and confidence necessary to eventually progress into the bartender’s role. It showed me that you don’t need to have an endless amount of experience to find a job. And it made me realise that anyone can become a great bartender if you’re willing to put in the work.

I’ve worked with talented bartenders who were extroverts, introverts, nerds, jocks, ﬁghters, models, and musicians. Bartenders who were fat and thin. Some who were studying law, some who were building businesses, and others who went to the beach every day.

It doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like, or where you’re from, anyone can become a great bartender. Everything you need can be learned.

As far as “ofﬁcial” bartending job requirements, there are only 2 that you’ll ever need. But they’re 2 of the easiest job requirements around.

Chapter 6. Meet the Requirements 24 Two Requirements to be a Bartender As long as you’re old enough, and you’ve passed a liquor serving license program (sometimes called a bartending license), you can work behind the bar.

Age Unless you’ve been living in a cave your whole life, you’ll know that there’s a minimum age requirement to be a bartender. It differs from country to country and in the USA, it differs from state to state. But generally, it’s between the ages of 18-21.

In Australia, Europe, and the UK, you can start working behind the bar as soon as you turn 18.

If you’re from the USA, see the bartending laws below for more details.

Liquor Serving License The other requirement you may need is a Liquor Serving License. It’s also known as a Responsible Service of Alcohol Certiﬁcate in Australia or occasionally, a bartending license in the USA.

Please note, a liquor serving license is NOT the same as a bartending certiﬁcate/ diploma you might receive from a bartending school upon graduation. You DON’T need one of these to become a bartender. But more on that later.

A liquor serving license is a program certiﬁed by the state’s government. You don’t receive any bartending training per se, instead, you learn about the dangers of alcohol, the liquor laws in your country & state, and how to serve alcohol more responsibly.

These courses should also teach you how to identify fake IDs, how to tell if someone is intoxicated, and how to cut someone off.

At the end of it, you’ll be given a certiﬁcate/license that allows you to legally serve alcohol. They’re easy to pass, inexpensive to get, and they take less than a day to complete (usually around 4 hours).

Whether or not you need one of these depends on where you live. But even if it isn’t a requirement in your country or state, I recommend attending one of these programs anyway because what you learn is useful. It also looks good on your resume.

Chapter 6. Meet the Requirements 25 In Australia, the certiﬁcate is mandatory. In the UK and France, you don’t need one. In the USA, it’s more complicated. The laws vary from state to state & even from city to city. For more info, see Bartending Laws below.

If you’re not sure where to get one, there are a number of online resources that offer certiﬁcation throughout the United States, or at the very least, they can point you towards your next local class. Google is your friend.

**Note** When you’re looking for a liquor serving license program online anywhere in the world, make sure it’s licensed by the government BEFORE paying for anything. Some courses aren’t certiﬁed by the state i.e. they’re a scam. If you do your research, you’ll be ﬁne.

Bartending Laws In the chart below, we’ve provided a state-to-state breakdown of bartending laws in the United States. This is helpful because each state has different age & legal requirements to tend the bar.

It’s important to remember that some bars will require you to complete your liquor serving license training, regardless of state or city laws. If that’s the case, you’ll be notiﬁed when you get or apply for the job.

State Legal Minimum Age Liquor License Mandatory? Alabama 21 No Alaska 21 Yes Arizona 19 No Arkansas 21 No California 21 No Colorado 18 No Connecticut 18 No Delaware 21 Yes Florida 18 Varies by local government Georgia 18 No Hawaii 18 Varies by local government Idaho 19 Varies by local government Illinois 18 Varies by local government Indiana 21 (19 with restrictions) Yes

Chapter 6. Meet the Requirements 26 State Legal Minimum Age Liquor License Mandatory?

Iowa 18 No Kansas 21 No Kentucky 20 Varies by local government Louisiana 18 Yes Maine 18 No Maryland 21 (18 with restrictions) Yes Massachusetts 18 No Michigan 18 Supervisors Only Minnesota 18 No Mississippi 21 (18 with restrictions) No Missouri 21 No Montana 18 Yes Nebraska 19 Varies by local government Nevada 21 Yes New Hampshire 18 No New Jersey 18 No New Mexico 21 Yes New York 18 No North Carolina 21 (18 with restrictions) No North Dakota 21 No Ohio 21 (18 with restrictions) No Oklahoma 18 No Oregon 21 Yes Pennsylvania 18 No Rhode Island 18 Yes South Carolina 21 No South Dakota 21 (18 with restrictions) No Tennessee 18 Yes Texas 18 No Utah 21 Yes

Chapter 6. Meet the Requirements 27 State Legal Minimum Age Liquor License Mandatory?

Vermont 18 Yes Virginia 21 No Washington 21 Yes West Virginia 21 (18 with restrictions) No Wisconsin 18 Yes Wyoming 21 Varies by local government

**Important** Be aware that legal minimum ages and liquor serving license requirements do sometimes change. These cases are rare but they exist. To be sure, contact your local municipality for the most up to date legal information.

How Important is Experience? Back when I ﬁrst started looking for work, every job I came across ‘required’ the applicant to have a minimum of 2 years experience. It stumped me and I remember thinking to myself:

“How on earth do you become a bartender if you don’t have any experience?”

Now that I’ve worked in multiple bars, throughout multiple countries and hired my own staff, I’m aware of the role experience plays in the hiring process. And it’s useful - but not as much as you think.

Experience helps you get your foot in the door. It looks great on your resume so managers are more likely to call you in because they’ll assume they won’t need to spend as much time training you, which in many cases is true, hence why experience helps.

However, and here’s the caveat, managers aren’t actually looking for bartenders with tons of experience. It gets labelled that way because experienced bartenders tend to be better than inexperienced bartenders.

That’s not always the case. In fact, experienced bartenders often have bad habits that can’t be changed (or they’re simply not willing to change) and many bar managers despise this. They’d prefer to train a fresh slate so they become exactly what they’re looking for.

What managers are really looking for are competent, hard-working & reliable bartenders who are willing to listen & learn.

Chapter 6. Meet the Requirements 28 It doesn’t matter whether you have 5, 2, or 0 years of experience, if you can convince the hiring manager that you’re that kind of bartender (or that you can become one), ﬁnding a job will be a piece of cake.

**Note** This is why applying for jobs online when you have no experience is very difﬁcult. You’re up against people who have real experience and your faceless resume can’t compete with that. But when you apply for jobs in-person, you’re given an opportunity to convince the hiring manager that you’re worth a shot - this increases your odds immensely.

What You Need to Know About Bartending School Bartending school reminds me of a conversation I once overheard between a head chef and an aspiring chef.

The head chef said,

“If you want to work in my kitchen, you can start out by peeling potatoes. If you choose to go to chef school ﬁrst, then great! You’ll spend a lot of money learning cooking theory and techniques that you won’t necessarily need. And when you ﬁnish chef school and ask to work in my kitchen, you’ll still start out by peeling potatoes!”

This is exactly the same way I feel about formal bartending classes. Except instead of peeling potatoes, you’ll be washing glasses, taking out the trash, changing kegs, or waiting tables.

You’ll spend a lot of money learning bartending theory and techniques that you won’t necessarily need. And at the end of it, when you’re looking for a bartending job, you’ll be in the exact same position you were before you attended the school.

The reality is, bartending is learned & mastered on-the-job. And no amount of schooling can replace that.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of education. I believe education is one of those few crucial factors that separate those that succeed in any industry and those that don’t. I also think bartending school plays an important role in helping new & aspiring bartenders get started in the industry.

They teach you the fundamentals in a classroom setting. Here are some of the more useful things you will learn:

• The theory of alcohol, liquor, beer & wine • How to cut people off

Chapter 6. Meet the Requirements 29 • The bartender’s tool-kit and how to use it • Bartending techniques • How to mix drinks with live practice under the supervision of a trained bartender • How to pour draft beer & change a keg • Cutting fruit & garnishes • Advice on making more tips • Advice on landing your ﬁrst job

All of this is great and there’s no doubt that practicing tending the bar in a classroom setting will help you when you ﬁrst start working.

However, is it worth it?

Is Bartending School Worth it? One of the most popular bartending schools around today is the European Bartender School (EBS). I’m sure you’ve seen their ads and maybe you’ve even considered attending. If I was starting out, I’d be tempted myself because they make bartending and their schools look amazing!

From what I’ve heard, their program is fantastic. I have a friend who’s an instructor there and he’s told me that their commitment to training solid bartenders is second to none.

Their program lasts for 3-4 weeks and includes over 100 hours of instructor-led education. You’ll be in a class with a group of other aspiring bartenders who are just as interested in tending the bar as you are. And they’ll even help you with job placement assistance at the end of the course (note: this is assistance, not a guarantee).

All of this is great. But the problem is the course costs over $2,000, it lasts for 3-4 weeks, and they can’t guarantee you a job at the end of it! That’s a long time and a lot of money to invest in a bartending course when you’ve never worked behind a real bar before and there’s no guarantee that you will…

There are other bartending schools that last for 1 to 2 weeks, consist of 20 - 40 hours of instructor-led education, and cost between $500 - $1000 instead. If $2000 is too much (don’t blame you), these schools are a viable option.

The biggest problem with bartending schools isn’t the cost. It’s that having attended one means nothing to potential employers. Almost all bartending schools sell you the

Chapter 6. Meet the Requirements 30 idea that having attending their school, you’ll easily become a bartender. But most bar managers don’t place any weight on a bartending school certiﬁcate. They’ve never attended one and they don’t know many people who have either.

So when they’re looking to hire their next bartender, they’re much more likely to promote the barback or server they’ve worked with for the past 6 months who know what they’re doing, rather than the unknown applicant with nothing but a certiﬁcate to their name.

From their perspective, graduates look like they’re trying to weasel their way into a bartending position without doing ‘their time’ as a barback or server ﬁrst. And in some cases, bar managers will disregard your application completely because you’ve been to bartending school.

Unfair, I know. But sometimes, that’s the way the world is.

The main reason managers act like this is because the difference between tending the bar in a classroom setting and in the real world is night and day.

A classroom can’t prepare you for what it’s like when a customer asks you for a cocktail you’ve never made before, the phone starts ringing, your fellow bartender on duty miraculously disappears, a waiter drops a drink so you have to re-make it, and 5 other customers rock up and are now waiting to be served.

What’s more, your boss is in the corner watching everything that you do.

Learning how to handle these high-pressure situations is cultivated with experience and developed over time. I.e. Bartending is learned on the job, not in the classroom.

So… Is bartending school worth it?

It depends. There are valuable benefits to attending a bartending school. They can help build your confidence so you get out there and find your first job. And you’ll also be learning how to tend the bar in a fun setting, making new friends as you go.

On the other hand, people have been becoming bartenders for decades without ever attending schools. Even today, the majority of working bartenders have never had any formal bartending education. So whilst bartending school can be useful, it’s unnecessary.

Chapter 6. Meet the Requirements 31 Ultimately, the decision rests with you. You’ve got to decide whether or not the cost and time associated with bartending school is worth it for you.

The Best Alternative to Bartending School By far, the best alternative to bartending school is on-the-job experience. That’s why you should focus on breaking into the industry as soon as possible. To do that, you need to be willing to start out as a barback or server ﬁrst.

There’s no doubt that ﬁnding a bartending job is tough when you’re new to this industry. It can be done, but it’s unlikely. On the other hand, ﬁnding barback & server positions are a lot easier. When you’re looking for work, by all means, apply for bartending roles, but be willing to accept a lower position as well.

There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, almost every great bartender started out as a barback, server, glassy or dishwasher, including me. It teaches you the fundamental skills you need to succeed in the industry.

Sure, it’s not as glamorous as bartending, but what you learn is priceless.

You learn how to work hard & fast in a high-pressure environment. It teaches you how to interact with the chefs, other bartenders, wait staff, customers, managers, and the boss. You learn bartending terminology, how to change kegs, where the stock is, what the stock is, what the different equipment is, how to cut fruit & prepare garnishes, and how to set up & break down the bar.

In short, you build up a base-level of experience that will be invaluable to you and your employer when you progress into the bartender’s role. And once you’ve proved yourself as a barback or server, you’ll be ﬁrst in line when any bartending positions open up.

**Side note** Even bartending schools recommend that you look for a barback or server position when you’re starting out (after you’ve paid for and been through their entire program, I might add…).

Support the on-the-job experience with reading books (like this one!), and you’ll become a great bartender in no time.

Chapter 6. Meet the Requirements 32 Action Plan • If you need a liquor serving license to work in your country or State, ﬁnd out where you can get one and book yourself in immediately. If the license isn’t required, decide whether or not it’s worth getting one anyway.

Chapter 6. Meet the Requirements 33 7. Writing Your Resume

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Ernest Hemingway

I remember writing my ﬁrst resume. It was a painful process… I had no idea what to include or how to organise it, so it led to hours of procrastination and a few sleepless nights.

The worst part was, once it was ﬁnished, I had no idea whether or not it was any good!

Fast-forward to today and my experience with resumes couldn’t look more different. Having worked as a traveling bartender for so long, I’ve applied for loads of different jobs, and having managed bars and hired my own teams, I’ve learned a lot about what makes a bartending resume great.

And it isn’t that complicated.

In fact, some of the best resumes I’ve seen were simple in their design and content. But you’ve got to know what you’re doing because bad resumes are thrown into the bin quicker than you can say, ‘I’ll have a Vodka Martini’.

The ﬁrst point to consider is your audience. Who is going to read your resume, how will they read it, and what do they want to hear?

How Bar Managers Read Resumes If you think that managers are going to spend hours poring over your resume, calling up references, and analysing every tiny detail, you’d be wrong.

Managers are busy people and they don’t have much time to spend looking at resumes. They’ll usually just give them a quick scan and decide in less than 30 seconds whether or not they’ll proceed with the application.

That means that if it’s poorly laid out, hard to understand, has spelling errors, it’s too long, or it includes too many irrelevant details, they won’t think twice about throwing your resume away. They’ve got a lot of other applicants to go through.

So keeping your resume simple, clear, clean, accurate, and relevant makes a huge difference in how successful it will be.

Chapter 7. Writing Your Resume 34 As a general rule, your resume should never be longer than 2 pages. If you can keep it to 1 page, even better. Any longer than that and it’s possible the manager won’t bother going through it.

The same principles are true when it comes to resumes with fancy designs. A fancy design may help your resume stand out in a pile of boring pages, but if the design makes it more difﬁcult to read and harder to navigate, it’s not worth it.

There’s also a better way to make your resume unique, interesting, and ultimately stand-out, which we’ll cover in the work experience/employment history section.

Finally, keeping your resume relevant means including the details that your employer wants to hear. Ultimately, a bar manager wants to hire someone who is hard working, willing to listen & learn, works well within a team, and has excellent communication skills. If you can convey that you possess these qualities throughout your resume (see the work experience section), it’s bound to do well.

A Word on Cover Letters Some people seem to think that writing a cover letter is important when you’re applying for a bartending job, but it’s not.

Unless they’ve been speciﬁcally requested (which is unlikely), don’t waste your time (it literally is a waste of time). The managers won’t read them unless they’re bored; so all they do is add unnecessary bulk to your application.

It’s much better to get to the signiﬁcant points immediately and that means getting to your resume.

Should you Attach a Photo? Whether or not you should attach a photo will depend on where you live and what job you’re applying for. In Europe, it’s common practice to attach a photo with your resume. In the US, it seems that the country is divided on whether or not you should include one. In Australia and the UK, attaching a photo is frowned upon.

Why?

Because it gives potential employers a chance to discriminate against your application based on how you look, your age, and your ethnicity.

Chapter 7. Writing Your Resume 35 My advice is to not attach a photo unless it’s been speciﬁcally requested. This is the hospitality industry after all and some venues will ‘require’ a photo with your resume.

Keep Your Resume Organised When you take into account how managers read your resume, you want it to be easy to understand, simple to navigate, and nice to look at. In other words, it needs to be organised.

The way to do this is to break it up into a few key sections. Every solid resume will include the following.

• Header • Special Skills/Languages • Education • Work Experience • References (available upon request)

Header I’ve seen a lot of resumes and you’d be surprised at how many fail to include a good header. It sounds really stupid, but some resumes even forget to include their name! Even more of them forget to add their contact details…

**Note** Whatever you do, please don’t forget to put your name AND your contact details on your resume! It looks very unprofessional if you don’t and if the manager decides they want to call you in for an interview, they’ll have no way of contacting you.

That’s why your resume should always start with a prominent header at the top of the page. Start with your name in big bold letters. Then write your phone number and email address directly below.

Including your mailing address is optional because it’s unlikely that they’ll contact you via post. I’ve also known bar managers to discriminate against applicants based on where they live so I advise against it.

Including your availability is also optional. Personally, I like to include it because it lets my potential employers know how much I can work. I also know that it helps them decide whether or not my availability will be a good ﬁt for their team.

Here’s how your header might look:

Chapter 7. Writing Your Resume 36 Your Name Address: 10 Whatever St, Melbourne, 3150 Phone: 0499 999 999 Email: [email protected] Availability: Full-time

Skip the Objective It was once a requirement to include your objective in your resume. But that tradition has become outdated. Nowadays, it’s no longer necessary because your objective is obvious, to get a job… So it doesn’t make much sense to include it, no matter how well you dress it up.

Special Skills & Languages In this section, you should include any relevant skills that might help you succeed in your working environment.

Language skills in particular are valuable in the hospitality industry. Spanish is useful in the US, and I’ve found French to be particularly useful in the UK. So you should always include them on your resume, no matter how rare they may be. You never know, there might be a wealthy regular from Tanzania that frequents the venue you’re applying to.

Specialised computer skills are also useful. Graphic design, programming, extensive POS (Point of Sales - also known as the till) systems experience, social media marketing experience, etc. These skills are always valuable to businesses so if an employer sees that you have them, they may be more interested in your application.

**Note** Please don’t include basic computer skill-sets that most people have. Knowing how to browse the internet and use Microsoft Word doesn’t count as ‘specialised’ knowledge.

Here’s how this section might look:

Languages • I’m a native English speaker. I’m also fluent in both written and spoken French. Computer Skills • I have a wide variety of experience with a number of different POS systems. I have a firm grasp of the adobe creative suite. I’m a skilled website designer and fluent in HTML, CSS, and Ruby on Rails.

Chapter 7. Writing Your Resume 37 Education & Training I know this isn’t a corporate job, but if you’ve achieved a certain level of education, you should have it on your resume. Sure, you don’t need a degree to work in the hospitality industry but it shows employers that you can apply yourself and see difﬁcult tasks through.

It also makes you seem more interesting. The bar manager might love the fact that you’ve got a degree in philosophy & medieval history.

This is also the section where you should include any relevant certiﬁcations. I.e. If you’ve got a liquor serving license, include that here - that’s always a good sign for the manager. Also, if you’ve passed any wine courses, barista courses, bartending school, or general hospitality courses, mention them here as well.

Here’s how this section might look:

Education & Training

Haileybury College, Melbourne, Australia, (2002 - 2008) • Graduated with Honors. Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, (2008 - 2012) • Graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, majoring in finance and business law. Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate (RSA), 2009, Refresher completed 2016.

Work Experience/ Employment History Your employment history is the most important part of your resume. As soon as a manager looks at your resume, they’ll scan to this section ﬁrst. If they’re satisﬁed with what they see, only then will they take a look at the rest.

That’s why the bulk of your time should be spent on making this section as irresistible as possible.

The most important thing is that you don’t come across as too generic. Everyone is going to say that they ‘cleaned glasses, made drinks, used a till register, and gave “exceptional” customer service’ in a previous job. Believe it or not, but the hiring manager won’t be impressed by this.

That’s why you want to differentiate yourself here. Almost no-one can be bothered writing a great job description; but you’re going to be different because that’s what’s going to make your resume stand-out in the sea of noise.

Chapter 7. Writing Your Resume 38 To do this, you want to describe your work experience so that it sounds as interesting as possible. More speciﬁcally, you should include the more advanced aspects of your job, you should describe what the venue you worked at was like, and you should always make it relevant to the job you’re applying for.

You have permission to ‘slightly’ exaggerate here but don’t lie. You’ll likely be found out and subsequently ﬁred.

For example, let’s say you worked as a barback at a crazy nightclub in Ibiza. Instead of saying “you were responsible for changing kegs, cleaning glasses, topping up the fridges, cutting fruit, etc.”

You could say that,

“you worked at one of the most popular nightclubs in Ibiza that hosted some of best international DJ’s in the world. It also sported an extensive vodka selection. The venue was packed every night so the staff always needed to be at the top of their game. As a barback, you were responsible for ensuring the bar was primed for a busy service at all times. On top of your ordinary responsibilities, you would jump behind the bar, take orders and help the bartenders out during the busiest periods.”

How much better does that sound!?

Writing a job description like this will receive much more attention than listing off boring tasks everyone knows a barback does…

**Note** It’s a good idea to organise your work experience in chronological order starting with your last job ﬁrst.

Here’s how your employment history section could look like:

Employment History

The Grosvenor Hotel, Bar Supervisor, (2016) • A large venue comprising of a restaurant, a pub, a sports bar, and multiple function rooms. Located in Melbourne, Australia, this venue is well known for its beef, casual ambiance, live music, trivia nights, and an extensive Victorian wine list. The venue was frequented by young to middle aged corporate workers.

Rococo Restaurant, Bar Manager, (2014 - 2016) • A high-volume casual dining, all-day venue, Italian restaurant located in Melbourne, Australia. The bar was well known for its delicious cocktails, impressive Italian wine list, and barista quality coffee. All the bartenders were trained baristas, competent cocktail makers, and smoothie experts, trained by yours truly.

Hotel Du Vin, Bartender, (2015)

Chapter 7. Writing Your Resume 39 • A luxury hotel located in Brighton, UK. As such, we were required to conduct ourselves with a high level of professionalism and dress in a waistcoat and tie. The bar hosted a fantastic French wine list, a huge spirit selection (in particular its whisky selection), and a fantastic cocktail menu. My time here was spent further developing my cocktail knowledge and learning about French wine & whisky.

Dick’s Tea Bar, Bar Manager, (2013 - 2015) • One of the most popular nightclubs in the French alps and my first management role. It was frequented by all sorts of clientele including high-rollers and uni students alike. As bar manager, I was responsible for staff training, product selection, menu creation, coordinating with security & the DJ, looking after VIPs, and weekly stock takes.

Wayne’s Bar, Bartender/ Server, (2012 - 2013) • A rowdy English bar located in the tourist hot spot Nice, in the South of France, that hosted Contiki and TopDeck tours. Every night was packed, so every night we were required to work as hard and fast as possible. There were acoustic performances and a live band every night, followed by a DJ set to wrap things up. It was a great training ground for what was to come in my hospitality career.

Sandhurst Golf Club, Bartender/ Server, (2011 - 2012) • My first hospitality gig. It was a large venue in Melbourne, Australia comprising of 2 different restaurants and a bar. I worked there in a variety of different roles which helped me grasp the fundamentals of working in the hospitality industry.

What if you don’t have any hospitality experience? You do exactly the same thing except with whatever experience you do have. Just make the job descriptions relevant to the hospitality industry. That means that your job descriptions should highlight the skills that you would also need in hospitality. Some examples of these are serving customers, working well in a team, multi-tasking and working hard.

If you have no work experience whatsoever, you’ll have to include more details about your education and any extra-curricular activities. I.e. Have you ever been in any leadership positions? Have you received any awards? What did you study? What sports & activities have you taken part in?

Remember, you don’t need any experience to get a job as a barback, glassy, dishwasher or food runner and in some cases, you won’t even need to hand in your resume. So don’t worry if you don’t have any work experience right now - that will come.

As long as you can convince a potential employer that you’re a hard worker, you’re willing to listen & learn, and you’re easy to get along with, they’ll be willing to give you a shot.

Chapter 7. Writing Your Resume 40 References Including references on your resume is also unnecessary because most managers will never call them. Instead, leave a sentence at the end of your resume saying **References available upon request**.

If you ever do supply references to a hiring manager, make sure you let these references know before they get the call. It looks shady on your end if a potential employer calls them up and they can’t remember your name.

Putting it all together, here’s how your resume might look:

Your Name Address: 10 Whatever St, Melbourne, 3150 Phone: 0499 999 999 Email: [email protected] Availability: Full-time Languages • I’m a native English speaker. I’m also fluent in both written and spoken French. Computer Skills • I have a wide variety of experience with a number of different POS systems. I have a firm grasp of the adobe creative suite. I’m a skilled website designer and fluent in HTML, CSS, and Ruby on Rails. Education & Training

Employment History

Chapter 7. Writing Your Resume 41 list, and barista quality coffee. All the bartenders were trained baristas, competent cocktail makers, and smoothie experts, trained by yours truly.

Hotel Du Vin, Bartender, (2015) • A luxury hotel located in Brighton, UK. As such, we were required to conduct ourselves with a high level of professionalism and dress in a waistcoat and tie. The bar hosted a fantastic French wine list, a huge spirit selection (in particular its whisky selection), and a fantastic cocktail menu. My time here was spent further developing my cocktail knowledge and learning about French wine & whisky.

(References available upon request)

Simple, clean, clear, and relevant. Yet, descriptive and interesting in the right parts. That’s how you want your resume to come across.

Wrapping it Up I know writing your resume can be a painful process but it’s an essential step to getting a job. Having a solid resume can make a big difference in how successful your applications will be so make sure you take the time to write a good one.

If you’re struggling to come up with anything (it happens), copy the template above. That’s the exact same resume structure I’ve used (and still use today) whenever I’m looking for bartending work, so you can rest assured that it works.

Chapter 7. Writing Your Resume 42 On a ﬁnal note, when you’re applying for jobs online, I’ve made the mistake of sending a Google doc in its original format and the recipient was unable to open it. To avoid this, convert your resume into a pdf format so that every computer can read them.

Action Plan • Re-read this chapter and start working on your resume NOW. For quicker progress, use the proven resume template that came with this book. • If you’d like to write a more ‘creative’ resume, check out canva.com for some great looking, well-structured templates.

Chapter 7. Writing Your Resume 43 8. The Job Search

“Until you step into the unknown, you don’t know what you’re made of.” Roy T. Bennett

With your resume written, it’s time to get out there and start looking for work. For many of you, this will be the most difﬁcult stage in the hiring process. It certainly was for me…

I struggled when I ﬁrst started looking for bartending work. I didn’t know what to do and I knew nothing about the industry, so I did what most people do. I jumped online and applied for a couple of bartending positions I found on a job advertisement website.

Then I sat back, put Netﬂix on, and waited for the job offers to roll in.

Needless to say, they didn’t. And it took me a long time to ﬁgure out that there are much better job hunting strategies out there. But there’s also another element that plays a role in how successful your approaches will be - timing.

Timing is key to landing a job. Unfortunately, it’s an element mostly outside of your control. A venue is either hiring staff or not, and there’s not much you can do about it. That’s the ﬁrst problem.

The second problem is that many bars won’t advertise for staff on job advertisements websites like Craigslist and Seek because they get enough job hunters walking through their front door. This makes it difﬁcult to ﬁnd out whether or not a venue is hiring.

But the good news is that every other job hunter is in exactly the same boat you are. The even better news is that for you to land a job, all you need to do is use one of the more effective strategies below (see the ‘Have a Drink Method’ and the ‘Resume Dropping Method’) and apply for the job at the right time.

The best news is that people are always leaving the hospitality industry so venues are constantly re-hiring. This makes searching for work a numbers game. Ultimately, if you hand out enough resumes and shake enough hands, sooner rather than later, you’re going to ﬁnd a bartending job.

Chapter 8. The Job Search 44 Don’t be Picky With all that being said, when you’re starting out, it’s unlikely that you’re going to land the best bartending job in town. These jobs are highly competitive so you’ll be up against some decent bartenders.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply for these venues. In fact, you should, because you never know what could happen. But you should also be applying for all the lower- end bars as well. Dive bars, sports bars, pubs, taverns, lower-end restaurants, and cafes all ﬁt this bill.

Without any practical experience in a bar or restaurant, you’re in no place to be picky, so take what you can get. If you get offered an interview, trial shift, or job at a venue you’re not 100% sure about, give it a go anyway!

If you last 1 week, that experience will still be valuable. If you can last 3-6 months, even better! With that experience under your belt, searching for a better job in the future will be easier.

Consider Event Bartending Event bartending gigs are a great way to get some initial experience. They’re not the same as regular bartending gigs, but they have their similarities. If you’ve scoured any of the job advertising websites (craigslist, seek, indeed, etc), I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of them.

They’re usually for events like weddings, charities, corporate events, sporting events, & festivals.

The best thing about event bartending jobs is that they generally don’t require applicants to have much (if any) experience. They’re more concerned that you have the appropriate certiﬁcations/licenses to serve alcohol. That’s great news if you’re new to the industry.

Some other advantages of event bartending is that the work isn’t that serious, it’s fun, it’s easy - pour champagne and open beer bottles, and you get paid really well.

It’s also possible for these gigs to turn into something more regular. The event organisers might constantly require bartenders for other events they manage so if you impress them on your ﬁrst shift, you’ll likely get more work from them.

Chapter 8. The Job Search 45 I know of some bartenders that exclusively work events and they love it. They make good money and they have ﬂexible working hours that they’re mostly in control of. Some of them have even turned it into their own businesses.

However, there are 2 main disadvantages with event bartending.

1. You can’t relax knowing that you’ve got a steady stream of income. You have to constantly be on the hunt for work because most gigs are temporary. 2. Because event bartending is a lot easier, you won’t learn anywhere near as much.

For both of these reasons (the 2nd one in particular), I generally recommend using event bartending as a temporary solution. They’re great to get some initial experience and money behind you, but in the long run, a regular bartending job will open up more opportunities.

Job Hunting Strategies For the rest of this chapter, we’re going to look at 7 different job hunting strategies. All of these strategies work, but some are more effective than others and some you won’t want to do at all (see cold-calling)! That’s why there are 7 of them - so you can choose between the different strategies and use what works best for you.

The strategies are:

1. Who do You Know? 2. Job Advertisement Websites 3. Direct Email 4. Social Media Groups 5. Cold Calling 6. The Have a Drink Method (2nd favourite) 7. The Resume Dropping Method (my personal favourite)

Strategy 1: Who do You Know? There’s nothing better than knowing someone who already works in the industry. Instead of spending hours preparing your resume and handing them out, all you need to do is call up your friend and ask them for a favour.

If all goes well, they’ll sort you out with an interview or a trial shift. If you’ve got a really good friend, you might even be given a job on the spot.

Chapter 8. The Job Search 46 That’s how I got offered my ﬁrst bartending position in the French alps. I asked my friends in the industry for a recommendation and they put me into contact with the owner of a nightclub.

I got the job without even being interviewed.

What if you don’t know anyone?

Then this strategy will be mostly useless (for now) so move on to the others.

Strategy 2: Job Advertisement Websites By job advertisement websites, I mean sites like Craigslist, Gumtree, Seek, and Indeed. Applying for jobs using these sites is one of the easiest ways to look for work. All you need to do is search for hospitality roles and apply for the jobs that are advertised.

This strategy can work, but out of them all, it’s the least effective.

Why?

Because it’s the least personal and you’ll be competing against hundreds of other faceless resumes. For this strategy to work, you need to apply for every single hospitality job advertised and even then, it might not work.

That being said, I still recommend doing it because it’s so easy to do. This strategy is best used in combination with one of the others. The job advertisement websites will help you ﬁgure out who’s hiring so you can target them with one of the more effective strategies below.

Also, who knows? You might get lucky and be asked to come in for an interview or trial shift so these sites are still worth a shot.

Strategy 3: Direct Email By direct email, I mean emailing a venue’s bar manager directly and letting them know that you’re looking for work. This strategy is more effective than responding to a job advertisement because it’s more personal, it shows that you’re proactive, and it gives you a direct line of communication with the right person.

When you’re emailing them, you’ll want to keep the email short, simple, and speciﬁc. Also, don’t forget to attach your resume!

Chapter 8. The Job Search 47 Here’s how you could lay it out:

Hi [Manager’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] and I’m emailing you because I’d love to work at [insert name of venue] as a bartender. I’ve always loved going to [insert name of venue] because of it’s [insert adjective] vibe. It suits my personality perfectly which is why I believe I’d make a great addition to the team.

I know that my experience might not reﬂect my ability, but I’m a hard worker, I want to learn, I’m easy to get along with, and I’m more than happy to start out as a barback, server, food-runner, or glassy.

I understand that you’re currently in need of good staff, which is why I’d like to offer you my services, whenever suits you best. Having an extra hand behind the bar couldn’t hurt! And it would be a great chance to meet you, to meet the team, and to see if we’d be a ﬁt. Obviously, my services would be free of charge.

Let me know what you think.

I’ve attached my resume for your review and I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards,

[Your Name]

This strategy works well when you’re applying for a job with a larger establishment because managers spend more time in their inbox.

But in order for it to work, you need to have access to the manager’s email address. You could do this by looking at the venue’s website or asking one of the bartenders on duty. But sometimes you won’t be able to get it.

So keep reading.

Strategy 4: Social Media Groups Finding work through social media groups has become a lot more popular recently. And believe it or not, they’re an effective method for ﬁnding work, especially if you have experience. Even if you don’t, it can still work.

To get access to them, simply search for bartending or bartender groups on LinkedIn & Facebook (Facebook is much better), and join the groups in your local area. Then, whenever someone advertises for a position, send them a message, attach your resume, and wait for them to get back to you.

Chapter 8. The Job Search 48 If they don’t get back to you, follow up a few days later with another message politely asking them what’s going on.

These groups are great and not just for job seekers. They also give you access to a community of bartenders in your local area that can answer any bartending or hospitality related questions you may have. So I recommend joining them regardless.

However, the biggest problem with these groups as a job-hunting strategy is that there might not be a group in your local area/city. These groups are still quite new and they haven’t taken off everywhere. So if you can’t ﬁnd a group that focuses on your area, you’ll have to skip this strategy.

Strategy 5: Cold Call Cold-calling is ridiculously effective and I’ve met many travelling bartenders who consistently use it successfully.

The process looks like this, you call up one of the venues you want to work for between 3-5pm and ask to speak with the bar manager. Introduce yourself, ask them how they’re doing and then tell them why you’re ringing - to ﬁnd out if there’s any work available. If there is, ask them if you could come in to see them (whenever suits them) for an interview or trial shift, throwing in a ‘you won’t regret it’.

The biggest beneﬁt of this strategy is that you ﬁnd out straight away whether or not a venue is hiring, and you don’t have to waste time staff visiting the venue in person. You get to the point quickly and you’re able to move on to the next venue if there’s nothing available.

But be warned, this strategy isn’t for everyone. Cold-calling takes balls!

If you’ve never tried it before, I challenge you to give it a go. I’m positive you’ll procrastinate more with these calls than you did with writing your resume and that’s its biggest disadvantage.

Because cold calling is so hard, it can be a little unrealistic… So don’t beat yourself up if you struggle with it. Use one of the other strategies instead.

Strategy 6: The Have a Drink Method This is one of the most reliable strategies I’ve come across. Here’s what you need to do:

Chapter 8. The Job Search 49 Visit a bar you want to work for during a quieter period, ideally between 3-5pm. Sit at the bar and order a drink. Tip the bartender well so they notice you, then strike up a friendly conversation. Don’t ask about work yet. That comes later.

The goal of this approach is to get the bartender to like you and the best way to do this is to keep them talking about something they’re interested in. Like bartending!

Once you think you’ve won the bartender over, then you can mention that you’re looking for work. If you’ve done your job well and they’re looking for staff, they’ll bring the manager over for an impromptu face-to-face interview. If you’re lucky, this bartender might even be the manager.

The reason why this approach works so well is because you’re essentially making a ‘friend’ within the industry and more speciﬁcally, at a bar you want to work for.

However, keep in mind that you might have to come back several times until you’re sure this bartender enjoys your company. I’ve used this strategy before and it works. I’ve also met plenty of experienced bartenders who swear by this approach.

Among others, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, author of ‘The Bar Book’, recommended this strategy on his blog.

But the biggest problem with this strategy is that it can take so long - weeks, sometimes months. Also, if your social skills aren’t up to par, it can be difﬁcult to pull-off. You also have to spend money on drinks…

That’s where my favourite job hunting strategy comes in…

Strategy 7: The Resume Dropping Method Over the years, I’ve found jobs using a variety of different methods. But there was one that I kept coming back to consistently. I call this strategy ‘the resume dropping method.’

The strategy is simple, but effective. Ultimately, you print off your resume and drop it off in-person to as many venues as you can ﬁnd.

Here’s a more detailed approach:

Print off 10-20 copies of your resume and hit the streets during hospitality’s quieter times. Once again, ideally between 3-5pm. The managers and staff will have more

Chapter 8. The Job Search 50 time during this period because they won’t have customers breathing down their necks. If you can help it, never apply outside of these times.

Then, hand out your resume in-person to as many bars, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, and pubs you can ﬁnd. When you drop it off, ask to speak with the manager directly so you can give it to them in-person. This is important.

You want to meet the manager so you can make a good impression. When you meet them, shake their hand, smile, introduce yourself, and ask them how they’re doing. Then tell them a little bit about yourself and why you’re there.

Say that you’re looking for a job (bartender, server, barback, etc) and that you were wondering if there were any positions available.

They’ll tell you straight away if there is or isn’t. If there is, tell them that you’d love to come in for an interview or trial shift whenever suits them best. If there isn’t any work available, thank them for their time and ask them to give you a call if anything pops up.

That’s it.

Hand out your resume to 10 different bars on 10 different days and follow up with each of them one week later, and I guarantee you’ll ﬁnd a bartending job.

Resume Dropping WORKS The resume dropping method is my favourite strategy. It works well for a variety of reasons.

For one, you’re applying for the job in-person and you’re speaking directly with the manager. They’re more likely to remember you because it’s more personal and if you make a good impression and they’re looking for staff, they’ll ask you to come in for a trial shift there and then.

Two, it doesn’t take very long - you’ll be spending less than 10 minutes at each venue. That’s a lot quicker than the ‘have a drink approach,’ which can take weeks. This means that you’ll be able to apply for work at a lot more venues in a shorter space of time.

Three, there is nothing stopping you from using this strategy. Anyone can print off a resume and hand it into a bar. You don’t need to know anyone in the industry, you don’t need anyone’s email address, you don’t need special access to a Facebook group, and you don’t need to have amazing social skills.

Chapter 8. The Job Search 51 This strategy works so well that whenever I move to a new town or city, it’s the ﬁrst thing I do whenever I’m looking for a job. Most of the time, I don’t need to do anything else.

The last time I used this strategy, I handed out my resume to 10 different venues in 2 hours. EIGHT of them got back to me asking me to come in for an interview or trial shift…

That’s how effective it is!

A Combination of These Strategies will Work the Best It all comes down to this, landing a bartending job is a numbers game. It’s about shaking hands, putting yourself out there, and applying for as many jobs as you can.

That’s why the resume dropping strategy is so effective. You’re getting out there and meeting the right people and you’re applying for a lot of different jobs at the same time. If you could only choose one strategy, I’d recommend this one. But you’re best bet is to use a combination of these strategies.

For example, you could apply for jobs on Craigslist or Seek, then go into those same venues and drop off your resume in-person.

If you drop off your resume and the manager isn’t around, ask the bartender for their email address so that you can email them directly. And if nothing else works, try cold- calling or the having a drink approach and become friends with as many bartenders as you can.

Put in the work and you’ll get there.

Action Plan • Do you know anyone in the industry? How about friends of friends? If so, get in touch with them and ask them for a ‘favour’. • Scour the job advertisement websites and apply for every hospitality position you can ﬁnd. Also, note these venues down for later so you use the resume dropping method on them. • Find out if there are any local bartender social media groups and join them if there are. Check the group every day for new job opportunities and apply for suitable positions.

Chapter 8. The Job Search 52 • Print off 50 copies of your resume and drop them off at 10 different venues on 5 different days using the resume dropping method. Follow up with each of these venues 1 week later. • Give cold-calling and the have a drink method a go - you could be a natural. • If you continue doing all of this consistently for 2 months and you don’t get any interviews or trial shifts, send me an email so we can ﬁgure out what’s going wrong :-).

Chapter 8. The Job Search 53 9. The Interview

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the ﬁrst four sharpening the axe.” Abraham Lincoln

So you’ve hit the streets (or the internet) and handed out your resume… Now, what? There are 3 things that could happen.

First, your application might not be successful. Unfortunately, you need to be prepared for that because it’s going to happen more often than not. There are hundreds of reasons why and most of them are outside of your control, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

Second, you might be asked to come in for an interview. If you’ve got a solid resume & your timing was right, this is the most likely outcome and this is what we’ll be focusing on throughout this chapter.

But there’s also a possible third outcome. You could skip the interview completely, and be asked to come in for a trial shift (next chapter). This happens quite often and is your ideal outcome because no-one likes interviews, including the person interviewing you!

Skipping the interview stage will also save you time and ultimately get you a job faster. However, interviews are common practice, so you can’t just hope for the best and assume you won’t be attending one.

You need to be prepared.

Be Prepared If there was only one piece of advice I could give you for your interviews, it would be that preparation is KEY to your success.

I know, I know. Preparing for interviews is boring but you don’t need to spend days studying a venue’s wine list to adequately prepare. Generally, a couple of hours is more than enough. That’s not much when you consider that being well prepared could be the difference between you getting a job, or not.

For example, let’s say your interviewer asks you why you want to work there? (A common interview question you’ll likely be asked.) If you’re well prepared and you’ve

Chapter 9. The Interview 54 done your research, you’ll be able to respond with an intelligent answer. It could be as simple as something like this,

“I’m passionate about the hospitality industry and I love the craft behind great cocktails, which is why I want to learn as much as I can. [Insert name of venue] has a great reputation for its professional bar staff and creative cocktail list so I know I’ll learn a lot here and hone my skills as a bartender.”

Finish it off with a bit of humour and you’ve got yourself a well-prepared answer that will go down a treat in an interview. On the other hand, if you’re unprepared and you haven’t done your research, you’ll struggle to put together an intelligent response.

“Ummmmm… It’s got a cool atmosphere and the staff seem nice.”

Who would you rather hire?

Don’t just think you can go into an interview, wing it, and come out successful. It’s a lot harder to pull off than you think. It can work, but it’s risky. And when you’re looking for a job, you want to eliminate as much risk as you can.

Being well-prepared eliminates some risk.

It’s OK to be Nervous Unless you’ve been to hundreds of job interviews, you’re going to be nervous. And guess what?

That’s OK!

Everyone gets nervous before job interviews. It’s normal and it’s nothing to worry about. As long as you can hold a conversation, occasionally smile, and answer the interviewer’s questions, you’re going to be OK.

If you do happen to screw up an interview because you were too nervous, don’t be too hard on yourself because believe me, it happens! I once messed up an interview so badly that I was too embarrassed to ever go into that venue again.

Interviewing is just like any other skill. The more you do them, the better you get at them. So if you screw one up, get back on the horse and go do another one. The next one will be easier.

Chapter 9. The Interview 55 How a Bartending Job Interview Works There is no stock standard way job interviews work in the hospitality industry. Every interview will be different. Some interviews are really serious, whereas others are more casual. Some interviewers might ask you about your strengths and weaknesses. Others will prefer to talk about what you did on the weekend.

It can be hard to predict how an interview will pan out. But in general, the more professional the venue is, and the more advanced the position you’re applying for is, the more likely the interview process will be taken seriously. On the other hand, if you’re applying for a job at the local pub, the chances are they’ll just want to have a ‘casual chat.’

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. Because you never know how serious an interview will be taken until you get there. So make sure you’re well-prepared regardless. That will put you in the best possible position to do well.

Besides, that preparation will still help you enormously during those ‘casual chats.’

What Managers are Looking For Despite every interview being different, they’re all designed to look for the same thing. Managers are looking for applicants who possess (or have the potential to possess) the qualities of a great bartender.

How does this help you?

It means that you’re able to prepare for the interviews much more effectively. Instead of preparing answers that have no real purpose, you’ll be able to tailor them to speciﬁcally highlight exactly what they’re looking for.

For instance, let’s say you know that managers want hard workers, solid communicators, and someone who’s willing to learn. When you’re asked about your strengths, you’ll be able to say,

“My number one strength is that I’m great with people. I enjoy being around them, I love meeting them and I like making them happy. That’s one of the reasons why I’ve always been drawn to bartending. At the end of the day, bartending is about making people happy, one drink at a time! On top of that, I take great pride in what I do. Bartending is more than just a job for me. I enjoy it, so I work hard and I’m always looking to improve.”

Chapter 9. The Interview 56 If you can come across as someone who possesses the exact qualities your potential employer is looking for, it almost guarantees that you’ll be asked to come in for a trial shift.

All in all, managers are looking for applicants who are:

• Great with People • Hard Workers & Willing to Learn • Experienced, Knowledgeable, & Skilful • Look the Part

Let’s take a look at these qualities in detail.

People Skills Communication skills, personality, charisma, being great with people, whatever you choose to call it, is the number one quality managers are looking for in potential candidates. The better you are with people, the more likely you are to be hired. Period.

Hospitality is about people. It’s about giving the customer a great experience so that they keep coming back for more. That’s not going to happen if you’re the negative nancy who doesn’t feel like talking to anyone.

So don’t be that person…

Also, managers want to work with someone that they like. They don’t want someone in their team that’s going to ruin the vibe behind their bar. Poor people skills can do that.

Does that mean you need to be ‘Casanova’ to get a bartending job?

No, it doesn’t. My people skills were terrible in the beginning. In fact, it was one of the reasons why I wanted to become a bartender so badly in the ﬁrst place. I knew that working behind a bar would force me to develop these much-needed skills in my life.

So no, you don’t need to be great with people in the beginning. It’s not the only thing managers are looking for. This is particularly true if you’re applying for barback positions or bartending positions at a dispense bar (bars that don’t require you to serve customers like a restaurant bar).

But if you think your people skills need some work, be prepared to work on them because it will be difﬁcult to do anything interesting in this industry if you don’t.

Chapter 9. The Interview 57 Work Hard & Be Willing to Learn No one likes working with lazy people and there’s certainly no sympathy for lazy colleagues among bartenders. If a lazy colleague isn’t doing enough, it means that someone else will have to pick up the slack.

The same goes with being willing to learn. If you’re not sure about something and you have to constantly ask your colleagues questions, they’ll have more work to do. Over time, that get’s annoying.

That’s why hard workers and making the effort to learn are the second set of qualities managers will be looking for. They almost trump people skills. But not quite…

These qualities are very difﬁcult to show during an interview. Coming well-prepared and tailoring your preparation to emphasise these qualities will help. But the only way you can truly show them that you possess them is during the trial shift and once you’ve started working with them.

If you’re someone who’s currently lacking in people skills right now, this set of qualities is even more important. This is where you’ll be able to make up ground and convince them that you’re worthy of the job.

That’s how I compensated for my lack of people skills when I started in the industry and it’s also one of the reasons why I’ve done so well. I worked hard and I focused on learning everything I could (that includes working on my people skills, by the way).

Experience, Knowledge, & Skill It might come as no surprise that managers are looking for experienced, knowledgeable, and skilful candidates. As I mentioned earlier, experience does play a part in the hiring process. Especially for the more advanced positions. But it’s overrated.

