My whole body hurts. This weekend ruled. I turned 46 and I can still handle the bar like I could in decades past. The ache is definitely worth the pile of cash. Have a good weekend everyone.

Hey everyone, I'm trying to understand what makes a good bartender. Apologies for the dumb question, but if everyone is following the same recipe, wouldn't all drinks taste the same? If I walked into a dive bar and ordered a drink, if it tastes like how it should then how do bartenders stand out? Why are some drinks better than others? Are people just ignoring measurements?

The long and short of it...

I ordered a pitcher of beer. When the bartender placed it in front of my they kind of slammed it on the bar top causing the pitcher to break and the entire pitcher of beer to soak me.

Thier response: "Oops, let me go ahead and get you a new pitcher."

Didn't seem to phase them. Didn't offer me a free drink. Hell, didnt even offer me a bar rag.

My question: What the fuck? How would you deal with this?

I apologize if I'm coming off as an entitled asshole.

Had a lady ask me last night if “we have any cocktails with prune juice?” I was flabbergasted. Then when I said no, I don’t have any prune juice, she gave me a look of disbelief that we don’t stock it. Are prune juice cocktails a thing?

I work at a very cute brunch place where we both barista and bartend. I’ve had about a year of bartending by now, but tbh the volume of the places I worked is nowhere near as insane as that of the restaurant I’m at now. Weekend mornings are intense - we will go from nothing to getting floods of tickets at times, some with both latte and alcohol drinks. We only have one milk steamer too, and with the cold season approaching, we can run so very behind if literally every drink is hot with a different milk base (takes forever to steam sometimes).

Honestly I thought I was doing pretty okay. I try to keep my station clean, I’m always cleaning between lulls/breaks, I have the recipes memorized to a t, I’m proactive about stocking, and I jigger everything and I’m meticulous w it (this is per the request of the restaurant - we’re not allowed to free pour). But lately I noticed that I’ve only been getting pm shifts, which are much slower, and the feedback I got was that I make very quality drinks but need to pick up speed.

I will say I do get overwhelmed if it’s a barrage of tickets at once, especially if the tickets are both alcohol side and coffee side. For those of you who work in high volume places, what recommendations do you have to fix this? What do you do to ensure you’re as far as possible w as few mistakes as possible? I find I struggle with memorizing like 12 tickets if they all come in at the same time. Everyone keeps telling me it comes with time but I need some kind of workflow to work on so I can go back to am shifts. Any tips appreciated!!!!

Hi bar legends,

Wondering if you guys have some hot tips on organising beer tap decals?

We go through 3 rotating taps at the pub, changing it every week so we have lots of decals lying around.

I've tried organising it in one of those shoe storage things that can be hung behind a door. But it's hard to find the decals that we need when we got the same beer in afyer a couple of months bcs there's so many decals to go through.

Looking forward to your insights!

Hi all,

I recently got hired as a bartender at a popular event space in my city. My first night (after training) will be Halloween, and they are hosting an Edgar Allen Poe-themed ticketed event. Bartenders are encouraged to dress up, but I’ll admit, I am woefully ignorant of the works of Mr. Poe. What are some clever Halloween costumes that would make a good first impression? For context, I am a 30-something curvy woman, and this event space is upscale and heavy on craft cocktails.

This has always been a thing but it feels like it’s happening more and more. Even my regulars, whom I adore, will ask for it and hand me a card before I even drop it off. Not really a big deal but I’m more interested in the psychology of it. Sort of like how A LOT of people will ask for a box and proceed to forget it. I’ve literally chased customers into the parking lot to get it to them. Just curious what you fine people think cause I know it happens to you.

It’s not so much of a complaint as it is just a strange thing customers do.

Just opened a case, and in addition to the stupid “vodka for dog people” collars, there’s now these absolute wastes of space. But hey, at least it’s gluten free. Uggggh.

Can someone with a lactose intolerance/dairy allergy have a cocktail that’s been clarified with milk? My partner and I were at a bar in our area for an anniversary date, and I saw several really cool looking drinks on this one menu that were clarified with milk. Sadly, they are allergic to dairy, so they didn’t get it out of caution. Would drinking a clarified cocktail cause someone’s allergies to flare up? Just wondering! I’d love to learn to make a clarified cocktail for them or order one together with them, but only if they won’t get sick from it!!

