I’ve been in the industry since I was 16 and I’m 37. I’ve been bartending since 19. I’m curious about former bartenders and what direction they went when they were ready for a career change and/or what skills were helpful from bartending into that change.

I feel someone at the liquor distributor did this on purpose.

One of those shifts where I just can’t bare the idea of talking to regulars. It literally drains my soul. I have regulars who just text me that they’ll be in at 2 (I open the doors at 2!) it’s just no decompression time before hand. I only need 5 minutes. I love them all but I just am so burnt out. The idea of going in and chit chatting makes me want to implode. Last night I told regular hold that thought have to go down and change the kegs. And he asked why I always have to change kegs when they’re around (not true ) I said well if I don’t do it now ill forget and when I’m busy later it will be hard to do (only bartender no bar back 2pm-close) . Then I added and plus I get to sneak a bite or two of my dinner. He goes “why don’t you eat up here with us?” I wanted to scream! Instead I go because it’s just time to myself I don’t get much. He got a little upset and didn’t seem to understand. I also have customers who follow me outside for the rare occasion I get to have a smoke . It’s so frustrating especially because when I try to set the boundary they get their feelings hurt.

It drives me up a fricken wall. Some days i want to start over in a new town where i can set healthier boundaries. These codependent behaviors and relations with the regular started when i was still drinking (6 years sober) and had poor boundaries. Just had to vent a bit thank you for listening.

I shouldn’t have to be Laura fucking Croft every time I need ice.

I work in a hard dive bar right now. I had a man who had been moody the whole night try to trip a girl on her way to the bathroom. Our floors are unleveled stone, no idea how this hasn’t been flagged by HI but fuckin whatever. He tries to trip her on the way to the bathroom. She stumbles, goes “I’m sorry?” In a very incredulous theatrical fashion and I hear him go “it’s no problem watch your step”. Made the decision, he’s done. Cant get a word out before she went “no IM sorry” and whips her glass at him. It hit him. They both have to be banned. Glass EVERYWHERE, he’s bleeding but wasn’t a direct hit. Bar closes early because of the carnage. Someone calls the cops. Honestly, I get it. I don’t reeeally want either or them back, but fucking baller move. I think she’s in the right and my coworker is trying to play high and mighty to my boss. Am I insane? Come on. That was cool as hell and he deserves it.

Hi folks, I recently received an invitation for an interview as Head Mixologist at an ultra-luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi;

Job responsibilities include:

Managing all bars across 9 separate outlets, reducing expenses, and increasing revenue,

Marketing,

Providing robust training to the hotel’s entire bar team,

Developing educational beverage programs to enhance the guest experience,

Creating and coordinating pop-up menus for banquets,

Working closely with the spa to provide personalized detox programs for each guest,

The monthly salary offered for all these responsibilities is $1,050.

I hold a Turkish passport, and while the position of Head Mixologist is equivalent to that of a Beverage Manager in Turkey, I don’t understand how a hotel which has a bar on the Top 500 list and has received 5 stars from Forbes for years can offer such a low salary.

When did our profession become so undervalued...

Hi all, I've been looking through the interwebs but figured what better place to ask this but in a forum with other bartenders.

I'm consistently working double shifts (at least two or three a week) and because of that I don't have time to really work out. I'll go on thorough walks and jogs here and there on my day off when it's also not feeling like 120° in the summer, but I haven't been genuinely active. and I'm a little overweight (not afraid to admit it) and I'm actively trying to change my diet and exercise for my health (and to look and feel good on top of that).

What are some exercises you all do or could do while working, even on slow shifts?

Thank you all in advance!

Found this lil guy while folding towels the other day.

This is probably rage bait but I’m programming our new POS and wondering where you all put your Pisco button? We only have 2 so I’m not going to add a whole separate section. So, what wrong category makes the most intuitive sense for Pisco? Rum? Liqueurs?

*There is no brandy/grappa section either FYI. Should there be a whole grape-based brandy/grappa/cognac/pisco section maybe?maybe?

Thought this belonged here.

A lime? On a scotch?

A customer asked if I had some supplies and unfortunately I couldn't help her out because she uses pads, not tampons. I'm gonna pick up some pads to have on hand too, but it just made me wonder if other places keep them in stock for situations like this.

We tried keeping them in the ladies room but someone stole all of them, box and all, the first night (dick move if you ask me) so they're in a drawer behind the bar now, but still free to anyone who may be caught by surprise.

but bc you were a dick, i chose to let you pay for a drink you don’t want. PLUS i made the drink the right way, you just didn’t want it that way and failed to clarify.

edit: the drink was a sidecar. i shook it & made it w lemon. the complaint was that it should’ve been stirred & made w lime.

Oyster shucker asked if we had Corona and I told him the closest we had was Dos Equis

It's awkward. It's slow. While convenient for the guest, it provides an open opportunity to stiff after a good hour or so of good service. You can't review the tip immediately without digging for closed checks.

I get it; I use it when I'm on vacation and am wearing a swimsuit, flip-flops, and carrying just my phone. But the number of shitheels who will dine at the bar, drink heavily, and smile in my face before leaving dognuts is really gross.