The only time experience isn’t overrated is when it directly translates into knowledge and skill. More often than not, you see ‘experienced’ bartenders with bad habits, big egos, and a sense of entitlement that doesn’t sit very well with managers.

But if you’re a great bartender and you have the experience to back it up, you’re in an incredible position and that experience will go a long way throughout the hiring process.

If you’re currently lacking experience, don’t worry about it. Relevant experience can go a long way in an interview too.

Chapter 9. The Interview 58 What is relevant experience?

Relevant experience is any kind of work experience (including volunteer work) that you have that requires a similar sort of skill-set you would need in hospitality. Since you already know what managers are looking for (people skills, hard workers, etc), describing your relevant experience shouldn’t be too difﬁcult.

For example, let’s say you worked in retail before and you’re asked, “So, you don’t have any bartending experience… What makes you think you would be a good bartender?”

Your answer could look something like this,

“Sure, my hospitality experience is currently lacking right now. There’s no doubt about it. But I know that I possess some of the most important qualities that make a great bartender and I’ve used these qualities throughout my previous work experience.

When I was working in retail, I was serving people every day giving them the best experience possible, and I loved it. I’m a people person and at the end of the day, bartending and retail seek to achieve the same thing. To make people happy.

But retail has never appealed to me as much as bartending has. There’s a craft behind bartending that I really want to learn and I’m willing to work hard to get good at it. So to answer your original question, I’d be a great bartender because I’m already good with people, I want to learn as much as possible, and I’m willing to work hard to get good at it.”

That’s how you could relate seemingly unrelated work experience in a bartending job interview.

Look the Part I’ve put this last because I believe it’s the least important. The way I look at it is simple, your appearance matters to the point that you can control it. That means that you need to be well-groomed, appropriately dressed, clean, and showered.

You don’t need to be a professional model or a ﬁtness fanatic to work behind the bar. In most places, at least…

Great bartenders come in all different shapes, sizes, genders, and facial asymmetries. The qualities above are much more important than your appearance. Trust me on this. No sane manager wants to work with a group of good-looking bartenders who don’t do anything.

Chapter 9. The Interview 59 The Interview Process With an understanding of what managers are looking for, you need to learn what to do to succeed in your bartending job interview. For simplicity, I’ve broken down the interview process into four stages.

1. Preparing for the interview 2. When you arrive 3. During the interview 4. After the interview

1) Preparing for the Interview Preparation is KEY to a successful interview and there are 3 types of preparation that you’ll need to do:

• Research on the Venue • Questions They’ll Ask • Questions to Ask

The good news is that you only need to prepare the ‘questions they’ll ask’ and ‘questions to ask’ once because they’ll be the same for every interview you go to. You will, however, need to do the ‘research on the venue’ for every interview you get.

How long should you spend preparing?

In general, an hour is enough for venue related research. And then 2-3 hours should be enough for the ‘questions they’ll ask’ and ‘questions to ask’. The more you do the better but you don’t need to go too crazy.

Research on the Venue The best venue research you can do is at the venue itself. That means going into the venue and checking it out in person. By doing this, you’re able to see the staff in action, look at the menus, and see what kind of service they provide.

But I know that most of you aren’t going to do that and to be honest, you don’t need to. Unless you’re applying for a more advanced position, this kind of in-depth research is unnecessary. Most of the time, browsing the internet is more than enough to get an idea of what the venue is like

Chapter 9. The Interview 60 For your research, the ﬁrst point of call is their website. The second point of call is Tripadvisor. Take a look at them both and ﬁgure out the answers to the following questions:

• What type of venue is it? (cafe, pub, restaurant, nightclub, cocktail bar?) • What kind of clientele do they have? (uni students, corporates, tradies, families?) • Do they specialise in anything? (types of food, trivia nights, cocktails, coffee, wine, beer, whiskey?) • How long have they been open for? • What do they sell on their menus? • What are their reviews like on Tripadvisor?

Write down your answers to all of these questions in whatever format you like (i.e. dot points, longer sentences, mind map, etc), and keep them close. We’ll be using some of these answers for the ‘questions they’ll ask’ preparation.

Questions They’ll Ask Once you know more about the establishment you’re being interviewed for, you’ll need to do some speciﬁc job question preparation. Basically, that means you’ll need to have an idea of what you’re going to say when they ask you personal and situational speciﬁc questions.

I recommend that you be completely honest with all of your answers. Honesty goes a long way in the hospitality industry.

Here is a list of questions you should prepare for:

• Tell me about yourself. (Have a brief story about your history, what you do, and what you enjoy) • How long have you been bartending for? • Why do you like bartending? (if you have no experience, the question will be: why do you want to be a bartender/server/work in hospitality?) • Why do you want to work here? (Tailor this answer based on the research you’ve done. I.e. if they specialise in wine, you could say how interested you are in wine and that by working there, you hope to improve your wine knowledge.) • Why did you leave your last job? (Don’t blame the venue you left. Be as respectful as you possibly can to all previous employers – even if you hated them…)

Chapter 9. The Interview 61 • What are your strengths and weaknesses? (Hint: For strengths, think about what managers are looking for. As far as weaknesses go, it’s hard to answer this question well. I suggest you mention a couple of weaknesses you may have that aren’t in conﬂict with the qualities of a great bartender.) • What experience do you have? (If you don’t have any hospitality experience, use the power of relevant experience as I did in the section ‘Experience, Knowledge and Skill.’) • What’s your favourite drink? • How would you make an x-cocktail? (only relevant if you’re applying for a more advanced bartending position. If that’s the case, make sure you brush up on your cocktail knowledge before the interview.) • How would you cut someone off ? (See Part 2 - How to Cut Someone Off) • What is your deﬁnition of great customer service? (Short answer: To make customers happy so that they keep coming back for more.)

They may ask you questions outside of this list, but preparing for these questions will be more than enough. It will give you a solid foundation so that regardless of the questions they throw at you, you’ll have an idea of what to say.

Questions to Ask At the end of every job interview, your potential employer is going to ask you if you have any questions. Whatever you do, don’t say no!

Having a list of questions is a great way to demonstrate that you’ve come well- prepared and that you’re interested in the job. This is also your chance to get some clarity about the position you’re applying for.

Here’s a solid list of questions you could ask:

• How long have you been working here for/ how long have you been the manager? (I love starting off with a question about them. Everyone likes talking about themselves.) • How many bartenders work at the same time? • Do you have any barbacks on the weekend? • Do you have security? • How many shifts per week are you looking to cover?

Should you ask how much you’ll be paid?

Chapter 9. The Interview 62 That’s a tough one and it’s ultimately a personal choice. Some people think that you shouldn’t because it can come off as presumptuous. But personally, I like to get clariﬁcation. I want to know how much I’ll be getting paid before I commit myself to a trial shift. And since I’ve been in a hiring manager’s shoes, I know that the majority of the time, they won’t be offended if I ask.

**Note** You’ll ﬁnd all of the questions throughout this chapter in one of the downloads that came with this book.

2) When You Arrive You should assume that the interview starts as soon as you walk through the front door because the interviewer, and all of the staff working there, will be sizing you up from the minute you arrive.

First impressions count and ﬁrst impressions last, so you want to make a good one.

To make a good impression, arrive 10 minutes early, dress appropriately (see below), bring a copy of your resume (see below), greet the other staff members, shake their hands, introduce yourself, engage in some small talk, and smile.

When you arrive, you’ll mostly likely speak with one of the staff members ﬁrst and they’ll ask what they can do for you. Let them know that you’re there to see the hiring manager (ideally you would know their name) in regards to a job interview. Then politely wait until the manager is ready to see you.

Dressing appropriately doesn’t mean wearing a suit and tie. It means that you should wear something similar to what you would be wearing if you were working there. If you’re not sure what that is, a safe outﬁt choice would be black or navy blue jeans, black shoes, and a dress shirt.

You should also bring a spare copy of your resume. Resumes are easily lost so it’s good to have one on hand just in case. Bringing in a spare resume also shows that you’re well-organised and well-prepared - qualities they’re looking for.

When the manager is ﬁnally ready to see you, shake their hand, introduce yourself, engage in some small talk (nice to meet you, how has your day been?), and smile! Sound familiar??

After you’ve exchanged pleasantries, they’ll take you to a quieter area of the venue so you can get started with the interview.

Chapter 9. The Interview 63 This is when the nerves start to kick in…

3) During the Interview Providing that you’ve adequately prepared, this part of the hiring process isn’t that complicated –the manager is going to do is ask you a bunch of questions and you’ll be answering them.

Be friendly, smile, act as conﬁdent as you can, show an interest in them, show an interest in the position you’re applying for, and you’ll be ﬁne.

Remember, honesty goes a LONG way in interviews. It breeds respect and trust. So if you don’t know how to answer a question, don’t lie. Be honest about your knowledge & experience. If they ask you something you’re not sure about, admit it, but always try and put a good spin on it.

For example, if you don’t know much about wine and they ask you, how’s your wine knowledge? You could say,

“Unfortunately, wine isn’t something that I’ve spent much time studying yet. I’ve been focusing on craft beer lately. But now that I’ve learned a lot about beer, I plan on tackling the wine world next.”

That answer is a lot better than pretending to know about something you don’t because if they choose to dig any deeper, they’ll ﬁgure out your lying. And catching you lie during an interview is a deal breaker.

Are they going to ask questions you haven’t prepared for?

Probably. But it’s not a big deal. If you’ve done all of the preparation above, you’ll know more than enough to succeed throughout the interview process. You’ll just have to wing a couple of answers on the ﬂy.

4) After the Interview Thank the manager for their time, shake their hand, smile, and say that you look forward to hearing from them. As you leave, say goodbye to the other staff members and exit the venue.

Then search for the nearest bar, order a shot of Jaegermeister and a beer to calm those nerves!

Chapter 9. The Interview 64 If the interview went well, great! That beer is going to be delicious. If it didn’t go as well as you hoped, don’t worry about it. Interviewing is a skill that you get better at over time. So keep going to those interviews.

Follow-up Regardless of how you think your interview went, you MUST follow-up. This is something that most people don’t do. But it’s really dumb if you don’t because the manager may have really liked you, they just lost your contact details or they’ve been too busy to call.

It’s happened to me before and following-up got me the job.

Anywhere from 3 days to 1 week after the interview is a good time to follow-up. Call them directly so you can ﬁnd out how you went straight away. Emailing can be unreliable sometimes.

If they still haven’t made a decision. Say ‘no problem’ and politely ask them to get in touch when they have. Then follow-up again 1 week later.

If your bartending job interview was successful, they’ll either hire you straight away (doesn’t happen very often) or they’ll ask you to come in for a trial shift (much more likely). They may ask you to do a trial shift straight after the interview (so be prepared), but it’s more likely they’ll ask you to come back a few days later.

If you’re interview was unsuccessful, ask for some feedback. I know it’s hard to do, especially after you’ve been given the bad news, but this is key if you want to improve in this area.

Ask them why they chose not to proceed with your application and ask them for some recommendations on what you could do better in the future. This type of feedback will be invaluable for future interviews.

Action Plan • As soon as you get an interview, re-read this entire chapter and prepare everything necessary. I.e. research on the venue, questions they’ll ask, and questions to ask. Use the interview questions ‘download’ that came with this book to prepare them more quickly. • Before you leave for your interview, make sure your showered, well-groomed, and dressed appropriately.

Chapter 9. The Interview 65 • When you arrive, assume the interview starts when you walk through the front door. Smile, shake hands, be friendly, greet the other staff members, engage in some small talk, and ask to speak with the hiring manager. • During the interview, remain as calm as possible and answer the interviewers questions as best you can. • After the interview, always follow-up with a call 3-7 days later - you never know what could happen.

Chapter 9. The Interview 66 10. The Trial Shift

“Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.” Roger Crawford

I remember my ﬁrst successful trial shift like it was yesterday. It was at a quiet golf club bar in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia - the kind of venue you expect to see your grandparents at for a small beer on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Of course, it wasn’t very busy and in hindsight, I didn’t have much to worry about. Anyone could have done that job. But I’d never worked behind a bar before so I was nervous…. Really nervous.

When I arrived, I shook the manager’s hand and asked her what she wanted me to do. She told me to go behind the bar and start serving customers.

That’s it!

So I kept my head down, served customers, worked as hard as I knew how, and somehow, I managed to survive my ﬁrst shift behind the bar. Even though I was terriﬁed the entire time, it was a great experience. In the end, all I did was pour beers for old men who were trying to hook me up with their grand-daughters.

A couple of days later, I got the call and found out that I’d landed my ﬁrst bartending job.

Now, it’s your turn.

The Purpose of a Trial Shift If you’ve got to this point in the hiring process, ﬁrst of all, congratulations. You’ve worked hard to get to here. Writing your resume, applying for an endless amount of jobs, and going through the interview process, it can be tough.

So well done. You’ve just got one more obstacle left - the trial shift.

Before we continue, I want to emphasise how important the trial shift is. Writing your resume, applying for jobs, and going through the interview process, has all been leading up to this point.

Chapter 10. The Trial Shift 67 When you step behind that bar, nothing else matters. It doesn’t matter how good your resume was or how well you interviewed, all that matters is how well you perform on game day.

The trial shift is where you put your money where your mouth is. It’s where the manager gets to see how well you work behind their bar, how well you get along with the customers, and how well you get along with the rest of the staff.

Essentially, it’s their chance to see if you’re good enough for the position you’re applying for.

That’s the main reason why managers view trial shifts as so important. Another reason is because it separates the honest applicants from the dishonest ones. It’s almost impossible to fake or lie your way through a trial shift so don’t even try.

Slightly exaggerating how good you are is OK (and it’s expected). But you should never say you can do something that you can’t.

**Note** This is also why you shouldn’t lie in the preceding stages of the hiring process (i.e. on your resume or in the interview). It’s likely that you’ll be tested on what you say. I once had the bar manager pull a French server from the restaurant mid-service to speak with me in French during my trial shift because I told him I could.

7 Rules for a Great Bartending Trial Shift As we covered before, managers are looking for applicants with great people skills, who are hard working, willing to learn, knowledge and/or skill, and are those who look the part.

During the interview and resume stage, your job was to convince the manager that you possess these qualities. Now, you need to PROVE to the manager that you possess these qualities.

How on earth do you do that?

Good question… The simplest answer I can give you is that you prove you’re worthy through your actions. That means acting in the same way as someone who already possesses these qualities would.

That’s harder to pull off in practice so let me make it as easy as possible. I’ve broken down what you should do into 7 easy-to-follow rules.

Chapter 10. The Trial Shift 68 The best part about these rules is that they’re relevant across all Front of House (FOH) hospitality jobs. So it doesn’t matter what type of trial shift you have (barback, server, bartender), if you follow these rules, you’ll impress the manager and hopefully, secure yourself a job.

Those rules are:

1. Come Prepared 2. Arrive Early 3. Listen & Ask Questions 4. Work Your Arse Off 5. Smile & Be Friendly 6. Keep Your Conversations Short 7. Communicate & Stay Out of the Way!

Rule No.1: Come Prepared Before you even arrive for your trial shift, you need to be prepared. It doesn’t look very good if you rock up late or you’re wearing the wrong clothes. Trust me…

Coming prepared for a trial shift is simple enough. You just need to ask the manager what you should wear, what time your trial shift starts, and if there are any speciﬁc items you need to bring, before you get there.

Then arrive early, wear what they tell you to wear, and bring what they tell you to bring!

If they tell you to wear or bring something you don’t have (like a black shirt), go out and buy it. You need to act like a professional here and that means purchasing the right tools and clothing.

If you’re serious about becoming a bartender, you’ll have to get them eventually anyway. Regardless of what they tell you to bring, every bartender and server should always have the following items on them:

• Wine knife, • Bar blade, • 2 pens (just in case one breaks or you lose it), • A lighter.

Chapter 10. The Trial Shift 69 Bring these and any other additional items they tell you to bring.

Rule No.2: Arrive Early Arriving early shows that you’re organised, reliable, professional, and serious about the position you’re applying for. So get there 10-20 minutes before your trial shift starts.

That should give you more than enough time to chat with the manager about what will be expected of you and familiarise yourself with the venue.

Similarly to the interview, you should assume that the trial shift starts as soon as you walk through the front door. When you arrive, greet the other staff members, shake their hands, engage in some small talk, and smile. Then let them know that you’re there for a trial shift and politely ask them if you could see the manager.

When you see the manager, do exactly the same thing.

After you’ve greeted the manager, they’ll either ask you to get started straight away or they’ll tell you to wait somewhere until they’re ready for you. If they ask you to wait, grab a menu so you can familiarise yourself with what you’ll be serving.

Reading the menu before you start serves two purposes. First, it helps you during the shift because you know what you’re serving. Second, it shows the manager that you’re willing to learn.

Rule No.3: Listen & Ask Questions Throughout the entire shift, you should be listening intently to everything the manager says. Try not to zone out (which can happen when you’re nervous) because they’ll be giving you a lot of important information on what to do and how to do it.

For example, when you start your shift, they’ll probably give you a tour of the building and the areas you’ll be working in. When they give you the tour, they’ll likely show you where the ice machine is, where the keg and stock rooms are, and where to empty the trash. Then they’ll give you a run down of the position you’re applying for, how it works, and what’s expected of you.

Pay attention to everything that they say!

You’ll need to remember what they’ve told you when you start working and you want to avoid asking questions the manager has already answered as much as possible.

Chapter 10. The Trial Shift 70 **Note** If they don’t tell you anything and they just expect you to know what you to do, see the section ‘Let’s Talk Speciﬁcs’ below.

Most managers are reasonable and they won’t expect you to remember everything. So it’s also important to ask questions when you’re not sure of something. Even if you don’t have any questions, I recommend asking some.

A great question I always ask during a trial shift when there doesn’t appear to be anything to do is,

‘What can I do now?’

It’s a simple question that has powerful beneﬁts - it shows the manager that you’re there to work.

You would be surprised at how effective this question is. Especially with experienced managers. It get’s asked so rarely by new bartenders that when a manager encounters someone who does ask it, it’s seen as a REALLY good sign.

Rule No.4: Work Hard One of the golden rules of hospitality is that ‘there’s ALWAYS something to do’. That’s why the question above is so powerful. It shows the manager that you’re willing to go out of your way to ﬁnd out what that ‘thing’ is.

You want everyone in that building to see you constantly in motion. That could be wiping down the bar, restocking the fridges, serving customers, ﬁguring out the POS system, studying the cocktail recipes, or reading the menu.

If you’re not sure what you should be doing, ask.

Hospitality professionals work hard and the harder you work in this industry, the more you’ll be respected. If you’re not doing something, it means that someone else is picking up the slack and no-one wants to work with someone who doesn’t pull their own weight.

Rule No.5: Smile and be Friendly It’s time to show off your people skills and your personality. Remember, this is one of the most important qualities managers will be looking for.

Chapter 10. The Trial Shift 71 There’s no doubt about it, the better you are with people, the quicker you’ll ﬁnd a job. If you already have solid people skills, great, you’re probably a lot stronger in this area than me.

If you’re more like me and you weren’t born with natural people skills, don’t worry about it. As long as you smile (even if it’s forced) and can hold a friendly (i.e. not rude) conversation with a stranger, your people skills are good enough.

Keep in mind that working in this industry will help you develop strong people skills fast. So even if you’re weak in this area right now, you’ll quickly improve.

Rule No.6: Keep Your Conversations Short There’s a ﬁne balance between being friendly with guests & colleagues and working hard. On the one hand, you should be giving your guests the attention they deserve.

On the other, you don’t want to be seen as someone who spends most of their time talking. If you want the job, you need to prove to your manager that you’re a hard worker as well. That won’t happen if you’re talking all the time.

So don’t get caught up in long-winded conversations with a guest or one of your colleagues. There is always something to do and you should be looking for what that ‘thing’ is.

Rule No. 7: Communicate & Stay Out of the Way! Behind the bar, there’s a subtle dance that happens between all the bartenders. Everyone moves in sync with each other and despite moving quickly, they somehow manage to avoid bumping into each other.

How?

The answer, my friend, is communication. When it’s busy, bartenders move by instinct. They don’t have time to look where they’re going so they rely on vocal cues to ﬁgure out where their colleagues are.

If it’s your ﬁrst shift, you need to learn how to communicate with your colleagues so that they don’t turn around and bump into you. This is particularly true for barbacks and bussers.

All you need to do is yell out ‘BACKS‘ or ‘BEHIND‘ whenever you’re behind someone or outside of their vision, to let them know that you’re there.

Chapter 10. The Trial Shift 72 It takes some time to get used to, but knowing about it is more than enough to impress your manager. It’s frustrating when you’re working a busy shift with someone who keeps getting in the way and doesn’t know what to do about it!

When you step behind that bar (or onto the restaurant ﬂoor), you’re a part of the team. Communication is essential to an effective team.

Have Fun For some of you, this will be your ﬁrst shift working in the hospitality industry. So have fun!

I know it’s going to be hard (especially if it’s busy), you’ll probably be feeling anxious, and everyone around you will seem stressed. But those moments of stress are usually followed by moments of laughter, the occasional shot, and a refreshing beer.

That’s what makes this whole hospitality thing worth it.

Let’s Talk Speciﬁcs **WARNING** Sometimes, the manager on your trial shift will give you NO direction whatsoever. They’ll throw you into the deep end and expect you to be able to swim. It can happen so you should be prepared for it.

These situations are rare, but if it happens to you and you don’t have any experience, you’ll end up standing around feeling useless. To prevent that from happening, you should know some speciﬁc things to do for the speciﬁc positions you’re applying for.

Below, you’ll ﬁnd what to do during a bartending trial shift, a barback trial shift and a server trial shift.

Bartending Trial Shift Specifics A bartending trial shift is more complicated than a barback or server trial shift. That’s because a bartender has more responsibility and they need to know more about their products. That’s one of the reasons why experience is valuable when you’re searching for a bartending job.

Still, the job isn’t overly complicated. Here’s a list of things you should be doing, in order of importance:

• Take customer’s orders and make them drinks

Chapter 10. The Trial Shift 73 • Put those orders through the POS system/Till and collect payments (or start them a tab) • Clear glasses off the bar • Wipe down the bar • Cut essential fruits (lemons & limes) and prepare any garnishes • Clean up any mess you make • Familiarise yourself with the bar and where everything is • If there are no barbacks, you should also be doing all of the barback’s duties (see below)

Barback Trial Shift Specifics Barback trial shifts are the least complicated, but they’re also the most difﬁcult in terms of how hard you work. Barbacks are given the jobs that no-one else wants. It usually means doing a lot of heavy lifting, running around, and cleaning.

On a side note, barbacks are generally the hardest workers in any bar. It’s one of the reasons why it’s such a great position to start off in when you don’t have any experience. Not only will it teach what it’s like to work behind a bar, but it will force you to develop a strong work ethic - valuable in any arena.

Here’s what you should focus on as a barback, in order of importance:

• Top up the ice wells (there’s nothing worse than running out of ice) – You’ll need to ﬁnd out where the ice machine is. • Wash & polish glassware • Re-stock the bar: Top up garnishes, fruits, liquor bottles, condiments, napkins, coasters, straws, towels, fridges, beer, wine. – You’ll need to ﬁnd out where the stock rooms are located. • Prepare fruit, cut garnishes, pre-mix spirits. • Change Kegs (if/when they need changing – the bartender will usually yell out) • Empty the trash • Clean as you go – even if you didn’t make the mess. You want to go above and beyond in everything that you do. • Anything else the management team or bartenders tells you to do.

Remember, all of this is GREAT for your ego ;-).

Chapter 10. The Trial Shift 74 Server Trial Shift Specifics Sometimes to break your way into bartending, you need to start out as a server ﬁrst. Starting out as a server will get your foot in the door making it a lot easier to progress into a bartending position later on.

But starting out as a server isn’t that bad. In fact, it could prepare you perfectly for being a bartender. Working as a server is more people orientated so it will force you to develop solid people skills fast.

Server trials are more complicated than barback trials shifts because you’re dealing with people, but they’re not as complicated as bartending trials shifts.

You’ll ﬁnd that the majority of serving positions will require you to go through a similar process with each of your customers over and over again.

Here’s what that process might look like:

• Greet guests with a warm smile. Then seat them, hand them menus (if there isn’t a host), and ask if they’d like tap, bottled or sparkling water (no judgement here). • Take your guest’s food & drink orders. Write EVERYTHING down (Note down any allergies too). Messing up orders is one of the most annoying things you can do as a waiter. • Put those orders through the POS system (Inform the chef and bar of any allergies and any unclear details). • Run food and drinks to tables. Ask the guests if everything is good with their food. If it’s not, do something about it (talk with a manager if necessary). • Clear tables (empty glasses and ﬁnished plates), wipe down tables, reset tables. • Polish cutlery, plates, glasses (when there’s nothing else to do).

Over time, you’ll develop your own system for doing things. This is how I used to approach serving tables.

After the Trial Shift Once your trial shift is over, make sure you thank the manager for their time and say goodbye to any other staff members you pass along the way. Then run out of the building, search for the nearest bar, and order ANOTHER shot of Jaeger and a beer!

Chapter 10. The Trial Shift 75 Then give yourself a pat on the back and congratulate yourself. You’ve made it through the entire hiring process in one piece. But before you completely relax, you’ve still got one thing left to do. You need to follow up to ﬁnd out how your trial shift went.

Remember, following up can be the difference between getting hired or not. Similar to the interview, 3-7 days is more than enough time after your trial shift to give the manager a call.

If you’re unsuccessful, don’t take it personally. It happens to the best of us. If you remember, ask the manager for some feedback before you hang up the phone. Once again, you want to ﬁnd out what you did well and what you did poorly so you can improve upon those things for your next go.

If you get the job, congratulations! You deserve it :-).

Action Plan • As soon as you know you have a trial shift, go back and re-read this entire chapter. Pay particular attention to the 7 rules. • A few days before your trial shift, ask your manager what time you need to be there, what you need to bring and what you need to wear. Then, invest in all the necessary equipment & clothing. • Before you leave home, make sure you’re showered, well groomed, appropriately dressed, and you’ve got all the right equipment. • Arrive 10 - 20 minutes early & assume the trial shift starts as soon as you walk through the front door. While you’re waiting, grab a menu so you can familiarise yourself with what you’ll be serving. • During the trial shift, be friendly, work hard, ask questions, don’t talk for too long, communicate & stay out of the way. • After your trial shift, follow up 3-7 days later.

Chapter 10. The Trial Shift 76 11. Making the Transition

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” Beverly Sills

Some people think I’m joking when I tell them that if you want to become a bartender, you should look for server & barback jobs ﬁrst. It sounds odd to someone who’s never worked in the hospitality industry before…

“Why would I serve tables when I want to be a bartender… Why don’t I just start there?”

The problem with this line of thought is that most bartending positions ‘require’ experience. Bartending is more challenging than being a barback or server so it makes sense. There’s a lot more you need to know, there’s a lot more you need to do, and when you don’t know anything, things get out of hand quickly.

That’s why I generally recommend people new to the industry start out as a barback or server ﬁrst. These are entry-level positions (i.e. no experience required) so they’re much easier to get.

It’s also easier to transition into a bartending role once you already have your foot in the door as a barback or server.

Remember, timing is a key component to getting a bartending job. When you’re unemployed looking for work, you have no idea whether or not a venue is hiring. But when you work at that venue, you know exactly what’s going on and if you’ve already proven yourself worthy, you’ll be the ﬁrst person in line when the manager needs a new bartender.

That’s why starting out as a barback or server is the most reliable way to becoming a bartender.

What is a Barback? Essentially, a barback is the bartender’s assistant. They’re the humble servant there to help the bartender sell as much booze as possible. They do the grunt work, the heavy lifting, and they’re often the hardest working staff members behind any bar.

Chapter 11. Making the Transition 77 You’ll often see them hunched over the dishwasher cleaning glasses, mopping up vomit, fetching stock, cutting fruit, carrying beer cases, collecting glasses, changing kegs, and doing any other job that no-one else wants to do.

That’s what they’re there for.

But being a barback is more than that. If you approach this position correctly, you get to learn what it’s like to work behind the bar from the bartenders themselves. This kind of experience is the main reason why so many industry professionals recommend breaking into the industry as a barback ﬁrst.

What is a Server? A server or waiter is someone who serves guests at their tables. They’ll greet customers when they arrive, seat them at their table, take their orders, bring them their food & drinks, and overall, ensure that their experience is as memorable as possible.

You mainly see servers working in venues that serve food (i.e. restaurants, cafes, pubs, etc), but they also work in high end bars that want to give their guests the table service experience.

Barback or Server? It’s normal to wonder what position would be better to start off in, barback or server. Before I explain the differences, I want to make one thing clear - when you have no experience and you’re trying to break into the industry, DON’T be picky. Take what you can get, build the initial skills, accumulate some experience, and then go from there.

If you get offered a server position, take it. If you get offered a barback position, take that too!

But if you’re lucky enough to have a choice between being a barback or server, take the barback position. Between the two, it will better prepare you for being a bartender. It’s also easier to transition from barback to bartender.

One of the problems you’ll ﬁnd when you make the transition from server to bartender is that you may still have to be a barback ﬁrst.

That doesn’t mean you should neglect serving positions because being a server will still teach you a lot. You’ll also get paid more than barbacks, you’ll learn how to better

Chapter 11. Making the Transition 78 interact with guests and in the long run, you’ll become a more versatile bartender for it.

Bartending Vs Serving Although many of the skills you develop as a server will be transferable to your time behind the bar, there is a difference.

The biggest difference is how servers and bartenders work. Servers spend most of their time in their ‘section’ alone and they’re directly responsible for their guests’ experience. If something goes wrong, it’s their fault. If all goes well, they’ll likely be compensated for it.

Whereas bartenders work within a team and they don’t have to worry about the guests’ experience as much. They’ll spend less than a minute with each customer before moving onto the next and if anything goes wrong, there’s usually someone around to help.

Bartenders & servers will also focus on learning different things. Bartenders will learn more about drinks (cocktails, spirits, coffee, beer, & wine), whereas waiters will focus more on food and customer service.

Finally, the type of clientele bartenders and servers work with are often different. Of course, who you serve will depend on the venue you work for, but in general, servers deal with a more sophisticated crowd as well as children & families. Bartenders are more likely to deal with rowdy drunks, uni students, and anyone that loves a drink.

Even though these positions have their differences, being a server will still teach you A LOT about bartending. You might not get to make cocktails or change kegs, but you’ll learn a ton about customer service, how to work under pressure, and enough about drinks to be dangerous.

All of these skills are essential to becoming a great bartender which is why starting out as a server works out so well on your journey to mastery.

How to Make the Transition Progressing into a bartending position requires patience, hard work, practical experience, and mental fortitude (you’re going to cop shit).

Chapter 11. Making the Transition 79 Essentially, going from barback/server to bartender requires you to focus on these three things:

1. Prove yourself as a barback or server 2. Learn the basics of bartending 3. Let it be known that you want to tend the bar

That’s all there is to it. But like most things in life, these things are easier said than done. So let’s take a look at these steps in detail.

1) Prove Yourself If you’re a terrible barback or server, what do you think your chances are of becoming a bartender?

Next to zero…

If you can’t perform in your job as a barback/server ﬁrst, you’ll never be trusted to perform as a bartender. It’s as simple as that… So if you’re ever going to get promoted, the most important thing you can do is become the best barback/server anyone has ever seen.

More often than not, you won’t need to do anything else. The management team will notice that you were born for this and they’ll want to train you up as a bartender because of it.

There’s a difference between what you need to do as a barback or server to prove yourself worthy so we’ll look at these positions separately.

Becoming a Great Barback

The Duties Everywhere you work as a barback will be different. Some jobs will require you to clean the toilet, some will require you to run food, some will require you to collect glasses, and others will just want you to wash dishes all night.

It’s important that you ﬁgure out what’s expected of you from the beginning. That way, you’ll know exactly what to do to prove you’re worthy of a bartending position. If necessary, write what’s expected of you down so you don’t forget.

Chapter 11. Making the Transition 80 See the ‘Let’s Talk Speciﬁcs’ section in ‘The Trial Shift’ chapter above for speciﬁc tasks to do.

Anticipate At the end of the day, the goal of the barback is to make the life of the bartender as easy as possible. When it’s busy, the bartender shouldn’t have to think about anything else other than serving people.

You, the barback, should be doing everything else without them needing to ask. In other words, you should be anticipating their every need.

To the bartender, it should appear that the ice wells are magically topped up, the stock is always miraculously full, fruit & garnishes are plentiful, the bar top is sparkling clean, and the trash cans are bottomless pits.

It’s not magic, you’re doing all of this and the only way you’ll get this good is with experience. You’ll need to know the bar like the back of your hand and you’ll need to know the bartender’s job almost as well as they do.

That’s the kind of level you should focus on getting to because these are the barbacks that get promoted. Not the lazy barback that has to be told to do anything…

Becoming a Great Server

The Duties Everywhere you work as a server will also be slightly different. Some positions will require you to run food whereas others will prefer that you stay put in your own section the entire time. Once again, it’s important to ﬁnd out what’s expected of you in the beginning.

See the ‘Let’s Talk Speciﬁcs’ section in ‘The Trial Shift’ chapter above for speciﬁc tasks to do.

What you need to Learn There’s a speciﬁc set of skills that servers need to be competent in if they wish to excel in their job. Most of these skills are basic and you don’t need any prior experience to develop them. As long as you practice them whenever you have the chance, you’ll learn them fairly easily.

Memorise the menus

Chapter 11. Making the Transition 81 Of all the things you learn as a server, learning the menu off by heart will be the most useful. It will save you precious time when your guests ask you questions because you won’t have to run to back & forth to the kitchen or bar to ﬁnd out the answer. You should memorise the drink menu, the food menu, and the wine list (if it’s an extensive wine list, you don’t need to know everything).

Learn how to carry 3 plates and use a drink tray

Carrying 3 plates and using a drink tray is essential. It helps you quickly clear tables and run food or drinks out faster. You’re also seen as a ‘rookie’ until you’ve mastered these skills. If you can’t do this already, practice carrying 3 plates at home (don’t worry, we’ve all done it). And use the drink tray whenever you’re at work. Even if you’re only carrying one drink, this practice is helpful.

Learn how to serve wine like a pro

This includes presenting wine to tables, opening corked wine bottles, opening sparkling wine, decanting wine, and topping up wine glasses as you go. We’ll go through this in part 3.

Use the power of suggestion

Learning how to suggest items on the menu to your guests is important. Not only will your guests appreciate it, but the owners will love you for making extra sales. That doesn’t mean you need to be pushy, you shouldn’t. It means asking your guests if they’d like another drink when their glass is empty, offering them entrees & desserts, and suggesting they look at the wine list. They can make the ﬁnal decision from there.

2) Learn the Basics of Bartending More often than not, becoming an awesome barback or server is enough to get you noticed and promoted into a bartender’s role. But sometime’s it’s not. Sometimes you’ve also got to show management how keen you are to be a bartender.

The best way to do this is by learning how to tend the bar before you ofﬁcially tend the bar.

There are a few ways you can do this. You can read books, blogs, take a bartending course, practice at home, or even attend bartending school on the side. If you’re really interested in learning the craft of bartending, I recommend you do these things anyway.

Chapter 11. Making the Transition 82 But the single best way to learn how to tend the bar is by learning from the bartenders you work with. You should be asking your fellow bartenders question about EVERYTHING (liquor, cocktails, wine, beer, service, techniques, etc), listening to their answers, practicing what they teach, and observing their every movement.

Once you’ve built up a base level of skill, you’ll ﬁnd that the bartenders will naturally ask you for help. They’ll say “cover the bar” when they run to the bathroom. Or when things start getting busy, they’ll ask you to “jump in and help for a second.”

Then before you know it, John calls in sick on Thursday night, management needs another bartender to ﬁll his shoes, they know you already know how to tend the bar, who do you think they’re going to call??

Do you see how going from barback/server to bartender just works?

3) Let it Be Known That You Want to Tend the Bar Ideally, you’ll have already let the management team know that you want to become a bartender. If you haven’t, now is the time. Simply say to the management team,

“I really want to be a bartender, can you give me a shot?”

If you’ve already proven yourself as a barback or server, and you’ve learned the basics of bartending, they’ll want to keep you around so the chances are good they’ll say yes.

If they say no, ask them why. If the reason is that they want to keep you on the ﬂoor (because you’re so amazing), suggest that you work a couple of nights behind the bar and a couple of nights on the ﬂoor as a compromise.

If it’s because they don’t think you’re ready, ask them what you need to improve on to be ready. Then spend the next few weeks over-performing in those areas and ask again.

Whatever happens, don’t skip this step! They will most likely be willing to compromise to keep you around. But if they’re not and you never have this conversation, you could work there as a barback or server forever.

A Word of Caution This industry isn’t perfect. Some bars and managers are dodgy and they might try & screw you over. For example, they’ll lie to your face saying that they intend to promote you ‘when the time is right,’ even though that day will never come.

Chapter 11. Making the Transition 83 This is why it’s so important to continually ask management when/if they’re going to promote you. You want to ﬁnd out if they’re screwing you over as soon as possible so you can ﬁnd work elsewhere.

Fortunately, these situations are rare, but if you suspect it’s happening to you, talk with your bartender colleagues and get their opinion. Ask them how long it took them to progress into a bartending position and you should get your answer.

If you ﬁnd out that you’re getting screwed, leave. Don’t worry, the experience you’ve gained will still be valuable for your next job so you won’t be starting again from zero.

If you’re lucky, that experience might be enough to land a bartending position elsewhere and you can skip the roles of the barback/server forever!

How Long Will it Take? It can take anywhere from 3-6 months to become a decent barback or server. And then 3 months on top of that to learn the basics of bartending. All in all, you’re looking at anywhere between 6-12 months before you’re good enough to step behind the bar.

But then you’ve made it!

You’ve become a professional bartender and what you’ve learned throughout this process will be useful for the rest of your bartending career and life.

Action Plan • Whether you start out as a barback or server, go back & re-read the section on how to get great at those jobs. Focus on improving in these areas whenever you’re at work. • Continue to learn the basics of bartending by reading the rest of this book.

Chapter 11. Making the Transition 84

Part 2 - Being the Bartender

“A man in our line, to be successful, must be quick, prompt, courteous, able, a good student of human nature, a good dresser, clean, and possessing several more virtues.” Harry Johnson 12. The Road to Greatness

“Great men are not born great, they grow great . . .” Mario Puzo, The Godfather

I recently published an article on the Crafty Bartending website titled “13 Industry Pros Share Their Advice with New Bartenders.” I encourage you all to check it out - it’s gold and sets the stands for what it means to be a great bartender, all of which you can become yourself.

Below, I’ve included a few of my favourite excerpts.

——————

Gaz Regan

“Never ask a woman when her baby’s due. Trust me on this. (Editor’s note: I had to include this - it’s way too funny!)

….

Don’t take yourself too seriously, young bartender. You sling drinks for a living, for fuck’s sake. Big fuckin’ deal.

If you make your guests feel good, though, that is something in which you can take pride. You’re still no better than anyone else, but you can rest easy knowing that, in a small way, you’re changing the world.

Changing the world? Yes. You’re changing the world. Make one guest happier when he or she leaves your bar than they were when they walked in, and you’ve changed the world. It’s that simple.”

Dave Allred

“For many who are just starting out, bartending can seem intimidating with all that you have to learn and the drinks you have to memorize, as well as trying to keep up with the break-neck pace and large crowds.

But understand this: BARTENDING IS NOT THAT HARD. It really isn’t. Well, let me rephrase: memorizing recipes and pouring liquid into a glass is not that hard, which is what most people think bartending is.

Chapter 12. The Road to Greatness 86 Reﬁning your skills and providing awesome experiences for your guests takes someone who really cares about their job and takes pride in what they do, and that goes way beyond shaking up a martini or ﬂipping bottles in the air so they can land on your elbow before you pour a drink.

…

People come to bars and restaurants for the experience, to get away from their hectic and stressful daily grind so they can be treated like royalty. THAT’S your job: to treat them as if you’re attempting to be included in their will. If your drinks are good, that adds to the experience, but great customer service is #1.”

Chris Tunstall

“Don’t forget why people go to bars.

We are in the hospitality business and this should always be our main focus. People go out to bars to have a good time and hang out with their friends. Our job is to make sure they have a good time and provide a fun, exciting, safe atmosphere to enjoy a few drinks. Hopefully if we do this and build a connection with them, then you’ll have some new regulars.”

David Kaplan

“There are more opportunities for great bartenders today than ever before, but the job keeps evolving. Learn as much as you can from your mentors behind the bar but don’t let it stop there. To continue to rise up and create a long and meaningful career, make sure you’re diversifying your skill set and communicating what you want long term to your managers and owners. They should help outline what you can do to get to where you want to go.

…

It almost goes without saying, everything you do matters. It’s a small industry and we know who acts unprofessionally in any setting, who is difﬁcult to work with, and who doesn’t respect his or her fellow employees.”

Jason Shurtz

“The main thing to remember is that bartending isn’t about memorising drink recipes, it’s about customer service and creating great experiences for your guests so they want to come back as repeat customers. That, and remember that you work in

Chapter 12. The Road to Greatness 87 a business, and that if you can articulate to your owners/managers that you understand your job within the context of that business, where your main job is to give good service and increase customer retention, you will go a long way to becoming an extremely valuable asset to your establishment. This is how you climb the ranks, get the good shifts, and ensure you are nearly irreplaceable as an employee.

No one ever starts with experience and to get started you almost always have to start in a different or lower position besides bartender. Then show your value (see above), and be clear about your intentions to move up and have the patience to know that as long as you are a valuable employee, you’re going to get your shot sooner or later.

Have fun!!!”

Please note: These excerpts don’t do their original thoughts justice. Please check out the original article for more details: https://craftybartending.com/advice-for-new- bartenders/

———————

Service Trumps Skills It’s funny how easy it is to fall into the technician’s trap. Once you get into something, learning the technical details can be endlessly fascinating. The craft of bartending is no exception. Cocktails, whiskey, beer, & wine, are all intriguing subjects that you could spend a lifetime learning about.

And of course, it’s important to learn as much as you can about these things. You should be able to make every drink on your menu and describe those drinks to your customers. You should also know the differences between wine varietals, beer styles, and the different types of liquor. And if you really wanted to, you could even learn ﬂair bartending.

But it’s not the technical skills that will take you far in this industry. They can only take you to a point. What is inﬁnitely more important is how you make your guests feel. And that comes down to service.

In the end, it’s the bartender who can make their guests happy that excels in this industry. They’re the ones who make more in tips, who get the better jobs, and who get the opportunity to do more interesting things. They also have more fun at work.

Chapter 12. The Road to Greatness 88 As you’re learning how to tend the bar, don’t forget this. Sure, developing the technical skills is essential to becoming a great bartender, but you can’t develop them while neglecting everything else. You need to actively develop your people skills and sense of service as well. Do that and the opportunities this industry can open up will amaze you.

At a Glance: Where you Could Be In 2013, almost one year into my hospitality career, a couple of my colleagues and I were invited onto a super yacht in the French Riviera. One of our regulars, Nikita, just happened to be the co-ordinator of Russian billionaires visiting the South of France.

He organised everything for them. He made their dinner reservations, booked their ﬂights & hotels, organised helicopter tours, wine tours and anything else you can imagine a billionaire might enjoy. Of course, that also meant he was in charge of the super-yacht they were renting there for the couple of months.

But most of the time, they weren’t there! They were off exploring the vineyards in Italy, or partying their nights away in Spain. So Nikita invited us onto the yacht to see what this billionaire lifestyle was all about.

We were picked up in a smaller speed boat in the port of Nice and taken to the yacht in Ville-Franche - the next town over. The music was blasting and the wind was rushing through our hair. There’s nothing like a bit of adrenaline to start off your day.

When we got to the yacht, we couldn’t believe our eyes… It was huge! It was 4 levels high and about 20 metres long. It sported 8 master bedrooms, 3 lounge rooms, 2 decks, 2 kitchens and 3 bars. There was a hot-tub on the roof, 4 jet-skis on the side, and 2 Russian super-models tanning on the decks.

For the rest of the day, we were treated like kings. Unlimited booze, 3 course meals, fantastic views (both on and off the yacht), and a crew of about 15 staff there to tend to all our needs. After we stuffed our faces and ﬁnished our wine, we were give a quick demo on how to use the jet-skis and told that we could do with them what we pleased.

We spent the rest of the day racing each other through the open water.

At around 5pm, we had to leave for work. So Nikita bid us farewell and dropped us off back in the port of Nice. Few words were spoken on the journey home and I don’t think any of us really believed what had just happened.

I’ll never forget that day.

Chapter 12. The Road to Greatness 89 ———————

2 years later, when I was managing the bar at the night club in Val D’Isere, we were looking after a very wealthy group of VIPs. They came in every night for a week, they were great guys and they spent A LOT of money.

I’m talking Nabuchadnezzar (15L) sized bottles of Champagne (costs €7,500) and Magnums of Dom Perignon (€600 each) kind of money!

Throughout the week, they also tipped their servers really well and I was happy for them. They worked hard and it was great to see them proﬁt from it. As a manager, this is normal - you often watch your colleagues earn far more in tips than you because you’re not the person serving guests.

However, on the ﬁnal night, one of the VIPs pulled me over and thanked me for giving them such an amazing week. Then he pulled out his credit and asked if he could leave a tip for €2,000.

I ran back to the bar to grab the card machine, thanked him for his generosity and happily accepted the biggest tip of my life.

As much as I wanted to hold onto that tip, I knew that it wouldn’t be fair. So I divided it up evenly among my team of bartenders and we spent it on a fantastic night out together.

———————

I feel very lucky with some of the experiences I’ve had throughout my career. Those are a couple of the better ones but there have been many more. I’ve made some decent coin out of it too. And coming from where I started (an innocent, inexperienced & anxious 21-year old), I know that it’s possible for anyone else to do the same.

But it won’t happen if you’re just a mediocre bartender. You’ve got to commit to becoming the best bartender you can be.

Chapter 12. The Road to Greatness 90 13. Learn to be T he B est

“A professional bartender is someone who can do his or her best work when he or she doesn't feel like it.” Bruce Tomilson

Learning to be the best comes with a bunch of advantages. You make more money, you have more ﬂexibility with your working hours & the venues you work for, and more than anything else, you have more fun.

It also gives you a sense of freedom & security to travel long-term because you know you can conﬁdently work behind the majority of bars around the world.

So after you land your ﬁrst bartending job, your goal now is to become the best bartender you can be. And that means developing the qualities of a great bartender.

The Qualities of a Great Bartender I don’t care who you are or what you do, unless you’re physically or mentally impaired, you have what it takes to become a great bartender. It doesn’t require any sort of specialised knowledge and you don’t need to be born with a genetic advantage.

Everything you need can be learned.

So what does it mean to be a great bartender? What qualities do they possess that put them above the rest?

In my experience, there are a few prominent qualities that all great bartenders have and to really excel in this industry, you’ll need to develop them all.

