Both alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks are made and served by bartenders. Bartenders may be in charge of making a list of standard cocktails that clients purchase, or they may take on the role of mixologists—trained professionals who create novel beverages based on client preferences and home recipes.
This article will tell you more about bartender jobs and how to get your career in this field off to a start.
Read: The Truth Behind A Bar Manager Salary
Bartender: What is it?
A bartender is a person who prepares and distributes drinks to patrons, either directly at the bar or via waiters and waitresses that take drink orders from diners.
Bartenders need to be familiar with a variety of cocktail recipes and have the ability to mix beverages precisely, rapidly, and immediately. They can be seen working in hotels, pubs, clubs, restaurants, and other places that provide food service.
Duties of A Bartender
People in bartending professions frequently have the following employment responsibilities:
- Assemble alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and take drink orders.
- Assist in creating new drink recipes based on client preferences or own recipes.
- Make sure the bars are well stocked with all the alcohol, mixers, beers, wines, and garnish required for a shift.
- Talk to customers and provide entertainment to make them feel welcome and happy
- After shifts, tidy up: clean bars, lock alcoholic beverages, and wash glasses.
What’s it like to work as a Bartender?
Bartenders work in eateries, bars, clubs, resorts, and other places that provide food service.
Bartenders spend a lot of time standing up as they work. Numerous people hoist hefty cases of beer, liquor, or even other bar supplies. As waiters and waitresses who also are serving diners in the dining room, they frequently fill drink orders. Bartenders must therefore get along with their coworkers in order to guarantee that consumers receive timely service.
Job Description
A bartender’s shift typically starts with setting up the space for clients. They are in charge of setting up their areas, which includes making sure that any necessary alcoholic beverages, beer, and wine bottles are stocked, cocktail garnishes are prepared and readily available, mixers are restocked and close by, and pour mats, glassware, and shakers are tidy and readily available. They are also in charge of organizing their registers and making sure that opening banks are accurately counted.
Bartenders accept orders from patrons and servers during their shifts and make the drinks that are requested. Bartending is an active, fast-paced employment that, in crowded establishments, calls for quick movements, strong memorizing abilities, and interpersonal skills that enable establishing a positive impression in only a few brief interactions.
When consumers spend with credit or debit cards, bartenders are in charge of taking payments, providing change, and maintaining open tabs for requested drinks.
Bartenders must match the sales made that evening with the registers they used during their shift. Bartenders who work in establishments that mandate tip sharing may also be in charge of totaling and dividing tips received for the evening, as well as tipping out barbacks and other support workers for a portion of tips collected that night.
After shifts, bartenders frequently have cleaning duties that include sanitizing bars, washing bar mats and dishware, and locking up alcohol so that it is kept locked up while the establishment is closed.
Regular Work Hours
Depending on the kind of establishment they work for, bartenders may be required to work day, afternoon, and nighttime shifts. Shifts may or may not be regular; bartenders may have to close the bar one evening, then reopen it the following afternoon.
How to Work in a Bar
Although formal education is not necessary to work as a bartender, many people gain access to renowned businesses by taking bartending classes at vocational or technical colleges.
In addition to learning about alcohol sales legislation and basic food service storage and preparation methods, students at these institutions learn how to make drinks through a standard set of recipes and cocktails. By substituting this schooling for on-the-job training, job seekers can become bartenders more quickly.
As a substitute, you might take a job at a bar or restaurant as an entry-level employee and eventually advance to become a trained bartender. Some bartenders begin their careers working in security, janitorial, or hosting roles before moving up to become qualified to receive bartending training.
Those who succeed in entry-level jobs may advance to work as servers or barbacks and eventually become eligible for bartender training from a seasoned staff bartender or bar manager.
Salary for Bartenders
In the US, a bartender can expect to make about $26,350 a year on average. The average yearly wage for bartenders is $26,350. Typically, salaries range from $17,870 to $47,710.
The Bartender jobs in the United States
In the United States, there are now 611,200 bartenders. Between 2016 and 2026, the bartending job market is anticipated to expand by 2.5%.
Do people need Bartenders?
Due to continued restaurant and bar openings as well as a steady rate of turnover in the industry, there will continue to be a demand for and work possibilities for bartenders. Even while restaurant take-out services may have an influence on the number of opportunities for bartenders, the trend of people eating out will add to the generally favorable job picture.
Opportunities for those seeking to progress in the industry may exist as head bartenders or restaurant managers; overall, these prospects are, however, constrained. While there are no formal education requirements for bartenders and most training is done on the job, bartending, technical, and vocational institutions do offer certification programs in mixology and bartending.
No matter how bartenders are trained, they must also possess outstanding customer service abilities in order to succeed. Since tips make up a sizable chunk of a bartender’s income, it is crucial for them to be able to engage and connect with clients.
Additionally, they must be able to recall numerous instructions while operating in hectic, occasionally noisy situations. Physical toughness and the capacity to handle angry or intoxicated clients with composure are also highly prized skills. Most bartenders in the US must be at least 18 years old. However, many firms favor candidates who are aged at least 25 years old.
