Becoming a Bartender

Lounge
1

I recently signed up and registered for a bartending school in Austin, TX called the Texas School of Bartenders. I have wanted to be a bartender for quite a while now, but have never had the time, commitment, etc to do such. Regularly the class is 2 weeks long, and 4 hrs a day, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks. I am doing the intense version and going for their 1 week class, which is 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week, for 1 week :open_mouth:. The class is $595, and they teach you how to make over 150 mixes and drinks, and they help you in finding a job after you graduate. The liquor license you attain from the school is valid for 2 yrs, and once graduated you can work anywhere in the united states. It sounds like a load of fun and I am very excited. I have heard that bartenders make $15-30/hr including tips, as long as you serve good drinks, are friendly, polite, etc. Bartending WOOT! I mainly want to work part time, around 30 hrs a week, and be a bartender as a college gig while I am getting my bachelors degree.

Is anyone else a bartender or former bartender?

Any barkeeps/bartenders in the house?
2

Now, the only problem i can see with this is that your allergic to alcohol, if i remember correctly. Most bartenders need to try their drinks so that when someone asks for a recommendation, they know what each drink tastes like and can pick the best one. But if you’d still like to do it, find a good friend in the class who seems to have a handle on tastes and get descriptions of several from that person.

3

Good idea…i definately won’t want to try any alcohol from now on. :stuck_out_tongue:

4

I too always wanted to be a bartender, at least for a while or part-time.

After all, in what other job does one get paid to lower women’s inhibitions AND cloud their judgment?

Never got a chance though. The good side is I still have my fantasy.

5

Haha, if you end up becoming successful at it, you’ll have an interesting story to tell: how you always dreamed of being a bartender, but had a tragic allergy to alcohol. However, you didn’t let such a petty physical problem stop you, and overcame your handicap to become one damn good bartender. Of course, you might want to spice it up a bit more with pirates or a dying uncle who imparted his dream to you on his deathbed or something.

6

nice vespero…you always crack me up in a good way…for sure man…i really wanted to be an elite bartender. :smiley: *sprays flaming alcohol out of mouth :open_mouth:

7

Sitting here waiting for Lor to pop in.:roll_eyes:

8

You may have a bit of a wait, she went to the dreaded… DMV!!! Duh duh DUH!

9

No No Nooooooo!:open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth:

10

Wow, what timing. I just told Lor that I always wanted to get into bartending. Maybe she’ll pop in and let us know the real deal.

You know, it’s kinda funny, but I actually have a friend that’s allergic to alcohol. When he drinks it, the top layer of skin on his hands peel off (or something to that effect). If he continually drank, he’d have no finger prints (hmm..perfect thief?) Maybe I should suggest he become a bartender. :stuck_out_tongue: On second thought..I don’t know if he could look over the bar..

11

well, anyone want my 2 cents?

:smiley:

12

Yes, I’ll take 22 if you’ve got em. Please and thank you. :smiley:

13

keep in mind im a bartender in florida.
my experiences arent definitive of all states :slight_smile:
this will help you understand how i came to my conclusions:

i walk into my mom’s bar and its superbowl.
im wearing a full length denim sundress and slip-on shoes.

mom knows im only comming in to say “hi” have 1 beer and leave,because i dont drink.

the gal getting my beer was plastered;
she handed me the beer but missed the bar all together and dropped the bottle.
shes swaying and mom asks if i would clean it up; this girl doesnt look like she can stand so well.

i begin to sweep up glass and the gal-
bless her drunkin’ heart-
feels badly and grabs the broom from my hand … continues to sweep the broken glass into my shoe !!!

she is asked to sit down for a few but cant make it 2 feet to the bar,she falls down and takes a “nap”.

needless to say, with only 2 bartenders on in a PATRIOTS bar and one of them is cutting zzzz’s, mom needed help.

i never had a shooter,let alone made a shooter…

again,guys,i didnt drink !

also note, i just moved there.
i knew no one but my family!

so i pulled my first 10 hour shift knowing nothing in the busiest bar in tampa at the time (we were located on the county line and could stay open 1 hour longer than all the restraunts,strip clubs,and bars for miles).

with this said,

would i recommend bartending school to anyone i know?

nope.

they are wonderful and give you confidence.
thats great.
definatley a great confidence booster.

knowing what i know in florida, people get hired based on personality alone.

no one attends bartending school here.