All great bartenders tend to be,

• Guest focused • A Master of Their Craft • A Team Player • Well Organised • Well Presented

Chapter 13. Learn to Be the Best 91 Guest Focused It is the bartender’s responsibility to ‘feel out’ their customers and ﬁnd out what kind of service they truly desire. Every person is different and people are different on different days. Sometimes, that means the bartender should inquire about their guests day. Other times, they should leave them alone to enjoy their drink and ponder their day.

There are certain soft skills that all great bartenders will have. Knowing how to tell a good joke, knowing how & when you should cut someone off, knowing how to sell, knowing how to handle complaints, and being able to engage in some friendly banter, are all good examples of those.

But there are many more.

At the root of it all, it’s about being guest focused and everything that a bartender does should serve that purpose.

They should go the extra mile by calling a cab, charging a phone, or introducing one of their guests to a potential friend, even if it’s inconvenient or annoying to organise. They should also step up and say no to an unruly customer because it’s in the best interests of the majority.

Above all, they won’t take themselves too seriously, regardless of the situation. Instead, they’ll swallow their ego, laugh at their own inadequacies and cop any abuse like a pro, even if it’s unjustiﬁed.

A Master of their Craft A great bartender will be well versed in all forms of making & serving drinks. They will be intimately aware of how to use their tools & equipment, and they’ll know how to make every drink that they serve.

They will also be intimately aware with the theory of alcohol, beer, wine & liquor, what they are and what differentiates the most popular brands. They should be knowledgeable enough in these areas that they could educate their guests should they enquire or show a genuine interest in learning more.

For example, the bartender should know the difference between the premium and everyday products that they serve. That way, they can suggest to their guests something different and possibly something better, so that they expand their horizons & try something new.

Chapter 13. Learn to Be the Best 92 A great bartender will also be well-versed in all tasks of the bar. Changing kegs, pouring beers, serving wine, making coffee, and even waiting tables, are all useful & important skills to know.

It goes without saying that they’ll be fast and efﬁcient in all of their movements. The more people you can serve, the happier your guests will be. And for you, that ultimately means more tips in your back pocket.

We’ll be looking at these subjects in detail in ‘Part 3 - The Theory of Alcohol’ and in ‘Part 4 - The Craft of the Cocktail’.

A Team Player If bartending were a sport, it would be a team sport. For a night to go well, bartenders must work together, period. There’s too much going on behind a bar for one person to handle every single job.

Serving guests, answering the phone, making cocktails, brewing coffee, cutting garnishes, etc. The team must pull together, delegate certain tasks, and back each other up wherever & whenever necessary.

That means putting the team’s interest above their own. When you’re working for tips, this is especially important to understand.

For example, if the bar is running low on glassware, fruit or stock, and you notice that the barback is struggling to keep up, one of the serving bartenders should ﬁnish what they’re doing so they can help them out, even if it means sacriﬁcing some potential tips along the way. In the long run, it’s better for the team and everyone will make more tips because of it.

Being a team player also means that the bartender will have their colleagues backs, no matter what. To your guests, it should always appear that you’re a tight-knit crew who work well together and get along. If there’s a problem, it can be sorted out later.

In the moment, blaming, attacking, or accusing is unnecessary and will only cause further problems down the line.

Well Organised A well-organised bartender means a well-organised bar. And a well-organised bar leads to a much better service. When a bar is disorganised, precious time is lost searching for products or making unnecessary trips to the stock room.

Chapter 13. Learn to Be the Best 93 As such, everything behind the bar should have its own place so that the bartender can ﬁnd things easily. It is the team’s responsibility to keep the bar organised, return items to their rightful place, and clean up any mess as they go.

Cleaning schedules, opening procedures, closing procedures, and methods for making cocktails, juices, syrups, etc, should also be as consistent as possible. There’s more than one way of doing things, but keeping things consistent leads to a more consistent service. And your guests love consistency.

Great bartenders will also pay attention to the details. They will make sure that their guests always have a drink and they keep one eye on the stock levels throughout the night (including napkins, till rolls, straws, & change) to ensure that they never run low.

All of this requires the bartender to be extremely organised both in the physical world and in their mind.

Well Presented A bartender should always take pride in their appearance and abide by the highest standards of hygiene & cleanliness. You should arrive to your shift showered & clean, and you should always wear deodorant (sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised).

Your clothes should be ironed and your hair brushed, combed, styled, well groomed, or however you choose to wear it. A scruffy bartender sends the wrong signal to your guests - that you’re dirty and unhygienic. That’s the last bartender anyone wants to be served by.

It’s important that a bartender maintains this standard of hygiene and cleanliness throughout their shift as well. Believe it or not, but it’s your hands that attract the most germs because you’re constantly touching things. As such, the bartender should be consciously washing their hands consistently throughout the night.

Never lick your fingers, stroke your beard, touch your face or play with your hair when you’re working behind the bar. Germs lay hidden there and if they find you’re hands, they will find a way to get into your customers’ drinks.

No-one’s Perfect Before we continue, I want to clarify that although a great bartender will possess all of these qualities to some extent, no-ones perfect. The above descriptions are ideals to work towards so don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not there yet.

Chapter 13. Learn to Be the Best 94 Personally, I was never that bartender. Sometimes, I would rock up to work with an un- ironed shirt or with poorly groomed hair. Sometimes I’d get offended, sometimes I'd put my own interests ahead of the team’s, and sometimes I’d be too scared to tell a customer no.

I’m not perfect and you don’t have to be either. That won’t stop you from doing amazing things in this industry. What’s important is that you’re constantly trying to improve & be the best bartender you can.

Chapter 13. Learn to Be the Best 95 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs

“The hard part about being a bartender is ﬁguring out who is drunk and who is just stupid.” Richard Braunstein

It’s normal to wonder how on earth you improve in these areas of bartending. All this talk of service, guest focus, and ‘feeling out’ your customers sounds ambiguous and impractical. How do you apply these concepts in the real world?

That’s a good question and you’re not going to like my answer.

Practice and experience. The only way you get better at serving your guests is by putting yourself in these situations over and over again, making mistakes and learning from them. Unfortunately, making people happy is more complicated than making a delicious drink.

Sometimes, you’ll read people completely wrong. You’ll think that they’re uninterested in chatting when in actual fact, they’ve had a bad day and that’s exactly what they need. Other times, you’ll do the opposite and make a terrible joke with a guest who just wants to be left alone.

It’s ok to make these kinds of mistakes. In fact, I encourage them because that’s the only way to truly learn. With time and effort, you’ll improve no matter how bad you currently are. Trust me on this… I used to be terrible!

Does that mean that’s all there is to becoming a great bartender?

Certainly not. While developing the perceptive side of bartending takes time & practice, there are plenty of ‘quick wins’ you can put into action today.

Arrive Early for Work Everyone knows they should arrive early for work but so few of us actually do. Arriving early shows your boss that you’re serious and that you can be relied upon. To your boss, that’s a good a thing because reliable workers are hard to ﬁnd. So if you’re one of the few that are, you’ll be given better shifts & more responsibility.

Arriving early also helps you settle into the night more quickly because you’ll be aware of what’s happening before you step behind the bar.

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 96 There’s Always Something to Do This was drilled into me throughout my ﬁrst hospitality job. There’s ALWAYS something to do and it’s your job to look for what that something is.

On a slow night when there aren’t many customers, deep clean the bar or start prepping for the next day. Whatever you do, don’t stand around texting on your phone! You never want to be seen doing nothing…

If you can’t ﬁnd what that something is, ask. Managers in the hospitality industry have a knack for ﬁnding work, regardless of how quiet it may be.

Clean as you Go Having the forethought to clean as you go is important when you’re working in a team. Working with a messy bartender is frustrating if you’re the one that has to clean up after them. Messy bartender slow down everyone else’s workﬂow.

So put the team’s interest above your own and clean up as you go.

Greet Guests when they Arrive & Bid them Farewell as they Leave Simple to do, easy to remember but often neglected. Get into the habit of saying hello to every guest you see walking through the front and bidding them farewell as they leave.

It doesn’t seem like much but it can make a big difference in someone’s day. Everyone likes attention and everyone likes to be recognised. Making this small effort means that your guests will receive the attention they crave at least twice whenever they come to your bar.

They’ll be more likely to come back for it.

Go the Extra Mile People pay for booze, but they tip for service so go the extra mile whenever you can.

There are so many things you can do to ‘go the extra mile’. Serving guests at their table, changing the TV channel, calling a cab, charging their phone, putting on a different song, or fetching your guests the paper. The basic premise is that you’re making your guest’s life easier and they’ll appreciate you for it.

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 97 Be more Likeable This sounds cheesy, but being likeable is important. Customers prefer to be served by a ‘friend’, not by a stranger. To become their friend, you have to be likeable enough to be their friend.

There are entire books written on how to be more likeable so we can’t cover it all here. But here are some quick wins you can put into practice today:

• Smile more often • Take a genuine interest in others • Ask questions • Shake hands • Learn a joke or two • Get good at banter & don’t take yourself too seriously • Look people in the eye • Don’t talk about your problems

Learn to apply these simple lessons and you’ll be ahead of most other people in the world. If you want to learn more, I highly recommend checking out the book ‘How to Win Friends & Inﬂuence People’ by Dale Carnegie. It’s a guide on exactly that, how to be more likeable.

Treat Everyone the Same This is useful in life but even more important as a bartender. Ideally, you should never ‘favour’ certain customers because they’re big tippers, they’re your friends, or they’re extraordinarily good looking.

This can be hard to pull off in practice because of the way the industry works (it’s possible your boss will encourage you to favour big spenders and good looking customers), but you should attempt to treat everyone the same as much as possible.

This includes poor tippers. Everyone deserves the same amount of attention & respect, regardless of how they look and how much money they make. The problem with playing favourites is that when the guests you favour less see it, they may feel inadequate for it, and that’s the last thing you want any of your guests to feel.

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 98 Forget about the Tips When you ﬁnd out that it’s possible to bring in $600 in tips a night, it’s easy to focus on making money. But that’s not where your focus should lie, it should be on service instead.

There’s nothing more ingenuous than the bartender who only cares about their tips. It’s obvious to everyone and people will tip you less for it.

For that reason, when you forget about the tips and focus on service instead, you end up making more. Tips are a natural consequence of the level of service you give. Sure, there are other factors, but service is the most important.

How to Improve your Tips Ironic, I know. But since many of you will be looking for some ‘hot tips’ on how to improve your tips, here are some of my top recommendations:

• Remember everything you can about your customers - their name, what they drink, their family’s names, what they do for work, etc. • Don’t talk about your problems but listen to theirs. • Never offer an opinion or advice about anything unless speciﬁcally asked. • Be a good friend. • Provide endless entertainment. • Go for the good shifts. • Work for better venues.

How to Handle Poor Tippers In most cases, the rule of thumb for handling poor tippers is simple, forget about them and treat them as you would any other customer. There’s not much you can do about these customers anyway and confronting them will only embarrass them (or worse, enrage them) so it’s just not worth it.

It’s possible they may not be able to afford to tip so it’s always better to give these guests the beneﬁt of the doubt.

However, there are some rare instances where it may be ok to off-handedly mention the bill. For example, let’s say you’ve been serving a large group of drinkers and they rack up quite a bill. When they ask you for the bill, everyone throws in some cash but

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 99 the total results in a very small tip for you, despite how much time you’ve spent with them.

In this instance, it would be ok to ask one of your guests if there was something wrong with the service. (Note: these situations are rare so use this tactic sparingly). There are two beneﬁts to asking this,

1. The customer may notice that they’ve left a bad tip, apologise profusely and end up tipping you more. 2. If there was something wrong, the customer will notify you of what that something was so you have a chance to rectify the situation before they leave.

Number 2 is important. If you’ve received a poor tip, it’s possible it was your fault. If that’s the case, you want to do everything you can to make up for it before they leave.

Use the Power of Suggestion To most people, selling sounds like a dirty word. It conjures up images of the sleazy second hand car salesman who pressures you into buying something you don’t want. But not all selling is sleazy.

In particular, there’s one “sales technique” that all bartenders should have in their repertoire - suggestive selling. Suggesting selling is simply suggesting different products to your guests, like a higher quality scotch, desserts after their mains, or even one more drink.

Whilst it doesn’t appear to be selling to the untrained eye, it is and it’s a powerful tool in the bartender’s arsenal. Not only does it help your guest make a better decision (remember, you’re the bartender and will likely know more about the products than your customer), you can encourage them to try something new and expand their horizons. Most people will appreciate that.

As long as your suggestions are made with the guest’s best interest in mind, there’s nothing sleazy about it.

The Rush - What is it and How to Get Through it The rush is that time of the night when everything gets crazy. Behind the bar, customers usually come in ebbs and ﬂows. One minute, there’s no-one there, the next, it’s full.

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 100 Generally, there’s a time of the night where you can consistently rely on customers to start ﬂooding through your doors. This is what we call the rush. Suddenly, you go from doing very little to ‘there’s too many things to do and not enough hands to do them’.

The rush takes time to get used to and when you ﬁrst start working them, they’re really stressful. With so much to do, it can be overwhelming to know what you should do ﬁrst.

The only way to get through the rush is by prioritising. You have to prioritise the most important tasks ﬁrst and forget about everything else. That usually means prioritising serving your guests and ignoring tasks like cleaning, preparing garnishes, and fetching stock, unless these tasks are essential to serving your guests.

When Things Go Wrong Things are going to go wrong and there’s nothing you can do about it! Being well prepared helps prevent most disasters, but some things are out of your control. There’s not much you can do if the till decides to shut down, the card machines stop working, or the ice machine breaks.

So what do you do?

You deal with with it! No ice? Good, people can taste their drinks more. The till’s shut down? No problem, we’ll write everything down instead. The card machine is broken? Great. Let’s hope our guests brought plenty of cash!

You get my point.

When things go wrong, you need to improvise with what you’ve got. Sometimes, that means washing glasses by hand, crushing ice with a mallet, making simple syrup in the middle of the rush, or fetching ice from another bar. Whatever happens, try not to worry about it because there’s not much you can do.

If you get through unscathed, great. If you don’t, that beer at the end of the shift will taste delicious!

Broken Glass in the Ice-Well If a glass breaks in or anywhere near one of the ice-wells, that ice is no longer useable. It’s a massive health & safety risk so you’ve got be really careful whenever this happens.

The ﬁrst thing you should do is grab a bottle of grenadine or coloured syrup and pour it over the ice. This indicates to the other bartenders that there’s glass in the ice-well

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 101 and that it can no longer be used. Then, you have to completely empty the ice-well (preferably with large scoops or buckets), melt the remaining ice shards with hot water and then dry it down so that your 100% sure there’s no glass in there.

Once you’re sure, you can then re-ﬁll it.

Breaking glass near or in the ice-well is annoying but it’s essential that you follow the correct procedures whenever it happens. The last thing you want is for one of your guests to complain that there’s glass in their drink…

When you Run out of Anything Almost every bar will run out of something now and again, whether it’s an essential ingredient, a liquor, a mixer, or a type of beer.

When that happens, the ﬁrst thing you should do is check the nearby grocery/liquor stores to see if you can purchase the missing item is. If that’s not possible, that item and any drinks associated with that item, is no longer available.

So let all the servers, bartenders, and managers know. When a customer asks for that item or drink, simply inform them that it’s ‘sold out.’ Saying it’s ‘sold out’ is better than saying ‘we’ve run out,’ because being ‘sold out’ implies it’s in high demand. Whereas saying ‘we’ve run out’ implies that the venue and its staff are lazy.

How to Handle Complaints Handling complaints can be tough. It requires a delicate touch because emotions are running high and there are a lot of moving parts. But as bartenders, it’s something that we have to deal with on a semi-regular basis so it’s important to learn how to handle them well.

With modern media and online reviews, venue owners are more cautious than ever with upsetting customers. Bad reviews have the potential to impact the bottom line in a negative way. The inverse is also true, good reviews can boost a businesses revenue.

However, unlike what most people think, handling complaints doesn’t mean that you just give into the whims of your customers. Danny Meyer, author of ‘Setting the Table,’ said it better than anyone else, “the customer is NOT always right. But they must always feel heard.”

To handle complaints appropriately, there’s a three step process that you can follow:

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 102 • Listen • Acknowledge their complaints • Propose a solution (or pass them onto someone who can)

The ﬁrst step is hearing out what your guests have to say. When someone makes a complaint, they want to feel heard & acknowledged that they’ve been wronged. Listening to them is crucial to eventually calming them down so listen intently and don’t interrupt.

After they’ve got everything out, acknowledge their complaints. Don’t defend yourself or whoever was in the wrong. Instead, show them some empathy by saying that you understand how they feel and that it must be hard. If they want to complain some more after you’ve acknowledged them, let them.

But once they’ve got everything out a second time, it’s time to propose a solution. What your solution is will be highly dependant on what they’ve complained about. And sometimes you’ll have to bring over management because you won’t have the authority to propose a suitable solution yourself.

In any case, the solution should be appropriate to the speciﬁc complaint. If the food was cold, propose fresh, hot meals (not necessarily a refund). If you spilt red-wine on their clothes, offer to pay for or organise the dry-cleaning. And if the customer is in the wrong, attempt to explain the other side of the story without getting emotional yourself.

Remember, just because a customer complains doesn’t mean you give into them. Sometimes they are wrong and informing them of the other side of the story may help them realise that. If they don’t, there’s not much you can do about it and you’ve lost an unreasonable customer - which isn’t the end of the world.

Check IDs When the bar you work for sports a security team, you don’t have to worry about checking IDs because they check them at the door. But if you don’t work with security, remembering to check them is important.

You’ll be made aware of this when you get your liquor serving license, but potential ﬁnes await both you and the venue you work for when you serve someone underage.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to check people’s ID if they look under the age of 30. Simply saying, “Hi, can I please see your ID,” is more than enough.

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 103 When you’re new to the industry, for whatever reason, this can be nerve racking - it was for me. But it’s a piece of cake in comparison to cutting someone off.

How to Cut Someone Off If you think checking IDs is tough, wait until you have to cut someone off. There’s something inherently intimidating about trying to cut someone off when their acting obnoxious, loud, rowdy and they’ve had too much to drink.

But a heavily intoxicated patron is a danger to themselves, other guests and you. As the bartender, it’s your responsibility to step up and ‘help’ this person out so that everyone has a good night & gets home safely.

If you don’t, there are consequences. You could potentially be given a hefty ﬁne, a ﬁght could break out, or even worse, the intoxicated patron might try to drive home…

Needless to say, cutting people off is very important.

There are 3 principles that you should keep in mind whenever you’re dealing with drunks. The ﬁrst is, if you think someone has had enough to drink, they probably have.

The second is, having your guests best interests in mind really pays off. If your guests pick up that you’re ‘trying to help them’, that alone has the potential to prevent confrontations.

The third principle is, you want to avoid embarrassing them at all costs. More often than not, confrontation occurs when your guest feels like they need to defend themselves in front of others. So when you inform them that you can no longer serve them alcohol, do it privately wherever & whenever possible.

The Approach Once you’ve decided to cut someone off, inform the other staff members you’re working with so they don’t accidentally serve them. When they’re aware of the situation, they can also back you up. From there, use one of these approaches:

• Enlist the help of friends - inform their sober friends that you can longer serve the intoxicated patron and let them handle the situation from there (note: this doesn’t work if they’re all drunk). • Say nothing and serve them water or non-alcoholic drinks instead - hopefully, they don’t notice or they get the point.

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 104 • Serve them one last round & inform them that it’s their last drink - great approach and prepares them for what’s coming. If you have the forethought, you should do this whenever possible. • Use the law - “I’m sorry, but I’m legally unable to serve you (pointing to alcohol certification laws if possible). If I do, I could get fined or lose my job.” A solid argument that most customers will understand. • Deflect the blame - “I’m sorry, but my manager has told me I’m unable to serve you any more.” If they complain, simply say “There’s nothing I can do.” This reduces the chances of confrontation immensely because they have no-one to blame directly. • Straight talk - For the bolder (and hopefully with a security team behind you), “I think you’ve had enough to drink.” End of discussion. If they persist, “Do I need to ask you to leave (or call security)?” • Security! - As a last resort, you can call security. It’s always better to let professionals handle confrontational customers as they’ve been hired & trained for that specific purpose.

With all of these approaches, it’s important that you stand your ground and be ﬁrm. Almost every guest will try and get another drink so expect it and be prepared.

Is it Ok to Sleep With Customers? In my books, hell yeah! There’s nothing wrong with sleeping with customers. In fact, I encourage it! There will be a certain number among you who want to become a bartender largely for that purpose.

And since bartenders get a lot of attention from the opposite sex, I don’t see anything wrong with taking advantage of that ;-).

Plus, when you look back at your time as a bartender, you’ll have a bunch of amazing stories that you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

Drinking on the Job - Is it OK? This is highly dependant on where you’re from and the bar you work for. In almost all countries, it’s illegal to drink while you’re working - so the obvious answer is no.

However, every country I’ve been to, I’ve found venues that allow - and sometimes encourage - their bartenders to drink on the job. There are also venues that are strictly against it - even a New Years Eve count down shot can get you ﬁred…

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 105 I’ve worked in both types of venues and they both have their advantages & disadvantages. Ultimately, it will depend on what you prefer & where you’re at in your career. But I don’t recommend drinking at a venue that doesn’t allow it. It’s not worth losing your job over.

If you want to drink on the job, ﬁnd a venue that’s ok with it. There are plenty out there.

Is it Ok to Give Away Free Drinks? The short answer is no… Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t just comp (complimentary or give away) drinks because the customer you’re serving is attractive (unless you’re paying for it).

Technically, this is stealing from your boss.

The more complicated answer is, it’s dependant on the bar you work for, the customer you’re serving, and the situation you ﬁnd yourself in. If the customer is a big spender that’s always there, it may be ok to comp a drink for them every now and then. Also, some bars are more liberal with giving out free drinks than others.

Regardless, this is a question you should always run through the management team before you decide to give away anything.

How Much Can Bartenders Make? For many, the motivation of money draws people into the world of bartending. The idea of making 6 ﬁgures a year can be intoxicating, to say the least.

But how realistic is this number?

It’s true, making $100k a year is possible, but it’s not the norm. The bartenders making this kind of money are either great at what they do with a ton of experience (3 years plus). Or, they’re very attractive females. Regardless, they’ll need to work long hours and in the ﬁnest establishments around town.

These positions are also highly competitive. But don’t let that phase you. Whilst it’s unlikely you’ll be making $100k a year as a bartender a year from now, 3 years from now is a different story. If you focus on providing outstanding service, you work hard at mastering your craft, and you get lucky, you could be making $100k a year too.

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 106 As far as averages go, a bartender’s salary varies dramatically because their income is made up of 2 things, wages & tips. Wages are predictable, but tips can vary widely and will depend on:

• What Country, State and City the bartender works in • The type of venue they work for (i.e. cafe, nightclub, cocktail bar, dive bar, restaurant, etc) • The shifts they work • How good they are

That’s not particularly helpful so to give you a better idea, I’ve broken down potential salaries below for the United States, United Kingdom & Australia.

Australia & The UK In Australia and the UK, a bartender works primarily for wages so their income is fairly predictable. Tips are mostly negligible unless you’re working in one of the upper- class bars.

On average, the Australian bartender makes between $20 - $25 an hour and depending on the amount of hours worked each week, they can make between $40k - $60k a year. That’s a healthy income for a bartender. It’s possible to make more if you work longer hours or you work in ﬁne-dining restaurants/high-end nightclubs where tips are more common place. Depending on the week, it’s possible to bring in an extra $200 - $300 a week in these venues.

On average, the UK bartender makes £6.74 (~$10 USD) an hour. At 40 hours per week, that works out to be around £14,000 (~$18,400 USD) per year. This isn’t the best income but it’s still possible to live on, you just won’t be able to save up for a mortgage. If you work in the ﬁner establishments, it’s possible to make more. You could expect an extra £100- £300 in tips per week depending on the time of year & the venue’s tip distribution policy. Between Australia, the United States and the UK, UK bartenders make the least.

United States In the United States, it’s the opposite and tips make up the majority of a bartender’s income. For that reason, we’ll look at how much you can make on a slow shift, a regular shift, a good shift or a great shift. Good shifts tend to be Friday & Saturday night and great shifts are nights like New Year’s Eve. We’ll also look at how much you can make working for lower-class bars, middle-class bars, or upper-class bars.

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 107 Lower-class bars include dive bars, pubs & lower-class restaurants. These are the venues you’ll make the least amount of tips in.

Middle-class bars include sports bars, well attended dance/music venues, nice restaurants & higher-end pubs. The biggest differentiator between lower & middle- class bars is that you’ll make better tips more often. The majority of venues fall into the middle-class categories.

Upper-class bars include high-volume/high-end nightclubs, ﬁne-dining restaurants, and specialty bars like cocktail bars, gin bars, wine bars, etc.

Lower-Class Bar Middle-Class Bar Upper-Class Bar

Slow Shift $0 (no-one comes in!) $40 $150

Regular Shift $40 - $100 $100 - $150 $300 - $400

Good Shift $100 - $150 $200 - $300 $400 - $600

GREAT SHIFT $200 $600 $1000

Average Yearly $30k - $50k $50k - $70k $70k - $100k Income

As you can see, the United States is the most lucrative countries for bartenders. Great bartenders make great money, good bartenders make good money, and even new or mediocre bartenders have the potential to earn a decent income.

Regardless of where you’re from, the best bartenders always make the most.

Chapter 14. Quick Wins & More FAQs 108

Part 3 - The Theory of Alcohol

“I have drunk since I was ﬁfteen and few things have given me more pleasure. When you work hard all day with your head and know you must work again the next day what else can change your ideas and make them run on a different plane like whisky? When you are cold and wet what else can warm you?” Ernest Hemingway 15. What is Alcohol?

“To alcohol! The cause of... and solution to... all of life's problems” Matt Groening

Ahhh.. Alcohol. That sweet golden nectar that we humans drink and love. We all know about it and most of us have enjoyed its magical effects. And yet, so few of us know what it actually is…

So what is alcohol? And what are the most common types?

For us bartenders, this is especially important to learn about. After all, we serve it every single day and we’re legally liable to serve it responsibly, so we should know exactly what it is. But there’s no doubt about it, the theory of alcohol can be confusing to the uninitiated.

When I ﬁrst started working behind the bar and I knew nothing. I had no idea what gin, vodka, beer, wine or rum was. And I assumed that since scotch and bourbon were both called whisk(e)y, they were the same thing…

But boy was I wrong!

Unfortunately, I didn’t realise how wrong I was until I tried to give a bourbon drinker scotch instead. He quickly perked up and told me that what I gave him wasn’t what he ordered. He was right… It was scotch. But instead of correcting my mistake and swapping his drink for the one he wanted, I proceeded to tell him that since they were both called whisk(e)y, they were pretty much the same thing…

It was embarrassing.

So I vowed to never make the same mistake again and learn everything I could about alcohol and its different types. I read books, I went on wine tours, I visited beer breweries and I asked more knowledgeable bartenders questions whenever I had the chance.

Some of it stuck, some of it didn’t. And sometimes it felt like the more I learned, the more confusing everything became. The law gets involved, companies employ different marketing tactics, and everyone has an opinion…

Chapter 15. What is Alcohol? 110 But eventually, things started to click. That’s what these chapters are about. Rather than put you through the same kind of misery I went through, I want to clear things up from the beginning. If you’ve ever felt confused by the theory of alcohol, don’t worry, because we’re about to deconstruct all of its complexities so you can conﬁdently serve it for the rest of your life.

That means starting from the beginning.

How Alcohol is Made – The Fermentation Process The process for making alcohol is essential to understanding what alcohol is and it’s actually quite a strange process. The general consensus is that it must have been a complete accident as to how it came to be.

The story goes something like this.

Around 10,000 years ago, cavemen were ﬁguring out how to make bread. They were grinding up ancient grains into ﬂour, adding water and eventually, they succeeded in making a very rough version of what bread is today.

It’s assumed that these same cavemen must have left their ancient gruel sitting overnight. And lo and behold, when they woke up the next morning, their sloppy gruel had magically turned into alcohol.

To them, it must have seemed like a miracle!

So what happened?

Well, wild yeast (a micro-organism that lives everywhere) would have been attracted to the gruel because it feeds on sugar (yes, there is sugar in this type of gruel). And one of the amazing things about yeast is that it poo’s out alcohol!!!

Yeast is the magical ingredient that turns sugar into alcohol. This process is known as fermentation and it happens every single day naturally in the world around us.

Since then, humans have reﬁned the fermentation process into an art & science, and absolutely anything that contains sugar can be fermented into alcohol.

Beer is made from fermenting grains. Wine is made from fermenting grapes. Cider is made from fermenting fruits (like apples & pears).

Even milk can be fermented to make alcohol…

Chapter 15. What is Alcohol? 111 So What is Alcohol? Alcohol is a drug and it’s the oldest & most widely consumed recreational drug on the planet. AND, it’s legal.

According to Wikipedia,

“A lcohol produces euphoria, decreased anxiety, increased sociability, sedation, impairment of cognition, memory, and motor function, and generalised depression of central nervous system function.”

All of us who have used alcohol know and (probably) love its effects. So it’s worth pointing out that alcohol can also be dangerous. And despite the fact that it’s legal, it may be even more dangerous than some of the illegal recreational drugs out there.

That’s why alcohol is heavily regulated around the world and that’s why we bartenders need to be responsible when we serve it.

The Distillation Process You may have noticed that when I listed some of the different types of alcohol above, I didn’t mention any hard liquors. The reason being is that spirits (also known as liquors) require a step beyond fermentation to become what they are.

Fermentation can only take you so far. As soon as the alcohol percentage of a brew hits around 15%-17%, fermentation is no longer possible. There is either no more sugar left to ferment or the yeasts themselves drown/die because the alcohol content is too high.

This is where the distillation process comes in.

Distillation is the process of separating the alcohol in a fermented brew from its separate parts. For example, within a fermented brew, there will be water, alcohol & some other ingredients that give the liquid its ﬂavour.

By separating the alcohol from the rest, it will become much more concentrated. That’s what distillation does and it does it by boiling the brew in massive stills and then capturing the alcoholic vapour.

Alcohol has a lower boiling temperature than water so you’re able to separate it in its gas form. Fortunately, distillation doesn’t separate the alcohol from the rest of the brew completely. A few distillations are necessary to bring it to even 95%.

Chapter 15. What is Alcohol? 112 The reason why I say fortunately is because alcohol doesn’t have any ﬂavour of its own. All of a drink’s ﬂavour comes from the ingredients used to make it (i.e. grains, grapes, fruit, etc), and anything else that was added along the way.

Types of Alcohol First things ﬁrst, rather than cover every type of alcohol that exists on the planet, we’re only going to cover the most important ones. Because let’s face it, even though I could Google Kalju, ﬁnd out exactly what it is and then include it on this list, you’re never going to hear about it again.

For the record, Kalju is a fermented Finnish beverage made from sugar!

The different types of alcohol can be separated into two major categories. If you’ve read the sections on fermentation & distillation, you’ll know exactly what those categories are, fermented and distilled beverages.

Fermented Beverages: Fermented beverages only go through the fermentation process. As such, they are lower in alcohol content than their distilled counterparts and because of that, they’re much more approachable.

As mentioned above, fermented beverages won’t exceed 15%-17% in alcohol without being modiﬁed in some way.

The 2 big categories of fermented beverages are beer & wine. You’ve probably heard of them… Some people argue that cider falls into the wine category but it doesn’t really matter. In my opinion, calling cider a type of wine is confusing which is why I’m giving it its own category.

• Beer • Ales • Lagers • Cider • Wine • Red Wine • White Wine • Rose Wine • Sparkling Wine

Chapter 15. What is Alcohol? 113 • Fortiﬁed Wine (Could also be considered a type of liquor)

Distilled Beverages: Distilled beverages take fermented beverages and make them stronger by putting them through the distillation process. As such, they contain more alcohol and they’re usually served with mixers (soda, fruit juices, water, etc), or used to make cocktails, because they’re so strong on their own.

That doesn’t mean that they should always be mixed with other ingredients. Fine spirits are often sipped & savoured neat (no-ice) or on-the-rocks (with ice).

Distilled beverages can range from the 20% ABV mark (usually liqueurs) to around 60-70% (e.g. cask strength whiskeys & absinthe). Most spirits sit around 40% ABV.

• Liquor or Spirits (they’re the same thing) • Vodka • Gin • Whiskey • Rum • Tequila • Brandy • Others • Liqueurs

Chapter 15. What is Alcohol? 114 16. Beer

“Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer.” W.C. Fields

Beer is carbonated, alcoholic grain juice… What the hell does that mean?? To understand that, you need to know a little bit about what beer is made from.

Beer is made from 4 essential ingredients, a type of cereal grain, water, spices (usually hops), and yeast. Let’s take a look at the roles these individual ingredients play.

Cereal grains Cereal grains are to beer, what grapes are to wine. They’re the backbone of the beer and what makes it possible for this fantastic beverage to exist. The grain barley, is mostly used, but technically, any cereal grain can be used to make beer. As we’ll see later on, wheat is commonly used to make one of the more popular styles of beer.

Because grains can’t be turned into alcohol by themselves, they have to be ‘malted’ ﬁrst, which is a process that prepares the grains for fermentation. This malt is responsible for the beer’s colour as well as some of its aromas and ﬂavours. How the malt effects the beer will depend upon how it was roasted or kilned - the last two phases in the malting process.

When you hear people talking about the maltiness of a beer, they're referring to how the grain has influenced the beer’s flavour profile. Flavours of bread, crackers, toffee, nuts, and chocolate are commonly associated with the malt.

Water Beer is up to 97% water and water is used throughout the entire brewing process. Needless to say, it’s an essential component when brewing beer.

Spices (Usually Hops) Spices are used to ﬂavour the beer. Hops are the most commonly used ingredient and they’re what give beer its bitter ﬂavours and ‘beer’ aromas. The more ‘hoppy’ a beer, the more aromatic and bitter the beer will be.

Hops are a type of ﬂower and it’s fascinating when you smell them for the ﬁrst time, because they smell exactly like beer! And since there are different strands of hops that

Chapter 16. Beer 115 give beer its different ﬂavours and aromas, hops can vary the style of beer tremendously.

Other spices & ingredients can also be used to impart certain ﬂavours & aromas. For example, sugar is commonly added to inﬂuence the beer’s alcoholic content - to make it stronger. The Belgians also spice their beers with other ingredients like coriander and orange peel.

Yeast Finally, yeast is the magical ingredient that turns the grain’s sugars into carbonated alcohol. Put these 4 ingredients through the brewing process together and that’s where babies come… I mean BEER, comes from!

Ales Vs Lagers There are 2 main categories of beer – Ales & Lagers. Apart from an emerging 3rd category (which we’ll go into below – see Wild Ales), every single beer that you’ve ever seen, tasted or heard about, was either an ale or a lager.

The difference between these two categories is the type of yeast that’s used during the fermentation process. Lagers use bottom-fermenting yeast strands and ales use top- fermenting yeast strands.

Bottom-fermenting yeast strands ferment better in cooler temperatures and these cooler temperatures result in a longer fermentation process. Whereas top-fermenting yeast strands ferment better in warmer temperatures resulting in a quicker fermentation process.

The strands of yeast used also have an effect on the ﬁnal taste & style of the beer. In general, lagers become lighter, cleaner, and crisper beers. Whereas ales are richer and fuller in colour, ﬂavour, and aroma.

But these are only generalisations. The truth is, knowing that a beer is either an ale or a lager doesn’t tell you too much. Some ales can be as light as you’d think a lager would be, and lagers can be rich & dark in colour & ﬂavour.

The Most Popular Beer Styles Unlike wine, beer styles aren’t categorised by their primary ingredient, the cereal grain. The different styles of beer are determined by its type (ale or lager), and then by its

Chapter 16. Beer 116 colour, ﬂavour, and aroma. So knowing the differences between the most popular beers styles will give you an excellent understanding of how different beers will taste.

That kind of knowledge is useful because it means that you’ll be able to give your customers what they want, when they want it.

The most popular beer styles are:

Lagers • Pale Lager • Pilsner • Dark Lager

Ales • Pale ale • India Pale Ale (IPA) • Stout/Porter • English Bitter Ale • Belgian Ales

Wheat Beers • German Weizen • Belgian Witbier

Wild Ales

Light, Mid-Strength & Strong Beers

Lagers

Pale Lager Pale Lagers are the most commonly consumed beer on the planet. When most people think of beer, they think of pale lagers, and the majority of the more popular brands are pale lagers.

They’re brewed to be light, clean, and crisp in ﬂavour and aroma. They sit around the 4-5% ABV (An acronym that stands for Alcohol by Volume which is a way of

Chapter 16. Beer 117 measuring the percentage of alcohol in a drink) mark, they’re not ‘hoppy’ and they’re ideally served at cold temperatures.

They’re the perfect refreshment on a hot summers day.

Popular Brands: Budweiser, Stella Artois, Asahi, Heineken, Peroni, Carlton Draught, VB (Victoria Bitter).

Pilsner Pilsners are a variation to the pale lager. They originated in the town of Plzen in the Czech Republic when they started to ﬂavour their pale lagers with a stronger hop called the Saaz hop. The result became a world-class beer that’s now called the Pilsner, appropriately named after its town of origin.

I LOVE Pilsners. It’s probably my favourite beer style and the best way I’ve learned to think about them is that they’re a pale lager on steroids. They’re still light, clean, and crisp beers. But because they’ve been ﬂavoured more heavily with the Saaz hop, they’re richer and more full in ﬂavour, bitterness, and aromas.

Essentially, they’re a ‘hoppy’ pale lager. They vary in ABV% but they generally sit around the 5-6% mark.

Popular Brands: Trumer Pils, Pilsner Urquell, Paulaner Premium Pils, Würzburger Hofbräu Pilsner.

Dark Lager/ Dunkel In Germany, they’re known as Dunkel beers, and as you would expect, dark lagers are dark in colour. They’re dark because of how the grains were roasted during the malting process. The longer grains are roasted for, the darker they become and this directly inﬂuences the ﬂavour of the beer, regardless of whether it’s an ale or a lager.

Dark lagers can range from Amber to Black, their ABV% usually sits around the 4-5% mark, they’re smooth in ﬂavour and low in bitterness. That’s because they don’t have excessive hops added, as with most lagers, so the majority of its ﬂavour & texture comes from the grain.

Popular Brands: Hofmühl Dunkel, Hofbraü Dunkel

Chapter 16. Beer 118 Ales

Pale Ale Pale ales are the most commonly consumed craft beer on the planet. In particular, Australians and Americans love them, but they’re becoming more popular all over the world. And for good reason.

Pale ales are easy to drink (almost as easy as a pale lager), but they’re packed with richer ﬂavours, colourful aromas, and moderate hops. As far as ales go, they’re lighter (paler) than the rest of their brothers and sisters and they generally sit around the 4-6% ABV mark.

For a customer who wants to start exploring ales and craft beers, you should point them towards a pale ale ﬁrst. They’re not as heavy as other ales which makes them much easier to get into. For this reason, people refer to pale ales as the perfect ‘gate- way’ craft beer.

Popular Brands: Coopers Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Fat Yak Pale Ale, Stone & Wood (Paciﬁc Ale).

India Pale Ale (IPA) India Pale Ales, or IPAs, have a cult-like following in the craft beer world. Some people are absolutely obsessed with them but the majority of beer drinkers can’t stand their overpowering bitterness and hoppyness.

Hint: This is not a beer to introduce a pale lager drinker to.

IPAs are a variation to the pale ale and they’ve got a great story of how they came to be. When England occupied India, they struggled to send beers to the colonies. The boat journey was long, and the seas were rough, so the beers they sent over kept spoiling.

A lot of beer was wasted…

So they decided to start playing around with the brewing recipe. All they had were hops (a natural preservative) and alcohol. What they came up with was a very alcoholic, extra-hoppy pale ale. And it worked! The beers lasted the journey and the colonies were able to get drunk off strong, hoppy beers.

Chapter 16. Beer 119 IPAs are not for everyone. They’re extra bitter, aromatic, very ‘hoppy’, and they’re packed with alcohol. They generally sit around the 6-7% ABV mark, but they can go a lot higher.

Popular Brands: Sierra Nevada IPA, Wolf of the Willows IPA, Meantime IPA, Brewdog IPA.

Stout & Porter Stouts and porters are dark in colour (almost black), rich in ﬂavour and aromas, they’re not very hoppy, and they’re ABV% can vary dramatically, from 4-10%. Although stouts & porters are considered different styles of beer, they’re very similar…

In fact, historically, the main difference between the two was that a stout was referred to as a strong porter. That means that originally, stouts were styles of porters…

However, that’s generally not accepted nowadays and there are some slight differences that people tend to agree upon. For example, porters are generally considered to be lighter and sweeter in ﬂavour. And stouts are expected to be served with a luscious and creamy head.

But all in all, they’re very similar. Just don’t tell that to a diehard stout or porter fan.

Popular Brands: Guinness

English Bitter Ale For all of you English bartenders out there, this one’s for you… The infamous English Bitter Ale served warm, richly coloured & ﬂavoured, and commonly described as a full and hearty meal.

As the name suggests, English Bitter ale’s are ales but unlike their names suggests, they’re not that bitter… Sure, they have a decent amount of hops added to them, but they’re mild in comparison to other bitter beers, like an IPA.

Their colour can vary from gold to copper, they’re low in carbonation (which makes them taste ﬂat to a regular lager drinker), they’re low in alcohol (around 4% ABV), but they’re full in ﬂavour.

They’re the ideal winter brew, which matches England’s climate perfectly.

Popular Brands: Bluebird Bitter, Honker’s Ale.

Chapter 16. Beer 120 Belgian Ales There are many different styles and ﬂavours of Belgian ales that they deserve an entire category of their own. Fruit beers, spiced ales, brown ales, pale ales, hoppy ales, Saisons, farmhouse ales, etc.

They’re ﬂavours, colours, ABV% and aromas vary so much that there’s no point in trying to establish some form of generalisation. And yet, there’s something about their beers that somewhat resemble each other.

Whether that’s got to do with the strands of yeast they use, their acidity, their lack of excessive hops, or something else entirely, there’s deﬁnitely something that binds them together.

If you get a customer that’s looking for something new & interesting, point them towards the vast array of Belgian Ales.

Popular Brands: Chimay, Duvel, La Chouffe, Delirium Tremens

Wheat Beer Wheat/White/Weiss (Weiss is the German name for white) beers have been made using the cereal grain, wheat. In most cases, a mix of barley & wheat is used and barley is usually the dominant grain. But wheat plays a crucial role in determining their colour, ﬂavour, & aromas.

Technically, wheat beers can be made as either an ale or lager, but they’re almost always made as ales.

Most wheat beer styles are light in colour (almost white, which is why they’re also called white beers), have very little hops, vary from 4-7% ABV, and they’re often described as ‘yeasty’ because of a special strand of ale yeast that’s used. They’re also known for their long-lasting head, cloudy appearance, & silky texture.

The Belgian Witbier (white beer) and German Weizen (wheat) are the most well- known styles of wheat beers. Hefeweizen (which literally means, yeast (Hefe) & wheat (Weizen)) was the original wheat beer, coming from Germany. And it’s still one of the most popular wheat beer styles today.

But the title for the country who produces the most well-known wheat beers goes to the Belgians. Their ﬂagship brand, Hoegaarden, brought wheat beer back into the limelight and it’s thanks to them that this style of beer has become more popular.

Chapter 16. Beer 121 One thing that distinguishes Belgian wheat beers is that they often ﬂavour them with other spices, like orange peels & coriander, during the fermentation process. This gives them a unique, fruity taste. They also garnish their beers with fruits & twists, similar to what bartenders do with cocktails.

Popular Brands: Hoegaarden, Blue Moon, Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, Schöfferhofer Hefeweizen.

Wild Ales I mentioned earlier that there was an emerging 3rd category of beer known as wild ales. However, wild ales have been around far longer than modern ales or lagers. ‘Emerging’ simply refers to the fact that wild ales have gained some traction in recent years.

What distinguishes wild ales from modern ales & lagers is unsurprisingly, the type of yeast that’s used. Wild ales use ‘wild yeast’ which basically means that they use the yeast that’s found naturally in the environment, as opposed to yeast strands that have been artiﬁcially added during the brewing process.

Essentially, they’re the beers that humans have been making for millenniums before modern chemistry revealed the process for making alcohol. One of the reasons why we moved away from wild fermentation is because the resulting ﬂavours can be unpredictable.

Generally, wild ales, also known as ‘tart’ or ‘sour’ ales, are tart or sour in ﬂavour, but they could taste of anything, from leather to banana to pepper, depending on the brewing process and what the wild yeasts felt like on the day.

Some people hate them, others are obsessed with them. And a great way to think about them is that they’re the ‘stinky cheese’ of beer.

If you’re interested in trying one, keep your eye out for the Belgian Lambic ales.

Light, Mid-Strength & Strong Beers Light, mid-strength (often called session beers because you can drink a lot of them) & strong beers aren’t styles of beer. They’re simply a way of describing the alcohol content of a beer. They’re important to know about because you’ll be serving them behind the bar.

Chapter 16. Beer 122 These beers can be made into any of the styles we went through above. However, there are speciﬁc styles that work better depending on the alcohol content.

Light beers are exactly how they sound, ‘light’ and low in alcohol (less than 3%). Mid- strength beers sit somewhere in the middle between light and full-strength beers (3-4%).

Although light & mid-strength beers can be made from any beer style (pale lagers, pale ales, IPAs, etc), they’re most commonly made as pale lagers.

Strong beers have a higher alcoholic content than full-strength beers. They usually start at 7.5% ABV and can go as high as a strong wine (17%). Strong beers are great, but you have to be careful with them because they can be dangerous. The higher alcohol percentage makes them very easy to get drunk off so be aware of that when you’re serving them.

Strong beers can be made into any style (pale lagers, IPA’s, stouts, etc), but some beer styles are better suited for being higher ABV% than others. In particular, IPA’s work great as strong beers because their strong hoppy ﬂavours balance out the alcohol.

You’ll often see them labeled as ‘double’ or ‘triple’ IPA’s to indicate their strength.

Pouring Beer There is an art & science to pouring draught beer. What can make it difﬁcult for beginners is that every tap can be different. Some taps will pour faster and some types of beer will pour out more foam, also known as the ‘head’.

An improperly poured beer leads to a disproportionate amount of foam and a lot of beer can be wasted trying to rectify this. So you want to pour the beer as accurately as possible on the ﬁrst go. To avoid wastage and too much or too little foam, follow the steps below:

1.Hold the glass below the tap (or lightly touching the tap) at a 45-degree angle and pull the tap open the whole way. Never

Chapter 16. Beer 123 open the tap partially as this will cause over-foaming and spraying.

2. Once the tap is open, let the beer ﬂow down the side of the glass and when it gets to half-way, gently tilt the glass up-right until the glass is full.

3. Once the glass is full, turn off the tap.

If you’ve poured too much foam, let the beer sit & wait for it to go down before topping it up again. If you’ve poured too little foam, grab a straw and swirl the beer around.

How much foam you want will depend on where you’re working. Americans prefer as little foam as possible whereas Europeans, the Brits, and Australians like 1-2 ﬁngers of foam. It will take a few goes for you to get this right, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy.

