| The economy over the past few years has led | | | | You'll learn these recipes, and everything else that |
| to an increasing interest in picking up a second job | | | | you're going to learn, from an experienced |
| in order to supplement falling incomes. A lot of | | | | bartender who's worked behind a bar and knows |
| people have been taking pay cuts in order to help | | | | all the tricks to making the drinks. He'll show you |
| keep the company they work for from failing, | | | | how to make the drink and explain the process |
| and others just need a little extra money to put | | | | and why it's done that way. Following that, you'll |
| away to pad their retirements. Still others are just | | | | make the drink yourself, learning by repetition. |
| looking for extra money or a way to kill some | | | | This will teach you which liquor to use and what |
| time. Bartending can be a great way to | | | | mixer, how they're mixed and finally which garnish |
| supplement your current income, or in many | | | | to use. You'll also know which glass to pour in. |
| cases a way for young people to make a great | | | | Your course will take place in an environment set |
| income whole attending school or learning the | | | | up just like a real bar, with real professional |
| hospitality industry if they're going for a career in | | | | barware and everything you'd see behind a bar - |
| a restaurant or club management or ownership | | | | a 3 compartment sink, soda guns, ice bins and |
| position. | | | | speed racks. The liquor bottles will be real bottles |
| As easy as the professionals make bartending | | | | filled with a liquid made to look and pour just like |
| look, however, there's a lot going on behind that | | | | the real thing. (Don't drink the drinks though; it's |
| bar, and a lot you're going to need to know to be | | | | not real liquor, so it'll taste nothing like the drink |
| a good bartender and make the money that | | | | you're supposed to be making.) You'll learn |
| bartending can provide. Entire books have been | | | | everything from how to properly set up your bar |
| written of nothing but drink recipes, and bar | | | | to how to tear down and close it. This will include |
| etiquette is not something you pick up over night. | | | | stocking ice bins and speed racks, preparing |
| Certain drinks go in different types of glasses, | | | | garnishes and stocking your garnish trays and the |
| and pouring a draft beer is not as easy as pouring | | | | procedure for using the three compartment sink |
| a glass of soda. There's a correct way to do just | | | | to clean your glasses and tools. |
| about everything, and none of them are as easy | | | | A few basics you need to know about picking a |
| as just doing it. | | | | school: Ask to see the classrooms and texts. You |
| If you have no previous bar experience, the first | | | | want relatively new text materials with up to |
| few weeks behind a bar are going to be | | | | date information. The classroom should look like |
| extremely frustrating if you don't know what | | | | somewhere you'd buy a drink from. There will |
| you're doing, and can even cost you your job if | | | | either be an actual bar setup in the class, or |
| you don't catch on quickly. Learning to tend bar in | | | | workstations built to emulate the experience. If |
| a venue is normally a long, drawn out process | | | | you wouldn't feel comfortable ordering a drink at |
| where you start out as a server or a barback | | | | the bar, then you won't learn properly standing |
| assisting the bartender and eventually pick up | | | | behind that bar. Ask about the instructor's |
| enough knowledge to take over the bar on your | | | | experience - they should have a good amount of |
| own. | | | | experience actually working in a bar or as a |
| There is a way to speed up the process by | | | | mixologists. Any hack can read a book and teach |
| learning all the bar basics before you even step | | | | you how to make the drink according to the |
| foot behind a real bar in a real venue. You can | | | | recipe, but to learn how it's truly done behind a |
| learn your basics by attending a bartender's | | | | bar it would take someone with real experience. |
| school, which will teach you all of the basics that | | | | Always use the internet to research the |
| are pretty much universal from one bar to | | | | reputation of the institution or organization - and |
| another, providing you with a good "jumping off" | | | | this goes for anything where you're spending a |
| point with which to start a professional career | | | | good amount of money - and make sure that the |
| from. | | | | experience you want is reflected in the |
| By "universal basics", we're referring to things like | | | | experiences of people who've previously taken |
| basic drink recipes and bar etiquette. In almost | | | | the class. Many schools will help with job |
| every bar, a basic margarita recipe is going to be | | | | placement, so you might want to keep an eye |
| the same, as is a dirty martini and many other | | | | out for that too. |
| drinks. During the course of your bartending | | | | There are very real advantages to taking a |
| classes, you'll learn around 100 classic and popular | | | | bartender's class before you go out looking for a |
| drink recipes that will almost always be the same | | | | job. The class will prepare you for your first shift, |
| at most bars, clubs and restaurants. Many venues | | | | and give you enough knowledge and confidence |
| put a signature twist on drinks and carry | | | | to make the experience less frustrating, more fun |
| variations of popular drinks like margaritas and | | | | and more profitable for you. If you pay attention |
| martinis, and you won't learn the signature | | | | during the course and pick up the knowledge and |
| variations unless they're among the popular drinks | | | | skill, bartending can be a very rewarding career |
| that have pretty much spread all over, like a | | | | choice. |
| mango martini. | | | | |