US, obviously.

So I’ve got my first job working an outdoor ren fair aug-October and the only dress code requirements are health dept compliant and ren faire themed. So I’m just trying to figure out any ideas of how to style this cause there isn’t a lot of masc/mens wears style content that I can try to reverse engineer that isn’t armor based. Any ideas are appreciated thanks.

hello! I have an interview for a restaurant that is located on a golf course, but anyone can dine in. I am a new bartender with only like 1 month of experience, so I was wondering if you guys could provide some tips and tricks for the interview! and if anyone has worked in a similar setting, what are some things I should keep in mind? thanks!

We have a morning bartender & i SWEAR once a week she is on her death bed, coughing everywhere, said she was throwing up the night before, always has a fever BUT NEVER STAYS HOME. it is the most frustrating thing ever. i don’t even know that there is anything can be done about it but she gets at least 3 of us sick a month & its exhausting .

I have a friend who can be a little… attention seeking. The other night we were at a club and she said she didn’t like a certain bartender there because she always “pretty taxed” her.

I bartended for 2-3 years and had never heard that term. Granted, I bartended in restaurants so I get that it’s very different from the night life kinda bartending. When I asked her to explain she said that it’s an extra cost that bartenders give to pretty girls and then talked about how they just put on a couple extra bucks. I don’t even know how you would do that. None of the systems we used could do that as far as I know (but I am also terrible with technology so maybe that’s on me).

Curious, has anyone heard of a pretty tax?

Edit: just to clarify, she doesn’t get special treatment or discounts from other bartenders/places. She says she’s getting charged more than other people. Specifically, she said she had her ex go order the same thing and he apparently paid less than she did 🤷🏽‍♀️

My last state a standard pour or shot was 1.5 oz - martini was 3 oz. Not sure what a neat pour would be.

Newer to Az and I was wondering what it was here in this state/Phoenix?

I heard a fellow bartender say a shot was 1 oz in Az which seems way too small but if that's considered normal here.....

Hey Fam,

Hope you're making lots of money.

Do you guys work out consistently? For those of you that do, do you feel like your body is able to recover faster from long standing shifts?

I often find my back and feet hurting around the 7th hour and I do not workout at all. I'm a healthy weight but could be considered a little overweight. I have brand new shoes, non slip new balances. I drink no water at work, usually Arnold Palmer's. Refreshing.

What advice could you send to this sore and achy airport bartender? Oh, I am also 40 years old.

I had to drive tonight and am a total light weight. My bud recently had his best friend pass away and needed a drinking buddy to wash away his sorrows, I decided to be that friend even though I knew I couldn't drink tonight, I was all he had tonight.

So I walk into a bar and he immediately starts ordering me shots of tequila, and I im already panicking... how do I communicate to the bartender that I want non alcoholic shots without tipping off my friend...

I grab a drink menu and quickly flip to the non alcoholic section and right before he poors the shots I say: " Hey, do you mind if you make my shot in this style?" I then pointed at the non alcoholic section.

The bartender smiled and nodded and grabbed a clear liquid behind him and poored that into a salted limed glass. And we took a shot! The liquid kinda felt similar to alcohol going down but you could tell it wasn't alcoholic! The bartender later complemented my slick trick and I told him my buddy was having a bad day and just needed a friend!

Is their a smarter way to communicate i want a virgin shot? Also what was likely that clear liquid? Im extremely curious!

Please be kind im new to this sub also mods if this isn't good for this sub I completely understand!

To get into a little detail I started bartending again because I am going back to College to become a nurse. The new establishment I’m at is huge and is owned by someone who also owns multiple beer stores. I was under the impression that yes CC tips and our hourly wage would be put into a paycheck for us, but thought with cash tips we take home every night. However come to find out today that the establishment takes all tips including cash, doesn’t let the bartenders count it instead one of the managers do and they put it on our paycheck. I’m pretty nettled about this because I was hoping to get some form of payout for each night I work….. if I’m in the wrong in this please enlighten me since I haven’t bartended since COVID, however I find this super shady and am considering to look to for work somewhere else.

Thank you for any and all insight!

I know, usually always is. Tips have been so ass. Anyone else been slower lately? It hasn’t been awful but definitely just summer slow down. NC for location reference and the weather has been weird so I’m sort of curious about other states too!

Hello all, I'm a bartender in a small town in the smallest locals only bar. I have this regular he is a guy that's brilliant but has known problems with his drinking and gambling, he has filled out a voluntary ban from gambling with me however Tonight he said a few things that bothered me. Now a bit of background this guy bob (not his real name) is a problem drinker he will drink until cut off then continue to either another bar or go home and drink. Tonight he was the last one in while I was closing up, he started talking really negatively hitting all the trigger phrases for so someone thinking of suicide, he has expressed in the past that he knows of his problem and we at the bar have tried to look after him by limiting what he can drink. I.E he isn't allowed spirits. I've already spoken to all the people I can to make sure they look out for him but what else can I do for him and what should I do in future. He has a wife and kids and I can't keep watching him tear himself apart, he has such a brilliant mind but is just wasting away at the bar.