Bottled Beer If someone orders a bottled beer, the best practice is to open it for your customer and serve it with a glass. Whether or not you pour it for them will depend on where you’re working. But as a general rule, you shouldn’t. Many people ﬁnd great satisfaction in pouring their own beer, or they prefer to drink straight out of the bottle instead.

Changing Kegs Along with pouring beer, you need to know how to change a keg. Similarly to pouring draught beer, it can be confusing the ﬁrst time you do it but once you’ve done it a couple of times, it’s easy.

It’s best to get someone you work with to show you how to do it the ﬁrst time, but if you don’t have that luxury, follow the steps below:

1. Turn off the gas & ﬂow of beer ﬁrst - this is usually done by disengaging the handle at the top of the coupler (end of beer line handle). This is important because if you don’t disengage the gas, beer will spray out when you try to re- engage the coupler.

2. Turn the coupler counter clockwise, then lift to release it.

3. Move the empty keg out of the way and replace it with the new one. Remember to make sure you’re replacing it with the same beer!

Chapter 16. Beer 124 4. Once the keg is in place, put the coupler onto the top of the keg, push down and turn clockwise until it’s locked into place.

5. Turn the gas & ﬂow of beer back on by re-engaging the handle at the top of the coupler.

Depending on the keg that’s used, there may be other steps. That’s why it’s important to have a more experienced member of staff show you exactly what to do.

Chapter 16. Beer 125 17. Cider

Cider is occasionally classiﬁed as a wine because it’s made by fermenting fruit. However, in my books, cider is more similar to beer because of how it’s stored and served. Also, wine should only be made from grapes.

Essentially, cider is fermented fruit juice. Any fruit juice that has gone through the fermentation process is a type of cider, except grapes.

It’s usually stored in bottles or kegs and then served exactly the same way you would serve a beer.

Apple & pear ciders are the most common types of cider, but as companies are becoming more and more experimental, we’re starting to see different ﬂavours hit the market. For example, I’ve started to see blood orange ciders, strawberry ciders, and strawberry & lime ciders in more bars these days.

Ciders are refreshing and a great alternative to beer on a hot summer’s day. They’re ideal for people who are gluten intolerant and those who prefer drinks that are less bitter and more sweet than beer.

They can be made both dry (less sweet) or sweet and they usually sit around the 4-6% ABV mark.

Chapter 17. Cider 126 18. Wine

“Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.” Louis Pasteur

Wine is fermented grape juice and table wines usually range between 12-15%. Fortiﬁed wines are stronger (as you’ll see below) and they sit between the 17-30% ABV mark. There are 5 broad categories of wine that you need to be aware of:

• Red wine • White wine • Rosé wine • Sparkling wine • Fortiﬁed wine

The differences between them are the types of grapes that are used and the way in which they’re made.

There are many different factors that influence a wine’s flavour profile, some of those factors include the weather, ‘le terroir’, how skilled the winemaker is, the ageing process, and the type of barrels the wines are stored in (e.g. French oak vs American oak).

But the most important thing that will determine a wine’s ﬂavour proﬁle is the grape itself. The different types of grapes are known as ‘grape varieties’ and they largely determine the category different wines fall under.

Why is Wine Interesting? I get this question a lot, especially from my non-bartending friends, and the best way I’ve learned how to answer it is by comparing a glass of wine to an orchestra.

When a trained musician listens to an orchestra (or band) playing anything, they’re able to tune in and listen to the different instruments playing. For example, they’ll be able to hear the violas, the violins, and the drums each playing their separate parts.

Whereas someone who is untrained just hears the music altogether. They haven’t learnt how to detect the individual instruments. Of course, they can still enjoy the music, but they can’t appreciate the music anywhere near as much as someone who hears the separate parts that make up the whole.

Chapter 18. Wine 127 A glass of wine is similar. Except instead of using your sense of hearing to pick up different sounds and instruments, you use your senses of taste and smell to pick up different scents & ﬂavours.

Tobacco, chocolate, mint, citrus, leather, cherry, apple, pear and even sweaty socks are all ﬂavours that the astute wine drinker can pick up in a glass of wine. To me, the idea that a grape completely unrelated to those items can replicate those ﬂavours is fascinating.

Then you’ve got drinking wine with food, getting drunk on vineyards, celebrating with a glass of sparkling, and seducing potential partners over a few bottles of Pinot Noir.

These are just some of the reasons why people become completely obsessed with wine. The same goes for beer, coffee, liquor, and cocktails - all of these beverages can be experienced in the same way. When people learn how to detect different ﬂavours within these drinks, they fall in love with them.

Types of Wine How much you need to know about the different types of wine will depend on where you work. Some venues won’t care at all and they will only serve 3 different types - a house red, a house white, and a house sparkling. In these venues, all you need to do is pour the appropriate wine into the appropriate glass.

But in other venues, wine is taken much more seriously and you’ll need to know a lot more. They’ll use different glassware, they’ll serve several different varieties, and your guests will be looking for wine & food pairing recommendations. For that reason, I’ve detailed the most popular styles and grape varieties below, as well as some food pairings - just in case.

Note: To see the different types of glassware, please see Appendix B.

Sparkling Wine Sparkling wine is carbonated wine… In other words, it’s wine with bubbles. The most well-known type of sparkling wine comes from the region Champagne in France, called Champagne. But sparkling wine is produced all over the world, in countries like Italy, Spain, Australia, the United States, and even the UK.

Chapter 18. Wine 128 Champagne Champagne is not a grape variety, Champagne is a region in France that produces some of the best sparkling wine in the world. The grape varieties that are used to make champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.

Champagne is the most well-known sparkling wine in the world and because of this, people will often refer to all sparkling wine as champagne. However, that’s technically wrong. Sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it has been produced in the region Champagne.

Note: You don’t need to call customers out when they ask for Champagne and you serve a different style of sparkling… Just go with it!

Style: Light-bodied

Glass: Flute

Food Pairings: Oysters, seafood, cured meats, and chicken.

Prosecco Prosecco is Italy’s answer to Champagne. It’s the second most well-known sparkling wine in the world and it’s a lot more affordable. It has to be made from at least 85% of the Glera grape variety to be called Prosecco and its name isn’t speciﬁc to any region. However, it did originate in Veneto, Italy.

Style: Light-bodied

Glass: Flute

Food Pairings: Seafood, chicken, pork, spicy curries, and Southeast Asian food.

White Wines White wines are whitish/yellow and they are made from several different grape varieties. They don’t have any tannins because the grape skins are removed before the wine-making process begins.

See red wines below to ﬁnd out what tannins are.

Being able to describe the sweetness and dryness of white wines is important because customers will often ask for dry white wines. Even though the majority of white wines are dry, it generally means that they’re looking for the driest white wine possible.

Chapter 18. Wine 129 Note: Dry means not sweet. The drier the wine, the less sweet it will be.

Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most popular white wines in the world. It’s particularly popular during the summer months because of its high acidity - which makes it more refreshing. This is a very dry white wine and is my go to recommendation whenever someone asks for a dry white wine.

Style: Light-bodied

Glass: Aromatic

Food Pairings: Anything green (salads and herbs), ﬁsh, chicken, and pork.

Pinot Gris/ Pinot Grigio Pinot Gris/Grigio is becoming more and more popular these days. In France, it’s called Pinot Gris. In Italy, it’s called Pinot Grigio - but they’re the same grape.

Style: Light-bodied

Glass: Aromatic

Food Pairings: Seafood, ﬁsh, chicken, pork, but will also go well with spiced meats, especially made from duck.

Chardonnay Chardonnay is the world’s most planted white wine grape and is made in two different styles. One is made as a rich, creamy full bodied white wine (due to the presence of oak). The other is a fruity, acidic, full-bodied dry white wine (no oak). It’s one of the ﬁrst white wines people learn about.

Style: Full-bodied

Glass: Burgundy

Food Pairings: Crustaceans (crab, shrimp), ﬁsh, chicken, pork and soft cheeses.

Moscato Moscato or Muscat Blanc is often made very sweet and it’s always fruity. Because of its sweetness, it’s very popular with the younger female population in Australia. I haven’t found it to be popular anywhere else…

Chapter 18. Wine 130 Style: Aromatic

Glass: Aromatic

Food Pairings: Spicy foods like Thai & Vietnamese cuisine.

Riesling Riesling is one of the most aromatic grape varieties on the planet and it’s massively underrated. It’s underrated because the Rieslings that were originally made in Germany were very sweet and people didn’t like them. It’s now being made into a fantastic dry white wine and it’s becoming more and more popular because of it.

Style: Aromatic

Glass: Aromatic

Food Pairings: Spicy foods - Indian and Asian spices matched with duck, pork, chicken, or crab.

Rosé Wines Rosé wine is a style of wine that’s made when the skin of red grapes are removed during the wine-making process. It’s the skin of the grapes that give wine its colour. And if they’re removed at a certain stage in the wine-making process, the colour will become a pale red… I.e. rosé.

Rosé can be made from any red wine grape, but some grapes are better suited for rosé than others. In particular, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Grenache, and the Syrah grape varieties make great Rosés.

Rosé wines range from dry to sweet, by in general, they’re dry. And the dry versions are always refreshing making it the perfect wine for a summer’s day. It’s extremely popular in France.

Because rosé’s can be made from a variety of different grapes, their tastes and aromas vary widely so it’s more difﬁcult to nail down their typical characteristics.

Style: Light-medium bodied

Glass: Aromatic

Food Pairings: Fish, chicken, pork, and cured meats.

Chapter 18. Wine 131 Red Wines The biggest difference between red wines and white wines is the presence of tannins and obviously, their colour. White wines are white and don’t have any tannins because their skins have been removed before they go through the fermentation process.

Whereas red wines go through the fermentation process with their skins on and the skin of the grape is where the tannins and colour comes from.

Tannins are what cause the grippy/drying feeling on your tongue and that’s how you recognise them. A high tannin wine will almost make your tongue feel numb. This is an important characteristic to cover whenever you’re describing red wines.

Pinot Noir Pinot Noir is one of the most elegant and most popular red wines in the world. People become obsessed with it… It makes fantastic wine and it’s the perfect red grape variety to introduce new red wine drinkers too. Because of its popularity and the fact that it’s a difﬁcult grape to grow, it’s also one of the most expensive red wines.

In comparison to other red wines, it’s low in tannins.

Pinot Noir is also one of the grapes that’s used to make Champagne and sparkling wine.

Style: Light-bodied

Glass: Burgundy

Food Pairings: From ﬁsh to red meats, you can enjoy Pinot Noir with virtually anything.

Grenache Grenache is the Riesling equivalent of red wine. It’s massively underrated but people are starting to realise how good it really is. Personally, it’s one of my favourite red grape varietals. Grenache is thought to originate from Spain where it’s called Garnacha and similarly to Pinot Noir, it’s low in tannins.

Style: Medium-bodied

Glass: Bordeaux

Food Pairings: Spicy foods, herbs, and roasted meats.

Chapter 18. Wine 132 Merlot Merlot is most commonly associated with the grape varietal Cabernet Sauvignon as its junior blending partner in the infamous Bordeaux blend. But Merlot is also fantastic (and underrated) on its own. It’s another great food wine and has medium tannins.

Style: Medium-bodied

Glass: Bordeaux

Food Pairings: Chicken, pork, duck, lamb, & beef.

Syrah/Shiraz Syrah, or Shiraz as it’s commonly referred to in Australia, is well known for its ‘peppery’ aromas. It’s the most widely planted grape in Australia and Australia produces some of the best (if not the best) Shiraz in the world. It has medium to high tannins.

Style: Full-bodied

Glass: Bordeaux

Food Pairings: Strong cheeses (blue cheese), and rich red meats like bbq’d meats, lamb, and beef.

Cabernet Sauvignon (Cab Sav) Known as the king of red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape in the world. It’s a natural cross between the grapes Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc and ﬁrst appeared in Bordeaux (France). It’s well known for being the more dominant grape in the infamous Bordeaux blends. This grape can grow anywhere and it’s high in tannins.

Style: Full-bodied

Glass: Bordeaux

Food Pairings: Rich marinated red meats, strong cheeses, and tomato-based mushroom dishes.

Chapter 18. Wine 133 Fortiﬁed Wines Of all the different types of alcohol, fortiﬁed wines are the most odd. Although I’ve listed them here as a type of wine, they’re technically a combination of both wine & liquor.

Fortiﬁed wines are wines that have had a distilled spirit (usually brandy) added to them in order to increase their ABV%. This makes the wine stronger/more alcoholic and last longer. Spices and herbs are also commonly added to impart certain ﬂavours as well.

Vermouth Of all the fortiﬁed wines, knowing about vermouth is the most important. It’s commonly used in cocktails, such as the Martini, Manhattan and the Negroni. When you’re making cocktails, you’ll be using it all the time.

Vermouth is a fortified, aromatised wine which means that is has been fortified by adding a distilled spirit, and then aromatised by infusing it with various herbs, spices, roots, bark, and flowers.

In the case of vermouth, brandy is the spirit of choice and it’s used to strengthen the wine up to around 20-25% ABV. The mixing process for vermouth is extremely complex and by the time it’s gone through fortiﬁcation and aromatisation, the beverage barely resembles the original wine.

There are 2 styles of vermouth that you need to know about. The ﬁrst is known as sweet (or Italian) vermouth. As the name suggests, this style of vermouth originated in Italy and has an element of sweetness. Sweet vermouths are red in colour and they’re used in a variety of classic cocktails like the Negroni and the Manhattan.

The second style of vermouth is called dry (or French) vermouth. As the name suggests, this style originated in France and they’re dry (i.e. not sweet). This is the vermouth that’s responsible for the infamous dry martini cocktail.

When serving vermouth on its own, it should be served in a rocks glass.

Port Port is a dry or sweet (usually sweet) fortiﬁed wine, that’s dark in colour and made in Portugal. It’s usually drunk as an after dinner/dessert beverage and it sits around the 19%-20% ABV mark.

Chapter 18. Wine 134 Glass: Sherry/ Tasting Glass

Sherry

Sherry is a dry or sweet (usually sweet) fortiﬁed wine that’s red in colour and made in Spain. Similarly to Port, it’s usually drunk as an after dinner/dessert beverage and it sits around the 17%-22% ABV mark.

Glass: Sherry/ Tasting Glass

Muscat

Muscat is a sweet fortiﬁed wine made from the Moscato grape and it’s made in Australia.

Glass: Sherry/ Tasting Glass

Opening Wine The best way to learn how to open wine is by having someone you work with show you how to do it and then practicing it yourself. Here are a few pointers that should help you out.

Still Wine Everyone knows how to open a screw top wine bottle. It’s the wines that are sealed with corks that are a little more difﬁcult. The best tool you can use is a waiter’s friend (also known as a wine knife). Every bartender should carry one of these whenever they’re at work anyway.

To open the wine, follow the steps below.

1. Remove the foil from the wine. Your wine knife should come with a tiny knife at one of the ends, so you can use that knife to cut around the edges of the neck to remove the foil.

2. Once the foil is removed, insert the ‘worm’ of the cork screw into the centre of the cork and twist it down until it almost reaches the bottom. You don’t want to push the worm all the way through because if you do, you’ll push some of the cork into the wine and no-one wants cork in their wine.

3. Once the worm is deep enough, it’s time to gently pull the cork out. With a wine knife, there are points of leverage that make this very easy & safe to do.

Chapter 18. Wine 135 Sparkling wine People get more nervous about opening sparkling wine than still wine. If you don’t do it properly, the cork can shoot off and the wine will spray everywhere. This is not good practice and it can be embarrassing when you do it so employing the right technique is important.

By sparkling wine, I’m talking about wine that is carbonated, like champagne and prosecco. Sparkling wine bottles are sealed differently to still wine to prevent the cork from shooting off, so you use a different technique to open it.

Once again, it’s best to have a more experienced colleague show you how to do it, but here are a few pointers if you don’t have that luxury.

1. First, rip off the foil to reveal the cage and cork underneath.

2. Then untwist the ‘cage’ that is holding the cork down. When you’re untwisting the cage, you want to hold the top of cork down with your thumb. That way, when the cage is completely undone, there is no chance that the cork will be sent ﬂying.

3. Once the cage is successfully removed, it’s time to remove the cork. Without releasing the tension from your thumb, hold the cork ﬁrmly in one hand and hold the bottom of the bottle with your other hand. Then twist the bottle (not the cork), while you continue to hold the cork ﬁrmly. If you’re doing it right, the cork will slowly begin to rise. You want to control that rise every millimetre of the way up until it’s free from the bottle and there’s a very quiet ‘pop’ sound.

Chapter 18. Wine 136 Serving Wine Serving wine is slightly more complicated than serving other drinks. How complicated that process is will depend on where you work, but in venues that take wine more seriously, you can’t just shove a bottle of wine into your guest’s face, throw them a few glasses, expect them to open it, and demand them for their money!

There’s a process that you have to go through, especially when you’re serving wine by the bottle.

That process starts with serving all wine in clean & polished glasses. You should also choose the appropriate glassware and you should always handle those glasses by the stem. Handling wine glasses by the bowl looks sloppy & unprofessional, and you’re guests don’t want to see your dirty ﬁnger prints anywhere near their wine.

Remember, wine drinkers can be particular.

As a general rule, sparkling wine, white wine and rose wine should all be served chilled. Red wine should be served at room temperature.

By the Glass Serving wine by the glass is simple. In fact, it’s as simple as ﬁnding out what the customer wants, choosing the right glass, opening the bottle, and then pouring out the wine to the appropriate level.

The appropriate level will depend on where you work and what the customer asks for.

Chapter 18. Wine 137 By the Bottle Serving wine by the bottle is a little more complicated and it’s important that you learn how to do it properly. Once a customer orders a bottle of wine, it must be served properly to prevent mistakes and returns. This is especially important for expensive bottles of wine because you don’t want to mistakenly open a $300 bottle and have the customer complain it’s the wrong one…

If that happens, it’s your fault and management won’t be happy with you.

Present the Wine When a customer orders a bottle of wine, the ﬁrst thing you need to do is ‘present’ the bottle and talk them through the most important points. You want to show them the label, then point out and describe the following:

• The winery • The name of the wine (if it has one) • The grape variety (or region) • The vintage (the year the wine was made)

For example, “I’ve got the Scorpo (winery) Pinot Noir (grape variety) from 2015 (vintage).” Whilst pointing to each aspect as you say them.

There are two reasons why you must do this.

1. To confirm that that’s the bottle they’ve ordered. Sometimes you’ll bring them the wrong wine. By presenting them the wine first, they’re able to pick up on your mistake before you open it. 2. To prevent any hassles or confusion later on. Sometimes customers can be difficult and if they don’t like the wine, they’ll try and return it by saying that it wasn’t what they ordered. But if you’ve presented the wine to them properly, they can’t get away with that because they’ve already given you the nod of approval.

For example, let’s say you just open the bottle of wine you think they ordered instead of showing them ﬁrst. You thought they said the Scorpo Pinot Noir, but when you start pouring it they say, “umm, excuse me but I ordered the Scorpo Chardonnay.”

That’s your fault and they’re allowed to request the bottle they originally ordered.

Chapter 18. Wine 138 On the other hand, if you present them the bottle and say “So I’ve got the bottle of Scorpo Chardonnay from 2015,” you show them the label, and they agree that’s the wine they ordered, as soon as you open it, they have to pay for it.

If they turn around and say something, you’ve done your due diligence by conﬁrming the bottle with them beforehand. Now, it’s their fault if they weren’t paying attention when they agreed.

Note: If a customer continues to complain, this a problem that you should refer to management so that they can handle it appropriately.

Pouring the Wine Once you’ve presented the bottle and they’ve agreed to it, open the bottle and pour whoever ordered it a tasting sample (usually 20-30ml) into their glass.

When you pour a tasting sample, you’re letting the customer taste the wine ﬁrst to make sure that there isn’t anything wrong with it.

If the wine is ﬁne, ask them if they would like you to pour it into the rest of the glasses at the bar, or if they would prefer to pour it themselves at their table. If there is something wrong with the wine, it’s simply a matter of getting another bottle and doing it all over again.

Wine Faults When you’re working with wine, every now and then you’ll come across a bottle that has something wrong with it. We refer to these problems as wine faults. It happens and you’ll need to learn how to deal with it when that day comes.

When there is something wrong with a bottle or glass of wine, the customer is allowed to send it back without paying for it. They can either request a new one or ask for something else.

It takes time to learn how to recognise these faults but it’s worth learning about so you can validate whether or not someone’s complaint is real.

There are two main wine faults that you need to be aware of, corked wine and oxidised wine.

Chapter 18. Wine 139 ‘Corked’ Wine A wine becomes ‘corked’ when it reacts badly with the cork that’s sealing the wine so you’ll only come across corked wines that have been sealed by a cork. A corked wine tastes like wet cardboard or ‘wet dog’. Sometimes it’s obvious, other times it can be a lot more subtle.

The best way to learn about ‘corked’ wine is to taste one for yourself. So let whoever is in charge of wine know that you want to taste a one and they’ll save the bottle for you next time they come across one.

Oxidised Wine A wine becomes oxidised when it’s been exposed to oxygen for too long. Basically, that means that the wine has gone off. Just as fruit goes off when it’s been left for too long, so does wine.

You can come across oxidised wines when a bottle hasn’t been sealed properly. But more often than not, you’ll be dealing with ‘oxidised’ wines when they’ve been left open for too long behind the bar.

It’s fairly obvious when a wine is oxidised (it smells & tastes like off fruit and turns brown in colour). And as time goes by, it get’s worse.

Once again, the best way to learn about it is by tasting it. So let whoever is in charge of wine know that you also want to taste an oxidised wine so that they save you one.

Chapter 18. Wine 140 19. Liquor

“There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren't as good as others.” Raymond Chandler

Liquor vs Liqueurs As we saw earlier, there are 2 big categories of distilled beverages, liquors (also known as spirits) and liqueurs.

The difference between them is not always clear because they have similar spelling and they’re both used to make cocktails, so let’s clear things up.

A liqueur is a liquor that has had some kind of sweetener added to it. In other words, liqueurs are sweetened liquors. Liqueurs are also often ﬂavoured with various herbs, fruits, or spices, and they generally sit around 15-30% ABV (alcohol by volume), but they can go as high as 55% ABV.

However, the ﬂavouring and the ABV% aren’t strict requirements. What matters for a liqueur to be called a liqueur is that it has been sweetened in some way. Otherwise, they’re just ﬂavoured liquors.

For example, gin is flavoured with various botanicals. But gin is a liquor, not a liqueur because it hasn’t been sweetened in any way. There are several brands of vodka that are also flavoured but unsweetened. These types of vodkas are called flavoured vodkas, not liqueurs.

Spirits vs Liquor? The difference between spirits and liquors can also be confusing so I’m going to make this really easy for you… Spirits and liquors are exactly the same thing! Period.

There are a few stories of how the name ‘spirits’ came to be and they’re all quite interesting. But my favourite one involves ghosts and I think it’s the most accurate.

During the distillation process, the fermented beverage is heated up. Between alcohol and water, alcohol evaporates ﬁrst. So the alcoholic vapour is collected/captured by the distiller and then it’s cooled down to bring it back to its liquid form. Once it has cooled down, the liquid is known as a liquor or spirit.

Chapter 19. Liquor 141 Back in the day when distillation was ﬁrst invented, a lot of people believed in ghosts & spirits. And because the alcoholic vapour extracted from the distillation process looked a lot like a spirit (or ghost), liquor was considered ‘a gift from the gods’ and was hence named spirits.

The fact that liquor got everyone blind drunk probably had something to do with it as well.

What’s a Cordial? In America and in some of the older cocktail books, you might come across the word cordial. Nowadays, cordials are the same as liqueurs, liquors that have been sweetened (and often ﬂavoured) in some way.

Historically, there was a difference. A liqueur was a sweetened liquor that had been ﬂavoured with various fruits and a cordial had been sweetened & ﬂavoured with various herbs. But over time, those differences disappeared and these terms are now used interchangeably.

Liqueur is the more dominant term and the word cordial is hardly used these days.

Note: In Australia, we call some types of syrups, cordials. For example, lime cordial is used to make the lemon, lime & bitters mocktail, but it’s a syrup, not a liqueur.

Types of Liquor Because liquor can be made from any fermented beverage, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of different types. So rather than go through an exhaustive list of spirits you’re never going to use, we’re going to focus on the most important.

There are 6 major types of liquor and these are the bad boys that you’ll ﬁnd behind every bar, restaurant, and/or licensed cafe you ever work at. So we’ll be looking at them in detail, what makes them different, and clear up any of the confusing terminology surrounding them.

We’ll also take a brief look at a few others that you might use when you’re making cocktails.

1. Vodka 2. Gin 3. Whisky (or Whiskey?)

Chapter 19. Liquor 142 4. Rum 5. Tequila 6. Brandy 7. Others

Vodka ‘Sunshine in the stomach’ was an old Russian saying for Vodka. And there’s no doubt that vodka brought warmth to many cold Russian winters. But funnily enough, vodka is more likely to have originated in Poland.

Vodka is defined as a neutral-flavoured, clear spirit. That basically means that vodka is supposed to be virtually tasteless, odourless, and clear (like water) in colour. But vodka does have very subtle flavours that are distinguishable between brands. Some are peppery, some are creamy, and others have hints of citrus or grain.

That being said, it’s hard to pick up these subtleties even when you’re drinking vodka straight. And of all the liquors in the world, vodka is the most ‘pure’ and it has the least ﬂavour.

Because of vodka’s lack of flavour, it’s very versatile in cocktails. It’s ability to showcase other ingredients flavours & aromas is unrivalled because it doesn’t have any (or very little) of its own. Whereas, other spirits don’t always mix well with other ingredients because their flavour profiles clash with each other.

Vodka is generally made from potatoes or grains (mostly grains). But technically, vodka can be made from anything. For example, Ciroc vodka is made from grapes. As long as the spirit is a neutral-ﬂavoured, clear spirit and is bottled at around 40% ABV, it can be called vodka.

Popular Brands: Smirnoff (Russian), Absolut (Swedish), Grey Goose (French), Belvedere (Poland), and Skyy (USA).

Gin Gin has always been a popular spirit but it’s become even more trendy lately. Like vodka, gin is a clear spirit and it mixes well with other ingredients. What makes gin different is that it’s ﬂavoured with various botanicals to give gin its distinct taste.

Chapter 19. Liquor 143 For gin to be gin, it needs to be a spirit that’s distilled from grains or malt, and it MUST be ﬂavoured with the Juniper Berry.

When people taste and smell gin, the juniper berry is the most prominent aroma and ﬂavour. Other botanicals are often added to the mix (lemon peel, grapefruit, fennel, anise, etc), but you can’t have gin without the Juniper Berry. That’s what makes gin, gin!

The most widely used style of gin is known as London Dry Gin and it’s considered to the best quality gin on the market. There are other quality gins that don’t fall under the ‘London Dry Gin’ classiﬁcation, Hendricks for example, but most quality gins will be London Dry Gins.

All categories of gin have to be bottled at a minimum of 37.5% ABV. There are stronger gins out there, navy strength gins being among them. They’re potent and they’ll make you wonder how the English navy managed to stay on top for so long.

Popular Brands: Tanqueray, Beefeater, Hendricks, and Bombay.

Whisk(e)y Whisk(e)y is easily the most confusing spirit on this list. Even the spelling gets people caught up. Before we get to the spelling, let’s cover some of the basics.

Whisk(e)y is a spirit that’s distilled from fermented grains. Whisk(e)y is different to vodka because whisk(e)y is aged/matured in wooden barrels for a period of time after distillation. The wooden barrels impart ﬂavours, aromas, and colour into the whisk(e)y that you just don’t want with vodka.

Secondly, whisk(e)y is made all around the world and every single one of these countries have different laws & requirements for a spirit to be called/labeled whisk(e)y. Because of these different laws & requirements, whisk(e)ys are slightly (and sometimes a lot) different from country to country.

Like I said, even the spelling is different.

Spelling Whisk(e)y? The reason why whisk(e)y is spelled differently is because different countries have chosen to spell it differently! I know… Annoying right? But that’s the way it is. And when you think about it, it’s not that odd.

Chapter 19. Liquor 144 Just how the British spell recognise with an s and the Americans spell recognize with a z, the same goes for whisk(e)y. It’s typically been up to the country themselves to spell whisk(e)y how they want.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to remember the differences. Countries that contain the letter e in their name, spell whiskey with an e. For example, Ireland & America spell whiskey with an e.

Countries without an e in their name spell whisky without the e. Japan, Scotland, Canada, & Australia all spell whisky without the e.

Scotch Vs Bourbon Vs Irish Vs Rye Scotch, Bourbon, Irish, and American Rye whisk(e)y are the most common types of whisk(e)y served behind the bar. Japanese whisky has also become more popular in recent years, but it’s not there yet.

And yes, they’re all different. So don’t make the same mistake I did when I was a young grasshopper and try and convince your customers that scotch and bourbon are the same thing!

The main differences between these styles of whiskeys are their country of origin, the type of cereal grain used, and the ageing (maturation) process.

Scotch Scotch is the ﬁrst powerhouse among the different styles of whisky. As you might have already guessed, it comes from Scotland and it’s made from malted barley. For scotch to be called scotch, it MUST come from Scotland and the whisky must also be aged/ matured in wooden barrels in Scotland for a minimum of three years.

Like I mentioned earlier, the wooden barrels impart ﬂavour, texture, and aromas into the liquid. The majority of the time, Scotch makers age their whisky in used wooden barrels that have previously held bourbon or sherry. The used bourbon and sherry casks contribute further to the ﬂavour, texture, and aromas of scotch making it one tasty beverage!

There are several styles of scotch, but there’s one in particular that you’ll often hear about, the peaty (or smoky) scotch. Basically, that means that the scotch has been ﬂavoured earlier on in the process with peat smoke.

Chapter 19. Liquor 145 Peat is decomposed vegetable matter that has been compressed in the earth over thousands of years. Essentially, it’s young coal and it’s what gives some scotches their unique smokey characteristic.

Some people love it, others hate it. So it’s important that you learn the differences between the ‘peaty’ and ‘non-peaty’ scotch brands you serve behind the bar.

Unlike wine, whisky matures in the barrel, not in the bottle. And in general, the longer a scotch has been aged for, the better (and more expensive) the whisky will be (the same goes for most whiskeys). Because of that, scotch is accompanied with an age statement (i.e. aged 12 years).

Popular Brands: Johnny Walker, Glenﬁddich, Glenmorangie, Laphroaig (peaty), and Chivas Regal.

Irish Irish whiskey comes from Ireland and it can be made from malted and unmalted barley. The biggest difference between Irish whiskey and Scotch is that by design, Irish whiskeys are meant to be a ‘cleaner’ and smoother spirit.

In most cases, they are. Irish whiskeys are very easy to drink and there’s not much you can really complain about. But because they’re ‘cleaner’, they don’t pack as much ﬂavour.

Jameson is easily the most commonly used Irish whiskey around the world and it’s exactly what you would expect it to be. Clean, smooth, and easy to drink.

However, the Irish whiskey landscape is changing and new distilleries have opened up in recent years. There are no ‘legal requirements’ for Irish whiskey to be ‘cleaner’ than Scotch, so we’re bound to see new styles of Irish whiskey hit the market soon.

At the moment, we’re playing the waiting game. Irish whiskey MUST spend a minimum of 3 years in wooden barrels before it can be called whiskey. And the better quality (and more expensive) whiskeys these distilleries release will spend a lot longer maturing in the barrel than that.

So we’re waiting to see what they come up with.

Bourbon Bourbon is the second powerhouse in the whiskey world and it’s made in America. Unlike scotch and Irish whiskey, bourbon is made primarily from Corn.

Chapter 19. Liquor 146 America employs strict laws when it comes to making and labelling whiskey and bourbon is no exception. But before we look at how those laws affect bourbon, it’s important to understand one thing about American Whiskies.

Unlike in Scotland & Ireland, where whiskey is made primarily from the same grain, American whiskeys are often made from a mix of different grains (known as a mash). So it’s quite common for an American whiskey to be made up of corn, wheat, rye, AND barley. Because of that, America has placed strict laws on how whiskey is labeled to avoid confusion.

For bourbon to be called bourbon, it must be made from a minimum of 51% corn in the mash. It’s often more, but that’s the minimum. The rest can be made up of wheat, barley, and/or rye. Bourbon must also be spend some time in new charred-oak barrels and it must be distilled to an ABV% of no more than 80%. Before it get’s bottled at around 40%.

Corn is easily the biggest factor that differentiates bourbon from other whiskeys out there. Corn gives whiskey a much sweeter ﬂavour and smoother texture than barley does. So bourbon is considered to be sweeter and more smooth than scotch.

That often makes it hard for bourbon drinkers to enjoy a ﬁne scotch because they’re not accustomed to the ‘bite’ it can have.

Popular Brands: Makers Mark, Jim Beam, Woodford’s Reserve, Wild Turkey, and Buffalo Trace.

Note: Jack Daniels isn’t a type of bourbon - it’s labelled Tennessee Whiskey instead because it’s made using a different process.

American Rye The name says it all, American rye whiskey comes from America and it’s primarily made from the cereal grain, rye.

**Note** There are other rye whiskeys out there. Canada makes some good ones.

Since American rye whiskey is also made in America, there are strict laws that govern how it’s labeled. For rye whiskey to be labeled rye whiskey, it must contain a minimum of 51% rye in the mash, it must spend some time in new charred oak barrels, and it must be distilled to an ABV% of no more than 80%. They’re generally bottled at around 40% after ageing.

Chapter 19. Liquor 147 What makes rye different to other whiskeys (in particular bourbon) is obviously the rye. Rye gives whiskey a spicy (sometimes called peppery) ﬂavour that gives them a very distinct taste.

Popular Brands: Rittenhouse and Sazerac.

Rum Rum is a spirit distilled from sugarcane or molasses (thick dark brown juice obtained from raw sugar - most rums are made from molasses). It’s often aged in wooden barrels, but because rum is predominantly made in the Caribbean, rum laws aren’t as strict as whisk(e)y laws.

One of the things I ﬁnd fascinating about rum is that because it’s mostly made & aged in tropical climates, it matures more quickly in the barrel. That means that a rum aged 12 years should theoretically be a higher quality spirit than a scotch (matured in a cold climate) aged 12 years. Obviously, that’s only if you’re judging the spirit by its age statement.

But the same would be true if you aged whisk(e)y in tropical climates. Liquor matures/ ages more quickly in the barrel in warmer climates.

4 Types of Rum There are 4 types of rum that you’ll work with behind the bar. White rum, medium- bodied dark rum, full-bodied dark rum, and spiced rum.

1. White rums are clear in colour and generally have the least ﬂavour among the different types of rum. That’s what makes them excellent base spirits in cocktails (think the mojito). Bacardi Blanca and Havana Club 3 are both popular types of white rum.

2. Medium-bodied dark rums are fuller in ﬂavour and are generally gold in colour. Sometimes that’s due to ageing, but most of the time, it’s because caramel or molasses has been added to dye the liquid. Havana Club Anejo is an example of a medium-bodied dark rum.

3. Full-bodied dark rums are generally darker than medium-bodied rums. Most of the time, they have been well-aged in the barrel, but molasses or caramel can be added. Of all the types of rum, these are considered the best quality. Appleton Estate 12 years and Diplomatico are both great examples of popular full-bodied dark rum brands.

Chapter 19. Liquor 148 4. Spiced rums are rums that have been ﬂavoured with various spices like cinnamon, pepper, anise, etc. Sailor Jerry’s and Captain Morgans are the most commonly used spiced rums on the market.

Tequila Tequila is the most underrated spirit on this list. People assume that because they drank cheap tequila shooters when they were in college or at uni, that all tequila is cheap and of poor quality. But that’s not true.

Some tequilas can be comparable to a ﬁne cognac and should never be ‘shot’. They should be sipped and savoured.

Tequila is made from distilling fermented blue agave (a plant native to Mexico) juice and for tequila to be called tequila, it MUST come from one of the 5 tequila producing states in Mexico. Those states are Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Jalisco is the biggest producer of Tequila and that’s where it originally came from. Its city of origin is rightly named Tequila.

There are 2 main categories of tequila, Mixto and 100% Blue Agave.

Mixto Tequila Mixto tequila is the stuff that you used to drink back in college and uni. It must be made from a mash with no less than 51% of the blue agave plant. The rest of the mash can come from other sources of sugar. Mixto tequila is not necessarily ‘bad- quality,’ but its production isn’t given anywhere near the same quality of care as the 100% Blue Agave Tequila.

It’s worth noting that mixto tequila won’t necessarily be labeled ‘mixto.’ It will simply be named tequila.

100% Blue Agave Tequila 100% blue agave tequila is the best quality tequila on the market and it must be made from 100% of the blue agave plant. There are 5 different categories, blanco, joven (means young in Spanish) or gold, reposado (means rested in Spanish), anejo, and extra anejo.

These categories indicate how long the tequila has been aged in the barrel. Like rum, tequila is aged in a warm climate, so it matures more quickly. 3 years is more than enough to make an incredible spirit.

Chapter 19. Liquor 149 1. Blanco is aged for less than 60 days and is white in colour.

2. Joven (means young in Spanish), or gold tequila, is similar to blanco tequila in that it isn’t really aged. Its golden colour generally comes from the addition of caramel as opposed to any barrel ageing.

3. Reposado is aged between 60 days to 1 year and is yellow in colour. Caramel may be added, but they’re still considered better quality tequilas than Joven.

4. Anejo must be aged for a minimum of 1 year (often more) and is gold in colour. Caramel may also be added, but some of its colour will come from the barrel it’s aged in.

5. Extra-anejo is considered the best quality tequila, they must be aged for a minimum of 3 years, and once again, they’re gold in colour. These are the tequilas that are often compared to ﬁne French Cognac… Both in quality AND price!

Popular Brands: El Jimador, Patron, Hornitos, and Don Julio.

Brandy Brandy is the spirit you’re least likely to use among the main liquors on this list. But it’s still an important liquor to know about.

Brandy is a distilled fermented fruit beverage. Technically any distilled fermented fruits are brandies, but the majority of the time, it’s made by distilling fermented grapes (essentially, it’s distilled wine).

Brandy is generally aged in wooden barrels to add ﬂavours, texture, and aromas. And these brandies are almost always accompanied with an age statement with some of the best being aged for several decades.

The French are the best known for their brandy and they have strict laws that govern how their brandies are labeled. Cognac (made from grapes) in particular has world acclaim, but it’s extremely expensive. Armagnac (also made from grapes) is another high-quality French brandy, but you won’t have to mortgage your house to drink it.

Calvados is another popular French brandy that’s made from apples.

Chapter 19. Liquor 150 Others You won’t use the following spirits anywhere near as much as the ones above, but every now and then, a cocktail recipe will require them so it’s good to know what they are.

Absinthe - An anise-ﬂavoured green spirit also known as the ‘green fairy.’ Absinthe is renowned for being high in alcohol content (55-75%) and it was once rumoured to induce hallucinogenic effects. However, that has since been proven false. It was declared illegal in the United States in 1912 because of those said hallucinogenic effects.

Absinthe Substitute - An anise-ﬂavoured green spirit (or liqueur) meant to be used in substitute for the illegal Absinthe in the United States. It doesn’t contain the ingredient ‘wormwood’ which was said to produce the hallucinogenic effects. Pernod, Ricard and Herbsaint are all brands of Absinthe Substitute.

Cachaça Rum - The most popular spirit in Brazil and the spirit responsible for the infamous caipirinha cocktail. It’s a type of rum made from fermented sugarcane juice. What differentiates it from other types of rum is that it’s made from the sugarcane juice as opposed to its molasses. It has a very unique taste.

Flavoured Vodka - Flavoured vodkas are commonly used in cocktails. For example Citrus flavoured vodka should be used to make the Cosmo cocktail and vanilla flavoured vodka is sometimes used to make Espresso Martinis. Flavoured vodkas are simply vodkas infused with different flavours, like citrus or vanilla.

Grappa - An Italian spirit made from grape pomace - the leftovers from the winemaking process. It’s a ‘rough’ spirit and it’s deﬁnitely an acquired taste, but the Italians absolutely love it. I once worked with an Italian waiter who forced it upon every table he served. Only a few of them were as excited about it as he.

Mezcal - A spirit distilled in Mexico made from fermented agave plants. What differentiates Mezcal from Tequila is that it can be made from any type of agave plant, not just the blue agave plant. And it can be made anywhere in Mexico, not just the 5 ofﬁcial states for Tequila. Technically, Tequila is a type of Mezcal.

Pisco - A type of grape brandy made in Peru and other South American countries. Despite it being aged for a few months in clay containers, it’s a ‘rough’ spirit. Dale Degroff popularised Pisco in the United States by adding the Pisco Sour to his cocktail menu.

Chapter 19. Liquor 151 Infusing Liquors The basic concept of an infusion is to add a single flavour or a combination of flavours to a distilled spirit to create a flavoured spirit (i.e. flavoured vodkas). Bars with advanced cocktail programs often infuse spirits so they can make unique & specialised cocktails.

The process is simple, you put an ingredient or combination of ingredients into a particular liquor and then you let it sit long enough for the liquid to take on the ﬂavour of those ingredients. Once you’ve left it for long enough, you strain out the ingredients and use it however you like, usually to make cocktails.

The time allowed for infusions varies on what is being infused and there are an endless number of combinations. Here are a few that you can experiment with:

• Lavender-Rosemary Vodka (3-4 days) • Watermelon Vodka (1 week) • Vanilla Rum (3-4 days) • Mango Rum (1 week) • Apple & Pear Gin (1-2 weeks)

It’s always good to taste your infusions as you go so you make sure you’re getting them right.

Chapter 19. Liquor 152 20. Liqueurs

“I feel sorry for people who don't drink. They wake up in the morning and that's the best they're going to feel all day.” Dean Martin

Liqueurs are a big part of the bartender’s arsenal and there are hundreds of different types. They’re most commonly used to make cocktails & shots and they’re occasionally consumed as an after-meal digestif or a before-meal aperitif.

Below is a list of liqueurs that you’re likely to come across behind the bar.

List of Liqueurs: Amaretto – An almond based liqueur. Disaronno is a popular amaretto brand.

Aperol – An Italian aperitif made of bitter orange, rhubarb, and other spices. Used to make the Aperol Spritz.

Averna – An Italian Digestif made from herbs, roots, and citrus rinds.

Baileys – An Irish Whiskey cream based liqueur. My wife is obsessed with it!

Bénédictine - A herbal liqueur containing 27 herbs and spices. Only 21 are publicly known. It’s produced in France.

Blue Curaçao - A blue coloured orange ﬂavoured liqueur, similar to triple sec.

Campari – An Italian aperitif known for its bitterness. It’s commonly used in cocktails.

Chambord – A Raspberry ﬂavoured liqueur originating in France.

Chartreuse – A French Liqueur made by monks. It’s composed of over 100 herbs, plants & ﬂowers local to its region and its resulting ﬂavour is very unique.

Cherry Heering - A cherry ﬂavoured liqueur used in the Singapore Sling cocktail.

Cointreau - A very popular brand of triple sec - an orange ﬂavoured liqueur.

Crème de Banane - A banana ﬂavoured liqueur.

Chapter 20. Liqueurs 153 Crème de Cacao - A chocolate ﬂavoured liqueur - available in both white and dark ﬂavours.

Crème de Cassis - A black-currant ﬂavoured liqueur.

Crème de Menthe - A mint ﬂavoured liqueur.

Crème de Violette - A violet ﬂavoured liqueur.

Curaçao - An orange ﬂavoured liqueur, similar to triple sec.

Drambuie – A scotch-based liqueur ﬂavoured with honey, herbs, and spices. Used to make the ‘Rusty Nail’ cocktail.

Fireball – A cinnamon ﬂavoured Canadian based whisk(e)y. Commonly taken as a shot.

Frangelico – A hazelnut & herb ﬂavoured liqueur produced in Italy.

Galliano – A yellow, sweet, and herbal liqueur originating in Italy.

Grand Marnier – A brandy-based orange-ﬂavoured liqueur. It’s the brandy version of triple sec.

Goldschlager – A Swiss cinnamon schnapps with visible ﬂakes of gold (the gold is real!) ﬂoating in it.

Jagermeister – A thick, sweet, herbal liqueur coming from Germany. There are 56 different herbs and spices in it and its most commonly taken as a shot.

Kahlua – A rum-based coffee ﬂavour liqueur originating in Mexico.

Limoncello – An Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy. The Italians are obsessed with it!

Malibu - A brand of rum-based coconut liqueur.

Maraschino – A strong sweet liqueur made from Marasca cherries. Luxardo is the most commonly used brand.

Midori – A bright green coloured melon-ﬂavoured liqueur.

Ouzo – A dry anise ﬂavoured aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece. Similar to Sambuca but not as sweet.

Chapter 20. Liqueurs 154 Patron XO Cafe – A tequila-based coffee ﬂavoured liqueur. This has become extremely popular lately.

Pastis – An anise ﬂavoured aperitif widely consumed in France. Commonly taken with still water.

Peach Schnapps - A very sweet peach ﬂavoured liqueur.

Sambuca – An Italian anise ﬂavoured liqueur. It’s usually colourless (sometimes black – appropriately labeled black Sambuca) and commonly taken as a shot.

Sloe Gin – A red liqueur made from gin and sloe berries. It’s absolutely delicious!

Southern Comfort – An American peach & spice ﬂavoured liqueur made from fruit, spice, and whiskey.

St Germaine – An elderﬂower ﬂavoured liqueur.

Strega - An Italian brand of herbal liqueur.

Tia Maria – A dark coffee ﬂavoured liqueur made from Jamaican rum.

Triple Sec – Originally called curaçao triple sec is an orange ﬂavoured liqueur.

Tuaca – A naturally ﬂavoured brandy-based liqueur that’s brown in colour and has strong vanilla notes.

Serving Liquors & Liqueurs Liquors and liqueurs are either served neat/straight (i.e. served without ice), on-the- rocks (i.e. served with ice), or with a mixer. Mixers are ingredients that are ‘mixed’ with spirits & liqueurs to make them more palatable (i.e. less strong). Soda/soft drinks (sparkling water, tonic water, cola, lemonade, etc), fruit juices, and water are all types of mixers.

Depending on the drink and the customer’s preferences, you might also need to add a garnish, like a lime wedge or a slice of lemon.

Side note: Liquors & liqueurs served with mixers are technically a type of cocktail known as highballs.

Liquors/liqueurs with mixers should be served in highball or collins glasses. Liquors/ liqueurs served neat or on-the-rocks should be served in a rocks or old-fashioned glass.

Chapter 20. Liqueurs 155 When you’re pouring these drinks, it usually means the customer wants 1 shot of their requested liquor/liqueur. But it’s always good to ask if they’d like a ‘double’ - a double being 2 shots of that liquor/liqueur.

Double shots are more expensive so you’ll make more tips out them ;-).

When a customer orders one of these drinks, they’ll likely tell you how they want it. They may even tell you the exact brand they want. For example, they’ll say “I’ll have a Grey Goose Vodka, with soda water and lime.” The lime referring to a lime wedge garnish.

