Module No.

2
Bar Organization

Learning Objectives:
 Enumerate and identify bar personnel
 Discuss the basic functions of the bar personnel
 Enumerate and discuss the qualities needed for a bartender; and
 Enumerate duties and responsibilities of a bartender

I. Bar Personnel and their Responsibilities

Enumerated below are the personnel responsible in the operation of the bar. These are the personnel in
medium size bar operation. It could either be part of a food and beverage operation of a bar or a stand-alone or
independent bar operation.

1. Bar Manager
in charge of the overall operation of the bar. It means that anything that happened in the
operation is the responsibility of the bar manager.
He has to make sure that guests are happy and satisfied by making sure that guests
expectations are meet or exceeded.
He has also to make sure that the staffs are well motivated to perform their specific duties
efficiently.
Most important he has to make sure that the bar generates profit for the owner.

2. Bar Captain/ Supervisor

in charge of monitoring the staff and the operation.
is the most visible person in the bar because he serves as the eyes of the bar manager.
is tasked by the manager to make sure that the operation of the bar goes smoothly.
He has to make sure that the staffs are doing their tasks efficiently by monitoring and
coaching them at the same time.

3. Bartender
in charge of preparing and pouring/ serving the drinks of the guests.
During the operation, no one is allowed to prepare and serve the drinks of the guest only the
bartender.
Bartender should not leave the bar unattended to avoid making the guests with no one
attending them for their requests and also for security reasons.

4. Bar Back
assists the bartender in the maintenance of cleanliness and the preparations in the bar.
also known as bar helper, bar boy/girl.
This position could be a starting point of their career in bartending.

5. Bar Server
in charge of serving the drinks and foods of table guest.
Bar server must be knowledgeable of the beverages serve in the bar.
The bar serve must know what ingredients and the method of preparing the drinks so that they
can answer guests questions about the drinks serve in the bar.

6. Wine Steward/Sommelier
In charge of suggesting, selling, and serving the wines to the guest.

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 Wine server and Sommelier are different in terms of expertise about wines.
A wine server is just knowledgeable about the wines being served in the bar or restaurant.
A sommelier is an expert of wines not only those being served in the bar or restaurant but
wines in general.
A sommelier can discuss the details of wines to the guest.

7. Bar Receptionist
in charge of receiving and entertaining the guests.

8. Cashier
in charge of receiving payments of the guest.
In some international brands of bar and restaurants the bartender is at the same time the
cashier. This is for the purpose of making the billing process faster.
The advantage of this, if the guest are satisfied with how you serve them, the guest will just
say “keep the change” upon handing to you their bill.

BAR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

BAR
MANAGER

BAR CAPTAIN

WINE
STEWARD/ BAR
BARTENDER BAR SERVER RECEPTIONIST
CASHIER
SOMMELIER

BAR BACK

III. Requirements to Become a Bartender

Those who want to become a bartender should acquire or possess these following requirements.

a. Physical Requirements

 Height
 Pleasing personality
 Physically fit

b. Knowledge and skills

1. Mental ability and product knowledge

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 A bartender must have a great memorization ability.
A professional bartender must be knowledgeable with the different
products the bar offers to its guest.
Bartender must memorize all the recipes of mixed drinks serve in the bar.

2. Skills

 Bartending is an art and science of mixing and serving drinks or also commonly
known today as classic bartending.
 Flairbartending/ flairtending is the art of mixing and serving with showmanship
or flair. Here bartender shows some tricks by flipping, tossing bottles, shaker cup/tin
and other tools before pouring and mixing the drinks.