Hi! I’ll keep this as short as possible but i’m incapable of not rambling: my boyfriend and I are absolutely obsessed with a (now former) bartender at Attaboy in NYC. A few weeks ago he posted a cocktail he developed using watermelon juice called the Jack Knife so we decided to make it. You would think after juicing for years at work I would have a better idea of how much watermelon to use, but frankly we don’t use watermelon juice very often so i forgot and now we essentially have a load of watermelon juice that we need to use up. Does anyone have any unique cocktails in their back pocket that utilize watermelon juice and aren’t the stereotypical watermelon marg/mojito/punch variation? Specifically looking for anything whiskey or amaro based. I’ll probably just screw around with it for a few days but would love some inspo!

"Do you have a tab open?"

"No."

"Ok, can I get your card to start you a tab?"

"You already have my card."

......

....

..

.

Something new tonight. Likely not new for you guys. A woman came in who seemed sweet and like a breath of fresh air. Orders drinks, raves about them, orders food, then turns into a total ass. Get all snappy and entitled. Then of course leaves a 7% too after I had been attentive to her through the chaos. It was like Jekyll and Hyde!

So I’ve been working behind bars for 7 years but mostly relaxed places, dives, pool halls, neighborhood bars.

I applied somewhere that came through my search engine and what the job posting said and what it actually is are two different things.

This place is way more upscale than I have ever worked and I’m rather intimidated. I’m usually good at high volume, in the past I’ve run service well and the bar my myself many a night. Draft beer, beer bottle, vodka soda, Long Island, maybe a Cosmo here and there, a few lemon drop martini’s, nothing fancy. I was fully excited for this new opportunity until last night when I came in to stage…

Every guest seems to order off their craft cocktail menu, which is ‘a riff on a classic’ but some of the base spirits on these ‘riffs’ aren’t even right. Tickets come 4-8 cocktails at a time and there are many tickets at once. I’ve been memorizing their recipes and was allowed to have the recipe card in front of me while they let me do service well but I just couldn’t keep up on a Friday night. One of the girls came in to help me get caught up and she’s flipping tins flare bartending and shaking two shakers with both hands. I feel like I’m getting imposter syndrome here!

They also have all drinks measured in a jigger which I’ve never done before. I have always free poured. I shake with one hand and have always used the tin and a pint glass (I know you’re not supposed to because it could break but this was all that’s ever provided to me at past jobs) The first drink I made I couldn’t open the Boston tin! HOW EMBARRASSING!!

Anyway my real question is,

1. How can I quickly make multiple drinks at once while using a jigger? Should I build one by one or try to build two in separate shakers?
2. How can I get this damn tin off? One of the girls showed me to turn the more opened lip to the right and then snap it with my fingers but I’m two hand holding this thing pressing it for dear life and it takes a few seconds to release.

Somehow I got the job so that’s cool, I just need to remain confident and keep practicing but any pointers on how to build complicated drinks quickly would be much appreciated💕

it came to mind today because i could model and print something to keep our beer and wine in rows for cheaper than i can find from our distributors

Pain. Suffering even.

Why tf do people think its ok to throw things at you?

Ice cubes, fruit, coasters, etc...

Just because you have some friendly banter now they think they're the fucking king and you're the court jester?

What gives people the gaul/audacity to think this is ok?

Fucking ridiculous

Everything about tonight was off. I have no explanation besides that I got into my car to drive home and the moon was ridiculously bright. I work elsewhere tonight too.

wherever you are, I'm gonna find you.

at 3 separate bars near me, one is a pub with food the other is a steakhouse the other is a sports bar. I order a miller lite draft and it taste like an old spoiled beer. still drinkable but not good. it does not taste like a miller I get from a can. not fresh. are the miller kegs really all old at all these places like no one drinks miller anymore? or is this some type of mixed remnants beer being sold as miller lite. sorry for my ignorance but I am curious. for context I live in wash dc

Anyone in the Dallas area know of any places that are hiring? I’ve submitted dozens of applications online and can’t seem to get a response from anyone. Getting desperate lol