Note: With lime wedge garnishes, you should squeeze the juice into the drink, to add more ﬂavour, before dropping it in.

Liquors/liqueurs served with mixers are made by pouring the liquor/liqueur into the highball/collins glass ﬁrst, ﬁlling the glass with ice, topping it up with the customer’s mixer of choice, and then adding the garnish (if necessary).

Liquors/liqueurs served neat or on the rocks are even easier - pour the liquor/liqueur into the rocks/old-fashioned glass, add ice if on-the-rocks and a garnish if necessary, then hand it to your customer.

Common Orders with Mixers G&T or Gin & Tonic - Shot of gin topped up with tonic water and a lime wedge garnish. Depending on where you’re from, a lemon wedge garnish may be used instead.

Jack & Coke - Jack Daniels whiskey topped up with cola.

Rum & Coke - Rum topped up with cola. A lime wedge garnish can also be added.

Vodka Lemonade - Vodka topped up with lemonade. A lemon slice is often used as a garnish.

Vodka Orange - Also known as a screwdriver cocktail, it’s vodka topped up with orange juice.

Vodka Soda Lime - Shot of vodka topped up with soda water and a lime wedge garnish. This drink is also known as a ‘skinny bitch’ or ‘sportsman,’ because it has fewer calories than other drinks.

Chapter 20. Liqueurs 156 Whiskey & Coke - This could either be bourbon or scotch, depending on where you’re from, topped up with cola. If you’re unsure what whiskey to use, get clariﬁcation from your guest.

Chapter 20. Liqueurs 157

Part 4 - The Craft of the Cocktail

“An efficient bartenders first aim should be to please his customers, paying particular attention to meet the individual wishes of those whose tastes and desires he has already watched and ascertained; and, with those whose peculiarities he has had no opportunity of learning, he should politely inquire how they wish their beverages served, and use his best judgment in endeavoring to fulfill their desires to their entire satisfaction. In this way he will not fail to acquire popularity and success.” Jerry Thomas 21. The Craft of the Cocktail

“Bartending is an old and honorable trade. It is not a profession, and I have no sympathy with those who try to make it so. The idea of calling a bartender Professor or Mixologist is nonsense.” Patrick Gavin Duffy

There’s nothing quite like making cocktails when you’re a bartender. It transforms our job from a seemingly simple profession into a craft that can be endlessly improved upon.

Getting good requires study, practice, and disciplined effort, which can be frustrating in the beginning. But once you’ve obtained a certain degree of skill, mixing drinks becomes an absolute pleasure. It allows you to be creative, to be entertaining, to improvise, and to satisfy your guests taste buds in new & interesting ways. And your guests will love you for it.

**Side note** There’s a similar motivation for bartenders who learn how to ﬂair. Flair bartending takes disciplined effort to get good at - it’s a craft of its own and bartenders get a lot of satisfaction from learning it.

But because there’s so much you could learn, it can be overwhelming when you’re a beginner. Not only do you have to memorise recipes, learn techniques, use strange tools, and make drinks fast, you also have to balance a cocktail’s ﬂavour proﬁle and learn how different ingredients mix together.

The good news is that in the beginning, you don’t need to know everything. Instead, you’ll be following carefully constructed recipes that other bartenders have created. This is perfect because following these recipes will help you intuitively learn about different ﬂavour combinations, ratios, and the principles for keeping a cocktail balanced.

As you progress, you can start to learn more about the subtle differences between brands of spirits, the ripeness of your ingredients, balancing cocktails by taste alone, and learning how to create your own unique concoctions.

The goal of this section is to teach you the ﬁrst part, the fundamentals - the reason for balance, what that even means, the ingredients of the cocktail, the tools, the

Chapter 21. The Craft of the Cocktail 159 techniques, the garnishes, how to follow recipes, and how to start developing your palette.

Once you’re competent with the fundamentals, everything else will be easier and you’ll be comfortable working with cocktails in the majority of bars around the world.

That’s what we’re aiming for here.

What is a Cocktail? The modern deﬁnition of a cocktail is simple, a mixed drink of at least 2 ingredients, where at least one of those ingredients contains alcohol. When you apply this deﬁnition throughout the ages, humans have been making cocktails since the birth of alcohol.

Cavemen used to mix their alcoholic gruel with dirt & vegetables. The Egyptians used to ﬂavour their beer with roots, bark, botanicals, and various herbs & spices. And the Romans used to do the same with their wine.

There are a couple of possible reasons for this. The ﬁrst theory goes that alcohol used to taste disgusting. Back in the day, cavemen, the Egyptians, and the Romans didn’t know how alcohol was made. As such, the process wasn’t as reﬁned as it is today and the quality of the alcohol suffered for it.

To make their drinks more palatable, they would mix it with different ingredients (it must have been pretty bad if cavemen thought dirt improved its taste!).

But that doesn’t explain why we mix drinks today. So a more likely explanation is that humans love variety. We get bored of eating the same food, drinking the same drinks and spending too much time with the same people. Experimenting with different ﬂavour combinations is a fantastic way to mix things up and keep life interesting.

In that sense, the creation & popularity of cocktails was inevitable. They allow bartenders to be endlessly creative whilst at the same time, satisfy their guests changing palettes with new & interesting ﬂavour combinations.

Origins of the Cocktail There are many stories of how the word ‘cocktail’ came to be and we’re not exactly sure which one is the true story. Instead of an accurate account, we’re left with a bunch of different tales of how the word may have come to be.

Chapter 21. The Craft of the Cocktail 160 Here are a couple of my favourites.

The ﬁrst story comes from the Booze Reader: A soggy Saga of a Man in His Cups, by a man named George Bishop:

“The word itself stems from the English cock-tail which, in the middle 1800s, referred to a woman of easy virtue who was considered desirable but impure. The word was imported to expatriate Englishmen and applied derogatorily to the newly acquired American habit of bastardising British Gin with foreign matter, including ice. The disappearance of the hyphen coincided with the general acceptance of the word and its re-exportation back to England in its present meaning.”

I love this deﬁnition because, of course, the English hated the Americans mixing anything with their gin! But, it’s unlikely to be true because the word ‘cocktail’ has been around since the 1700s.

So a second and more likely tale was told to me by a French bartender I used worked with called Hughes. He told me that,

“Back in the day, the tray where all the left over alcohol bottles was put at the end of the night was called the cock. After a night of bartending, the bartender would combine the last drops (the tail) of each bottle and serve it to their customer calling it the cock-tail. And thus, in an unappealing manner, the word cocktail was born.”

Makes sense, it’s easy to understand and it’s easy to communicate with your guests. But, since no-one really knows where the word came from, feel free to make up whatever you like :-).

Although the story of how the word came to be is lost in history, the ﬁrst recorded deﬁnition comes from the Balance and Columbian Repository of Hudson, New York in May 12 1806 when they answered a rider's query as to the nature of a cocktail.

Their answer was, “Cocktail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.”

Bitters was the magical ingredient that distinguished cocktails from other mixed drinks for years. Slings, toddies, cobblers, ﬁxes, ﬂips, sours, and smashes, among others, were all types of mixed drinks alongside the cocktail.

Today, the word has evolved to include them all.

Chapter 21. The Craft of the Cocktail 161 22. The Principles of Mixology

“Obey the principles without being bound by them.” Bruce Lee

Put simply, mixology is the art of mixing drinks - it’s the craft of the cocktail. And a mixologist is someone who specialises in the art of mixing drinks.

**Side Note** The term ‘mixology’ is controversial in the bartending industry. Many bartenders make fun of the word and those who call themselves ‘mixologists.’ Personally, I ﬁnd the term useful because there is a difference between a bartender who specialises in cocktails and one who simply pours beers. This is similar to how we call waiters that specialise in wine ‘sommeliers.’ There’s nothing wrong with either type of bartender and one isn’t better than the other, but it’s useful having a term that describes the difference.

When you start making cocktails, it’s helpful to learn the principles of mixology ﬁrst so you’ve got a better idea of what you’re doing. Just as there are principles to follow when you’re cooking food in the kitchen, there are principles to follow when you’re mixing drinks behind the bar.

Trust me on this, throwing different spirits together with random ingredients at liberal volumes doesn’t end well. I know because that’s how I started experimenting with cocktails before I became a bartender.

A splash of gin, a good amount of vodka, and what’s that blue thing over there? Perfect, we’ll add that in as well. I remember this drink well because it was disgusting…

The same thing would happen if I walked into the kitchen and started throwing random ingredients together without having any idea of what they were. How do you think banana, soy sauce, ice-cream and minced meat, cooked in the microwave for 10 minutes, would taste?

This is the reason why it’s good to start by following carefully constructed recipes that we know already work. That teaches you about the ingredients you’re working with & how they mix together, balance, best practices, and how to develop your palette.

Chapter 22. The Principles of Mixology 162 Balance The principle job of the mixologist is to achieve balance in a cocktail. That means that the ingredients we use should mix together so well that its ﬂavours combine perfectly - it’s not too sweet, it’s not too sour, it’s not too bitter, it’s just right!

Goldilocks would have been a great mixologist.

Achieving balance requires an understanding of the individual ingredients you’re working with and the ability to recognise how those ingredients mix together. This is the art of mixing drinks in it’s most pure form and it can be explored to extreme depths - to the point where you’re changing how much lime juice you add based on when the limes were picked that season.

When you’re starting out, you don’t need to worry about balancing cocktails as much because you should be following recipes that are already balanced. However, as soon as you move on from recipes and you start experimenting with different ratios, achieving balance is of the utmost importance so it’s good to learn about now.

Precise Pouring When you’re following recipes, precise pouring is important to maintain consistency & balance. That’s why the majority of bartenders will use the measuring tool called the ‘jigger’ whenever they make cocktails. It allows them to consistently pour the same thing.

This is essential because even a 3-5ml difference between a pour can unbalance a cocktail. And when you’re off by 3-5ml with several different ingredients, the inconsistencies add up and your cocktails will suffer for it.

That’s why I still use a jigger today whenever I make cocktails, despite being trained in free-pouring, and I highly recommend that you do too.

Balance Vs Individual Taste The idea is that a balanced cocktail should suit the majority of your customers’ palettes. But people’s palettes are often different so there’s a solid argument behind adjusting your cocktails ingredients to suit an individual’s tastes.

This requires an understanding of the ingredients you’re working with and what your customer likes & dislikes.

Chapter 22. The Principles of Mixology 163 For example, let’s say that you know that one of your customers likes their cocktails sweet. Instead of giving them the normal recipe you serve everyone else, you decide to add a little more liqueur (because it’s high in sugar content) or you add some simple syrup (sugar water).

By adding that extra sugar, the cocktail may be unbalanced in the traditional sense. But that doesn’t matter because what’s important is that your customer prefers it that way.

You can do the same thing for a customer who likes sour cocktails. Instead of adding sugar, you cut down on the sugar content and add some extra citrus juice (lemon or lime juice). This will make the cocktail less sweet & more sour.

Serve Immediately Unlike some bottles of red wine, cocktails don’t get better with age. In fact, they get worse. So as soon as you’ve poured the cocktail into its glass, it should be served immediately.

There are 2 reasons for this, temperature and dilution.

Temperature The longer your ﬁnished cocktail has to wait, the more it’s temperature will change. After having shaken or stirred a cocktail, you’ll have cooled down the mix to its ideal temperature. Therefore, the longer it sits there before it gets to the customer, the more it will warm up and the less delicious it will be.

The same goes for cocktails served hot, except in reverse. The longer they sit there, the more they’ll cool down and the less delicious that they’ll be.

The only exception to this are cocktails served over ice because the ice will melt to keep the drink cold. However, with drinks served over ice, we’re faced with an arguably bigger problem.

Dilution Dilution is a problem because it changes the way your cocktail tastes. After spending precious time balancing the perfect cocktail, this is the last thing you want. As more water is introduced into the mix, the drink becomes less potent (in ﬂavour) and to most of us, less enjoyable.

That’s why dilution can be a problem.

Chapter 22. The Principles of Mixology 164 The effects of dilution is one of the reasons why we still shake (or stir) some cocktails that are served over ice. The drink will dilute more slowly if the liquid is already cold.

Prepare Garnishes First There are two schools of thought on this. One side argues that the garnish should be prepared last, so it’s as fresh as possible when it gets added to the drink. The other argues it should be prepared ﬁrst.

I ascribe to the school that favours preparing the garnish ﬁrst because once the drink has been made, every second counts to get it to your customer. Preparing your garnish ﬁrst ensures that when the drink is poured into the glass, it is ready to go right away without over diluting or warming up.

Make Drinks in Front of your Customers Wherever and whenever possible, you should be making your drinks in front of your customers. There’s an element of showmanship in bartending and in particular, when making cocktails. Customers enjoy watching their bartender carefully construct the drink they’ve just ordered.

It’s also a way of showing that you have nothing to hide. It shows your customer that you’re not doing anything dodgy, you’re adding the correct amount of alcohol (a common complaint), and everything you’re doing is clean & hygienic.

Sometimes it won’t be possible (or practical) to make every drink in front of every customer, and that’s ok. But you should aim to follow this rule as much as you can.

Start Cheap, Finish with Ice When you’re making cocktails, start by adding your cheapest ingredient ﬁrst. This means that you’ll be following most recipes backwards (which can be confusing when you’re starting out) but there’s a very good reason for this. If you make a mistake, you’ll cost the bar less money.

Less money lost means more proﬁt. More proﬁt means you’ll be given more hours. More hours means you make more money - hence why you should care about this!

Finishing your cocktails with ice brings us back to the problem of dilution. When you’re adding your ingredients to your Boston shaker or mixing glass, the last thing you should add is ice because as soon as you add ice, the mix will start to dilute.

Chapter 22. The Principles of Mixology 165 As such, you should only add the ice when you’re ready to shake or stir the cocktail. This is even more important when you’re making several cocktails at once.

When you’re making multiple cocktails, it’s likely because the same customer has ordered them. From their perspective, they’d like to receive all of their drinks at the same time so they can drink them with their friends.

The best way to do this is to prepare all of the ingredients ﬁrst in the appropriate shaking tins and mixing glasses before adding ice to any of them. Then when they’re all ready, add the ice, shake and/or stir, pour the cocktails into the appropriate glasses, add the garnishes, and hand them to your customers at the same time.

Use Quality Ingredients The quality of your ingredients matter. The better the quality, the better your cocktails will be. Period. The opposite is also true. No matter how well you make a cocktail (perfectly balanced, proper techniques, served immediately, etc), they won’t taste as nice if you use cheap, crappy ingredients.

That doesn’t mean you should use the most expensive ingredients (for example, choosing the most expensive spirits is often unnecessary and uneconomical), it simply means avoid using cheap, crappy ingredients whenever you can.

When picking spirits, middle-shelf products are often the best (not too expensive but still good enough to produce great cocktails). When picking mixing ingredients, fresh is always better. Fresh lemon & lime juice (avoid sweet n sour mix if possible), fresh fruits, fresh garnishes, and fresh coffee beans will always produce better tasting cocktails than their cheaper counterparts.

Obviously, the ingredients you use behind the bar will be highly dependant on where you work. As a new bartender, you won’t have any say in what you use either so sometimes you’ll be stuck using crap ingredients like sweet n sour mix.

Don’t worry about it, we’ve all used it before! It will only help you appreciate how much better cocktails taste with fresh ingredients.

Develop your Palette Your palette is your ability to recognise what something tastes and smells like. It’s your ability to recognise different ﬂavours in a cocktail, a glass of wine, a plate of food, etc. The better your palette is, the more easily you can recognise when a cocktail is

Chapter 22. The Principles of Mixology 166 balanced, what ingredients were used, what (if anything) was missing and what could be added.

The way you develop your palette is by tasting & smelling every drink you make and then thinking about what you’ve tasted. That second part is important. You won’t develop your palette unless you think about what you’re tasting when you’re tasting it.

That means when you try a cocktail, you should be attempting to recognise the individual ingredients used to make it and subsequently think about how they mix together. Is it too sweet? Is it too sour? Is it too bitter? And if so, what could you change to make it better?

If you think about every cocktail you make like that, you’ll quickly develop your palette and learn a ton about mixing drinks. You’ll start to recognise commonalities between different recipes and you’ll be able to more easily remember what those recipes are.

The way to taste a cocktail is by inserting a clean straw into the drink, placing one of your ﬁngers over the end of the straw to capture the liquid, then releasing the liquid into your mouth.

I can’t emphasise how important it is to taste every cocktail as you go. After you’ve tasted the same cocktail 50 times, you’ll know whether or not it’s been made well from taste alone. This ability is essential if you ever choose to progress to the more advanced stages of mixology later on.

In Conclusion Becoming a master mixologist doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to develop your palette, learn about the different ingredients, and create balanced cocktails from scratch. But the good news is, you don’t need to know everything now. Instead, you can follow proven cocktail recipes other people have created.

In the majority of bars around the world, that’s all you’ll ever need.

Chapter 22. The Principles of Mixology 167 23. The Tools

“We become what we behold. We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.” Marshall McLuhan

I’ve separated this equipment list into 2 classes, the essentials and the non-essential ‘luxury’ items.

The essentials are the tools & equipment you’ll need to make most cocktails. Although it’s a minimalistic list, every bar should have these. If the bar you work for doesn’t (and they make cocktails), I recommend suggesting them.

The non-essential luxury items are the tools that can be ‘nice to have,’ or that may be useful but are replaceable by items on the essentials list. Advanced cocktail programs will have most of this equipment on hand because they speed up drink service and they make your service look more professional.

The Essentials

Knife & Chopping Board A good knife will be a part of any solid bartending kit. You’ll be using it all the time to cut garnishes and any kind of fruits & veggies that end up in your cocktail. There’s nothing worse than attempting to wield a blunt, ﬂimsy knife so it’s best to have a good one.

When you’re cutting things, a chopping board is a no-brainer. You’ll need something to cut on and a chopping board is more hygienic than a bench top. It will also help keep your knife sharper for longer.

Ice Accessories For people new to bartending, ice is the last thing on their mind. It’s usually taken for granted and never given a second thought. But ice is one of the most important ingredients used in making cocktails. It cools down your drink and dilutes the alcohol content - both essential aspects to a palatable cocktail.

First, you’ll need an ice-bucket so you don’t have to run back & forth from the freezer. Behind the bar, you’ll most likely be using an ice-well.

Chapter 23. The Tools 168 Second, you’ll need an ice scoop. Never use your hands behind the bar to handle ice. It’s unhygienic. Also, NEVER scoop up ice using glass! Shards of that glass can break off into the ice and end up in someone’s drink which could also result in the bar getting sued.

Always use an ice-scoop.

If you don’t have an ice-scoop on hand, the tin of your Boston shaker can act as an improvised replacement.

Jiggers A jigger is that little measuring device you see bartenders using behind the bar. They’re used to accurately measure what goes into a cocktail so you can keep it balanced.

When you’re starting out, using a jigger is highly recommended. Free pouring ‘can’ (emphasis on can) be accurate and it’s deﬁnitely faster, but there’s a reason why most cocktail bars prefer to use jiggers. It’s the most reliable way to accurately measure liquid in a glass.

Speed Pourers Speed pourers are the spouts you ﬁnd at the end of bottles in a bar. They help you control the ﬂow of a bottle’s pour and more accurately measure what you’re pouring. All in all, they help speed up the drink making process.

Boston Shaker A Boston Shaker is a 2 piece shaking kit. One piece is smaller than the other so you can bash them together and create a tight seal without the liquid spraying everyone when you shake it.

Almost every bartender on the planet uses a Boston shaker as their preferred shaking tool. They’re fast, easy to use, easy to strain, and they also double up as a mixing vessel for stirred cocktails.

When you’re looking to purchase a Boston Shaker set, go for the 2 piece tin set over the glass-tin set. When you’re using a Boston shaker often enough, the glass will eventually break so you’ll get better value for money with the tin-tin set.

Chapter 23. The Tools 169 Hawthorne Strainer The Hawthorne strainer will be your most used strainer and it works perfectly with your Boston Shaker. They prevent pulp, mashed up fruit, and/or ice from getting into the ﬁnal glass making the drink more enjoyable to consume and more visually appealing.

Fine/Tea Strainer A hawthorne strainer won’t get everything. Double straining using a ﬁne/tea strainer is often necessary to prevent the ﬁner pulp, seeds, ice shards, etc, from getting into your cocktail.

The hawthorne strainer & ﬁne strainer are the perfect combination for adequately ﬁltering most cocktails and making them look great.

Bar Spoon Bar spoons are used for stirring cocktails (like a Martini), layering drinks, spooning in ingredients (like sugar), and occasionally for measuring small amounts of liquid (5ml). Needless to say, a bar spoon is an essential tool for both commercial and home bars.

When choosing a bar spoon, I always advise getting one with spirals and a ﬂat circular back-end. It makes layering drinks so much easier, especially when you’re using a deep glass.

Muddler A muddler is primarily used to crush fruit & sugar in cocktails that call for muddling, like a mojito or an old fashioned (crushing sugar). They also work well as an improvised ice crusher. Put cubed ice into the tin of your Boston shaker and CRUSH!

When choosing a muddler, you’ve got a couple of options. You can either choose a cerated bottom or a ﬂat bottom. A cerated bottom is better for crushing fruit as it will extract the skin’s oils as well as the juice. A ﬂat bottom is better for muddling sugar.

Chapter 23. The Tools 170 Between the 2, I think the cerated bottom is more useful. But you can always get one of each.

In terms of material, wood is a good choice. Metal with a rubber end or a plastic muddler works well too. Whatever you do, don’t go for a metal end. When you’re muddling in a glass, the glass will break.

Fruit/Juice Press I can’t begin to explain how useful a solid fruit press is. It makes getting fresh juice out of citrus (lemons, limes, oranges, etc) and other fruits extremely easy. They’re also easy to clean and relatively cheap.

Even the good ones.

It’s my view that every bar should have at least one of these. Even if you’ve got a juicing machine, these will come in handy when you only need to make one or two cocktails and you can’t be bothered setting up and subsequently packing-down the juicer…

Can Opener A can opener allows you to access ingredients from a can, like coconut cream or pineapple juice.

Funnel When you start getting serious about your cocktail game, you’ll be pre-mixing infusions, making your own syrups, and pre-batching cocktail mixes.

A funnel is very useful for pouring liquid to and from bottles fast. And whilst it’s fun attempting to free pour EVERYTHING, you’ll waste a lot less by using a funnel.

Chapter 23. The Tools 171 Non-Essential ‘Luxury’ Items Here are some other ‘luxury’ items you can consider - some of these tools will help you make cocktails faster and/or better. Whilst others just look cool or are ‘good to have’.

Japanese (Yarai) Mixing Glass Not only do these look & sound awesome, they’re actually useful. A Japanese mixing glass makes stirring & straining stirred cocktails an absolute pleasure.

I’ve listed this item as optional because you can get away with using your Boston shaker for stirring instead, but this would be the ﬁrst ‘luxury’ item I would add to my bar equipment kit.

Julep Strainer Julep strainers are speciﬁcally used for straining stirred drinks. They’re quite old school but they’re still useful.

Similarly to the Japanese Mixing Glass, I’ve included this as an optional item because you can get away with using your hawthorn strainer for everything. That said, I’d be adding this to my equipment list sooner rather than later.

They’re good to have, it will make your cocktail game look more professional, and they are better for straining stirred drinks that only have liquid in them.

Bar Tongs Bar tongs aren’t really optional in a commercial bar and depending on where you’re from, they might even be legally required. Bar tongs are more hygienic than using your ﬁngers to drop in a garnish, add a single ice cube, or squeeze a lime wedge into a drink.

They also add an element of professionalism.

However, most bartenders still use their hands. If they’re washing their hands regularly enough and they’re not doing anything disgusting with them (like licking them), that’s ok in my books.

Chapter 23. The Tools 172 Citrus Zester with Channel (Called a Cannelle Knife) Unless you’re getting into more advanced mixology, you probably won’t need a zester. A zester is great for grating items like nutmeg, chocolate, or ﬁne lemon zests on top of a cocktail, but you can get away without applying these ﬁnishing touches.

That’s why I’ve listed it as an optional ‘luxury’ bar tool.

If you choose to invest in one, the chances are you’ll use the channel more often than the zester. The channel is great for creating beautiful spiral citrus peels.

Cobbler Shaker If you’ve got a Boston shaker, a cobbler shaker (also called a 3 piece shaking set) is completely unnecessary. They’re the old school shaking tin that you see in the James Bond movies.

This is one of those bar tools that’s ‘good to have’ because they look cool but you’ll likely never use it. A Boston Shaker is superior in every way with the arguable exception that the cobbler shaker looks nicer.

Blender Simply due to price, this an optional item for the home bar. But for serious cocktail programs, a blender is essential. They allow you to puree your own fruits, better mix certain drinks, and make frozen cocktails.

They might not be suitable for every bar because of the noise and expense but all in all, they take a bar’s cocktail program to that next level.

Cocktail Picks Garnishing cocktails with cocktail picks is common practice. A cocktail will look far more appetising when garnished beautifully. For commercial bars, wooden tooth picks or plastic cocktail picks are perfect because you don’t have to worry about losing or cleaning them.

More Ice Accessories! Because you can never go wrong with more ice accessories.

Chapter 23. The Tools 173 In particular, look into getting a fabric bag and a mallet. I know that sounds weird, but this is a great way to crush ice if you don’t have a crushed ice machine. Simply ﬁll a clean bin bag with ice, put that bin bag in the fabric bag, close it & let all the air out, then grab your mallet and SMASH.

An empty keg instead of the mallet works well too. But be warned, people will start calling you Donkey Kong after they see you doing it.

Advice On Investing in Your Own Tools If you’re looking to invest in your own cocktail equipment, it’s worth considering a cocktail kit. A decent cocktail kit should consist of most of the essential items & maybe even some of the more useful luxury items. Buying them altogether will also work out cheaper.

Once you’ve got your cocktail kit, it’s as simple as picking up the other items individually, like the fruit press, ice accessories, chopping board & knife.

You should be able to find everything online (amazon is great), but if you prefer shopping in-person, try and find a specialty barware store as they’ll stock better quality equipment, which brings to my final piece of advice.

When you’re investing in the equipment, go for the higher-quality items. Trust me on this.

Avoid purchasing cheap tools & equipment because they won’t last as long or they’ll have small problems that get annoying over time. If you invest in quality equipment, these tools will last a lifetime, especially if you look after them.

Glassware Please see Appendix B for all info on glassware.

Chapter 23. The Tools 174 24. The Techniques

“You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” Michael Jordan

To the uninitiated, learning the techniques essential to the art of mixing drinks can seem like a monster task. To shake or to stir? Free pour or jigger? What should I use for a garnish?

These are legitimate questions and ones that I used to ask myself when I was a young bartender. I remember watching my more experienced colleagues expertly shaking Cosmos whilst stirring Martinis and I’d wonder if I’d ever get there.

But the truth is, there aren’t that many techniques a bartender needs to know and all of these techniques are relatively easy to learn.

The Pour There are two pouring techniques you need to be aware of. One calls for a jigger (a bartender’s measuring tool) and the other ‘free pours’ the liquid directly into the glass/ shaker, measuring by eye or by counting. There are solid reasons for using both.

It’s generally considered that ‘free pouring’ is faster because you can use both hands to pour multiple bottles at once. However, free pouring is also considered to be less accurate.

It’s important to remember that small inaccuracies can quickly add up and imbalance a cocktail which is why accurately measuring ingredients is essential.

That’s where pouring with a jigger comes in because a jigger makes it very easy to get your measurements right. Although it takes longer to make drinks, at least you know they’ll be balanced.

Between the 2, I think bartenders should learn how to do both. Start with using a jigger (most venues require you to use them anyway), then move onto free-pouring once you have a better feel for measurements and if the bar you work for allows it.

Chapter 24. The Techniques 175 As far as how you hold the bottle, it doesn’t really matter as long as you hold it by the neck and you have a ﬁnger or thumb on top of the speed pourer to prevent it from falling off.

Frosting Glassware Frosting glassware isn’t a ‘technique,’ it’s more of a best practice. It doesn’t require any skill, you just need to know why you do it and how to do it.

The reason why we chill glassware is because it helps keep cocktails crisper & cooler for longer. This is especially important for drinks served without ice, like a Martini or a Manhattan.

There are 2 ways to chill glassware. The ﬁrst is by storing your glassware in a fridge/ freezer. This is the best method but often there won’t be enough space in a bar’s fridge/freezer to store enough glassware there.

So the second method is to ﬁll the glass with ice & water before you start making the cocktail. By the time you’ve ﬁnished shaking or stirring, your glass should be adequately cooled. Then, throw away the ice & water so you can pour the mix into the glass.

Muddling Muddling is a cocktail making technique that’s used when you want to crush an ingredient to extract its juices & ﬂavours. It’s used for ingredients like citrus wedges, softer fruits, and certain spices like ginger.

The tool bartenders use to muddle ingredients is appropriately called a muddler (essentially, a long stick). But you could also use the back of a bar spoon (sometimes used for ingredients like ginger).

Performing this technique is simple. Place the ingredient you want to muddle in the bottom of your mixing glass, grab your muddler, push down & crush the ingredients until you’ve extracted its juices.

The Mojito, Caprioska, and Capriniha are all muddled cocktails.

Chapter 24. The Techniques 176 Building Similarly to frosting glassware, you can’t really call building a ‘technique.’ It’s more of a method. Building means that you pour all of the ingredients into the glass you’ll be serving as opposed to preparing the drink in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass ﬁrst.

You ‘build’ the ingredients on top of each other.

Building is a quick & easy method for making cocktails and it’s usually used with simple drinks that have fewer ingredients. The tequila sunrise and Negroni are good examples of these.

Shaking The majority of cocktails you’ll be making throughout your bartending career will require shaking. The reason why we shake cocktails is because it’s one of the fastest ways to mix ingredients together, whilst simultaneously cooling & diluting it down.

How you shake a cocktail doesn’t matter, even though there are different shaking techniques. What’s important is that you shake it as hard as you can for around 10-15 seconds and follow the correct drink-mixing procedures.

The correct drink mixing procedure looks like this:

• Pour the ingredients into the cocktail shaker • Fill the shaker to the brim with ice • Seal the shaker either with the lid or tin (if using a Boston shaker)

Chapter 24. The Techniques 177 • Firmly hold the shaker, point the end AWAY from the customer – You never know what might happen and you don’t want to the cocktail shaker to shoot off onto your customers… • Shake HARD for 10 – 15 seconds • Remove the tin by gently tapping the side of the sealed shaker with the palm of your hand • Strain (see below) your cocktail into a frosted glass (see above)

**Note** You should NEVER shake carbonated ingredients like soda water, cola, lemonade, sprite, beer, sparkling wine, etc. The shaker WILL explode, spray the ingredients everywhere and potentially hit your customer in the face - not good for business or for your customer’s clothes! Instead, these ingredients should be used to top up cocktails or gently stirred.

Dry Shaking You also need to be familiar with the dry shake. The dry shake is used when you’re using ingredients like egg whites or cream and you want to produce a thicker foam. Dry shaking essentially means that you shake the mix before you add the ice. This helps aerate the ingredients to produce that thicker foam.

Some bartenders will also throw the spring in from their hawthorn strainer to help aerate it even more. Personally, I’ve found that this is largely unnecessary unless you struggle to shake hard enough.

Stirring Stirring cocktails is another technique that bartenders use & love. The Martini & Manhattan immediately come to mind when I think of stirred cocktails.

Similarly to shaking, stirring is used to mix ingredients together & cool the drink down, but it’s done at a more gentle pace. Stirred cocktails aren’t usually as diluted as shaken cocktails because of this.

To stir, ﬁll your mixing glass with ice, grab your bar spoon/metal rod, insert it into the glass and stir. Holding the stem in-between your middle two ﬁngers and circling with your wrist (as opposed to your arm) is the proper way to stir.

A good rule of thumb is to stir until the ‘bite’ in the back of your throat from the alcohol has somewhat disappeared. That usually takes around 30 seconds.

Chapter 24. The Techniques 178 To Shake or to Stir? Whether or not you shake or stir is a commonly debated subject in the world of mixing drinks. And to be honest, I’ve heard convincing arguments from both sides so I’m not going to go into them here.

Despite the on-going debate, there are general best practices that most bartenders follow:

You shake cocktails when they contain fruit juices, dairy products, or eggs.

You stir cocktails when there’s nothing but alcohol in them and you don’t want to over dilute or over chill the drink so that its’ ﬂavours can really shine.

At the end of the day, some cocktails are expected to be stirred and others are expected to be shaken. As far I’m concerned, as long as you make the drink how your customer wants it, it doesn’t really matter!

Rolling Rolling is a mixing technique in-between shaking and stirring. It mixes ingredients more thoroughly than stirring does, but it’s still more gentle than shaking. This is a great technique to use when you want to mix ingredients reasonably well, but you don’t want to over dilute it.

Rolling a drink simply means that you pour the mix from one vessel (usually a shaking tin) to another. Do this 6-10 times and your drink should be ready.

The Bloody Mary cocktail is made using the rolling technique.

Chapter 24. The Techniques 179 Straining Straining a drink means that you pass the mix through ‘strainers’ to remove any solids that you don’t want entering the ﬁnal cocktail. These solids could be ice cubes, ice shards, pulp, muddled fruit, etc.

There are 3 different straining tools that we use:

1. The julep strainer, 2. The hawthorn strainer, and 3. The ﬁne strainer.

The julep strainer is mostly used when cocktails are stirred using a Boston or Japanese mixing glass. Simply place the julep strainer inside the glass with the curved side facing up, and pour the mix through the strainer (holding it in place) into its ﬁnal glass.

The hawthorn strainer is commonly used with the fine strainer to ‘double-strain’ (also known as fine-strain) a cocktail after it has been shaken. The fine strainer is needed because the hawthorn strainer can’t stop the smaller solids (shards of ice, fruit pulp, etc) from entering the drink, but the fine strainer can.

Double straining is almost always used with shaken drinks that don’t call for ice in their ﬁnal glass (Cosmo, Margarita, Aviation, etc).

To perform the double strain, place the hawthorn strainer on top of the Boston shaker, hold the tin in one hand with a ﬁnger on top keeping the hawthorn strainer in place. With the other hand, hold the ﬁne strainer over the glass and pour the mix through it.

You can also single strain drinks just with the hawthorn strainer. This is mostly done when you’re pouring the mix over ice, and you’re not concerned about pulp, muddled fruit, or ice-shards entering the drink.

Chapter 24. The Techniques 180 You should never strain a cocktail using the bottom of your cocktail shaker. Not only is it unhygienic, but it also looks lazy and unprofessional.

Layering Layering is a technique where you gently pour different coloured liquids on top of each other so that you can see the separation between them. A great example of this is the B-52 shooter.

To achieve this effect, hold a bar spoon millimetres away from the top of the drink, and gently pour (layer) the liquid onto the bar spoon so that each consecutive liquid ﬂoats on top of the other. This effect can be hard to achieve as it requires a certain level of ﬁnesse which makes it easy to mess up.

The order in which you layer liquids matters as the density of each liquid is different. This means that some liquids will ﬂoat on top of each other, whilst others won’t. As a general rule of thumb, the more sugar there is in a liquid, the heavier it will be. And the more alcohol in a liquid, the lighter it will be.

Blending Blending simply means mixing drinks by throwing the ingredients into an electronic blender and pressing GO.

It’s used when you want to mix heavier ingredients (fruits, ice-cream, etc) and you want to achieve a thicker, fuller texture. It doesn’t require any skill so it’s an easy one to get right!

Blending is also used to make frozen cocktails (e.g. frozen margarita) by adding crushed ice to the mix.

Chapter 24. The Techniques 181 Rimming Rimming means coating the rim of the glass with salt or sugar to give the cocktail an extra kick. You do this by rubbing a liquid (usually citrus juice or simple syrup) onto the rim of the glass ﬁrst to ensure that the powder will stick and then by coating the salt or sugar on top.

The best way to rim glassware is by preparing the powder (sugar, salt, etc) and liquid on a saucer ﬁrst. That way, you can easily control what part of the glass get’s rimmed. This is especially true when you’re rimming shot glasses that require the entire glass to be rimmed.

Chapter 24. The Techniques 182 25. The Ingredients

“A bartender is just a pharmacist without a limited inventory.” Albert Einstein

Here’s a common list of ingredients that you might ﬁnd behind the bar. This kind of set-up will give you the ability to make an enormous amount of cocktails.

Spirits/Liquors: Vodka, citrus vodka, vanilla vodka, London Dry Gin, whiskey (bourbon, scotch, rye, Irish), rum (white rum, dark rum, gosling black seal rum, spiced rum), tequila, brandy, cachaca rum, absinthe.

Beer, Wine & Cider: At the very least, a lager beer. Having a stout beer (like Guinness) helps as well. Sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, red wine, white wine, sparkling wine (i.e. champagne, prosseco), sherry, port. Apple cider.

Liqueurs: Triple sec, Coffee Liqueur (e.g. Kahlua, Tia Maria), Peach Schnapps, Campari, Creme de Violettes, Maraschino liqueur, Cherry Heering liqueur, Dom Benedictine, Coconut liqueur, Grand Marnier, Amaretto, Absinthe (or Absinthe Substitute), Drambuie, Dark Creme de Cacao, Creme de Menthe, Pimms Cup No.4, Sloe Gin, Aperol.

Syrups: Simple syrup (granulated brown/white sugar & sugar cubes as well), vanilla syrup, orgeat syrup, grenadine, elderﬂower syrup, agave syrup, passionfruit syrup, chocolate syrup.

Other Sweetening Agents: Honey, granulated sugar, sugar cubes.

Cocktail Bitters: Angostura bitters, Peychaud’s bitters, Orange bitters, Chocolate bitters

Soda/Mixers: Soda water, tonic water, cola, lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale.

Fruit Juices & Purees: Lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, apple juice, grapefruit juice, strawberry puree, passionfruit puree.

Dairy Products & eggs: Double cream, whipped cream, milk, eggs

Other: Coffee, tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mint leaves, coconut cream, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, salt & pepper, ginger, chilli peppers, marmalade.

Chapter 25. The Ingredients 183 Garnishes: Lime & lemon wedges, lemon & orange slices, lemon, lime & orange twists, orange peels (for ﬂaming), strawberries, olives, coffee beans, celery sticks, chocolate powder, maraschino cherries, mint sprigs, pineapple wedges, passionfruit halves.

Spirits/Liquors Spirits act as the base for most cocktails and cocktails are often categorised by their base spirit. For example, many customers will ask for a whisk(e)y or vodka cocktail recommendation, so knowing the base spirit used in different cocktails is essential.

See Part 3 - Chapter Liquor, for more details.

Beer, Wine, Cider Beer, wine & cider aren’t as commonly used as spirits but there are plenty of cocktails that call for these ingredients. Vermouth, in particular, is a favourite ingredient among bartenders.

See Part 3 - Chapters Beer, Wine & Cider, for more details.

Sweetening Agents

Liqueurs Liqueurs occasionally act as the base ingredient in a cocktail (e.g. the amaretto sour) but they’re more commonly used as a sweetening agent as they are just that - liquors that have been sweetened in some way.

See Part 3 - Chapter Liqueurs, for more details.

Syrups Along with liqueurs, syrups are commonly used to add sweetness. There are many different ﬂavours out there, from strawberry & grenadine to elderﬂower & agave, but the most commonly used syrup is simple syrup.

Simple syrup is sugar water and it’s made by combining white sugar with boiling water at a 1 to 1 ration (i.e. combine 1 litre of boiling water with 1 kg of white sugar), stirred until the sugar is completely dissolved, then funnelled into a bottle once the mix has cooled down.

Chapter 25. The Ingredients 184 It’s easy to make and every bartender should know how to do it.

Other Other sweetening agents you’ll likely use are honey and granulated sugar - both white and brown.

Sodas Sodas include ingredients like tonic water, soda water, lemonade, cola, ginger beer, ginger ale, etc. They’re carbonated and come in bottles or out of a soda gun found behind the bar.

Fruit Juices & Purees Fruit juices and purees are likely to be used throughout any cocktail program. In particular, lemon & lime juice - even if it comes in the form of a sweet and sour mix. Lemon & lime juice add sourness/acidity to cocktails, an essential ﬂavouring component.

Other juices like orange juice, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, and apple juice are used throughout most cocktail programs as well.

Purees aren’t used as much as juices, but they allow you to mix certain fruits better than muddling. Strawberry & passionfruit purees are 2 of my favourites.

Cocktail Bitters Cocktail bitters are made from spirits, various herbs, spices, roots, and bark. They add bitterness to cocktails and they’re an essential ingredient behind any bar.

Bitters aren’t consumed on their own, they’re far too bitter. As such, they’re only used as a flavour enhancer and because their flavour is so strong, you don’t need to add much. 2 - 3 dashes is more than enough for most cocktails and sometimes 1 - 2 drops will suffice. It all depends on the drink and its other ingredients.

There are many different ﬂavours & brands of bitters, but Angostura, Peychaud’s, and Orange bitters are the most common. You’ll ﬁnd Angostura behind any bar, even if they don’t make cocktails.

Chapter 25. The Ingredients 185 Dairy Products & Eggs Milk, cream & eggs are used throughout many cocktail recipes.

**Note** You must be careful when you’re serving cocktails that call for dairy products or eggs. In particular, eggs. They will go off so you have to double check whenever you’re using them. Also, some people have allergies to dairy and eggs so they should always be clearly labelled on the menu whenever it’s a cocktail ingredient.

Other Almost anything can be added to a cocktail if you know what you’re doing or you know of an interesting recipe. Ingredients like coconut cream, chilli peppers, salt & pepper, hot sauces, seeds, mint, ginger, various herbs & spices, and vegetables are all used to mix drinks.

The Garnishes A garnish is the ingredient that makes your cocktail look pretty. Those little umbrellas, pineapple wedges and mint sprigs you see sticking out of cocktails are called garnishes.

How your cocktail looks is almost as important as how it tastes, hence why garnishes are important. They make your cocktails look more appealing and also add additional ﬂavours and aromas.

The ﬁrst rule of garnishing is that your garnishes should always be fresh. Ideally, this means preparing them individually for every cocktail you make. For example, when you make a Cosmo, you would cut the orange peels as you go as opposed to preparing them in advance. This ensures that your garnish will be as fresh as possible.

However, for bars making a large number of cocktails, that isn’t always realistic. In most cases, garnishes will need to be prepared in advance so the bartenders can make drinks fast enough. Lemon & lime wedges are prepared in advance in almost every bar for that reason - it saves time.

When garnishes are prepared in advance, it’s the bartender(s) and/or barback(s) in charge of the prep work that night to check that those garnishes are suitable (i.e. fresh enough) for service.

Pre-prepared garnishes don’t last forever. Fruit goes off and peels/twists dry out. Once that happens, they’re no longer useable and fresh garnishes will need to be prepared.

Chapter 25. The Ingredients 186 To get more longevity out of your pre-prepared garnishes, keep them in the fridge whenever possible (especially overnight), and store them in plastic containers with a dampened paper napkin over them.

The second rule of garnishing is that you should keep them consistent with the drink’s ingredients. It doesn’t make sense to garnish your drink with a lemon wedge when it contains fresh lime juice - use a lime wedge instead.

This rule won’t always work, but it helps when you need to improvise (or when you forget what a garnish was meant to be). Some cocktails have garnishes that appear to be completely unrelated to the drink’s ingredients (e.g. a maraschino cherry in a Manhattan cocktail). In these cases, just go with it!

With time, you’ll start to get a feel for what kind of garnishes are appropriate for different drinks.

Lemon & Lime Wedges You’ll use lemon & lime wedges the most often. By design, they should be squeezed and dropped into the cocktail. The extra citrus juice plays a role how the cocktail will taste.

To prepare lemon and lime wedges,

• Begin by cutting the ends (the tips) off the fruit being careful not to cut into the fruit. • Cut the fruit in half lengthways and lay the two halves face down on the chopping board. • Depending on the size of your fruit, you can either cut the halves into 4, 3 or 2 slices. Keep in mind that you want a wedge large enough so it will add some citrus juice when squeezed.

To garnish drinks with lemon & lime wedges,

• Squeeze the juice into the drink then drop the wedge in.

Chapter 25. The Ingredients 187 Lemon, Lime & Orange Twists The aroma and ﬂavour in citrus fruit is concentrated in the oil cells of its peel. Citrus twists are used to add these oils as an additional ingredient in cocktails. They also look great which is why twists are so often used.

To prepare citrus twists,

• Remove the stem end to give the fruit a base. • Carefully cut strips of citrus peel away from you lengthways down the fruit. Part of the white inner pith must remain so it will be strong enough to use properly, but you should try to never cut into the inner pulp of the fruit. Depending on the size of the fruit, you’ll have different lengths but as a general rule, longer is always better. • Once you’re strips are cut, turn them over to reveal the white inner pith side and remove any excess pith (and pulp) if necessary. • From here, you could either straighten the twists out but cutting off the sides or use them as they are.

To garnish drinks with twists,

• Over the drink, twist the peel lengthwise to release its oils. • Continuously roll the twist up (still over the drink) until it stays in a spiral form. • Either drop the twist into the drink or position it on the rim of the glass.

Flaming Orange Peel One of the cool things with citrus peel garnishes is that their oils can be ﬂamed. This adds some showmanship to your mixology skills as well as adding a unique toasty aroma. The orange peel is suited particularly well for ﬂaming.

To prepare ﬂaming orange peels,

Chapter 25. The Ingredients 188 • Use fresh, ﬁrm, large, and thick-skinned oranges because they’ll have higher oil content making them easier to ﬂame. • Cut thin oval peels. The peel should be thin enough that the orange shows all around the circumference with just a small amount of white pith visible in the centre. If necessary, you can make pith adjustments later on by turning the peel around and cutting out the excess.

To garnish drinks with ﬂaming orange peels,

• Hold a lighter or lit match in one hand, and pick up the peel by holding the two sides with your thumb and index ﬁnger. Don’t squeeze yet as you’ll lose all the oil before you ﬂame… • Right beside your drink, heat the orange side up of the peel with the lighter or lit match for 1-2 seconds. • Then squeeze the peel quickly, spraying the oil through the lighter or lit match onto the surface of the drink.

Pineapple Wedges Pineapple garnishes are commonly used in tiki style drinks like the Pina Colada.

To prepare pineapple wedges,

• Cut off both the ends then cut one-inch-thick slices crossways (from end to end) - essentially, you’re cutting wheels. • Remove the skins off the one-inch-thick slices and cut the wheels into 6 or 8 eight wedges, depending on the length of the wheels.

To garnish drinks with pineapple wedges,

Chapter 25. The Ingredients 189 • Cut a thin slit at the end of the wedge so it can be lodged into the rim of a glass.

Fruit Wheels Any citrus fruit can be made into a fruit wheel, but oranges are particularly well-suited because they can be eaten by the customer. Lemons and limes are better suited as wedges because customers will seldom eat them on their own.

To prepare fruit wheels,

• Cut off one end of the fruit deep enough to reveal the inner pulp. • Then carefully cut off quarter-inch wheels, cutting from end to end. You want to make sure you cut the wheels straight and that they’re thick enough so they won’t ﬂop over when they're lodged into the rim of the glass. • Cut a slit so they can ﬁt into the rim of a glass.