Types of flair performed by the flair bartender:

a. Working flair

 In working flair, the bartenders do some basic flair moves and routines before pouring
and preparing the drinks.
 Here, ingredients are in their actual or original containers. For bottled liquors, free
pourers are placed in the bottle so it can be directly poured in the glass in the mixers.
Juices are placed in store and pour containers for direct pouring.
 Free pouring is one of the important skills a bartender should master. Free pouring is
the ability to pour ingredients directly to the glass or mixers without using a standard
measuring device like jigger.

b. Show Flair

 In show flair, the bartender now performs or execute difficult and complicated moves and
routines.
 It is done on a scheduled basis only.
 In doing either working flair or show flair, the flair bartender should devote a large
amount of time for practice and mastery of his moves and routines before he can perform
it in front of the guest/s or audiences.
 Organizing is the ability to put in things in order. Bartender must keep his bar
properly organized so that he is able to perform his task efficiently and
effectively.
 Mixology is the art and science of creating a concoction or mixed drink.
Bartender/ flair bartender must be knowledgeable in concocting or mixed
drink. Creating these specialty drinks is the task of a bartender.

3. Socio-emotional

 Social/interpersonal skill is the ability to deal properly with other people. Bartender
must deal properly with the guests, with his/her superiors and co-workers.

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  Emotional skill is the ability to control your temper or emotion or the ability to
handle pressure. A bartender should maintain his calm composure in times of
pressure and difficulty so that he would still be able to perform his/her job effectively
and efficiently.

4. Communication skills is the ability to deliver and receive information or messages

efficiently. Bartender must be a good speaker and listener at the same time. A bartender must pay
great attention to the guest while communicating with them.

5. Behavioral/ attitudinal skills is the ability to follow rules, policies, commands or orders
properly. Bartenders must have the right attitude. Right attitude means ding the right thing.

IV. QUALITIES OF A GOOD BARTENDER

Here are some of the qualities that you must possess in order to become a
successful bartender.

1. Great personality, easy going person, a people person

2. Good Memory
3. Knowledge of liquors, cocktails, wines and beers
4. Knowledge on preparing and serving beverages
5. Team player
6. Physically fit
7. Able to work under pressure
8. Attentive
9. Cleanliness/good grooming
10. Good judgement
11. Service Oriented
12. Honest

V. STEPS OF SERVICE IN SERVING GUEST(S) IN THE BAR

1. Greet and welcome your guest/s and prepare them to order.

2. Offer/suggest services/ drinks of the bar.
3. Prepare and serve order/s of the guest/s.
4. Complete the transaction.
5. Check back on the guest in a timely manner.
6. Say farewell to the guest/s.

Greet and welcome your Guest(s) and prepare them to order.

 The first thing to do is make your guest feel welcome in the same way you would
make an old friend feel welcome at home. Smile when they arrive and make sure they
know you have pleasingly recognized their presence.
 If possible, suggest a seat close to others sitting at the bar. If the tables are an option
and there are no reservations, give them a choice. The overall focus is to make the
guests feel as if they are not strangers and should not act as such.
 Here are some verbiage in greeting and welcoming the guests:

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 Repeat Guest:

“Sir John, good evening and welcoming again to Wiggly bar; it’s my pleasure to
serve you again sir.”

New Guest:

“Good Evening Sir, I’m Renz, your bartender for tonight, may I know your name,
sir? Sir John, welcome to Wiggly bar; it’s my pleasure to serve you tonight Sir.”

Use the guest title in addressing them, if they have one; like Dr. John, Atty. Rick.

Offers Services/Products at the Bar.

 If the guest is now ready to order, smile and ask what he or she or the group would like
to drink. “Ma’am/Sir what drinks can I serve to you?”
 If the guests ask for a suggestion, suggest the specialty of the bar if there are specialty
cocktails or drinks in the bar. If there are no specialty drinks then enumerate the drinks
offered in the bar starting with the popular one or the expensive one depending on the
type of guests you have. In suggesting the specialty drink also describe the ingredients
and the method of preparing the drink “Ma’am/Sir we have our specialty drink for
tonight, our Fruit Beer, it is made of beer, orange and pineapple juice, grenadine
and fresh fruits slice of orange and pineapple and cherry, the method is muddle
and shake, would you like to have drink ma’am/sir?”

 Repeat order of the guest to make sure you got it correctly. “Ma’am/Sir your drink is
dry martini, shake. Anything else? For a while, I will prepare your drink.”