atleast not in tampa/st pete/clearwater.

bartending school is going to the bar 5 nights a week and ordering a different shooter every night.

ask whats in it.

done,dude.

drinks change from state to state,
90% of all drinks are either 1 booze and 1 mixer or they are a list of ingredience that change depending on where you live.

most of them are made up on the spot.

make a mistake?
“thats not how they make them where im from…” :smiley:

anyway,
bartending is
30% hygiene
30% personality (humor,knowing how to read social cues,mood)
30% confidence
10% knowing your drinks.

tips are based on your ability to make your patrons feel like they are family/important.

a hot guy comes in with a date,
i get tipped fat for making his date feel like he is royalty there.
thats just one example :slight_smile:

bad side of bartending:

its a tattoo that doesnt wash off.
dont wanna bartend.
wanna quit.
cant.

your a SERVANT.
get used to it, or you will fail.

i can mix in my sleep, and social security doesnt recognize that :roll_eyes:

you have temptations that no one should ever go through.

hope this was interesting.

14

I see what you mean. Some more questions if I may? How do you see bartending as a temporary job? as a permanent job? What do you mean it’s a tattoo that doesn’t wash off? Do you mean there’s a social stigma attached to being a bartender?

Do you want to quit bartending because you’re tired of being a servant? Or maybe you have different life aspirations? What’s stopping you? Does bartending draw you back in?

What do you mean about the social security? As in you don’t have to pay taxes on a lot of your income? :smiley: I understand if you don’t post anything the IRS would be interested in.

Finally, what are these temptations you speak of? I’m sure there’s a mix of good ones and bad ones (as if there are good temptations..)

15

its a great part time job.

full time, you’ll never get away from it.

it draws you in.
easy money, just not always alot of it.

yet you always think there will be.

everyone every where you go knows you.

you go to the kwik-e mart and people you dont recognize are asking how you are :roll_eyes:

as far as taxes go,
im not saying i dont pay taxes,
im saying its very very difficult to find a bar that will hire you above the table.
it becomes an issue.
unless its not :wink:

they call bars “the devil’s playground”

it doesnt have to be if you are alpha and state the way you are so that no one even tries you.

temptations are anything and everything you know/feel intuitively is not the right thing to do…but its sounds like it should be the right thing to do…and everyone will try to convince you that it is…and eventually you begin to question what you really think on any topic…

thats all i can say for now :wink:

16

Thanks for your thoughts Lor, I’ll think about them.

17

Many years ago, I worked a couple of part time bar jobs before leaving to join the army, one top notch city centre wine bar type place, the other a rough typical british pub like you see in the movies.

YOu have to understand that the system works somewhat differently in the UK, you are paid an hourly wage (roughly on a par with a shop assistant) and you rarely get tipped, it is more normal practice for the patrons to buy you a drink. We used to write down how many drinks we had had bought for us and how much that was worth in the till and take the cash at the end of the night. The alternative was to get roaring drunk every night and drive home, not a good option!

The hours were long, I worked 10:30 -23:30, every Tuesday evening and Sunday lunchtime off, not just pulling beer but breaking up fights, mopping vomit, cleaning ashtrays etc. It’s not all Cocktails and Dreams or Coyote Ugly.

Having said that, it’s the only job that I enjoyed from the day I started to the day I stopped :smiley: Like Lor says, once it’s got ya, it’s a bitch to break the link.

18

Lor & Diamond-

I understand what you are saying. I hope all the young folks do also.

I think what Lor is saying is that being a full time bartender is a lifestyle that can but does not necessarily pay well as well as one that is hard to break out of if you start considering doing something else.

Furthermore it puts you in contact with people and things that can start pulling you in directions you may not really want to go.

Thanks to the two of you for your insights.

19

you said it in a nutshell,bosshank.

i mean, i literally could write volumes on the topic.

picking and choosing what to bring up about the business isnt easy.

i dont want to deter anyone, and yet i wish someone had thrown some cautions my way when i started.

i had no clue.

i’ve seen guns,sports stars and news anchors, been tipped 100$ on a beer that cost 2.50 at the time,the lifestyle is just plain weird…

unless of course you find a nice hole-in-the-wall neighborhood deal.

without having to split tips and tip-out help, i think i made more doing that anyway!

20

If it is in florida you may need to know a few cocktails but here in the UK if you breathe your ready.