To garnish drinks with fruit wheels,

• Lodge them into the rim of the glass making sure that they’re sturdy enough so they don’t ﬂop over or fall out.

Mint Mint is a fantastic cocktail ingredient and their sprigs are an even better garnish. They look great, they taste great, and they smell even better.

When using mint leaves as a cocktail ingredient, it’s best to slap them ﬁrst before adding them to the drink to help release their ﬂavours & aromas. This can be done by holding them in the palm of one of your hands and then clapping them once or twice with the other.

When garnishing with mint sprigs, the goal is to have them look as bountiful, fresh & bushy as possible. If you can help it, make sure your mint sprigs’ leaves aren’t saggy and that they don’t have any black colouring (indicating that they’re going off).

You should also slap the mint sprigs on the side of your hand to release more of their aromas before sticking them into the drink. This will produce a refreshing smell when the customer brings the drink to their mouth.

Chapter 25. The Ingredients 190 Maraschino Cherries Maraschino cherries are bright-red processed cherries. They’re not the best quality cherry garnishes but they’re the style of cherry most commonly used because they last. They come in jars and are best stored in the fridge once opened.

Garnishing cocktails with maraschino cherries is as simple as dropping them into the drink or piercing them with a cocktail pick.

Olives Olives are mainly used to garnish martini cocktails. They come in a variety of sizes and styles (e.g. some are stuffed with other ingredients like pimientos or blue cheese), but what’s most important is that they’re stored in brine.

Brine is a cocktail ingredient used in the ‘dirty’ martini variation so it’s very important that you have it since ‘dirty’ Martini drinkers will request it.

Garnishing cocktails with olives is as simple as dropping them into the drink or piercing them with a cocktail pick before placing them in the glass.

Celery Stalks Celery stalks are used to garnish the Bloody Mary cocktail (it’s about the only time you’ll use celery as a garnish). Your stalks should be thoroughly washed before use, and if possible, try and keep the bushy leaves at the end of the stalks to add some visual ﬂair.

Your stalks should be long enough so that the end sticks out about 3 inches.

Various Others Almost anything edible that looks good can be used as a garnish. I’ve seen chocolate & nutmeg shavings, white cloves, strawberry slices, apple fans, passionfruit halves, pearl onions, red chilli peppers, airmail stamps and many others, all successfully used as cocktail garnishes.

Sometimes, no garnish is necessary at all. It depends on the drink, your available ingredients and the kind of bar you’re working for.

Chapter 25. The Ingredients 191 26. Prepping The Bar

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin

When you start out as a barback, you become intimately aware of the prep work necessary that keeps a bar running smoothly. It’s generally the barbacks who come in early to prepare ingredients such as garnishes, syrups, infusions, crushed ice (if no machine), stock levels, etc. They’ll also be performing these tasks throughout the night.

However, it’s not always their responsibility and some bars don’t even hire barbacks so the bartenders are expected to do the prep work themselves.

Regardless of who does it, it’s extremely important work and every bartender should know how it’s done. A well prepped bar is the difference between a night going well and one that turns into a complete disaster.

Let me explain.

It’s highly unlikely that you’ll have a steady stream of customers throughout the night. The opposite is more often true and your customers usually come in ebbs and ﬂows. The night usually starts out quiet and it could be completely dead for over an hour. But then all of a sudden, you’re rushed off your feet with endless cocktail orders and impatient customers.

This is normal and we call these busy periods ‘the rush’. For new bartenders, ‘the rush’ can be stressful. All of a sudden, there are 10 people waiting at the bar ordering drinks you’ve never heard of before and there’s only one other bartender there to help out.

There’s nothing worse than running out of crucial stock, like simple syrup, vodka, a liqueur, or bitters, lime wedges, etc, at a time like this. It wastes so much time it’s ridiculous and it annoys customers, resulting in less tips and more stress for you.

The only way to prevent this from happening is by being well prepared. You need to have all of the essential prep work done BEFORE it ‘the rush’ hits. Every good bartender knows this.

Depending on where you work, the prep could take 15 mins or 2 hours. It all depends on the type of bartending you’re doing, how big the venue is and the types of drinks you’ll be making.

Chapter 26. Prepping The Bar 192 With that said, there are common tasks that need to be done across most bars - like get ice, set-up your work stations, prepare garnishes, etc. So I’m going to take you through the kind of prep work that needed to be done at one of the bars I used to manage. This should give you a solid understanding of what to prioritise & why.

Getting Started As usual, arrive at least 5-10 minutes early for your shift. The more time you have to settle in, the quicker you can get organised. If you’re the ﬁrst bartender in, here’s what you want to check ﬁrst:

1. Glass washing station - Setting up the glass washing station ﬁrst is a no-brainer. Get this sorted ASAP so you don’t have to play catch up all night. 2. ICE! - Getting ice ASAP is also important. You won’t be able to serve your customers until you have it so get a big bucket now. Crushed ice can wait but cubed ice is essential. 3. Setup work & cocktail stations - remove spirit caps, make sure all the bottles have speed pourers, get items out of the fridge if necessary (garnishes, lime wedges, lemon slices, juice, etc), organise the equipment in the usual way, check the spirits are in the right order in the speed station, etc. 4. Coffee machine - Run a couple of espresso shots through the coffee machine to wash out the chemical taste from cleaning of the night before.

If you’re taking over from another bartender, you still want to make sure these things are set up properly.

**Note** Throughout this entire set-up, you want to keep in mind the importance of consistency. Everything should be set up the same way every single night. This allows bartenders to grab and do things without having to think so they can ultimately serve their customers faster.

With those things set up, it’s time to take note of stock levels. So grab a pen & paper and start to take note of the following things: spirit bottles, beer & cider bottles, wine bottles, fruit juices (are they fresh and usable?), garnishes (are they fresh & useable?), syrup levels, punch levels, pre-batched mixes, soda levels, and any miscellaneous items like till rolls, straws, napkins & coasters, candles, etc.

Write down how much you need of each item to be adequately prepared now.

Once you’re happy with your list, it’s a matter of prioritising the most important items ﬁrst and then ticking everything off until it’s all done.

Chapter 26. Prepping The Bar 193 Here is the order I usually tackle everything:

• Stock levels - spirits, liqueurs, beers, cider, wine, commercial syrup bottles. • Garnishes • Fresh Juice (if necessary) • Home-made Syrups, Punches, Purees, & Pre-Batched Mixes • Miscellaneous (Napkins, Coasters, Straws, Candles, Glassware) • Final Check

**Note** This order is subject to change depending on how low the bar is on certain items. For example, if the bar is running low on till rolls or straws and I can see we’ll need them fairly quickly, I’ll get these ﬁrst. Common sense prevails!

Stock This is one of the most important tasks which is why I usually do it ﬁrst. You don’t want to be continuously running back & forth from the stock room all night because it takes too long and it also takes you away from the bar.

That’s the main reasons why I prioritise stock ﬁrst. Everything else on this list can and should be done behind the bar so you can still serve your customers. When a customer wants something, you can stop what you’re doing, serve them, and then go back to your prep work after.

You don’t have that luxury when you're doing the stock. Instead of being behind the bar, you’re out the back collecting spirit bottles, milk, fruit, beer, wine, etc. So when a customer comes to order something, there’s no-one there - not a good look.

They’ll end up waiting too long for their drink and they might even leave the bar because of it. That’s not good for you or the business.

That’s why getting the stock done as soon as possible is in everyone’s best interest.

Garnishes After the stock levels have been topped up, it’s time to prepare the garnishes. That usually means cutting lemon & lime wedges, and then preparing any other cocktail garnishes you may need throughout the night.

Chapter 26. Prepping The Bar 194 The reason why I prepare garnishes second is because I usually need lemon & lime wedges fairly quickly. They’re used in a lot of different drinks (vodka soda limes, gin & tonics, rum & cokes, soda water, soft drinks, etc) so the sooner their prepped, the better.

And since I’m already in the middle of cutting fruit, I might as well prep any other garnishes I need while I’m there.

**Note** Not all garnishes need to be prepped in advance. It depends on how often they get used. Some bars won’t prep any garnishes and make them as they go to avoid as much wastage as possible.

Fresh Juice (if necessary) This isn’t always necessary but if you’re running a sophisticated cocktail program, it will be. Fresh lemon, lime, & orange (if not pre-bought) juice, can be prepped by putting it through the fruit juicer, straining it to remove the pulp, then bottling it and storing it in the fridge.

It usually lasts 2-3 days.

Then, whenever you need to make a cocktail that calls for fresh lemon/lime juice, you pour it from the bottle. It can be more accurate and it’s a little faster than using a hand-press juicer.

Depending on how much fresh juice I have left, I may even prioritise this over preparing garnishes.

Home-Made Syrups, Punches, Purees, & Pre-Batched Mixes (if necessary) Closely followed by fresh juice are any home-made syrups, infusions, punches & pre- batched mixes you’ll need throughout the night.

The most important of these is simple syrup. Almost all bars will require you to make it because it’s an essential ingredient in cocktails. More advanced cocktail programs will prepare other syrups like grenadine and home-made purees like strawberry puree, but most bars will buy commercial brands to keep things simple.

Punches & pre-batched mixes are more common. Mulled wine, for instance, is often served throughout the winter and sangria is often served throughout the summer.

Chapter 26. Prepping The Bar 195 Pre-batched mixes are pre-prepared spirit mixes that help you make certain drinks faster. For example, if your bar makes a lot of long-island iced tea cocktails, it’s worth considering pre-batching the spirits so all you have to do is pour it into the Boston shaker, add simple syrup & lemon juice, shake & strain, then add the garnish.

**Note** When pre-batching mixes, you only want to pre-batch spirits. It’s best not to add other ingredients like lemon juice because it goes off and you’ll waste the spirits along with it. Fresh juice always tastes nicer too.

The reason why I prepare these things last (with the exception of simple syrup) is because they can be made to order. Pre-batching isn’t necessary to begin with. It certainly helps, but it’s not as important as the stock, garnishes, and fresh juice.

Miscellaneous Items Finally, you want to make sure all the miscellaneous items are adequately topped up. This includes things like straws, napkins, coasters, candles, till rolls, extra glassware, champagne stoppers, extra speed pourers, etc.

Of all these items, till rolls, straws, napkins and coasters are the most important. If the stock levels of these items are low on my initial sweep, I’ll top them up at the same time I top up the other stock levels for liquors, liqueurs, beers, wines, ciders, fruits, milk, etc.

The rest of the items should already be behind the bar but it’s always good to check anyway.

Final Sweep With everything ticked off the list, I’ll give the bar a ﬁnal sweep (to make sure I didn’t miss anything), clean up any mess I made along the way and get ready for the rush… It’s coming!

Avoid Over-Prepping There is a subtle balance between under preparing and over preparing.

On the one hand, it’s good to assume the worst and prepare for a busy night. But on the other hand, over-preparing results in wasted stock because items such as fruit, garnishes, dairy products, punches, and fresh juice do go off.

Chapter 26. Prepping The Bar 196 You’ve also got to consider the space you have behind the bar. It’s not fun working in an over-crowded bar where it’s hard to move & ﬁnd things because there’s too much stuff everywhere.

So whilst you want to be aware of the worst case scenarios, you also want to be realistic. This takes time & practice to get right. Hopefully, the bar you work for already has some kind of system in place so you don’t have to think about it.

Chapter 26. Prepping The Bar 197 27. Mastery & Speeding Things Up

“Mastery is not a function of genius or talent, it is a function of time and intense focus applied to a particular ﬁeld of knowledge.” Robert Greene

Once you’ve been bartending for a while, you begin to realise the importance of speed. Being a fast bartender not only helps you serve more customers & make more money, it also helps you feel more conﬁdent in everything that you do.

So once you’ve learned the fundamentals, it’s time to master them. Here are a few key areas you can focus on that will help you immensely:

• Memorise recipes, menus & prices • Know the Till (POS System) • Get Organised • Optimise your workﬂow • Use 2 Hands for Everything • Practice, practice, practice

Memorise Recipes, Menus & Prices Memorising all of the cocktail recipes, the menu items and the prices of those menu items is essential to mastering the bar you work for. It speeds up your workﬂow more than anything else because you no longer need to stop and think every time you make a cocktail or charge a customer.

So how do you do it?

Practice, study and volume. The more you make a speciﬁc cocktail, the easier you’ll remember it. The same goes with remembering menu items and prices. Once you’ve had to look up the price of a beer 5 times, you’ll start to ﬁgure out that one beer equals $12, so when people buy 2 beers, it’s $24!

Studying the menus & recipes outside of your working hours will help you memorise everything even faster. So you should take a drink and food menu (if applicable) home with you and get to know them like the back of your hand.

It’s as simple as reading the menu and testing yourself on the prices & items.

Chapter 27. Mastery & Speeding Things Up 198 Memorising cocktail recipes is a little harder but there’s one tried and true method that most bartenders use to remember tonnes of recipes - using ﬂash cards.

Memorising recipes using ﬂash cards is easy. Here’s how you do it:

1. Invest in some 3” by 5” flash cards. You should be able to find these at any office ware store. Alternatively, you can make your flash cards on the computer and print them off on normal A4 paper. 2. Write down the name of the cocktail on one side of the flash card (if possible, use the colour of the drink either as the paper or pen). 3. Put the number of the ingredients at the end of the name. For example, Margarita 4. This helps enormously when you’re making a cocktail and you’re not sure if you’ve added all the ingredients (it happens). If you’ve only added 4 out of the 5 and you know that there should be 5, it will help you recall what the last one was. 4. Write down the recipe of the cocktail on the other side, including how it’s made & the proportions – muddle, stir, shake, 15ml, 1oz, etc. 5. Add any drink ordering terminology that’s important – straight up, on the rocks, sweet, etc, on the same side as the recipe (only necessary if you’re not sure of the basics). 6. Test yourself and practice as much as you can. If you can get one of your fellow bartenders to test you, even better.

If ﬂash cards aren’t your thing, you could also create memorable phrases around the cocktails you’re trying to remember. This is known as memorisation by association and you probably did this in primary school.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to remember the recipe for the Sex on the Beach cocktail. You learn that this recipe requires Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Cranberry Juice, and Orange Juice. So you create a little phrase that represents these ingredients.

Chapter 27. Mastery & Speeding Things Up 199 That phrase could be “Very Pretty Or Cute?”

‘Very’ stands for Vodka, ‘Pretty’ stands for Peach Schnapps, ‘Or’ stands for Orange Juice, and ‘Cute’ stands for Cranberry juice.

Believe it or not, these tricks work. And whenever you need to make a Sex on the Beach cocktail, if you remember the phrase “Very Pretty or Cute?” you can quickly recall the ingredients necessary to make it.

However, the problem with memorisation by association is that you can’t be as speciﬁc with what you need to memorise. In the example above, you can’t memorise the quantities of each item you’ll be adding to the cocktail.

For that reason, I think ﬂash cards are a more effective tool but use whatever you’re more comfortable with.

Know the Till Closely followed by memorising recipes, menus and prices, is having a thorough understanding of how to use the till, also called the POS (Point of Sales) system. Knowing the till speeds up everything. There’s nothing more frustrating than wasting precious time searching for a speciﬁc item on the till…

As such, you should know it like the back of your hand. You should know where everything is so you can quickly add them to the bill and charge your customers. You should also know how to perform simple tasks like comp a drink, change a mistake, give a discount, and issue a refund.

It’s very annoying for everyone involved if you have to ask constantly your manager to perform these simple tasks, especially when it’s busy.

Get Organised You’d be surprised at how much a well organised bar speeds up service. When a bar is set up properly, it can cut the amount of time you have to spend doing things in half.

Hopefully, the bar you’re working for will already have these systems in place and your job will be to follow them. But unfortunately, most bars aren’t like that so you may have to experiment with different layouts until you ﬁnd something optimal.

To organise the bar properly, you need to have some amount of experience working in that bar and serving its clientele because you need to know the kinds of drinks you’ll be

Chapter 27. Mastery & Speeding Things Up 200 making most often. With that knowledge, you can organise the bar’s layout so the items you use the most are in close proximity. This will save you time running around searching for things.

Here are a few things you could think about re-organising:

• Speed Racks • Work/cocktail stations • Back-bar layout • Glassware • Fridges • Stock Rooms

Organising your work station & speed rack is where you’ll get the most bang for your buck. What you use most often should be within arms reach so you don’t have to move when you make commonly ordered drinks. The way I used to organise my speed rack was, from left to right, Vodka, Gin, Rum, Scotch whiskey, Bourbon Whisky, Tequila, Cointreau, any other commonly used liqueurs, Simple syrup.

Your work station should also include your most commonly used ingredients like lemon & lime wedges, orange slices, garnishes, cocktail bitters, purees, fruit, syrups, etc.

It can take some time tweaking things to find the optimal layout, but once you’ve figured it out, it has the potentially to dramatically speed up your workflow, so it’s worth it.

Optimise your Workflow Optimising your workflow means figuring out how you can be quicker and more efficient in all of your movements. Similarly to organising the bar, it can take some time to figure out.

One of the main principles to keep in mind here is that the more you can do in one area at the same time, the better.

For example, let’s say you get an order for a couple of different cocktails. Instead of making them one at a time and getting all the ingredients separately, you prepare everything you need ﬁrst. This means getting the right bottles, garnishes, fruits, glassware, etc, ready to go, before you pour any liquid into a glass, and then making all the cocktails at once.

Chapter 27. Mastery & Speeding Things Up 201 A more simple example is when you pass the beer taps and you know that you have a beer order you need to sort out. Instead of coming back to it, you pour that beer along the way.

Some other examples of improving your workﬂow are:

• Serve 2 or more people at the same time (usually best with small orders). • When you run out of something and you need to make a trip to the stock room, check to see if there’s anything else you might need so you don’t have to make that trip again. • Prepare all of your garnishes at once (when you’re making more than one cocktail). • Set up all of your glassware at once when making multiple drinks.

All these little tweaks will help you serve more people faster.

Use 2 Hands for Everything Bartenders were born with 2 hands for a reason, so we could do more than 1 thing at a time! Using 2 hands is crucial to mastering the art of bartending. It can take some time to build up the co-ordination for speciﬁc tasks, but it’s important.

Whenever you notice one hand hanging around doing nothing, think about what you could be doing with it. Could you be cleaning something? For example, while you’re pouring a draft beer, could you be wiping down an area nearby? Could you be getting the lime wedge ready to drop into the drink while you’re topping it up with soda? How about getting the napkins or straws ready? What about scooping the ice while you’re doing something else?

You get the point. You should be aiming to use both hands at all times.

Here are a few things you should learn how to do:

• Shake 2 cocktails at once • Shake 1 cocktail, stir another • Pour 2 draft beers at once • Free pour (if allowed) while using the soda gun

Chapter 27. Mastery & Speeding Things Up 202 Practice, Practice, Practice The more you practice and work in the bar, the better & faster you’ll be. If you can spend time practicing making cocktails at home, memorising recipes, and studying the menu, even better.

Ultimately, mastering the craft of tending bar comes down to putting in the hours. You can’t just read about it and expect to ‘get it’, you’ve got to practice. But don’t worry, this isn’t rocket science so it won’t take that long. If you work full-time and you focus on everything you’ve learned throughout this section, after a few months, you’ll be one hell of a bartender.

Chapter 27. Mastery & Speeding Things Up 203

Part 5 - The Recipes

“It is not true, for example, that the secret of a good barman is the strange concoctions he invents. If you discount the short-lived harrys Baraberrations that unscrupulous bartenders invent in an effort to stir up a little profitable notoriety at the expense of their customers’ stomachs, there are actually few very few variations on the five possible starting points of any cocktail: gin, vodka, whiskey, cognac, and rum. The trick is to make the classic drinks well, and to fit them to the particular taste of the individual drinker.” Giuseppe Cipriano 28. Overview

Key: (++) Indicates an essential cocktail to know

(—) Indicates an advanced recipe contribution

There are 1000’s of different cocktail recipes out there, which makes it practically impossible to know them all. What’s more, you’ll only ever make the same few cocktails (between 20-30) day-in, day-out, with the others only being made once in a blue moon. So how did I choose the recipes that made it into this book?

Simple. Every cocktail, shooter and mocktail you ﬁnd in this section are either historically signiﬁcant, delicious, and/or they’re among the most popular cocktails in the world. I.e. these all deserve a place in a bartender’s repertoire.

In total, there are over 136 recipes and they’re all fantastic. The reason why there are over so many, and not just 20-30, is because the 20-30 cocktails you make day-in, day- out, will be different for every bartender. It’s also good to be able to make those cocktails that are ordered ‘once in a blue moon,’ without having to google an unknown, potentially bad, recipe.

How to Use this List Browse through all of the recipes ﬁrst - it’s good to get an overall idea of the kinds of cocktails you’ll be making and how these recipes differ from each other. Then, the most important thing for you to learn ﬁrst are the recipes that are most commonly made in your bar. So study your bar’s cocktail list and ask your more experienced colleagues for advice on what cocktails you should learn.

You’re going to get the most value from learning the cocktails you make frequently because repetition will help cement them into your memory.

From there, you can start learning the most important cocktails throughout this section. In total, there are 46 of them and they’re all important to know, regardless of where you work. You’ll be able to recognise these cocktails because they’re marked with the (++) symbol and most are accompanied with a photo.

Note: You’ll ﬁnd dedicated cheat sheets for all these recipes in the ‘downloads’ that came with this book so you can learn them quickly. You can even edit the proportions or ingredients if they differ from your bar.

Chapter 28. Overview 205 Once you’re comfortable with the most important cocktails, you can then start adding in extra recipes as you go. Whether it’s for personal interest, a customer’s request, or to continuously improve at your craft, add more recipes to your repertoire. You never know when they’ll come in handy and it’s likely you’ll have to make most of these at least once in your career.

Finally, I’ve also included some lesser-known advanced recipes that I’ve picked up along the way, or that have been contributed by bartenders far better than I. These recipes have been marked with the (—) symbol.

The idea here is that you can use these recipes to impress guests with more interesting combinations that they’ve likely never tried before. For example, when a guest requests a ‘special’ or ‘interesting’ cocktail, you can use one of these already proven formulas to your advantage.

Names & Recipes Some drinks go by many different names. What one person calls a Mimosa, someone else calls a Buck’s Fizz. It doesn’t matter who’s right or wrong, as long as the customer get’s the drink they’re looking for, that’s what’s important. Here, I’ve used the names that are most widely accepted.

Along a similar vein, there are so many different recipes of the same cocktail, it’s ridiculous. Some bartenders make a French 75 with gin, others use cognac. Recipes also change over time. The daiquiris of 60 years ago were completely different to those of today.

Once again, it doesn’t matter what recipe you use, as long as your customers are happy with them. The recipes I’ve chosen are among the most widely accepted and they’re all well-balanced but feel free to experiment with them.

No recipe is written in stone.

That being said, there are a lot of bad recipes out there so be careful where you source them from. And remember the importance of balance - see ‘Part 4 - The Principles of Mixology’ for more details.

Also, if a recipe I’ve listed here differs from the one your bar uses, use their recipe over mine. It’s important for an establishment’s cocktails to be consistent so that when a guest orders one, they know what to expect.

Chapter 28. Overview 206 Measurements & Ratios Different countries have different ways of measuring liquid that goes into a glass. 1 shot in the US = 1oz, 1 shot in France = 4cl, 1 shot in Australia = 30ml, and 1 shot in the UK = 25ml.

To appeal to the widest audience possible, all the measurements are listed as shots. What matters for these recipes to work, isn’t the amount of liquid that goes into the glass, but that the proportions of each ingredient remain the same.

In other words, as long as you’re using the same measuring tool for each ingredient, it doesn’t matter if 1 shot = 200ml or 2ml, you’ll have re-created the same recipe.

Methodology & Glassware The methodology for each cocktail is written in short-hand. That means you’ll need to have an understanding of the different bartending techniques & tools to follow them. If you’re confused by any of the terminology, consult the ‘Appendix C: The Glossary & Ter minolog y’ section or re-visit Part 4.

Similarly, it’s expected that you know what the different glassware is - see Appendix B for more details.

Finally, I’ve chosen to omit basic spirit & mixer cocktails like a whiskey & coke, gin & tonic, vodka soda limes, and rum & coke, because for the most part, they’re self- explanatory.

Chapter 28. Overview 207 29. Cocktails Recipes

For quicker access to a speciﬁc recipe, click the links below.

1. Airmail ...... 211 2. Amaretto Sour (++) ...... 211 3. Americano ...... 212 4. Aperol Spritz (++) ...... 212 5. Aviation (++) ...... 213 6. Bay Breeze ...... 213 7. Bellini (++) ...... 213 8. Black and Tan ...... 214 9. Black Russian (++) ...... 214 10. Blood and Sand ...... 215 11. Bloody Mary (++) ...... 215 12. Blue Lagoon ...... 216 13. Boulevardier ...... 217 14. Bramble (++) ...... 217 15. Brandy Alexander ...... 217 16. Brass Monkey (—) ...... 218 17. Bronx Cocktail ...... 218 18. Buck’s Fizz ...... 219 19. Caipirinha (++) ...... 219 20. Caiprioska (++) ...... 219 21. Champagne Cocktail (++) ...... 220 22. Clover Club Cocktail ...... 220 23. Compass Rose (—) ...... 221 24. Cosmopolitan (Cosmo) (++) ...... 221 25. Cuba Libre (++) ...... 222 Daiquiris ...... 222 26. Classic Daiquiri (++) ...... 223 27. Hemingway Daiquiri ...... 223 28. Strawberry Daiquiri ...... 223

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 208 29. Dark ’n’ Stormy (++) ...... 224 30. French 75 ...... 224 31. Gimlet ...... 225 32. Gin Fizz (++) ...... 225 33. Gin Rickey ...... 225 34. Godfather ...... 226 35. Godmother ...... 226 36. Grasshopper ...... 226 37. Greyhound ...... 227 38. Harvey Wallbanger ...... 227 39. Hot Toddy (++) ...... 227 40. Irish Coffee (++) ...... 228 41. Jack Rose ...... 228 42. Japanese Cocktail ...... 229 43. Kir ...... 229 44. Kir Royale ...... 229 45. Last Word ...... 230 46. Long Island Iced Tea (++) ...... 230 47. Lynchburg Lemonade ...... 231 48. Mai Tai (++) ...... 231 49. Manhattan (++) ...... 232 50. Margarita (++) ...... 233 51. Jason’s Margarita (—) ...... 234 52. Tommy’s Margarita ...... 234 53. Martinez ...... 235 Martinis ...... 235 Gin ...... 236 54. Gibson Martini ...... 236 55. Dry Gin Martini (++) ...... 236 56. Dirty Gin Martini (++) ...... 237 57. Vesper Martini ...... 237 Vodka ...... 237 58. Dry Vodka Martini (++) ...... 237

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 209 59. Dirty Vodka Martini (++) ...... 238 Others...... 238 60. Apple Martini ...... 238 61. Chocolate Martini ...... 238 62. Espresso Martini (++) ...... 239 63. French Martini (++) ...... 239 64. Lychee Martini ...... 240 65. Porn Star Martini (++) ...... 240 66. Millionaire Cocktail ...... 241 67. Mimosa (++) ...... 241 68. Mint Julep ...... 241 69. Miss Molly (—) ...... 242 70. Mojito (++) ...... 243 71. Moscow Mule (++) ...... 243 72. Muay Thai (—) ...... 244 73. Mudslide ...... 244 74. Negroni (++) ...... 245 75. Old Fashioned (++) ...... 246 76. Pegu Club Cocktail ...... 247 77. Penicillin ...... 247 78. Pimm’s Cup (++) ...... 247 79. Piña Colada (++) ...... 248 80. Pisco Sour ...... 249 81. Pousse Café ...... 250 82. Presbyterian ...... 250 Punch Recipes ...... 251 83. Mulled Wine (Serves 6) ...... 251 84. Planter’s Punch (Serves 6) ...... 252 85. Sangria (Serves 6) ...... 252 86. Rob Roy ...... 253 87. Rusty Nail (++) ...... 254 88. Sazerac (++) ...... 254 89. Screwdriver (++) ...... 255

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 210 90. Sea Breeze ...... 255 91. Sex on the Beach (++) ...... 255 92. Sidecar (++) ...... 256 93. Singapore Sling (++) ...... 256 94. Sloe Comfortable Screw ...... 257 95. Snakebite ...... 257 96. Southside ...... 257 97. Spritzer (++) ...... 258 98. Stinger...... 258 99. Tequila Sunrise ...... 258 100. Toblerone ...... 259 101. Tom Collins (++) ...... 259 102. Whiskey Sour (++) ...... 260 103. White Lady (++) ...... 260 104. White Russian (++) ...... 261 105. Woo Woo ...... 261 106. Zombie ...... 261

1. Airmail Serve in a Flute Glass

• 1 shot white rum • 1/2 shot fresh lime juice • 1/4 shot honey syrup • Top with champagne

Garnish: 1 lime twist

Shake & fine strain the first 3 ingredients into a flute glass. Top with champagne. Add the garnish.

2. Amaretto Sour (++) A very sweet ’n’ sour cocktail that’s particularly popular with females. Adding 1-3 dashes of Angostura bitters helps balance the drink and adds more ﬂavour. But not everyone appreciates that bitterness so feel free to experiment.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 211 Serve in a Rocks glass

•2 shots amaretto •1 shot fresh lemon juice •1/3 shot simple syrup •1/2 an egg white

Garnish: 1 lemon wedge & 1 cherry

Dry shake then shake & strain into a rocks glass. Add ice cubes. Add the garnish.

3. Americano A classic in its own right and the pre-curser to the Negroni cocktail.

Serve in a Highball glass

• 1 1/2 shots Campari • 1 1/2 shots sweet vermouth • Top with soda

Garnish: 1 orange slice

Build in the order given in an ice-ﬁlled a highball glass. Top with soda water. Add the Garnish.

4. Aperol Spritz (++) Originating in the 1950s but only gaining popularity in the early 2000’s, this is the perfect refreshment on a hot summer’s day for those who can appreciate its slight bitterness.

Serve in a White Wine glass

•2 shots Aperol •2 shots prosecco •2 shots soda

Garnish: 1 orange slice

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 212 Build all the ingredients in a white wine glass. Add ice cubes & lightly stir. Add the Garnish.

5. Aviation (++) A beautiful, complex and sophisticated classic that’s been around since at least the 1930s. It’s a great cocktail to introduce to gin drinkers who are looking to experiment.

Serve in a Coupe glass

•1 1/2 shots gin •1/2 shot maraschino liqueur •1/2 shot fresh lemon juice •1/8 shot creme de violettes (violet liqueur)

Garnish: 1 cherry

Shake and ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

6. Bay Breeze Serve in a Highball glass

• 1 1/2 shots vodka • Cranberry juice • Pineapple juice

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Build in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Top with half cranberry, half pineapple juice. Add the garnish.

7. Bellini (++) A sophisticated Italian drink created at Harry’s Bar in Venice in 1948 by head bartender & owner, Harry Cipriani. To this day, people still travel to Venice to drink Bellini’s at Harry’s Bar, despite the change of ownership. To really make this drink shine, it’s important that fresh peach puree is used along with Prosecco. But feel free to experiment with other types of puree. Remember, no recipe is written in stone.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 213 Serve in a Flute glass

•1 1/2 shots peach puree •Top with prosecco

Garnish: No garnish

Add the peach puree to the ﬂute glass, then slowly top with prosecco (if you pour too fast, the prosecco will over bubble & overﬂow), stirring constantly to mix the ingredients.

8. Black and Tan A combination of lager & stout beer, when layered properly, this concoction looks really cool.

Serve in a Beer glass

• Half pale ale or lager • Half stout or porter

Garnish: No garnish

Pour the pale ale or lager into a beer glass and top with the stout or porter.

9. Black Russian (++) One of the ﬁrst cocktails I learned to make & love, it’s a classic that was created in the late 1940s. It’s one of those drinks you won’t make often, but when you do, you’ll be making them all night.

Serve in a Old Fashioned glass

•2 shots vodka •1 shot coffee liqueur •1 cherry for garnish

Garnish: 1 cherry

Build & stir in an old fashioned glass. Add the garnish.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 214 10. Blood and Sand An unusual combination of ingredients that works surprisingly well.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 3/4 shot scotch • 3/4 shot Cherry Heering • 3/4 shot sweet vermouth • 3/4 shot orange juice

Garnish: 1 orange twist

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

11. Bloody Mary (++) Unlike most cocktails, the origins of the Bloody Mary are well known. It was created by bartender Fernand “Pete” Petiot at Harry’s New York bar in Paris around 1924 just after France started importing tinned tomatoes from America.

In 1934, Petiot was brought to New York to head the bar at the St Regis Hotel during the prohibition era and he brought his creation with him. Americans have been drinking Bloody Mary’s ever since.

When it was ﬁrst created, it wasn’t very well liked. David Embury went as far as to describe the cocktail as “strictly vile” in his book ‘The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks.’ Today, many people still consider the Bloody Mary strictly vile, but it also has a loyal following of diehard fans that absolutely love it.

Every bartender thinks they know ‘the best’ Bloody Mary recipe, but the truth, there is no 1 recipe because people’s preferences vary so widely. Some drinkers like it extra spicy, some prefer it mild. As such, you should always ask your guest how spicy they would like it on a scale of 1-10 and adjust the hot sauce you add appropriately.

Despite it being individualised, there are a few general consensus on how it should be made. Always use lemon juice over lime juice as it marries better with tomato juice. And it should always be rolled as opposed to shaking or stirring. Shaking emulsiﬁes the tomato juice (a fancy way of saying, separating it and making it bubble), and stirring isn’t strong enough to adequately mix the ingredients.

The recipe below is one I’ve found appeals to the widest audience.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 215 Serve in a Hurricane glass

•2 shots vodka •3/4 shot fresh lemon juice •2 dashes Worcestershire sauce •4 dashes of Tabasco sauce •4 shots tomato juice •Black pepper to taste •Celery salt to taste

Garnish: 1 celery stick & 1 lemon wedge

Roll the ingredients over ice until they’re adequately mixed & cooled (7-8 times). Strain into a hurricane glass. Add ice cubes. Add the the garnish.

Variations If you don’t have a hurricane glass, a collins or highball glass is ﬁne. Tabasco sauce can be replaced with any hot sauce. If you don’t have celery salt, regular salt is ﬁne. Some recipes call for horseradish - if you have it, and the customer likes it, feel free to add it. I’ve chosen to omit it because I’ve found many people dislike horseradish.

If your bar is making a lot of these, it’s wise to prepare a ‘Bloody Mary’ mix in advance. Pre-prepare everything except for the vodka so that’s all you need to add when someone orders one.

12. Blue Lagoon One of the few cocktails that you’ll ever get to use blue curaçao for.

Serve in a Collins glass

• 1 shot vodka • 1 shot blue curaçao • 1/2 shot fresh lemon juice • Top with lemonade

Garnish: 1 cherry and 1 slice of lemon.

Shake & strain in an ice-ﬁlled collins glass. Top with lemonade. Add the garnishes.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 216 13. Boulevardier Another cocktail that was created at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, this time by the owner, Harry McElhone. It’s basically a Negroni that replaces Bourbon for Gin.

Serve in a Old-Fashioned glass

• 1 1/2 shots bourbon • 3/4 shot Campari • 3/4 shot sweet vermouth

Garnish: 1 orange twist

Stir & strain into an ice-ﬁlled old-fashioned glass. Add the garnish.

14. Bramble (++) Created by UK bartender Dick Bradsell in the 1980s, it’s a very popular cocktail in the UK. The Bramble is essentially a gin sour with blackberry liqueur. In the real world, a bramble is the bush that blackberries grow on.

Serve in a Old-Fashioned glass

•1 1/2 shots gin •3/4 shot fresh lemon juice •3/4 shot simply syrup •1/2 shot crème de mure (blackberry liqueur)

Garnish: 1 lemon wheel

Shake & Strain the ﬁrst 3 ingredients into an Old-Fashioned Glass ﬁlled with crushed ice. Dribble the crème de mure down through the ice. Add the garnish.

15. Brandy Alexander Also known as ‘The Panama,’ and originally as the ‘Alexander #2,’ it’s a classic that was created in the 1930s. It’s a perfect after-dinner / dessert cocktail.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 1 1/2 shots brandy

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 217 • 1/2 shot crème de cacao • 1 shot heavy cream

Garnish: Grated nutmeg or chocolate powder.

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

16. Brass Monkey (—) A huge shout-out to Ben Leggett from Drinking Cup for contributing this recipe, the Brass Monkey.

Serve in an Old-Fashioned glass

• 2 shots Martell VSOP brandy • 1/2 shot tawny port • 1/2 shot Dom Benedictine • 1/2 shot fresh orange juice • 2 dashes orange bitters

Garnish: Half orange slice.

Build over ice in your mixing glass. Strain into an ice-ﬁlled (preferably ice-ball) old- fashioned glass. Add the garnish.

Comments: Feel free to use a different VSOP brandy (or better quality) instead of Martell.

17. Bronx Cocktail Created in the early 1900s at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (located where The Empire State Building is today) by bartender Johnny Solon naming it after the Bronx Zoo. He said he invented the drink for a guest, claiming it was impossible to discern the difference between the zoo and his bar. It’s also likely that this was the ﬁrst cocktail to use fruit juice, leading a revolution.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 1 1/2 shots gin • 1/4 shot sweet vermouth • 1/4 shot dry vermouth

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 218 • 1 shot orange juice Garnish: 1 orange twist Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

18. Buck’s Fizz See Mimosa.

19. Caipirinha (++) A muddled cocktail originating in Brazil. It’s a very polarising cocktail because it uses a rough spirit called cachaça rum. Some people love it, others hate it. If your guest isn’t a fan of cachaça, make them the more approachable Caiprioska cocktail instead.

Serve in an Old-Fashioned glass

•4-6 lime wedges •2 shots cachaça rum •1 large bar spoon of granulated sugar

Garnish: No garnish

Muddle the limes & sugar in an old-fashioned glass. Add crushed ice & cachaça, then stir thoroughly. Crown with crushed ice.

Variations You can use 2/3 shot of simple syrup instead of the granulated sugar. White granulated sugar works better than brown granulated sugar, but feel free to experiment.

20. Caiprioska (++) A variation to the Caipirinha cocktail, this is a fantastic, flexible recipe to play around with. Try muddling different fruits along with the lime wedge (e.g. lychees, strawberries, passionfruit), and adding different syrups & liqueurs to create interesting combinations. Just remember to keep its flavour profile balanced.

Serve in an Old-Fashioned glass

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 219 • 3-4 Lime wedges • 2 shots vodka • 1 large bar spoon of granulated sugar

Garnish: No garnish

Muddle the limes & sugar in an old-fashioned glass. Add crushed iced & vodka, then stir thoroughly. Crown with crushed ice.

Variations You can use 2/3 shot of simple syrup instead of granulated sugar. White granulated sugar works better than brown granulated sugar, but feel free to experiment.

21. Champagne Cocktail (++) An oldie and a goodie, the Champagne cocktail has been popular since the mid 1800s. It’s easy to make and it has historical signiﬁcance because it appeared in the ﬁrst cocktail recipe book aimed at bartenders, Jerry Thomas’ classic ‘The Bartender’s Guide - A Complete Cyclopedia of Plain and Fancy Drinks.’

Serve in a Flute glass

•1 sugar cube •Angostura bitters •Top with champagne

Garnish: 1 lemon twist

Soak the sugar cube with angostura bitters, then place the soaked sugar cube in the bottom of the ﬂute glass. Top slowly with champagne - be gentle to avoid spillage. Add the garnish.

22. Clover Club Cocktail A pre-prohibition cocktail attributed to the ‘Clover Club’ society.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 2 shots gin • 1 shot fresh lemon juice

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 220 • 1/2 shot grenadine or raspberry syrup • 1/2 an egg white

Garnish: No garnish

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass.

23. Compass Rose (—) A huge shout-out to Chris & Julia Tunstall from A Bar Above for contributing this recipe, the Compass Rose is a beautiful cocktail made with two of my favourite ingredients - amaretto and chocolate bitters.

In Julia’s words, “This is one of those great cocktails that is truly delicious and doesn’t’ use any weird ingredients. If you have a decently stocked home bar, you might just have the ingredients already! And if you do – deﬁnitely give this one a try. It’s a winner. (Even for folks who don’t usually care for rum!)”

Since the chocolate bitters is used mainly as a garnish, Angostura works well too.

Serve in a Coupe Glass

• 1 1/4 shots dark rum • 3/4 shot amaretto • 1 shot fresh lemon juice • 1/2 shot simple syrup • 3/4 shot egg white

Garnish: 9 drop of Aztec chocolate bitters (Angostura can be used instead)

Dry shake to activate the egg white. Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled coupe glass. Carefully add the 9 drops of bitters in a cross shape. Drag a pick through to create the heart design.

24. Cosmopolitan (Cosmo) (++) Although no-one knows who or exactly when the Cosmo was created, it was championed by bartender & ‘King Cocktail,’ Dale DeGroff in the late 80s & early 90s. Once Madonna & the hit T.V. series ‘Sex & the City’ caught wind of it, the cocktail exploded.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 221 Despite this being considered a ‘girly’ drink, it’s delicious and it’s one of my favourite cocktails. It’s well balanced, it looks great, and the added showmanship of the ﬂaming orange garnish makes it an essential recipe in every bartender’s repertoire.

Serve in a Martini Glass

•1 1/2 shots citrus vodka •1/2 shot triple sec •1/4 shot simple syrup •1/2 shot fresh lime juice •3/4 shot cranberry juice

Garnish: 1 ﬂamed orange peel

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

25. Cuba Libre (++) A simple highball cocktail - don’t forget to add the shot of fresh lime juice, otherwise it’s just a rum & cola.

Serve in a Highball glass

•2 shots white rum •1 shot fresh lime juice •Top with cola

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Build in a high-ball glass. Add ice cubes, then top with cola. Add the garnish.

Daiquiris There are many variations of the daiquiri, including both frozen and various fruit varieties. And because it’s often served as a cheap frozen, fruity cocktail at pool parties, people seem to think it’s not very good. But when made properly with quality ingredients, daiquiris are delicious - even the frozen, fruity variations!

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 222 To make fruit daiquiris, it’s as simple as muddling or blending the fruit into the mix and replacing the simple syrup with a fruit liqueur or fruit syrup. To make frozen variations, blend the mix with a scoop of crushed.

You’ll see a couple of different recipes below that will give you a solid idea of how you can play around with it.

26. Classic Daiquiri (++) Essentially, a rum sour.

Serve in a Martini glass

•2 shots white rum •1 shot fresh lime juice •3/4 shot simple syrup

Garnish: 1 lime wheel

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

27. Hemingway Daiquiri Serve in a Martini glass

• 2 shot white rum • 1/2 shot maraschino liqueur • 3/4 shot fresh lime juice • 1/2 shot grapefruit juice • 1/4 shot simple syrup

Garnish: 1 lime wheel

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

28. Strawberry Daiquiri Serve in a Martini glass

• 4 strawberries

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 223 • 1 1/2 shots white rum • 1/2 shot strawberry liqueur • 1 shot fresh lime juice • 1/4 shot strawberry syrup

Garnish: 1 strawberry

Muddle 4 strawberries in your Boston shaker. Add the other ingredients, then shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

29. Dark ’n’ Stormy (++) A simple Bermudian highball cocktail that’s popular all around the world. For a Dark ’n’ Stormy to be called a Dark ’n’ Stormy it must be made with Gosling’s Black Seal rum because it’s a trademark of Gosling Brother’s Ltd.

Serve in a Highball glass

•2 shots Gosling’s Black Seal rum •Top with ginger beer

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Build in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Add the garnish.

30. French 75 A wonderful champagne cocktail that can be made with either gin or cognac, and lemon or lime juice.

Serve in a Flute glass

• 1 shot gin or cognac • 1/2 shot fresh lemon or lime juice • 1/2 shot simple syrup • Top with champagne

Garnish: 1 lemon twist

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 224 Shake & fine strain the first 3 ingredients into a flute glass. Top with champagne. Add the garnish.

31. Gimlet It’s important lime cordial (or lime syrup) is used instead of fresh lime juice. If made with fresh lime juice and sugar, it’s called a ‘Gin Rickey’ instead.

Serve in a Coupe or Old-fashioned glass

• 2 shots gin • 1/2 shot lime-juice cordial

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Shake & strain into an ice-ﬁlled old-fashioned glass or a chilled coupe glass. Add the garnish.

32. Gin Fizz (++) An easy way to remember ﬁzz cocktails is that they’re almost always sours, topped with soda and served in a highball glass.

Serve in a Highball glass

•2 shots gin •1 shot fresh lemon juice •3/4 shot simple syrup •Top with soda

Garnish: 1 lemon wedge

Shake & strain the ﬁrst 3 ingredients into an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Top with soda. Add the garnish.

33. Gin Rickey Serve in a Highball glass

• 2 shots gin • 1 shot fresh lime juice

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 225 • 3/4 shot simple syrup • Top with soda

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Shake & strain the ﬁrst 3 ingredients into an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Top with soda. Add the garnish.

34. Godfather Serve in a Rocks glass

• 1 1/2 shots scotch • 1/2 shot amaretto

Garnish: No garnish

Stir & strain into an ice-ﬁlled rocks glass.

35. Godmother Serve in a Rocks glass

• 1 1/2 shots vodka • 1/2 shot amaretto

Garnish: No garnish

Stir & strain into an ice-ﬁlled rocks glass.

36. Grasshopper If you like chocolate-covered mints, you’ll love this one.

Serve in a Coupe glass

• 1 shot green crème de menthe • 1 shot white crème de cacao • 1 shot heavy cream

Garnish: 1 ﬂoating mint leaf or chocolate shavings

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 226 Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled coupe glass. Float the mint leaf garnish on top.

37. Greyhound Serve in a Highball glass

• 2 shots vodka • Top with grapefruit juice

Garnish: 1 grapefruit slice

Build in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Top with grapefruit juice. Add the garnish.

38. Harvey Wallbanger Appearing in the 1960s, there are a few stories of how this cocktail came to be. My favourite is that it was named after a surfer called Harvey who drank so much he’d bump into the walls.

Serve in a Highball glass

• 2 shots vodka • Top with orange juice • 1/4 shot Galliano

Garnish: 1 cherry

Build the vodka and orange juice in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Stir brieﬂy. Float the Galliano on top of the drink. Add the garnish.

39. Hot Toddy (++) Toddies have been around since the 1700s and were once considered a type of medicine. There are many variations but the most popular one calls for ‘Christmas spices.’ Unsurprisingly, it’s commonly ordered around Christmas.

Serve in an Irish Coffee glass

•2 shots scotch •1/2 shot fresh lemon juice

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 227 • 1 spoon honey • 1/2 shot simple syrup • 3 dried cloves • Top with Boiling water

Garnish: 1 lemon wedge & 1 cinnamon stick

Build in a pre-heated Irish coffee glass with boiling water. Stir until honey dissolves. Add the garnishes.