 If guest request is not available, offer alternative drinks but first ask for apology.
“Ma’am/Sir, I’m sorry but your request is not available but we have an
alternative drink if you like, it is a bit similar to your request since they have the
same base liquor” or you may provide some more explanations of you can and if
customers will ask.

 Also in this part, the skill of the bartender is often put to the test. Many guests will
deliberately try to test the bartender by requesting a drink that the guest thinks the
bartender has never heard of. In this case, the best thing a bartender can do is happily
tell the guest that the drink can be prepared if he/she could possibly dictate the recipe
for preparing the drink. But also try to ask for an apology for your lack of idea on the
drink requested by the guest. “Ma’am/Sir, I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with your
request but I’ll be very glad if you could instruct me on how to prepare your
drink.”

Prepare Order(s) of the Guest(s)

 The bartender should prepare all ordered drinks as fast as he could with focus on
sanitation, precision, and excellent presentation. If in case there is some difficulty, the

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 bartender should in his best, acknowledge the problem and prepare it again. If the
guest is dissatisfied with the result, the bartender should smilingly offer to prepare
again the drink to the guest’s specifications free of charge
 “Ma’am/Sir here is your dry martini, shake, enjoy your drink”

Complete Transaction

 In most “cash” bars, it’s a common understanding that payment is due upon delivery
of service or pay as you order. In this, instance the bartender tell the guest the cost of
the drink while presenting it and do the transaction by accepting the cash and
establishing eye contact with the guest and making change as fast as possible so as to
reduce the amount of time the bartender’s attention is away from the guest. Change
should be placed at the hand of the guest if possible while establishing again eye
contact and declaring how much is the change.
 There is instance a guest wishes to keep a tab or guest will pay or settle his bill after
serving them or before they leave. There are two ways of handling this. The first is to
keep a cash tab for the patron. Usually this is done by recording each drink on a slip
of paper by hand and asking guest to sign it.
 The second way is to run a guest’s credit card and charge each drink separately to the
electronically stored card number.

Checking Back on Guest(s) in a Timely Manner

 Checking on the guest is a trademark of bartender success. Several guest may

require more than one instance of service and a professional bartender knows this.
Most bartender use a “rounds” approach where they keep mental track of the
succession of guest they have served, repeat that sequence in their follow-up.
 The most simple and effective technique is to simply look at the glasses on the bar
table. The guest with the least in his or her glass will probably require service first.
But the bartender should also consider the number of drinks that guest already had
before offering another drink for it’s his responsibility to make sure guests are not
intoxicated.

Farewell Guest(s) and Welcome Them Back

 Farewell to the guest is one of the most important parts of bartending service steps.
Just as every guest should be acknowledged upon their arrival, they should also be
well acknowledged upon departure. The guest should be acknowledged not
because they are good tippers but it’s how a professional bartender should do his
job. Good or bad tipper must be given the same treatment. The guest know when to
tip and how much tip to give depending upon their satisfaction from their
satisfaction from the service they get.
 The most successful professional bartenders learn the names of all of their guests
and they are certain to use them when said guest leave.
 A sincere “thank you” to the guest is required on her or his departure along with an
indication that he/she is always welcome to come again.

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  Professional bartenders never display money to well-tipping guest. Doing this is an
act of unprofessionalism.
 Here are some verbiage in bidding farewell to the guest/s:
“It’s my pleasure serving you tonight Ma’am/Sir, I hope I can serve
you again.”
“I hope I can serve you again Ma’am/Sir, It’s our pleasure of having
you tonight here.”
“It’s our delight of rendering service to you Ma’am/Sir, we hope we
can delight you gain.”

VI. Bartender Job Description

a) Before opening a bar

1. Get the keys and sign the logbook for reference later or if something wrong
happened.
2. Bar counter, tables, and chairs and service area must be spotless.
3. Clean ash trays, and spaced properly on counters and tables with tent card
beside it.
4. Bar tools are cleaned and placed in proper areas.
5. Ice bins are cleaned and filled up, the same with bar sinks.
6. Bottles displayed on the mirror at the back of the bar are wiped clean.
7. Empty bottles are removed from the under bar.
8. Waste receptacles are emptied and cleaned; contents are disposed properly.
9. Juice containers are cleaned and filled.
10. Supply of linens or cocktail napkins, coasters, and matches or stirrers are in
proper display area.
11. Fruits and garnishes are prepared for the day for fast service.
12. Bulbs are checked and extra must be on hand to change defective ones.
13. During daytime, lights must be adjusted.
14. Ten minutes prior to the opening, everything must be ready and in its
proper place.
15. General inspection should be done on whole outlet appearance to insure
nothing is left unattended.
b) Work Flow
1. Say hello to guests when they approach the bar and place a beverage
napkin on the counter in preparation for serving the drink of the guest.
Always acknowledge guest regardless of how busy you are. If you are
busy, say something like, “ I’ll be with you in just a moment Sir/ Ma’am”
2. Take guest’s drink orders.
3. Prepare drinks of the guest.
4. Input/encode drink orders in the system.
5. Charge the amount due.
6. Give their change. Note: Try giving them some small bills, so they could
leave you a tip afterwards.
7. Prepare drinks for bar servers.
8. Collect empty glasses from the bar.
9. Wipe the bar table constantly.

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 10. Wash glassware
11. Restock anything that you need to avoid delay in the preparing and serving
the drinks of the guest.
c) Before closing the bar:
1. Doors and shelves should be locked prevent losses.
2. Glasses, bar tools and equipment are washed and placed in their proper
place or area.
3. Restrooms/ washroom areas must be cleaned.
4. Perishable items must be placed under refrigeration.
5. Dirty linens and cocktail napkins are counted by tens for every bundle
place in proper area.
6. Bar table is thoroughly wiped and cleaned.
7. Bar sinks are drained.
8. Waste dumps/ receptacles are checked for burning cigarettes.
9. Lights are turned off.
10. Requisitions of supplies for the next day are prepared.
11. Call engineering to turn off the air conditioning unit.
12. Final security check is made.
13. Return keys and sign the logbook for reference.

VII. Bartender’s Responsibilities

In the United States, the Dramshop Law is strictly implemented by bar establishments since
any drunk related incident will cause series of penalties to the bar and the bartenders involved.
So bartenders in the US are also very vigilant with regards to guest conditions. In the Philippines,
our Dramshop law is not rigid compared to the US Dramshop Law. So the responsibility of
making sure that the guest will be home safely after drinking in the bar relies much on the
bartender. Here are the guidelines in making sure bartenders would not violate any provisions in
the Dramshop law.

a. Check Identification of the Guest

 If a person looks below 30 years old, you should check his/her ID for
proper identification.
 When checking an ID, ask the person to hand it to you. Some people are
going to show their ID in their wallet; ask them to take it out. You have
to touch the ID to find out its authentication.
 Make sure it is a valid ID. IT should be a State ID or Driver’s License, a
Passport or a military ID. No student IDs are allowed.
 Make sure you look at everything on the ID. Look for picture, date of
birth, height, weight, sex, hair and expiration date.

Use the F.E.A.R Method

 F: Feel the identification for evidence of tampering

 E: Examine the information, such as: picture, date of birth, height,
expiration date, etc.
 A: Ask questions, such as birth date, zip code, address, etc.
 R: Return the identification

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b. Never Serve Alcoholic Beverages to Minors

Never serve alcoholic beverages to minors and always check IDs for identification. In
the United States, a person has to be 21 years old to purchase alcoholic beverages. Selling to a
minor is a misdemeanor. In the Philippines, the legal age is 18 years old.

c. What to look for?

Physical Signs

 Lack of beard growth or underarm hair (Boys).