40. Irish Coffee (++) In the early 1940s, bartender Joe Sheridan created this drink at Ireland’s Shannon Airport as a way to “warm” his passengers. After the passengers asked if they were being served ‘Brazilian Coffee,’ Joe told them it was ‘Irish coffee’ and thus, this world- renowned drink was born.

Stanton Deplane, a reporter & travel writer for the San Fransisco Chronicle, tried one of Joe’s Irish Coffees, loved it and then brought it over to America in 1952. The rest, as they say, is history.

Serve in an Irish Coffee glass

•2 shots Irish whiskey •1 shot simple syrup •4-5 shots hot coffee •Top with whipped cream

Garnish: 3 espresso beans (optional)

Build in an Irish coffee glass. Float the whipped cream on top. Add the garnish. Serve with a long teaspoon.

41. Jack Rose Serve in a Martini glass

• 2 shots applejack • 3/4 shot fresh lemon juice • 1/4 shot grenadine

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 228 • 1/4 shot simple syrup

Garnish: 1 lemon twist

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

42. Japanese Cocktail Another classic cocktail that’s been around since the mid 1800s, it’s a beautiful combination of cognac & orgeat syrup.

Serve in a Coupe glass

• 2 shots cognac • 1/2 shot orgeat syrup • 1/2 shot fresh lime juice • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Garnish: 1 lemon twist

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled coupe glass. Add the garnish.

43. Kir A popular French cocktail.

Serve in a White Wine glass

• 1/4 shot crème de cassis • Top with dry white wine

Garnish: 1 lemon twist or blackberry

Build in a white wine glass. Add the garnish.

44. Kir Royale Commonly served at weddings.

Serve in a Flute glass

• 1/4 shot crème de cassis

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 229 • Top with champagne

Garnish: 1 lemon twist or blackberry

Build in a ﬂute glass. Add the garnish.

45. Last Word If you’re guests like Chartreuse, they’ll love this cocktail.

Serve in a Coupe glass

• 3/4 shot gin • 3/4 shot maraschino liqueur • 3/4 shot Green Chartreuse liqueur • 3/4 shot fresh lime juice

Garnish: 1 cherry

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled coupe glass. Add the garnish.

46. Long Island Iced Tea (++) This drink packs a powerful punch. That’s probably why it’s so popular among college and university students. If you’re working in a nightclub or a bar near a college/ university, expect to make a lot of these.

Despite this drink going against many ‘mixing’ conventions, it actually tastes pretty good.

Serve in a Hurricane glass

•1/2 shot vodka •1/2 shot white rum •1/2 shot blanco tequila •1/2 shot gin •1/2 shot triple sec •1/2 shot fresh lemon juice •1/2 shot simple syrup •Top with cola

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 230 Garnish: 1 lemon wedge

Shake & strain into an ice-ﬁlled hurricane glass. Top with cola. Add the garnish.

47. Lynchburg Lemonade Created in Lynchburg Tennessee for all you Jack Daniel’s fans. This was one of the ﬁrst cocktails I learned how to make and it’s one of the most drinks in the world.

Serve in a Collins glass

• 1 1/2 shots Jack Daniel’s whiskey • 1/2 shot triple sec • 1/2 shots fresh lemon juice • Top with sprite

Garnish: 1 lemon wedge

Shake & strain the ﬁrst 3 ingredients into an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Top with sprite. Add the garnish.

48. Mai Tai (++) A modern classic and arguably the most popular tiki drink on the planet. The Mai Tai was created by bartender “Trader” Vic Bergeron. In 1970, “Trader Vic” Bergeron wrote the following:

“I originated the Mai Tai and put together a bit of the background of the evolution of this drink…. In 1944, after success with several exotic rum drinks, I felt a new drink was needed. I thought about all the really successful drinks: martinis, manhattans, daiquiris… All basically simple drinks…. I took down a bottle of 17 year old rum. It was J. Wray Nephew from Jamaica; surprisingly golden in colour, medium bodied, but with rich pungent ﬂavour particular to Jamaican blends…. I took a fresh lime, added some orange curaçao from Holland, a dash of Rock Candy Syrup, and a dollop of French Orgeat, for its subtle almond ﬂavour. A generous amount of shaved ice and vigorous shaking by hand produced the marriage I was after. Half the lime shell went in for color…. I stuck in a branch of fresh mint and gave two of them to Ham and Carrie Guide, friends from Tahiti, who were there that night. Carrie took one sip and said, “Mai Tai— Roa Ai.” In Tahitian this means “Out of This World — The Best.” Well, that was that. I named the drink “Mai Tai.” … In fairness to myself and to a truly great drink, I hope you will agree when I say, “let’s get the record straight on the Mai Tai.”

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 231 The ingredients “Trader Vic” originally used are hard to come by today. So here’s a excellent recipe that’s more accessible.

Serve in a Large Old-Fashioned glass

•1 shot dark rum •1 shot white rum •1/2 shot triple sec •3/4 shot orgeat syrup •1 shot fresh lime juice

Garnish: 2-3 mint sprigs

Shake and strain into a large old-fashioned glass ﬁlled with crushed ice. Crown with crushed ice. Add the garnishes.

49. Manhattan (++) Originating in the late 1800s, the Manhattan is the grandfather to the infamous Martini cocktail and it’s one classics that every bartender should know. Legend has it a bartender at the Manhattan Club created this drink when Jennie Churchill (mother of Winston Churchill) threw a party for her father’s friend, the newly elected governor of New York, Samuel James Tilden.

Gary Regan describes it as “Quite simply, when properly constructed, it is the ﬁnest cocktail on the face of the earth.”

From a bartender as inﬂuential and skilled as Regan, that’s quite a statement! As a non- Manhattan drinker, I disagree, but that doesn’t change how important it is to know how to make this cocktail well.

Serve in a Martini glass

•2 shots bourbon or rye whiskey •1 shot sweet vermouth •2 dashes Angostura bitters

Garnish: 1 cherry

Stir & strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 232 Variations If possible, you should always offer your customer their choice of whiskey - the brand and either bourbon or rye. Feel free to experiment with different brands until you ﬁnd something you love serving. This is also a great drink to experiment with different types of bitters. Start with peychauds & orange bitters.

It can also be made in a rocks or old-fashioned glass served over ice if your customer prefers.

A Dry Manhattan is made with dry vermouth instead of sweet vermouth using the same proportions (i.e. 1 shot) and a lemon twist instead of the cherry for the garnish.

A Perfect Manhattan is made with half dry & half sweet vermouth (1/2 shot of each), and both a lemon twist & cherry for the garnish.

50. Margarita (++) One of the world’s most popular cocktails and drink responsible for bringing tequila into the limelight. We’re not sure exactly when the margarita was created - unsurprisingly, there are several stories of how that goes.

What we do know is that it came about in the early to mid 1900s… But it didn’t catch on until the 60s when the hippies heard that tequila induced hallucinogenic effect (note: this is false), so they started ordering tequila in everything. As an already fantastic drink of the time, the Margarita took off and it’s never looked back.

Serve in a Margarita glass

•1 1/2 shots blanco tequila •1 shot triple sec •3/4 shot fresh lime juice •Half salt rim

Garnish: 1 lime wheel

Rim half of the glass with salt ﬁrst. Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled margarita glass. Add the garnish.

Variations

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 233 If possible, ask your customer if they’d like a salt rim or not. Regardless, only rim half the glass with salt so they have the choice to drink from the side of the glass with salt or not. You can also make this drink over ice in a rocks or old-fashioned glass. Use the same proportions and similarly, only rim half the glass with salt.

Add a shot of cranberry juice, and you’ve made a Tequila Cosmo.

51. Jason’s Margarita (—) A huge shoutout to Jason Shurtz from the BartendingPro YouTube channel for contributing this cocktail, his Award-Winning Margarita recipe.

Serve in a 16oz Pint glass

• 1 1/2 shots tequila of choice (recommend reposado) • 1/2 shot Chambord liqueur • 1 1/4 shots fresh lime juice • 1 shot fresh orange juice

Garnish: 1 lime wedge & 1 orange wedge

Shake hard and strain into an ice-ﬁlled, salt-rimmed (ask your guest if they’d like a salt rim) 16oz pint glass. Squeeze in the garnishes.

52. Tommy’s Margarita A popular variation of the classic margarita that uses more tequila and agave syrup instead of triple sec.

Serve in a Rock’s glass

• 2 shots 100% agave blanco tequila • 1 shot fresh lime juice • 1/2 shot agave syrup • Half salt rim for garnish

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Rim half of the glass with salt ﬁrst. Shake & strain into an ice-ﬁlled rock’s glass. Add the garnish.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 234 53. Martinez It’s very likely that this drink evolved from the manhattan cocktail and was the pre- curser to the dry martini. The main difference being that the martinez was made with sweet vermouth and the martini is made with dry vermouth.

Note: When the martini was ﬁrst created, it was also made with bitters & maraschino liqueur.

Serve in a Martini Glass

• 2 shots gin • 1 shot sweet vermouth • 1/4 shot maraschino liqueur • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Garnish: 1 lemon twist

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

Martinis The Martini is probably the most well known cocktail of all time. James Bond may have had something to do with its modern day resurgence but it has been popular since it ﬁrst hit the market in the late 1800s.

Today, the classic Martini is a sign of sophistication and martini drinks are often the most particular. Perhaps for that reason, the Martini intimidates new bartenders. There are so many different variations and it has a lot consuming terminology surrounding it that make it seem far more complex than what it actually is.

To make things more confusing, in the 90’s, bartenders started calling any cocktail that was served in a martini glass a ‘Martini.’ To clarify, most of these cocktails aren’t ‘real’ martinis. Most of them are, in fact, a type of sour cocktail, and have nothing to do with the classic recipe.

You’ll ﬁnd these ‘new-age’ martini recipes under the ‘other’ section.

It’s usually fairly obvious when someone wants a ‘new-age’ martini like a lychee martini or an espresso martini because that’s exactly what they’ll ask for. But for the classic martini order, you’ll need to get further clariﬁcation because people have different preferences and like I mentioned earlier, martini drinkers can be very particular.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 235 Here’s the dance you’ll need to take your guest through.

• Ask for their preference of spirit - vodka or gin. • Ask how dry (or wet) they’d like it. The dryness (or wetness) of a martini indicates how much dry vermouth should be used. Dry means less vermouth. Wet means more vermouth. A dry martini indicates the recipe I’ve listed below (the most common order). A wet martini should be made with around 1 shot of dry vermouth to 2 1/2 shots vodka/gin. An extra dry martini should be made with 1/8 shot of dry vermouth. • Ask if they’d like it dirty? Dirty simply means who add a little olive brine to the mix. • Ask for their preference of garnish - lemon twist, olive or pickled onion (indicates a gibson martini). If it’s served dirty, it should always be garnished with an olive unless otherwise speciﬁed.

Finally, the martini should always be mixed by stirring unless the customer wants it shaken. If so, it should shaken and ﬁne-strained into the chilled martini glass instead.

Gin

54. Gibson Martini Serve in a Martini glass

• 2 1/2 shots gin • 1/2 shot of dry vermouth

Garnish: 1 pickled onion.

Stir & strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

55. Dry Gin Martini (++) Serve in a Martini glass

•2 1/2 shots gin •1/2 shot dry vermouth

Garnish: 1 lemon twist or 1 olive

Stir & strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 236 56. Dirty Gin Martini (++) Serve in a Martini glass

•2 1/2 shots gin •1/2 shot of dry vermouth •1/4 shot olive brine

Garnish: 1 olive

Stir & strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

57. Vesper Martini The original James Bond martini - a combination of gin & vodka, but mostly gin. The recipe was then adapted to be primarily vodka, ‘shaken, not stirred,’ because of the Smirnoff brand - a well-paying sponsor.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 1 1/2 shot gin • 1/2 shot vodka • 1/4 shot dry vermouth

Garnish: 1 lemon twist

Stir & strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

Vodka

58. Dry Vodka Martini (++) Serve in a Martini glass

• 2 1/2 shots vodka • 1/2 shot dry vermouth

Garnish: 1 lemon twist or 1 olive

Stir & strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 237 59. Dirty Vodka Martini (++) Serve in a Martini glass

• 2 1/2 shots vodka • 1/2 shot of dry vermouth • 1/4 shot olive brine

Garnish: 1 olive

Stir & strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

Others

60. Apple Martini Sometimes called an ‘Appletini’, it’s simply a vodka sour ﬂavoured with apple juice & liqueur, and uses honey syrup as the sweetener.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 1 1/2 shots vodka • 1/2 shot apple liqueur • 1 shot cloudy apple juice • 1/2 shot honey syrup • 1/2 shot fresh lemon juice

Garnish: 3 apple slices made as fan

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

61. Chocolate Martini Serve in a Martini glass

• 1 1/2 shots vodka • 1 shot dark crème de cacao • 3/4 shot heavy cream

Garnish: Coat glass with chocolate syrup

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 238 Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled coupe glass. Add the garnish.

62. Espresso Martini (++) The Espresso Martini is one of the new kids on the block, but despite it being new, it’s quickly risen to be among the most popular cocktails in the world. Some people go out just to drink them. I guess it’s not surprising - when you combine two legally addictive & commonly consumed drugs, you’re bound to create something that goes wild!

If you can, use freshly brewed espresso and shake it hard to create that foamy layer on top.

Serve in a Martini glass

•1 1/2 shots vodka •1/2 shot coffee liqueur (like Kahlua) •1 shot of freshly brewed espresso •1/2 shot vanilla syrup

Garnish: 3 espresso beans

Shake hard & ﬁne strain into a chilled coupe glass. Add the garnish.

Variations This is a great drink to experiment with. You can change the base spirit for vanilla vodka, tequila or dark rum. One of my favourite variations combines an aged Caribbean dark rum with vanilla syrup, top with whipped cream - it’s incredible!

63. French Martini (++) Also known as the ‘Flirtini Martini,’ it was featured in the ‘Sex and the City.’ It’s an easy drinking, fruity cocktail.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 1 1/2 shot vodka • 1/2 shot raspberry liqueur (like Chambord) • 1 1/2 shot pineapple juice

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 239 Garnish: 1 pineapple wedge

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

64. Lychee Martini Another vodka sour that’s been ﬂavoured using lychee ingredients & honey as the sweetener.

Serve in a Coupe glass

• 2-3 lychees • 1 1/2 shots vodka • 1/2 shot lychee liqueur • 1/2 shot honey syrup • 3/4 shot fresh lemon juice

Garnish: 1 ﬂoating lychee

Muddle the lychees then add the rest of the ingredients. Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled coupe glass. Float a lychee on top to garnish.

65. Porn Star Martini (++) Some people order this just for the name, but it’s also a great tasting cocktail. It’s one of the most popular cocktails in the world and it’s the most visited cocktail on Difford’s Guide for 3 years in a row. Created in UK at London’s Townhouse and its sister bar, LAB, it’s particularly popular in its country of origin.

Serve in a Martini glass

•1 1/2 shots vanilla vodka •1/2 shot passionfruit liqueur (like Passoa) •1/2 shot vanilla syrup •1/2 shot fresh lime juice •1/2 fresh passionfruit •1 shot champagne served in a shot glass on the side

Garnish: 1/2 fresh passionfruit

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 240 Shake and ﬁne strain the ﬁrst 4 ingredients & the pulp from half a fresh passionfruit into a chilled martini glass. Float the other half of the passionfruit on top to garnish. Serve alongside a shot of champagne.

66. Millionaire Cocktail A crowd pleaser that combines interesting ingredients - I love sloe gin.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 1 shot dark rum • 1 shot sloe gin • 1 shot apricot brandy • 1 shot fresh lime juice

Garnish: 1 ﬂoating mint leaf

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

67. Mimosa (++) Also known as a Buck’s Fizz, it’s commonly served in the morning and during day- time wedding celebrations.

Serve in a Flute glass

•1 1/2 shots orange juice •Top with champagne

Garnish: No garnish

Build in a ﬂute glass. Carefully top with champagne to avoid spillage.

68. Mint Julep Dating back to the 1700s, juleps were the ﬁrst American drink that attracted international attention. Essentially, it’s a mojito with bourbon instead of rum and without fresh lime juice.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 241 The truth is, you won’t make many of these unless you’re a bartender in Kentucky. The mojito is far more popular everywhere else in the world. But because of it’s historical signiﬁcance, it’s important to know about.

Serve in a Julep Cup or Collins glass

• 8-12 fresh mint leaves • 2 shots bourbon • 3/4 shot simple syrup

Garnish: 2 mint sprigs

Clap mint leaves in your hand before adding to your shaker. Add the rest of the ingredients, then shake and strain into an empty julep cup. Top with crushed ice and stir. Top with crushed ice again and stir. Crown with crushed ice. Slap the mint sprigs on the side of your hand before adding the garnish.

69. Miss Molly (—) This recipe was given to me by my cocktail mentor just before I started my ﬁrst management job. It’s a variation to the Cosmo and it was the most popular recipe on our cocktail list, particularly among women. You won’t ﬁnd this recipe everywhere so it’s a great one to pull out if you want to impress one of your guests.

You’ll notice that the proportions are very similar to the ‘new-age’ martinis. Once you get more conﬁdent with these recipes, this is an example of how you can experiment with proven recipes by changing up its ingredients.

Serve in a Coupe glass

• 2 shots citrus vodka • 1 shot grapefruit juice • 2/3 shot fresh lemon juice • 1/2 shot agave syrup • 1 bar spoon marmalade

Garnish: 1 ﬂaming orange peel

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled coupe glass. Add the garnish.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 242 70. Mojito (++) Arguably, the most popular summer cocktail in the world, it’s the perfect refreshment on a hot summer’s day. Almost everyone knows the Mojito and people will order it regardless of whether or not it’s on your menu, so it’s an essential cocktail recipe to know. It’s probable I’ve made more mojitos than any other cocktail in my life.

There are different ways of making this drink. Some bartenders choose to muddle the mint alongside the lime wedges, and others like to use dark rum instead of white rum. Personally, I recommend white rum over dark rum, and NOT to muddle the mint. The shredded leaves look ugly in the ﬁnal glass and it’s easy to over muddle the mint - I much prefer to clap the mint leaves in.

Note: Clapping the mint helps the leaves release its ﬂavours & aromas into and around the drink so your guest can taste & smell that minty freshness.

Interestingly, the mojito was one of Ernest Hemingway’s favourite drinks.

Serve in a Collins glass

•4-6 lime wedges •6-8 fresh mint leaves •2 shots white rum •2-3 teaspoons of granulated white sugar •Top with soda

Garnish: 2-3 mint sprigs

Muddle the lime wedges with the granulated sugar in the bottom of a collins glass. Clap the mint leaves then add them to the glass with the white rum. Fill with crushed ice and stir thoroughly. You want the mint leaves scattered throughout the glass so it’s more visually appealing. Top with soda water. Crown with crushed ice. Slap the mint sprigs on the side of your hand and add them as the garnish.

71. Moscow Mule (++) An old classic. It’s easy to make and it was heavily marketed by Smirnoff Vodka when they released their brand. This helped it become one of the more well-known cocktails back in the day. Traditionally served in a copper mug, it’s still one of the most popular cocktails in the world.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 243 If you don’t stock copper mugs, a highball or collins glass is ﬁne.

Serve in a Copper Mug

•2 shots vodka •1/2 shot fresh lime juice •Top with ginger beer

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Build in an ice-ﬁlled copper mug. Top with ginger beer. Add the garnish.

72. Muay Thai (—) A variation to the Mai Tai, this is another recipe that was given to me by my cocktail mentor. It’s absolutely delicious - the combination of ginger, maple syrup, dark rum, lime juice, and orange juice is sure to impress all tiki cocktail drinkers.

This is a more advanced recipe than most of the others on this list, and once again, it’s not very well known. So feel free to pull this one out when you want to impress your guests.

Serve in a Large Old-Fashioned glass

• 2 small slices of ginger • 2 shots dark rum • 2/3 shot maple syrup • 1 shot lime juice • 3 drops orange bitters

Garnish: 1 lemon wedge & 1 mint sprig

Using the muddling spoon, bruise the ginger in the bottom of a Boston. Add the other ingredients and shake & strain into a large old-fashioned glass. Fill with crushed ice. Add the garnishes.

73. Mudslide Serve in a Rocks glass

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 244 • 1 shot vodka • 1 shot coffee liqueur • 1 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream • 1 shot heavy cream • 1 scoop crushed ice

Garnish: Chocolate swizzle on glass.

Blend all the ingredients and pour into a hurricane glass.

Variations You can blend this with ice-cream instead of heavy cream to make a thicker, creamier version.

To make an Orgasm cocktail, swap vodka for Amaretto. Add vodka to an orgasm cocktail and it becomes a Screaming Orgasm.

74. Negroni (++) The Negroni is a fantastic, simple cocktail that’s very popular among bartender & cocktail aﬁcionados. It was once described to me as the perfect balance of sweet, sour and bitter, and now that I’m a fan, I can’t help but agree.

It's said to have originated in Florence, Italy in 1919 when Count Negroni asked his bartender to strengthen his favourite cocktail, the Americano, by adding gin rather soda water. Whether it's due to its 'perfect balance' or the enormous amount of alcohol it contains, people have been addicted to this classic ever since.

The Negroni is, without a doubt, an acquired taste. The bitterness of Campari often puts people off in the beginning but ironically, it's that bitterness that people grow to love. To add a little something extra and a bit more flair, finish it off with a flaming orange garnish and you'll impress even the most sophisticated of Negroni drinkers.

Serve in a Rocks glass

•1 shot gin •1 shot Campari •1 shot sweet vermouth

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 245 Garnish: 1 orange twist

Build in an ice-ﬁlled rocks glass. Lightly stir. Add the garnish.

75. Old Fashioned (++) The Old Fashioned is as old as the Manhattan and it came about in the late 1800s. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy among bartenders around this cocktail. The question of whether or not to muddle fruit in it (speciﬁcally maraschino cherrie and orange slices) is often debated.

Historically, no fruit was muddled in this cocktail and it appears to have only been introduced around the prohibition era.

Personally, I’m a no-fruit kind of guy and that’s how every venue I’ve worked at has ever made it. This quote from Crosby Gaige in 1945 sums up my opinion beautifully, “Serious-minded persons omit fruit salad from ‘Old-Fashioned’s,’ while the frivolous window-dress the brew with slices of orange, sticks of pineapple, and a couple of turnips.”

But my opinion here is pretty much worthless because the old-fashioned is a very American drink. As such, it should be ‘fashioned’ however the drinker likes it. So feel free to experiment with different fruits, brands of bitters, and types of bourbon or rye whiskey.

Below, is the recipe I’ve successfully used throughout my career.

Serve in an Old-Fashioned glass

•1 sugar cube •2 1/2 shots bourbon or rye whiskey •3 dashes Angostura bitters

Garnish: 1 cherry or 1 orange twist

Muddle the sugar & bitters in an old-fashioned glass. Add ice and whiskey, then stir thoroughly. Add more ice & stir again. Add the garnish.

Variations For the fruit version, muddle 2 cherries & 2 orange slices with the sugar & bitters.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 246 76. Pegu Club Cocktail Originated in Burma, South-East-Asia, at the Pegu club - this drink has travelled around the world.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 2 shots gin • 1 shot triple sec • 1/2 shot fresh lime juice • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Garnish: 1 lime twist

Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

77. Penicillin Guaranteed to cure all types of ailments - that’s how the combination of peated scotch whiskey, ginger, honey and lemon works, right?

Serve in a Large Old-Fashioned glass

• 1 1/2 shots scotch • 1/2 shot peated scotch whiskey • 1/2 shot ginger liqueur • 1/2 shot honey syrup • 3/4 shot fresh lemon juice

Garnish: 1 candied ginger stick

Shake & strain into an ice-ﬁlled large old-fashioned glass. Add the garnish.

78. Pimm’s Cup (++) The Pimm’s Cup cocktail is the most British drink I’ve ever come across. It’s the drink of choice at the Wimbledon Open and it’s heavily consumed at pompous events like rowing regattas.

Unsurprisingly, the drink was created in England which is slightly amusing because it’s a marvellously refreshing summer drink. And summer in England isn’t very hot…

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 247 Pimm Cup No.1 is an aperitif liqueur that originated in the early to mid-1800s created by none other than James Pimm. No.1 is made with gin as its base spirit - once again very British. There used to be several variations made with different base spirits, rye, rum, vodka, etc but they slowly fell by the wayside and only Pimm’s Cup No.1 & 2 are still on the market.

Served properly, this drink is garnished with as many different fruits as you can get your hands on.

Serve in a Collins glass

•2 shots Pimm’s No.1 •1 shot fresh lemon juice •Top with sprite

Garnish: 1 lemon slice, 1 orange slice, 1 cucumber slice, 1/2 strawberry, 2 mint leaves.

Shake & strain into a collins glass. Add ice-cubes. Top with sprite. Add the garnishes.

Variations Fruit of all sorts are commonly added to the Pimm’s Cup so feel free to add anything you like. Also, depending on the country you’re in, bartenders use ginger ale, lemon- lime soda, lemonade, or club soda as the top. Once again, feel to experiment here.

Finally, the Pimm’s Cup is commonly made as a jug to be shared by several people. Times this recipe by 5 and you should have enough for any standard-sized jug.

79. Piña Colada (++) The Piña Colada was created in the 1950s when a man named Don Ramon Lovep- Irizarry created cream made from coconut. It led the way for new & delicious cuisines, especially in tropical dishes and desserts. It was only a matter of time before a bartender wielded its power in the from of a cocktail.

That time came in 1957 when Ramon Marrero, a bartender in Puerto Rico, combined coconut cream with rum & pineapple juice. And thus, the Piña Colada was born.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 248 Bartender’s have so many different recipes for the piña colada. One of the reasons for this is because coconut cream isn’t often available in other cocktails and it’s hard to justify stocking it for the rare occasions a pina colada is ordered.

Serve in a Collins or Hurricane glass

•2 shots white rum •2 shots pineapple juice •1 1/2 shots coconut cream

Garnish: 1 cherry & 1 pineapple wedge

Shake & strain into an ice-ﬁlled collins or hurricane glass. Add the garnishes.

Variations If you don’t have coconut cream, use 1 shot of heavy cream instead and add 1/2 shot of coconut liqueur or coconut syrup (or both) to add that coconut ﬂavour.

The Piña Colada can also be blended with crushed ice & pineapple chunks for a thicker texture.

80. Pisco Sour A variation to the whiskey sour, it’s a delicious cocktail if you like pisco - an unusually grape brandy coming from Peru & Chile.

Serve in an Old-Fashioned glass

• 2 shots pisco brandy • 3/4 shot simple syrup • 1 shot fresh lime juice • 1/2 an egg white

Garnish: Angostura bitters

Dry shake to activate the egg white, then shake & strain into an old-fashioned glass. Add ice cubes. Garnish with several drops of bitters & add a design with a pick.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 249 81. Pousse Café Here’s a group of cocktails that you may or may not be making very often… The pousse-café literally means push coffee in French. It doesn’t translate very well into English because basically, it’s a category of layered drinks. Although the recipe I’ve listed below is the classic pousse-cafe recipe, there are several variations.

The B-52 shot that you’ll see in shooter section is example of a pousse café.

Most of the time, pousse cafés look great but they don’t taste very nice. The recipe below is an example of a beautifully layered pousse cafe, that doesn’t taste… you get the point.

Serve in a Pousse Café glass

• 1/4 shot grenadine • 1/4 shot dark crème de cacao • 1/4 shot maraschino liqueur • 1/4 shot orange curaçao • 1/4 shot green crème de menthe • 1/4 shot Parfait Amour • 1/2 shot cognac

Garnish: No garnish

Layer each ingredients in the order given above very carefully. Admire what took you 5-10 minutes to create. Silently watch (without getting angry) the customer quickly mix it all together… Ahhh, the life of a bartender!

82. Presbyterian Serve in a Highball glass

• 2 shots scotch • Top with ginger ale • Top with club soda

Garnish: 1 lemon wedge

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 250 Build in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Top with half ginger ale, half club soda. Add the garnish.

Punch Recipes It took me a long time to ﬁgure out that no-one really knows what punch is. There are punches with egg white, dessert punches, tropical punches for the summer, champagne punches, secret ingredient punches, and the list goes on and on and on.

So what the hell is punch?

I think I’ve ﬁgured it out - it’s essentially a mixed drink that’s comes in a big bowl, it’s served with a ladle, and it’s designed to be shared. It appears that a punches’ ingredients means nothing for it to be called a punch, so you create them with absolutely anything.

Punches are almost exclusively made for parties & big groups. So unless you’re working events and/or in bars that take the holiday seasons seriously, you won’t be making punches very often. But it’s always to have a few solid recipes up your sleeve, just in case.

83. Mulled Wine (Serves 6) Spices vary enormously among different recipes of mulled wine. This is one that I’ve found works quite well with the majority of customers.

Serve in a Irish Coffee glass

• 2 bottles of dry red wine • 2 cinnamon sticks • 6 whole cloves • 1 whole nutmeg • 2 shots fresh lemon juice • 1 vanilla pod • 12 shots water • 8 shots simple syrup

Garnish: Orange slices - 1 per glass

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 251 Heat cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, the vanilla pod, fresh lemon juice, water, & simple syrup over medium heat in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Add red wine and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and either serve straight away & garnish with an orange slice. Or let it cool down, pour the mix into glass bottles and store in the fridge. When ordered, heat up the mix with the espresso wand to serve hot before pouring into a strong stemmed wine glass. Add an orange slice to garnish.

84. Planter’s Punch (Serves 6) A refreshing punch that’s very popular during the summer months all around the world. It’s one of those punches that has a lot the fruit ﬂoating through it.

Serve in a Wine glasses

• 5 shots dark rum • 5 shots light rum • 3 shots triple sec • 12 shots orange juice • 12 shots pineapple juice • 3 shots simple syrup • 3 shots grenadine

Garnish: Pineapple wedges, orange slices, & lime slices - 1 each per glass

Mix all the ingredients in a large pitcher and store in the fridge in glass bottles. Shake the mix well before serving and pour over ice into a stemless wine glass. Add the garnishes.

Note: This can be served as a pitcher so you won’t have to store it in the fridge. Instead, after you’ve mixed all the ingredients together with ice in the pitcher, add the garnishes to the pitcher, and serve with enough glasses.

85. Sangria (Serves 6) Who doesn’t love Sangria? This Spanish concoction is one of the most well-known & popular punches in the world.

Serve in a Stemless Wine glasses

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 252 • 1 bottle of dry red wine (A Spanish grape is preferable - but merlot or Cab Sav work well too) • 6 shots brandy • 3 shots triple sec or Grand Marnier • 2 shots fresh lemon juice • 2 shots simple syrup • 10 shots orange juice • Top with club soda

Garnish: Orange, lemon, & lime slices. Strawberries & mint leaves can also be used.

Mix all the ingredients in a large pitcher and store in the fridge in glass bottles. Shake the mix well before serving and pour over ice into a stemless wine glass. Top with club soda. Add the garnishes.

Note: This can be served as a pitcher so you won’t have to store it in the fridge. Instead, after you’ve mixed all the ingredients together with ice in the pitcher, top with club soda, add the garnishes, and serve with enough glasses.

86. Rob Roy A variation to the Manhattan - it’s made with scotch instead of bourbon or rye whiskey.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 2 shots scotch • 1 shot sweet vermouth • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Garnish: 1 cherry

Stir & strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

Variations Similarly to the Manhattan, a rob roy can be made in a rocks or old-fashioned glass served over ice if your customer prefers.

A Dry Rob Roy is made with dry vermouth instead of sweet vermouth using the same proportions (i.e. 1 shot) and a lemon twist instead of the cherry for the garnish.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 253 A Perfect Rob Roy is made with half dry & half sweet vermouth (1/2 shot of each), and both a lemon twist & cherry for the garnish.

87. Rusty Nail (++) I’ll never forget the rusty nail because a Scottish bartender I worked with, called Ewan, would talk about how great it was all the time… To be fair, it’s delicious and it’s a great drink to start with if you’re interested in learning about scotch, but you can’t quite handle it straight yet.

Serve in a Rocks glass

•2 shots scotch •3/4 shot Drambuie

Garnish: No garnish

Stir & strain into an ice-ﬁlled rocks glass.

88. Sazerac (++) Another classic out of the mid 1800s, the Sazerac is an interesting cocktail and one of the few in this book that uses absinthe as an ingredient. You won’t make this cocktail very often, but when you do, you better be damn sure you know how to make a good. Sazerac drinkers tend to be very honest…

Peychaud’s bitters is an essential ingredient in the Sazerac so always use it if you have it.

Serve in a Rocks glass

•2 shots rye whiskey •1/4 shot absinthe (or absinthe substitute) •1/2 shot simple syrup •3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

Garnish: 1 lemon twist

Rinse a chilled rocks glass with absinthe, then discard it. Stir & strain the other ingredients into the chilled rocks glass WITHOUT ice. Twist the garnish over the drink, then discard.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 254 89. Screwdriver (++) Another name for a vodka and orange juice.

Serve in a Highball glass

•2 shots vodka •Top with orange juice

Garnish: 1 orange slice

Build in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Add the garnish.

90. Sea Breeze Serve in a Highball Glass

• 2 shots vodka • Top with half cranberry juice • Top with half grapefruit juice

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Build in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Top with half cranberry juice & half grapefruit juice. Add the garnish.

91. Sex on the Beach (++) Serve in a Highball Glass

•1 1/2 shots vodka •1/2 shot peach schnapps •Top with half cranberry juice •Top with half orange juice

Garnish: 1 orange slice

Build in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Top with half cranberry juice and half orange juice. Add the garnish.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 255 92. Sidecar (++) A fantastic classic cocktail and one of the 6 drinks that David Embury cared to include in his book, ‘The Fine art of Mixing Drinks’. The sidecar led the way for many amazing cocktails to come, the margarita, cosmopolitan, and kamikaze being 3 of the most notable.

Side Note: If you take a closer look at these recipes, you’ll notice how similar they are. Other than the cosmo (which has cranberry juice as well), the only difference is the base spirit.

According to Embury, this cocktail was created by his friend during the ﬁrst world war when he would travel to his favourite cafe in Paris in the Sidecar of a motorbike. The cocktail is indeed French, which one could simply deduce from its ingredients. But we’ll never be sure if Embury’s account is accurate or not.

Serve in a Coupe glass

•1 1/2 shots cognac •1 shot triple sec •3/4 shot fresh lemon juice

Garnish: 1 lemon twist

Rim half the coupe glass with sugar. Shake & ﬁne strain into the chilled coupe glass. Add the garnish.

93. Singapore Sling (++) It’s said this drink was created at the Long Bar in the Rafﬂes Hotel in Singapore in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. The recipe is often debated in the bartender community. That’s probably because there are so many bloody ingredients that there are an endless amount of variations that work well!

The recipe we’re going to use has been adapted from the original coming from the Rafﬂes Hotel, which seems appropriate because it’s the exact recipe I used when I worked in a hotel bar.

Serve in a Hurricane glass

• 1 1/2 shots gin • 1/2 shot Cherry Heering

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 256 •1/4 shot triple sec •1/4 shot Dom Benedictine •1 1/2 shot pineapple juice •1/2 shot fresh lime juice •2 dashes grenadine •1 dash Angostura bitters •Top with club soda

Garnish: 1 orange slice & 1 cherry

Shake & strain into an ice-ﬁlled hurricane glass. Top with soda. Add the garnishes.

94. Sloe Comfortable Screw Serve in a Highball glass

• 1 shot sloe gin • 1 shot Southern Comfort • Top with orange juice

Garnish: 1 orange slice

Build in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Add the garnish.

95. Snakebite Serve in a Beer glass

• Half lager beer • Half cider

Garnish: No garnish

Build in a beer glass in any order.

96. Southside It’s said this cocktail was created in New York’s “21” club. Essentially, it’s a minty-fresh gin sour.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 257 Serve in a Coupe glass

• 2 shots gin • 3/4 shot fresh lemon juice • 3/4 shot simple syrup • 6-8 mint leaves

Garnish: 1 ﬂoating mint leaf

Shake & ﬁne strain all ingredients (including mint leaves) into a chilled coupe glass. Add the ﬂoating mint leaf garnish.

97. Spritzer (++) Serve in a White Wine glass

• Dry white wine • Top with soda

Garnish: No garnish

Build in a white wine glass. Add ice-cubes. Top with soda.

98. Stinger One of the few cocktails that’s shaken despite it not containing any fruit, juice, dairy or egg products.

Serve in an Old-Fashioned glass

• 2 shots brandy • 1/2 shot white crème de menthe

Garnish: 1 mint sprig

Shake & strain into an old-fashioned glass ﬁlled with crushed ice. Add the garnish.

99. Tequila Sunrise A tequila and orange juice with a dash of grenadine that gives the drink a ‘sunrise’ look.

Serve in a Collins glass

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 258 • 2 shots tequila • Top with orange juice • Dash grenadine

Garnish: No garnish.

Build in an ice-ﬁlled collins glass. Drop the grenadine into the centre of the drink to act as a ‘sunrise’ garnish.

100. Toblerone Named after the Toblerone chocolate bar, this cocktail is a favourite among many - not usually bartenders. You can make a frozen variation by blending the mix with some vanilla ice-cream and crushed ice - remove the egg white & heavy cream if you choose to make it this way.

Serve in a Martini glass

• 1 shot Frangelico • 1 shot amaretto • 1 shot dark crème de cacao • 1/2 shot heavy cream • 1/2 an egg white

Garnish: Chocolate powder and/or swirl

Shake hard & strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish.

101. Tom Collins (++) A refreshingly simple cocktail that has been around since the mid 1800s. It’s a gin sour topped with soda water. Originally made with Old Tom Geneva gin (a sweetened gin that’s no longer available), it’s now made with London dry gin.

Serve in a Collins glass

•2 shots gin •3/4 shot fresh lemon juice •3/4 shot simple syrup

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 259 • Top with soda

Garnish: 1 lemon wedge

Shake & strain into an ice-ﬁlled collins glass. Top with soda. Add the garnish.

102. Whiskey Sour (++) The whiskey sour is the cocktail that spiked my interest in whiskey. It’s massively popular all over the world and it there are a few different variations. Most notably is the addition of egg white. Some recipes include it, others don’t. Personally, I ﬁnd the creaminess of the egg white helps smooth the drink out making it much more approachable to non-whiskey drinkers.

Serve in a Large Old-Fashioned glass

•2 shots bourbon •1 shot fresh lemon juice •3/4 shot simple syrup •1/2 an egg white

Garnish: 1 maraschino cherry & 1 orange slice

Dry shake ﬁrst to activate the egg white. Shake & strain into a large ice-ﬁlled old-fashioned glass. Add the garnishes.

103. White Lady (++) A simple but lovely classic that can be beautifully garnished with bitters.

Serve in a Coupe glass

•1 1/2 shots gin •1 shot triple sec •3/4 shot fresh lemon juice •1/2 an egg white

Garnish: Several drops of angostura bitters

Dry shake ﬁrst to activate the egg white. Shake & ﬁne strain into a chilled coupe glass. Carefully drop several drops of bitters onto the top of the

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 260 drink. Design with a pick.

104. White Russian (++) Along with the Black Russian, the white Russian was one of the ﬁrst cocktails I learned to make & love. It’s simply a black Russian with the addition of cream.

Serve in an Old-Fashioned glass

•1 1/2 shots vodka •3/4 shot coffee liqueur •1 shot heavy cream

Garnish: Grated nutmeg

Shake & strain into an ice-ﬁlled old-fashioned glass. Add the garnish.

105. Woo Woo Serve in a Highball glass

• 1 1/2 shots vodka • 1/2 shot peach schnapps • Top with cranberry juice

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Build in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Add the garnish.

106. Zombie Created by Don the Beachcomber in the late 1930s, the Zombie is a fun classic tiki drink, that’s generous with it’s servings of alcohol and beautiful garnishes. Served in a cool ‘Zombie’ glass, it’s a favourite amongst most tiki cocktail drinkers.

Serve in a Zombie glass

• 1 shot dark rum • 1 shot white rum • 1 shot triple sec

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 261 • 1/2 shot fresh lime juice • 1/2 shot fresh lemon juice • 1 1/2 shots orange juice • 1 1/2 shots pineapple juice • 1/4 shot grenadine

Garnish: 1 maraschino cherry, 1 pineapple wedge, & 1 mint sprig

Shake & strain all the ingredients into an ice-ﬁlled zombie glass. Add the garnishes. A ﬂoat of overproof rum is optional.

Chapter 29. Cocktail Recipes 262 30. Shooter Recipes

Regardless of where you work, it’s always useful to have a few shot recipes up your sleeve that go beyond the standard tequila, sambuca and Jager shots. People love shots for a variety of reasons,

• They’re a quick route to inebriation, • They’re fun to have with friends, and • When made well, they actually taste pretty good.

That’s why knowing a few shot recipes will help make your bar that much more entertaining, especially when you’re hosting rowdy groups. Below, you’ll ﬁnd some of the most popular shooter recipes served around the world. Some taste great, some are just for fun, some only exist to get hammered really fast, and others are great for those who are already hammered.

If your guest asks for a recommendation (let’s face it, they mostly do when they request an interesting shot), weigh up what you think they’re looking for and choose the appropriate one.

Bottoms up!

**Note** Some of these recipes are made to serve more than 1 shooter. You may notice that these recipes use less liquid than the amount they’re meant to pour, i.e. the recipe calls for 3 shots total instead of 4. The reason being, these recipes are shaken over ice so the mix dilutes and stretches them into 4. If you need to make more or less, adjust the recipes as required whilst keeping the proportions the same. Or, save some for yourself ;-).

1. ABC ...... 264 2. Alabama Slammer (Serves 4) ...... 264 3. B-52 ...... 265 4. Blowjob ...... 265 5. Boilermaker ...... 266 6. Brain Damage ...... 266 7. Buttery Nipple ...... 266 8. Flatliner...... 267 9. Hand Grenade ...... 267 10. Irish Car Bomb ...... 267

Chapter 30. Shooter Recipes 263 11. Jager Bomb ...... 268 12. Jam Donut ...... 268 13. Kamikaze (Serves 4) ...... 269 14. Lemon Drop (Serves 4) ...... 269 15. Liquid Cocaine (Serves 4) ...... 270 16. Red Headed Slut (Serves 4) ...... 270 17. Skittle Bomb ...... 270 18. Slippery Nipple ...... 271 19. Tom the Bomb ...... 271 20. Wet Pussy (serves 4) ...... 271

1. ABC The ABC shot is an acronym that stands for the ingredients used - Absinthe, Bacardi 151, and Chartreuse. According to the Urban Dictionary, “it’s a deadly combination causing intoxication and loss of will power very quickly.”

Considering the strength of its ingredients, it’s a very appropriate deﬁnition.

Serve in a Shot glass

• 1/3 shot absinthe • 1/3 shot Bacardi 151 Overproof Rum • 1/3 shot Chartreuse

Build in any order in a shot glass.

2. Alabama Slammer (Serves 4) No-one is really sure where this drink came from. One story goes that it was created at the University of Alabama in 1975 as the South’s answer to the popular frat cocktail, the Long Island Iced Tea. Similarly to the Long Island Iced Tea, it’s surprisingly tasty and it has a cult-like following. It’s essential to know if you’re bartending in the States.

Serve in a Shot glass

• 1/2 shot amaretto • 1/2 shot sloe gin • 1/2 shot Southern Comfort

Chapter 30. Shooter Recipes 264 • 1 1/2 shots orange juice

Shake & strain into 4 shot glasses. Bottoms up!

Note: It’s also possible to make this as a highball cocktail by adding 1/2 a shot extra of all the ingredients and shaking & straining it into an ice-ﬁlled highball glass instead.

3. B-52 A very popular shot in France, the B-52 is a pousse-café shot that can be lit on fire. However, it can only be lit on fire when a triple sec that’s high in alcohol content is used - like Cointreau, and the triple sec must also be poured at room temperature. Even then, it’s still difficult to achieve so don’t brag you can light it on fire until you’ve practiced first!

Despite this being a showy shot, it actually tastes great. Feel free to experiment with different brands of triple sec. Grand Marnier is another good choice.

Serve in a Shot glass

•1/3 shot Kahlua coffee liqueur •1/3 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream •1/3 shot triple sec

Layer in the order given above in a shot glass. Light on ﬁre (optional).

4. Blowjob You probably won’t be making these in more sophisticated cocktail bars, but it’s a fun shot that you’ll likely make in rowdy pubs & bars, especially those that attract Hen Parties. It’s meant to be drunk with your hands behind your back so that you only touch the glass with your mouth. I wonder why…

Serve in a Shot glass

• 1/2 shot Kahlua • 1/2 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream • Top with whipped cream

Chapter 30. Shooter Recipes 265 Layer in the order given above in a shot glass. Instruct the drinker to keep their hands behind their back when they ‘shoot’ it.

5. Boilermaker Not the nicest concoction, but a lot of fun for groups.

Serve in a Shot & Pint glass

• 1 shot whisk(e)y • 1 pint of lager

Serve in seperate glasses. Instruct the drinker to drop the shot into the pint and chug.

6. Brain Damage For killing brain cells - a very interesting looking shooter. Doesn’t taste too bad either.

Serve in a Shot glass

•2/3 shot peach schnapps •1/3 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream •2-3 drops of grenadine

Layer in the order given above in a shot glass. Carefully drop the grenadine through the baileys to create that interesting look.

7. Buttery Nipple A good recipe to have in your repertoire because of how good it tastes.

Serve in a Shot glass

• 2/3 shot butterscotch schnapps • 1/3 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream

Layer in the order given above in a shot glass.

Chapter 30. Shooter Recipes 266 8. Flatliner This is a fantastic shot that you can have a lot of fun with. The Tabasco sauce makes it interesting by adding heat to the mix and when made properly, it looks really cool look. Keep in mind that the more hot sauce you add, the worse it will be.

Hint: When you’re breaking in a new bartender, this shot does wonders.

Serve in a Shot glass

• 1/2 shot sambuca • 1/2 shot tequila • 1-7 dashes Tabasco sauce

Add the sambuca to the shot glass. Layer the tequila on top. Drop the Tabasco sauce around in a circle - the Tabasco should fall through the tequila and create an even layer on top of the Sambuca giving the appearance that the Tabasco sauce is suspended half-way through the glass.

9. Hand Grenade Be careful when you’re serving the Hand Grenade. The combination of 2 shots of alcohol & half a can of Red Bull make it the most deadly recipe (along with ‘Tom the Bomb’) on this list. It’s a fun drink to introduce to rowdy groups of guys.

Serve in 2 Shot glasses & 1 Pint glass

• 1 shot white rum • 1 shot Jaegermeister • 1/2 can Red Bull

Pour the white rum & Jaeger into seperate shot glasses. Pour the red bull into a pint glass. Balance the shot glasses against the edges of the rim of the pint glass with the white rum balancing on top. Instruct the drinker to shoot the white rum. The Jaeger shot will drop into the red bull and then instruct the drinker to scull this ‘bomb’ in quick succession.

10. Irish Car Bomb It’s no secret that the Irish know how to drink so it might come as no surprise that such a deadly concoction should be named after them. But funnily enough, it was created in

Chapter 30. Shooter Recipes 267 the US. Its name stems from the fact that it uses all Irish ingredients - Irish whiskey, Bailey’s and Guinness.

The Irish Car Bomb needs to be skulled fast. The longer it sits there after it’s been ‘bombed,’ the worse it gets because the Bailey’s starts to curdle as soon as it hits the Guinness. So whenever you serve, remember to instruct the drinker to skull it fast.

Serve in 1 Shot glass & 1 Pint glass

• 1/2 shot Baileys Irish Cream • 1/2 shot Irish whiskey • Half a pint of Guinness

Pour the Baileys into a shot glass. Layer the Irish whiskey on top. Instruct the drinker to drop (i.e. bomb) the shot glass into the half pint of Guinness and Skull.

11. Jager Bomb Many of us have forgotten a night of shenanigans thanks to the Jager bomb. The mix of energy drink and alcohol may not be the healthiest combination, but that doesn’t stop people from loving it. It’s arguably the most popular bomb/shot recipe all over the world.

Interestingly, it’s called different things in different languages. One of my favourites comes from Finland, where they appropriately call it ‘Battery Acid,’ I’m assuming because of how they make you feel the next day.

Serve in 1 Shot glass & 1 Rocks glass

• 1 shot Jaegermeister • 1/3 can Red Bull

Pour the Jaeger into a shot glass and the Red Bull into a rocks glass. Instruct the drinker to drop the shot of Jaeger into the rocks glass and skull.

12. Jam Donut A very sweet & delicious shooter that tastes like a Jam Donut. It’s not very strong and it used to be my go-to shooter before I came across of the Kamikaze.

Serve in a Shot glass

Chapter 30. Shooter Recipes 268 • 2/3 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream • 1/3 shot Chambord raspberry liqueur • Simple syrup (to wet the rim of glass) • White sugar (to rim glass)

Line the rim of the shot glass with simple syrup. Rim the edges with white sugar. Add the Chambord and layer the Bailey’s on top.

13. Kamikaze (Serves 4) The historian David Wondrich, believes that the Kamikaze may have been the original ‘shooter’ recipe, coming out of the 70s. It’s done a lot of damage ever since and it’s still ordered all over the world.

Despite its origins as a shooter, the Kamikaze has also evolved into a sophisticated cocktail recipe that’s it’s in the same league as the margarita and daiquiri. Essentially, it’s a margarita or daiquiri made with vodka.

Serve in a Shot glass

• 1 1/2 shots vodka • 1 shot triple sec • 1/2 shot fresh lime juice

Shake & strain into 4 shot glasses.

14. Lemon Drop (Serves 4) This sweet & sour shooter is deceptively strong because of how great it tastes, it tastes like candy. It’s a great shooter for the ‘sour’ lovers out there.

Serve in a Shot glass

• 1 1/2 shot citrus vodka • 1 shot triple sec • 1/2 shot fresh lemon juice • White sugar to rim the glass. • 1 lemon wedge for garnish.

Chapter 30. Shooter Recipes 269 Line the rims of the shot glasses with simple syrup, then Rim the edges with white sugar. Shake & strain into 4 sugar-rimmed shot glasses. Instruct the drinker to shoot it and then bite into the lemon wedge after.

15. Liquid Cocaine (Serves 4) Even though this combination of ingredients doesn’t sound good, it’s a surprisingly nice. They’re designed (and named) to get you wasted, but because it’s shaken over ice, it’s not that strong - a shot of Jager is stronger - it’s a good shot to recommend to customers.

• 1 shot Jagermeister • 1 shot Goldschlager (cinnamon schnapps/liqueur) • 1 shot Rumple Minze (peppermint schnapps/liqueur)

Shake & strain into 4 shot glasses.

16. Red Headed Slut (Serves 4) Also known as a ‘Ginger Bitch’ or a ‘Ginger Headed Slut,’ it’s a popular shot recipe made all over the world. The cranberry juice and shaking it over ice dilutes the alcoholic content enough to make it taste great without knocking your socks off.

Serve in a Shot glass

• 1 shot Jägermeister • 1 shot peach schnapps • 1 shot cranberry juice

Shake & strain into 4 shot glasses.

17. Skittle Bomb As the name suggests, this bomb tastes like skittles. For customers who want a ‘bomb’ but they’re not fans of Jager, this is the perfect substitute - it’s delicious.

Serve in 1 Shot glass & 1 Rocks glass

• 1 shot triple sec • 1/3 can Red Bull

Chapter 30. Shooter Recipes 270 Pour the triple sec into a shot glass and the Red Bull into a rocks glass. Instruct the drinker to drop the shot of triple sec into the rocks glass and skull.

18. Slippery Nipple A variation to the buttery nipple (or is it the other way round?), although this is likely to be ordered more often even though (in my humble opinion) it doesn’t taste as nice.

Serve in a Shot glass

• 2/3 shot Sambucca • 1/3 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream

Layer in the order given above in a shot glass.

19. Tom the Bomb A variation to the hand-grenade, I created this drink as a 22-year-old in my ﬁrst full- time hospitality job when I was serving Contiki Tours & hen party’s. It combines a skittle bomb with a shot of tequila. Surprisingly, I gained a few loyal customers out of this drink. They started coming to our bar speciﬁcally to get smashed off this deadly concoction.

Serve in 2 Shot glasses & 1 Pint glass

• 1 shot Cointreau • 1 shot tequila • 1/2 can Red Bull.

Pour the Cointreau & tequila into seperate shot glasses. Pout the red bull into a pint glass. Balance the shot glasses against the edges of the rim of the pint glass with the tequila balancing on top. Instruct the drinker to shoot the tequila. The Cointreau shot will drop into the red bull and then instruct the drinker to scull this ‘bomb’ in quick succession.

20. Wet Pussy (serves 4) A popular shot in Australia among the female population. Since it’s not as strong as some of the others, it’s perfect for guests who are already hammered or who you suspect get drunk really fast.

Chapter 30. Shooter Recipes 271 Serve in a Shot glass

• 3/4 shot vodka • 3/4 shot peach schnapps • 3/4 shot cranberry juice • 3/4 shot fresh lime juice

Shake & strain into 4 shot glasses.

Chapter 30. Shooter Recipes 272 31. Mocktail Recipes

Similarly to knowing a few popular shot recipes, it’s always useful to know some great- tasting mocktail recipes. Not everyone that enters your bar will want to drink alcohol. Whether it’s because they’re pregnant, they’re underage, it’s dry July, or they’ve quit alcohol all together, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t give these guests the same attention and care you would give your alcohol drinking ones.

That’s what hospitality is all about.

Even so, non-alcoholic drinks are often neglected in most bar programs so here are 10 great recipes to help you get your creative juices ﬂowing. Some of these recipes are more interesting than others, but they also require more exotic ingredients.

So to make these recipes as accessible as possible, most of them can be made behind the majority of bars that make basic cocktails.

Keep in mind that the rule “fresh is always better” is especially important for non- alcoholic drinks because the alcohol is often substituted for more fruit or fruit juice. As such, using fresh ingredients is key to making great tasting mocktails.

**Note** Most popular cocktails can be into mocktails, especially the ones that use a white spirit as their base ingredient. For these cocktails, simply swap out the white spirit for a subtle tasting juice, like cloudy apple juice, and the liqueur for a similar syrup, in equal proportions, and you’ll have re-created the non-alcoholic version. It won’t taste as good as the original, but it’s a great trick to remember if you forget your bar’s mocktail recipes or you have a customer that is looking for something speciﬁc. You’ll see this practice in action with the Mockito recipe below.

1. Atlantis ...... 274 2. Berry Crush ...... 274 3. Lemon, Lime & Bitters ...... 275 4. Mockito (Virgin Mojito) ...... 275 5. Pineapple Ginger Beer ...... 276 6. Pussyfoot Mocktail ...... 276 7. Shirley Temple ...... 277 8. St Kitts ...... 277 9. Virgin Paloma ...... 278 10. Virgin Sour ...... 278

Chapter 31. Mocktail Recipes 273 1. Atlantis This is one of the most delicious mocktails I’ve ever tasted. It’s balanced, complex, and it uses interesting ingredients that even the most sophisticated mocktail drinkers will enjoy. The only problem is, watermelon isn’t a commonly used ingredient in most bar programs. And it doesn’t make sense to stock it just for this drink because it probably won’t be ordered often enough. But, if your bar program does already use watermelon, add this to your list - it’s incredible!

Serve in a Collins glass

• 4 watermelon chunks • 4 mint leaves • 1/2 shot fresh lime juice • 1/4 shot elderﬂower syrup • 1 shot cloudy apple juice • Top with ginger beer

Garnish: 1 mint sprig and 1 lime wedge

Muddle watermelon chunks & mint leaves in the Boston. Add juice & syrup. Shake and strain into an ice-ﬁlled collins glass. Top with ginger beer. Add the garnishes.

2. Berry Crush This is another fantastic mocktail that was incredibly popular at one of the bars I used to work at. Similarly to the Atlantic, the only problem you’ll encounter with this drink is that you need to stock mixed berries in order to make it.

Serve in a Collins glass

• 1 spoon of mixed berries • 2 shots cranberry juice • 1/2 shot fresh lime juice • 1/4 shot strawberry syrup • Top with club soda

Garnish: 1/2 strawberry

Chapter 31. Mocktail Recipes 274 Muddle berries in a Boston. Add juice & syrup. Shake hard & dump into a collins glass. Top with soda. Add the garnish.

3. Lemon, Lime & Bitters Technically not a mocktail because it calls for bitters and bitters contains alcohol, but the overall alcoholic content is so small, that it barely counts. It’s a very easy drink to make so it’s great to have in your repertoire. This is an extremely popular mocktail in Australia, even for kids, but there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be popular elsewhere - so spread the word!

Serve in a Highball glass

• 1/2 shot lime cordial • Top with sprite • 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Garnish: 1 lemon wedge

Add sprite to an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Float lime cordial on top. Add 3 dashes of angostura bitters. Add the garnish.

4. Mockito (Virgin Mojito) The mojito is one of the most popular cocktails in the world so it makes sense to know how to make a non-alcoholic version as well. This virgin mojito is made by replacing the rum with cloudy apple juice. This replacement works for all variations of the mojito. For example, to make a virgin strawberry mojito, you would replace the rum with cloudy apple juice. And if it contained strawberry liqueur, you would replace the ginger liqueur with strawberry syrup.

Serve in a Collins glass

• 3-4 lime wedges • 6-8 fresh mint leaves • 2 shots cloudy apple juice • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar • Top with club soda

Garnish: 2-3 mint sprigs for garnish

Chapter 31. Mocktail Recipes 275 Muddle the lime wedges with the granulated sugar in the bottom of a collins glass. Clap the mint leaves then add them to the glass with the cloudy apple juice. Fill with crushed ice and stir thoroughly. You want the mint leaves scattered throughout the glass so it’s more visually appealing. Top with soda water. Crown with crushed ice. Slap the mint sprigs on the side of your hand and add them as the garnish.

5. Pineapple Ginger Beer This is a refreshing, non-boozy take on the dark ’n’ stormy cocktail. It replaces the rum with pineapple juice & adds some extra ginger syrup. It’s another great mocktail to add to your repertoire because it uses commonly available ingredients.

Serve in a Collins glass

• 1 1/2 shots pineapple juice • 1 shot fresh lime juice • 1 shot ginger syrup • Top with ginger beer

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Shake & strain the ﬁrst 3 ingredients into an ice-ﬁlled collins glass. Top with ginger beer. Add the garnish.

6. Pussyfoot Mocktail A famous prohibition mocktail, ironically, it was given the name pussyfoot because of how people viewed those who would drink non-alcoholic cocktails… To this day, it’s still one of the most well-known non-alcohol drinks out there, which makes it an essential mocktail every bartender should know.

Served in a Collins glass

• 3 shots orange juice • 1 shot fresh lemon juice • 1 shot fresh lime juice • 1/2 shot grenadine • 1/2 shot simple syrup • 1 small egg yolk

Chapter 31. Mocktail Recipes 276 Garnish: 1 orange slice

Shake & strain all the ingredients into an ice-ﬁlled collins glass. Add the garnish.

7. Shirley Temple Commonly served to children dining in restaurants in replacement of real cocktails, this is an essential mocktail to know for the restaurant bartender. It’s believed to have originated in the 1930s in Hollywood, the name coming from the former Iconic child star, Shirley Temple. Funnily enough, she dislikes the mocktail describing it as far too sweet. That’s probably why children love it.

Serve in a Highball glass

• 1/2 shot grenadine • 1/2 shot fresh lemon juice • Top with ginger ale

Garnish: 1 lemon wedge & 1 cherry

Build in an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Top with ginger ale & lightly stir. Add the garnish.

8. St Kitts I’ve made several variations of this mocktail throughout my career, often under the guise of a different name - one of them being called the ‘St Kilda Fling.’ It’s a good drink to know because it’s simple but if you had a choice, I’d serve one of the other mocktails on this list over this one.

Served in a Highball glass

• 2 1/2 shots pineapple juice • 1 shot fresh lime juice • 1/2 shot grenadine • Top with ginger ale

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Shake & strain into an ice-ﬁlled highball glass. Top with ginger ale. Add the garnish.

Chapter 31. Mocktail Recipes 277 9. Virgin Paloma A non-alcohol version of the Paloma cocktail, the agave syrup & grapefruit juice make it tasty & interesting.

Serve in a Collins glass

• 1 1/2 shots grapefruit juice • 1 shot fresh lime juice • 1 shot agave syrup • Top with club soda • Salt for salt rimmed glass

Garnish: 1 lime wedge

Shake & strain the ﬁrst 3 ingredients into an ice-ﬁlled, half salt-rimmed collins glass. Top with club soda. Add the garnish.

10. Virgin Sour This is another fantastic mocktail recipe that was really popular at one of the bars I used to work at. It’s a strong sweet & sour mix, so feel free to add more pineapple juice to lengthen it out. Personally, I love the bite this recipe has and so did our customers.

Serve in an Old-Fashioned glass

• 1 shot pineapple juice • 1 shot lemon juice • 1/2 shot peach syrup • 1/2 shot almond syrup

Garnish: 1 pineapple wedge & 1 cherry

Shake hard & strain into an ice-ﬁlled old-fashioned glass. Add the garnishes.

Chapter 31. Mocktail Recipes 278 Last But Not Least

“The hard part about being a bartender is ﬁguring out who is drunk and who is just stupid.” Richard Braunstein 32. Making the Most of Bartending

“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” Charles Darwin

Congratulations! You’ve learned everything you need to know to make it as a bartender. I know it’s a lot to digest so take your time with it. And remember, you don’t need to know everything now to get started.

If your goal is to become a professional bartender, the ﬁrst and most important step is getting the job. So go back & focus all your time and effort into ‘Part 1 - Becoming a Bartender’ of this manual. You’ll get the most bang for your buck there.

Once you’re in the industry, learning everything else will be easier and you can re-visit the other sections of this manual as they become relevant to you.

But before you get out there and start making things happen, here are some personal recommendations on making the most of your time as a bartender. These are lessons I’ve learned from 6 years of bartending, managing teams, reading books, and closely observing how other bartenders & industry professionals live their lives.

It’s the advice I wish I’d been given when I was starting out. I’m sure you’ll ﬁnd it useful.

Choose Where You Work Wisely Of all the things that will determine how enjoyable your time as a bartender will be, where you work is the most important.

The venue you work for will dictate the type of people you work with, the owners & managers you work for, what you’re going to learn, the hours you’ll be working, days- off, clientele, etc.

As far as bartending jobs go, some can be amazing whilst others are terrible.

For example, one venue I used to work for didn’t pay us properly, the owner hated everyone (including himself), the managers were alcoholics/drug addicts and they treated everyone like crap, there was no ‘team-spirit’, and no-one wanted to be there.

Chapter 32. Making the Most of Bartending 280 It was a terrible working environment and I almost left the industry entirely because of it…

On the other hand, there are venues that make you want to be a bartender forever. The owners are friendly and they treat you with respect, the managers actively encourage you to become the best you can be, you’re given free drinks, cheap food, staff parties, and the entire team goes out for drinks after work because everyone has fun.

These are the kinds of venues you want to work for and you should go out of your way to ﬁnd them.

Now, there’s a caveat to this. When you’re new to the industry, you can’t be picky about the type of venue you work for. It’s essential that you land your ﬁrst job as quick as possible so you get some experience.

Sometimes, that means working for a ‘terrible’ venue in the beginning. However, 6 months experience is more than enough to ﬁnd work elsewhere so don’t get ‘stuck’ there because you can’t be bother looking anywhere else.

Your time as a bartender depends on it.

What are You Doing this For? When you’re looking for the ‘right’ venue, you should consider why you wanted to be a bartender in the ﬁrst place. If you want to learn about craft beer, you enjoy working nights, and you want to work somewhere with a ‘party’ atmosphere, don’t work in a cafe!

Work in a craft beer bar/pub instead.

It sounds pretty obvious (and it is), but people tend to forget about these things (including me) and accept the ﬁrst job that they ﬁnd… To take full advantage of your time as a bartender, you need to think differently.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself to help ﬁgure out the kinds of venues you’d enjoy working for:

• Why do I want to be a bartender? Fund studies? Eventually open up my own bar? Improve my social skills? etc… • What am I most interested in? Beer? Wine? Cocktails?

Chapter 32. Making the Most of Bartending 281 • What kind of venues do I enjoy frequenting? Cafes, restaurants, sports bars, cocktail bars, nightclubs, ﬁne-dining, dive bars, or pubs? • Night time or day time? Full time or part time? • What’s the management team like? Are the owners good people? Is there room for progression and is there room to grow? Do I like the other staff members that work here? • Do the other staff members seem happy? Is this a toxic environment?

You don’t need to know the answers to all of these questions now, but having some idea will give you a better indication of what you might enjoy. Then it’s as simple as experimenting with different jobs until you ﬁnd something that you love.

Location, Location, Location Where you live matters…

There’s nothing worse than ﬁnishing your shift at 3am and then having to drive home for an hour when you’re tired, hungry, and all of your colleagues have gone out drinking.

Overtime, this gets frustrating because you’ll ﬁnd that it’s during these nights out, when everyone’s drinking together, that you & your colleagues develop deeper connections. If you’re the bartender that never goes out, it can make you feel like an outsider.

I’ve been that bartender before and it’s not fun.

When you’re at work, your colleagues will laugh about something that happened the night before, you’ll ask them what happened, they’ll stop laughing, stare at you blankly and say “You had to be there…”

Then they’ll go back to laughing with each other and act like you don’t exist. That’s when you know it’s time to move out.

Living close to where you work means that you’re able to go out with your colleagues after hours without having to worry about driving home or ﬁnding somewhere to crash.

Instead, you’ll be able to stumble home whenever you like and you’ll develop closer friendships with your colleagues because of it. That doesn’t mean you need to live next door, a cheap uber/taxi ride home is close enough.

Chapter 32. Making the Most of Bartending 282 Master Your Craft In any industry, employers want to hire the best staff they can. From their perspective, the better their employees are, the more money their business makes and the happier their guests will be.

However, great employees are hard to come by. Especially in the hospitality industry.

That’s great news for you because it means that if you’re one of the few skilled and knowledgeable employees, you’ll have more opportunities because most venues will want to hire you.

Suddenly, ﬁnding great places to work becomes easy and you have options. You’ll be able to choose where you work instead of taking whatever you can get. You’ll also make more in tips because you’ll be able to better serve your guests AND work for the venues that make more money.

This freedom and peace of mind is priceless.

So work on becoming the best bartender you can be. Here are 3 of the bigger skill-sets you should focus on:

Hone your people skills The most important part of a bartenders job is to make their customers happy. That requires a solid set of people skills and the ability to give outstanding customer service. So you should focus on improving these skills the most.

Part 2 of this Field manual goes through a lot of this.

To start, focus on smiling, maintaining eye contact, welcoming people when they arrive, bidding them goodbye when they leave, listening to their stories, telling them stories, telling jokes, and learning how to sell.

The theory of everything No, that doesn’t mean you have to become a physicist and ﬁgure out the meaning of life. What it means is that you should learn the theory of everything related to working behind a bar.

That includes learning about beer, wine, liquor, liqueurs, cider, cocktails, and the principles of mixology.

Chapter 32. Making the Most of Bartending 283 Part 3 & 4 of this Field manual take you through all of the fundamentals aspects of these subjects. Take your time with them and learn them well.

Develop your senses Finally, you should develop your senses. In particular, your senses of taste and smell.

Your sense of taste and smell is crucial if you’re going to know much of anything you’re serving behind the bar. You need to be able to taste the cocktails you make to check that they’re balanced. And you need to be able to smell a wine to make sure that it’s ok (i.e. not oxidised or corked).

Not being able to do this will hinder your abilities, especially when you start working in higher-end bars.

You can only develop your senses with practice. Taste & smell everything you can get your hands on behind the bar and actually think about what you’re tasting. Overtime, you’ll see an improvement.

How do you learn all of this? This Field Manual is a great start. But from there, read other books (see Appendix D - Further Reading), take courses, ask questions, listen to experts, ﬁnd a mentor, visit wineries, visit breweries, watch great bartenders in action and try to emulate them, and/or work in a bunch of different bars.

Above all, the most important thing is that you practice. At home, behind the bar, wherever and whenever you can.

Develop Good Habits Early On I think about this lesson often and the more I go through life, the more I realise it’s true. Our habits dictate our lives so it’s important that we cultivate the right ones.

The ﬁrst time I realised how important our habits were was when I was managing a bar in Melbourne. I was responsible for training all of its bartenders. Bartenders who were both new to the industry and those who had a lot of experience.

What I quickly noticed was that the older, more experienced bartenders were much more difﬁcult to train. These bartenders had cultivated bad habits from previous jobs and it didn’t matter what or how I told them, they never changed.

Chapter 32. Making the Most of Bartending 284 On the other hand, the bartenders new to the industry were easy to train. They didn’t have any preconceptions about what they should do or how they should do it, so they just did what I said. That clean slate allowed me to train them up into some pretty bad- ass bartenders. And even though they had less experience than their more experienced colleagues, they quickly surpassed them because the others never improved.

Habits are hard to change. It’s much easier to cultivate the right ones from the beginning so focus on doing things properly from the beginning.

That’s the reason why I never cut corners when I’m cleaning and closing down the bar. I know that as soon as I do, it’s going to be harder to do it properly the next time.

It’s all About the People One of the best parts about being a bartender is the people you get to meet and the people you get to work with. As a bartender, you’re exposed to all sorts of characters from all over the world. Businessmen, teachers, backpackers, students, entrepreneurs, chefs, waiters, scientists, social workers, and other bartenders too.

You’ll ﬁnd that the more people you get to know, the more enjoyable your time behind the stick will be. By taking the time to interact with others, you’re also making their time more enjoyable. Believe it or not, people like being recognised & treated as a friend by the bartender so you should go out of your way to do so.

Meeting new people could potentially help your life outside the bar as well. Look at it this way, let’s say you want to be an engineer but you have no idea how to get a job in this ﬁeld. One day you’re chatting to a customer who just so happens to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 engineering company.

Then let’s say you become friends with this person and you let them know that you’re looking for engineering work… Who knows, they might offer you a job! But that would never happen if you didn’t take the time to get to know this person.

So make an effort with your guests, especially your regulars. It’s a win-win for all. And at the very least, you’ll have another friend and a few good stories to tell.

Travel Traveling is without a doubt, one of the most worthwhile activities you can pursue. It’s an investment in your own personal growth, your education, and it’s insanely fun.

Chapter 32. Making the Most of Bartending 285 My favourite part of being a bartender is the freedom it gives you to travel. As far as professions go, there’s no other job like it.

The hospitality industry is unique in the sense that venues don’t mind hiring people temporarily. This makes long-term traveling easy because you can fund your travels by picking up work as you go.

Most other jobs don’t give you this freedom. Instead, you’ll be given 2-4 weeks in holiday a year (it’s never enough) and it’s almost impossible to pick up work on the road because no-one will hire you temporarily.

You don’t have these worries as a bartender. Most of the time, you can stay overseas for as long you like, ﬁnd a job, learn a language, do a ski season, work a summer season, or take some time off to backpack around South America - without having to worry about money.

Traveling is also a great way to further improve your bartending skills. On the road, you’re exposed to different styles of bartending, different types of guests, different ingredients, and different techniques. And you’ll have to learn how to deal with it all. That kind of experience is invaluable & will make you a more ﬂexible bartender for it.

So whatever form of travel takes your fancy, take advantage of it now. You never know how long you’ll be a bartender for and you might never get to experience this kind of freedom again.

Seize the Days It’s easy to get lost in drunken escapades. Your colleagues invite you out, you’ve got friends working in late night bars, and going out is fun. But when you wake up the following morning hungover & tired, the third day in a row, it’s easy to waste it by staying in bed.

Avoid this as much as possible!

Having your days free is a blessing not a curse, and you should do whatever you can to make the most of them. It’s one of the best parts about being a bartender.

You could go to uni, go snowboarding, hiking, exploring, learn a new skill, take a language class, or catch up with friends & hang out on the beach.

Chapter 32. Making the Most of Bartending 286 It doesn’t matter what you do, just make the most of it. Most people don’t get to because they have to spend their days at work. So take a break from drinking every now and then, wake up early and seize the day. I promise you won’t regret it.

Chapter 32. Making the Most of Bartending 287 33. Some Final Advice

“ And now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.” Neil Gaiman

Not all bartenders are meant to make it lifelong careers. Some people only do it for a year or two before they move onto something else. Some do it for a little longer (5-6 years). And others end up in a career that lasts for decades.

There’s nothing wrong with any of these outcomes.

However, most people eventually ﬁnd that working behind the stick wears on them over the years. The nightly stresses, being constantly surrounded by alcohol & drugs, dealing with rude & drunk patrons, and no real road for progression… It’s not for everyone.

You’re also working late nights, long shifts, over the weekends, and during the holidays. These unusual hours make it difﬁcult to hang out with friends outside of the industry and it can put a strain on romantic relationships.

It’s important to be aware of this from the beginning because there comes a time in most bartender’s careers when they realise that it’s time to get out, but all too often they don’t or can’t.

The main reason for this is that they haven’t planned ahead and they have nowhere else to go. They’ve spent their whole career behind the stick without developing any other skill-sets that give them another option. Wherever they go, or whatever they want to do, they’re starting again from the beginning, and often for less money.

That can be tough for any adult to deal with.

Note: The exceptions to this are sales jobs (like becoming a beer or wine rep) or becoming a bar manager - which can eventually lead to ownership. A few years in bartending develops the necessary skills to succeed in these positions. However, not everyone wants to become a salesperson, bar manager, or open up their own place.

Chapter 33. Some Final Advice 288 What I’m trying to say is, plan ahead. Realise that for most of us, bartending isn’t forever. Lifelong bartenders are the exception, not the rule, no matter how much you might be loving the bartender’s lifestyle right now.

Partying every night & drinking all the time is great when you’re young, but what about when you’ve got a family? What about when you want to do something different than the exact same thing you’ve been doing every night for the past 2 years?

Enjoy the time that you have behind the bar and make the most of it, but utilise the time you have outside the bar as well.

Have a Life Outside the Bar On a similar vein, it’s easy to get sucked up into the drama & politics of the bar, but it’s not always healthy. To escape the drama and remain sane, have a life outside the bar.

Whether that means catching up with friends that don’t work in the industry, doing yoga, going to the gym, studying, or working towards a different career (see above), it helps you maintain a healthy life perspective.

Bartending gives you the freedom that most other jobs don’t - you can make the most of your days while still making a decent living working the nights.

I encourage all of you to make use of this opportunity. I’ve seen many a bartender realise that they want to get out, but they can’t because they have no other options. In the end, they end up bitter & depressed which often leads to regret, excessive drinking & drugs.

This outcome is easily avoidable if you plan ahead and develop something on the side. If/when the time comes that you realise you’re ready to try something else, and you have another option, you’ll be much happier for it.

Also, instead of looking back on it as a prison sentence, you’ll see it for what it actually was - a positive, exhilarating experience that changed your life for the better.

Don’t Ever Forget - Bartending Should Be Fun If there’s one ﬁnal lesson I can leave you with, it’s this: don’t ever forget that bartending should be fun.

Sometimes, I don’t think we realise how lucky we are to work behind the bar. After a year or 2 of slinging drinks, we take it for granted and forget how difﬁcult it may have

Chapter 33. Some Final Advice 289 been to become a bartender in the ﬁrst place. Sometimes it takes leaving the industry & coming back to realise this.

Bartending is FUN! Seriously fun. The opportunities we’re given and life we get to lead is incredible. Flexibility, freedom, job security, traveling, good money, and working with other interesting people are some of the my favourite aspects of being a bartender.

But it’s more than that. Bartending taught me how to live better, how to be better, and how to help others be better as well. And I’ll always be grateful for what it’s done for me.

It’s been a privilege spending most of my adult life behind the bar. I can only hope that it gives you just as much joy as it has given me.

Tom Blake

Chapter 33. Some Final Advice 290 Appendix A - Measurements

There is no single standard of measurements used worldwide. Everywhere is different. What 1 shot is in the UK is different to 1 shot in the U.S.A, France, and Australia.

Therefore, using deﬁnite measures (i.e. like ml or oz) in recipes makes it more difﬁcult for different people from around the world to re-create the exact recipes found throughout this book. For that reason, this book uses ‘shots’ as a relative measuring system - a shot being whatever 1 full measure of alcohol is in your country, usually represented by the type of jigger used.

All you have to do is apply whatever 1 shot is in your country to re-create the exact recipes found in this book. Remember, it’s the proportions that count, not the deﬁnite measurements.

The following measurement tables have been made to help you determine measurements in different units, bottles, and how much alcohol is in that bottle.

Standard Conversions 1oz = 29.5ml = 2.95cl.

oz ml cl

Dash 1/32 oz .9ml .09cl Teaspoon 1/8 oz 3.7ml .37cl Pony 1 oz 29.5ml 2.95cl Jigger 1 1/2 oz 44.5ml 4.45cl

Sizes by Country Remember, 1 shot is different in each of these countries.

U.S.A U.K Australia France

Shot 1 ounce 25ml 30ml 4cl Half-Pint (Pot) 8 ounces 284ml 284ml 28.4cl Pint 16 ounces 568ml 568ml 56.8cl

Appendix A - The Measurements 291 Bottle Sizes Bottles of spirits & wine come in many different sizes. However, the standard sized bottle tends to be the same all around the world.

Bottles Liters

1/2 standard spirit/ 1/2 bottle .375 (375ml) wine bottle Standard spirit/wine 1 bottle .75L (750ml) btw Magnum 2 bottles 1.5L Double magnum 4 bottles 3L Jeroboam 4 bottles 3L Rehoboam 6 bottles 4.5L Methuselah 8 bottles 6L Salmanazar 12 bottles 8 to 9L Balthazar 16 bottles 12L Nebuchadnezzar 20 bottles 15L

Measuring Alcohol The amount of alcohol is also measured different from country to country. Australia, Europe, and the UK, use the ‘Alcohol by Volume (ABV)’ measurement system. The U.S.A uses the ‘proof ’ system.

Essentially, they’re measuring how much percentage of alcohol is contained within the liquid compared to the rest of the ingredients (water, ﬂavours, etc). The U.S.A proof measurement system works out to double whatever the ‘ABV’ measurement is as seen in the table below.

Example ABV (%) Proof Bottle of Beer 5% 10 Bottle of Vodka 40% 80 Cask-Strength Whisky 55% 110 Absinthe 70% 140

Appendix A - The Measurements 292 Appendix B - The Glassware

Having a variety of glassware to choose from has it’s pros and cons. On one hand, it’s great being able to serve drinks in the glasses they were designed for. It makes your bar program more professional and unique. It also makes your drinks look more interesting.

On the other hand, it can be annoying having to look after & store a lot of different glassware, especially if you’re not using them. You’ll have to constantly re-polish & clean them for the rare occasions that they are used (sometimes never), and they take up valuable space behind the bar that could be used for something else.

So a balance needs to be considered and that balance will (once again) depend on the bar you’re working for and the types of drinks your bar is serving. There are 3 main considerations:

• Will you use it (i.e. will people order the drinks we’re going to serve it in)? • Do you have enough space for it? • Is it necessary for our bar? If not, what can we use instead?

If you’re working in a bar that specialises in craft beer, it makes sense to utilise specialty beer glasses even though they take up a lot of space. That’s what people come for and specialty glassware adds that extra touch.

If you’re working in a cocktail bar, it’s also necessary to use a variety of cocktail glassware. But if your bar doesn’t make very many cocktails, it doesn’t make sense to stock that glassware because you’ll hardly ever use them AND this glassware is easily replaced by something else.

Below, I’ve listed a variety of different glasses that you could potentially use behind the bar. However, in most cases, you won’t need them all. They’re there so you know their names and you know what they could be used for just in case.

Below that, I’ve listed what I consider the must-have glassware for every bar (unless speciﬁed). These are the essentials and knowing this list well will help you better understand how you could improvise when you’re asked to make a drink that calls for a speciﬁc glass.

For example, let’s say someone asks you to make a julep cocktail - traditionally made with a julep cup. The only problem is, your bar doesn’t stock julep cups. No problem,

Appendix B - The Glassware 293 navigate to the ‘must-have glassware’ section, scan the list, and look for the type of glass that can be used to replace a julep cup. In this instance, it turns out to be a highball glass.

Note: Knowing how to improvise with glassware is also important if you run out of a speciﬁc glass during the night.

Looking After Glassware Ideally, every glass you serve should be polished because even though a glass may have gone through the dishwasher, water stains give the appearance that the glass is dirty.

For the customer, it’s never nice drinking out of a dirty looking glass. It makes them question the bar they’re in and whether or not they can trust what they’ve ordered, hence the need for polishing.

However, it’s often impractical to polish every single glass behind the bar. It takes a LONG time and that time is often better used for something else, like serving your guests. So it’s best to ﬁnd a middle ground when it comes to polishing.

Note: Once again, this depends on the bar you’re working for. If you’re working in a fancier establishment, all glassware will need to be polished.

Here’s a more practical rule when it comes to polishing:

When it’s easily noticeable that a glass has or hasn’t been polished, it should be polished. Wine service glasses, martini (cocktail) glasses, & glassware that’s used to serve drinks neat or on the rocks ﬁt this category.

Glassware that’s used to serve drinks with ice or ﬁlled to the brim are less noticeable so you can skip polishing them if time is of the essence. Beer glasses, highballs, collins, hurricanes, zombie glasses, etc, all ﬁt this category.

Appendix B - The Glassware 294 Beer Service Notes: A schooner is only used in Australia. A pilsner glass is the same size as a pot glass. A Weizen is the same size as a pint glass.

Wine Service Notes: A Champagne Coupe can also be used for cocktails served in martini glasses. An Aromatic white wine glass is the best all-round wine glass. The Bordeaux glass is sometimes called a red wine glass and is best for the majority of red wines. The Burgundy glass is sometimes called a balloon glass. It was designed speciﬁcally for French Burgundy grapes - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Lighter style red wines also work well in the Burgundy glass.

Liquor & Fortified Wine Service Notes: A sherry glass is used for other fortiﬁed wines and also for wine tastings. A snifter glass (also called a brandy snifter) is used for brandy. A grappa glass is used exclusively

Appendix B - The Glassware 295 Cocktails & Mixed Drink Service Notes: The copper mug is specifically for the Moscow Mule cocktails. The julep cup is specifically for julep cocktails. The pousse cafe is specifically for pousse cafe cocktails. Collins & highball glasses are very similar. Martini glasses are also called cocktail glasses.

Must-Haves Beer Pot glass - For smaller beers.

Beer Pint Glass - When serving draught beer, a pint glass is a must.

Appendix B - The Glassware 296 All-purpose wine glass - A white wine glass is best and can be used for all still wine.

Champagne Flute - For champagne, sparkling and champagne/sparkling cocktails.

Sherry/Tasting Glass - For fortiﬁed wines & wine tastings. You could get away with an all-purpose wine glass or a rocks/old-fashioned glass instead, but it’s close.

Highball (Take your pick) - Can be used for all drinks that call for collins, hurricane, julep, copper mug, sling, and zombie glasses.

Irish Coffee Glass - Only necessary if you’re making hot drinks.

Old-fashioned or Rocks glass - For all drinks served neat or on-the-rocks. Can also be used as Brandy Snifter replacement.

Martini (Cocktail) Glass - For all coupe & martini glass cocktails.

Shot Glass - For shots & shooters.

Appendix B - The Glassware 297 Appendix C - Glossary & Bartending Terminology

The bartending profession has its own language and it can be confusing for beginners. A good bartender will know his profession inside-out, and the ability to understand various words related to the industry is a must. Don’t worry though, bartending jargon isn’t complex and you can learn these terms relatively quickly.

86 - Indicates an item is no longer available on the menu, or occasionally it refers to banning a customer from the bar.

A.B.V. - Alcohol by Volume, measures the percentage of alcohol in a drink.

Alcopop - An alcoholic-based bottled beverage offered in a variety of different alcohols & ﬂavours. Also called a cooler.

Aperitif - A drink consumed before a meal in order to stimulate the appetite.

Back of House (BOH) - Refers to the back of the restaurant or bar, whatever the customer can’t see - i.e. the kitchen.

Backbar - The visible area behind the bar used to display liquor, glassware, etc.

Bender - A big night out with lots of alcohol consumption.

Bitters - The bartender’s ‘spice-rack,’ cocktail bitters are an alcoholic, herbal liquid that are used to add ﬂavour to cocktails.

Blend - To combine the ingredients of a drink in an electric blender until they achieve a uniform and smooth consistency.

Build - To pour the ingredients into the glass that it will be served in.

Call Drink - Refers to when a customer orders a drink by giving the speciﬁc brand names of the liquor & mixer. E.g. Tanqueray gin and Fever Tree tonic.

Chaser - A liquor that is consumed immediately after a shooter or shot of alcohol. Meant to ease the strength of the original shooter and / or to mask its taste.

Chill - To cool a glass down by either storing it in the fridge/freezer, or by adding ice & water and letting it sit for a couple of minutes before discarding that ice & water.

Appendix C - The Glossary & Bartending Terminology 298 Cicerone - A beer sommelier. Essentially a waiter who specialises in beer service.

Comp - Stands for complimentary and means to gives something away for free. ‘Comp that man’s drink.’

Cooler - An alcoholic-based bottled beverage offered in a variety of different alcohols & ﬂavours. Also called an alcopop.

Coupler - The handle that connects a beer keg with a bar’s draught beer system.

Cover - The number of customers a bar or restaurant serves in a night.

Deep - A measure of how busy the bar is. E.g. when it was busy, the bar was 4 rows ‘deep’ - meaning there were 4 rows of people waiting at the bar.

Digestif - An after-meal drink meant to aid with digestion.

Dirty - A request for a guest’s martini to be made with olive brine.

Dispense Bar - The area of a bar where you don’t serve customers, you make & hand drinks to the waiters instead.

Distillation - The process of turning a fermented beverage into a liquor/spirit.

Double - A request for double the amount of liquor to be poured into a customer’s drink. “Make it a double.”

Dry - Opposite of wet, refers to how a customer wants their Martini cocktail. Wet means more vermouth. Dry means less. When used to describe wine, it means not sweet.

Dump - After shaking a cocktail, instead of straining, you ‘dump’ the whole mix (the ice, the fruit, the liquid), into the glass it’s served in.

Express & Discard - To release a garnishes ﬂavours & aromas (like a lemon twist), onto a drink and then throw it away without adding it to the drink.

Fermentation - The process of turing sugar into alcohol.

Fizz - A drink which contains a carbonated mixer.

Flair - The art of throwing around and juggling bottles (or whatever else you have on hand) as a means to entertain your guests.

Appendix C - The Glossary & Bartending Terminology 299 Flame - To light a drink, or garnish, on ﬁre. Often done with high A.B.V shooters and the ﬂaming orange garnish.

Float - A method of layering an ingredient on top of the others at the end.

Free Pour - Pouring directly into the glass or mixer without using a measuring tool like a jigger. Instead, the bartender measures by eye or count.

Front of House (FOH) - Refers to whatever the customer can see & has access to - the restaurant/bar ﬂoor and all its staff members.

Garnish - An ingredient used to dress up a cocktail and/or add certain aromas & ﬂavours.

Hair of the Dog - Refers to ‘curing a hangover’ by drinking alcohol again. The Bloody Mary is often considered the perfect ‘hair of the dog.’

Head - The amount of foam on top of a beer.

Highball - A mixed drink served in a highball glass. See Appendix B - Glassware for more details.

Hops - A ﬂower used to ﬂavour beer.

Jigger - The bartender’s measuring tool.

Last Call - The opportunity for customers to order a last round of drinks before the bar closes.

Layer - To gently layer different ingredients on top of each other using the back of a bar-spoon to create a layered effect. See the Pousse Cafe cocktail for an example.

Long Drink - A drink served in a long glass, like a highball or collins glass.

Mixer - Any non-alcoholic liquid combined with liquor to make a drink.

Muddle - The process of crushing fruit & other ingredients in the bottom of a glass or your Boston shaker. Usually performed with a muddler.

Neat - A request to have a liquor or liqueur serves on its own. I.e. with no mixer or ice.

Nip - A measurement of liquor slightly more than a shot. “Throw in a nip of vodka.”

Nightcap - A drink consumed late at night, typically before retiring to bed.

Appendix C - The Glossary & Bartending Terminology 300 On-the-Rocks - A request to have a liquor or liqueur served over ice.

On-the-House - Something free offered by the establishment.

Perfect - A request to have equal parts sweet & dry vermouth in a drink, usually a Manhattan.

Pick-me-up - Any concoction designed to ease the effects of alcohol overindulgence.

Pith - The white inner part of a citrus fruit.

P. O. S . - Stands for point of sales, it’s a cash register & system used to keep track of orders & payments. Whenever you take a drink order, you put it through the POS system. It’s also known as the till.

Proof - A means of measuring alcohol in a bottle, similar to A.B.V, except exactly double whatever the ABV (%) is.

Rim - To coat the rim of a glass with an ingredient, usually salt or sugar.

Rinse - To lightly coat the inside of a glass with an ingredient, often liquor or bitters. See the Sazerac cocktail for an example of this.

Round - An order of several drinks, usually for a group. “I’ll get the next round.”

Roll - To pour a mixed drink from one vessel to another (usually a Boston shaker set) as an alternative to shaking or stirring.

Rush - A period of the night where the bar is extremely busy.

Shooter - A mixed drink designed to be consumed as a shot.

Short drink - A drink served in a short glass, like a rocks/old-fashioned.

Sommelier - A wine expert. Essentially a waiter who specialises in wine service.

Sour - A mixed drink made with citrus juice, usually lemon or lime.

Sour Mix - A pre-sweetened lemon and lime bar mix, often called sweet & sour mix.

Speed Rack/Rail - The long stainless steel shelf connected to the front of the sinks and ice well at bartender stations behind the bar. It holds the most commonly ordered liquor e.g. rum, vodka, gin, tequila, and whiskey, and possibly other popular liqueurs or mixes.

Appendix C - The Glossary & Bartending Terminology 301 Straight - The same as neat.

Straight up - A request to have a mixed drink served without ice in the ﬁnal glass.

Tab - A check opened by the bartender so the customer doesn’t have to pay for each individual drink. Instead, they pay altogether when they ‘pick up the tab.’ A credit card is usually held behind the bar as collateral.

Till - Cash register & system used to keep track of orders & payments. Whenever you take a drink order, you put it through the till.

Top - To top up a beer with a mixer, usually lemonade. “I’ll have a lager beer top.”

Top-Shelf - The premium spirits stocked in your bar, usually stored on the ‘top- shelf’.

Twist - A long, thin citrus peel garnish that’s twisted over a drink to extract its essential oils & ﬂavour.

Vintage - The year a wine’s grapes were picked.

Virgin - A non-alcoholic mixed drink.

Wastage - A record of bar screw-ups such as mis-pours, dropped bottles, & wrong drink orders, as a method of watching over inventory.

Wet - Opposite of dry, refers to how a customer wants their Martini cocktail. Wet means more vermouth. Dry means less.

Well Spirits - Generic or lower quality liquor. Usually the house pours found in the speed rack/rail.

Appendix C - The Glossary & Bartending Terminology 302 Appendix D - Further Reading: The Few that Matter

As much as I’d love to tell you that after reading ‘The Bartender’s Field Manual’, you’ll never have to read another book again, I’d be lying. Although, you’ve just been given a fantastic overview of the fundamentals, there are endless avenues that you can explore and improve upon.

The good news is that you can ﬁnd most what you need in books. Below, you’ll ﬁnd the books that I have used and personally recommend to learn more about beer, wine, cocktails, mixology, customer service, management, travel, people skills, and of course, bartending.

These are the few that matter.

Note: I encourage you do to do your own research here because resources are constantly changing. New books come out & industry best practices change. It’s important to stay with the times. That being said, most of these books are timeless - they’ll always be useful in some way or another.

Books • The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan - This book changed my life for better. It’s part of what was responsible for igniting my passion for bartending. It’s a complete guide to the art of mixology and I recommend it to everyone.

• The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler - A book dedicated to the various bartending techniques & how to employ them behind the bar.

• Setting the Table by Danny Meyer - An amazing book delving into the art of enlightened hospitality. As far as I’m concerned, this book is a must-read for every hospitality professional. If you’re interested in becoming a manager or opening your own place, it’s even more important.

• The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David Embury - A classic written in the early-mid 1900s. Although the recipes are out date, it’s fascinating to read how the principles of mixing drinks remain the same (for the most part). It’s a well-written, entertaining book that gives you an insight into what bartending was like ‘back-in-the- day.’

Appendix D - Further Reading - The Few that Matter 303 • Death & Co. by David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald, & Alex Day - A book written by the guys behind the most famous (arguably) craft cocktail bar in the world, Death & Co. This book is a more advanced craft cocktail book that explores their fascinating world of bartending. It’s a must-read for the craft cocktail bartender/ enthusiast, and anyone interested in opening a cocktail bar one day.

• Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold - When you’re ready to take your cocktail game to the next level, consider liquid intelligence. It’s a highly advanced, scientiﬁc, book on crafting cocktails. You’ll learn how to work with liquid nitrogen, why a red- hot poker is useful (??), and the importance of ice.

• Imbibe by David Wondrich - If you like history, cocktails, bartending, & spirits, you’ll love Imbibe. It takes the reader through the history of American bartending. You’ll also discover what life was like in the 1800s for one of the most revered bartenders of all time – Jerry Thomas.

• The Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth - An insane resource on beer. Whilst it’s approachable for beginners, intermediate to advanced readers will get something from it too.

• Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette & Justine Hammock - If you’re looking to learn more about wine, start with this book. It will give you a fantastic overview of everything you need to know.

• Vagabonding by Rolf Potts - A guide to the art of long-term travel. If you’re interested in becoming a traveling bartender or just long-term travel in general, Vagabonding is amazing.

• How to Win Friends & Inﬂuence People by Dale Carnegie - Despite the infomercial title, this book is a classic in the self-improvement industry for a reason. It will teach you how to better converse with people, how to be more likeable, & how to be more charismatic - all great lessons for bartenders to learn.

Appendix D - Further Reading - The Few that Matter 304