 High or changing pitch in voice (Boys)
 Lack of pelvic or breast development (Girls)
 “Baby Fat” not consistent with obesity (Both)

Look at their Clothing

 Clothes or/ and accessories favored by young people

 Grooming styles favored by young people

Behavioral Clues

 Gathering in groups
 Preoccupation with how they appear to others.
 Easily embarrassed or humiliated

d. Don’t Serve Intoxicated People/Guests

 It is illegal to serve alcohol to intoxicated people and to those known to

be alcoholics. If you intoxicate somebody and that person gets into an
accident, you could get criminal charges and you might go to jail.
 Always look at everybody that comes to your bar. Check for signs of
intoxication like loss of coordination, slurred or irregular speech, violent
or difficult behavior and disorientation.

e. Prevent Intoxication

 Preventing intoxication is bartender’s responsibility.

f. Slowing Down Someone’s Drinking

 Remove empty glasses before replacing them with fresh drinks

 Serve water
 Avoid serving pitchers
 Do not pass the tables as often to avoid guest making orders.
 Do not bring a drink for one person at another’s request.
 Divert attention away from drinking to dancing pool, watching the TV
screens, etc.
 Serve food high in protein and fat. They slow the absorption of alcohol.
 Don’t serve high salt content foods. They increase thirst and customers
desire for more drinks.

g. Refuse Service to Intoxicated People

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  If an intoxicated person comes to your bar and wants a drink, don’t serve
him/her. You have the right to refuse service top any intoxicated person.
 Be non-judgmental and non-threatening. Say something like, “I’m sorry,
I’ve served you as much as I’m allowed” or “I’m sorry, but if I serve you
another drink, I could lose my job.”
 Inform other bartenders not to serve that person.
 Never change your mind when you cut somebody off.

VIII. Some Hints for a Good Bartender:

1. Always be clean, cheerful, tidy and diplomatic.

2. Remember your hands are in constant view so pay attention to fingernails.
3. Make sure that cocktail napkins, coasters, stirrers are being served with every
drink. Little gestures pay dividends.
4. Make sure aerated water like soda, tonic, etc and other mixes are fresh which
will give life to drink.
5. Use proper glass for each drink.
6. Keep cherries, olives, cocktail onions in their juices as to keep fresh.
7. As a professional bartender, even though you are mixing drinks, your eyes
should be alert on the surrounding.
8. Mix drinks in front of the guest’s sight, if forgotten, refers to recipe file
without notice of the guest.
9. Locate for a proper place for preparing mise-en-place; place where you can
also see if the guests are coming.
10. Mixing is an art, so follow recipes which are standardized.
11. Know the proper frosting of the glasses.
12. Always hold glasses by the stem or base not by the body.
13. Ice is essential in all cocktail bars. See that is it always clear and clean.
14. Always keep your glasses clean and polished.
15. The displayed of your bottles have to be always checked up in case some of
the bottles are not in proper place.
16. Don’t use chipped or broken glass. All broken glass kills all the flavors of the
cocktail or drink.
17. Matches are always ready in an instant as this part of the bartender stock of
trade.
18. Always break an egg in separate cup while preparing cocktail in case an egg is
not fresh enough to be used.
19. Always use fresh fruits or juices for cocktails if possible, for the best result or
taste.

IX. Bartender’s Preparation for Service

A. Personal Appearance
1. Body Cleanliness- take a warm cleansing bath daily. Use body deodorant daily
and change undergarment frequently.
2. Posture- when standing and walking, hold the body erect with shoulders and head
back, the chest up and abdomen flat.

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 3. Skin- a good complexion is based on good health and require proper food, plenty
of sleep and regular exercise.
4. Hair- hair is clean, free from dandruff, odorless, and must be glossy in
appearance.
5. Hands and nails- wash hands and nails always before leaving the restroom or
before and after preparation.
6. Teeth- brush teeth carefully at least twice a day, in the morning and in the
evening.
7. Feet- keep the feet clean and toenails trimmed.
8. Shoes- shoes are attractive, carefully fitted, have plenty of toe room to take the
foot in motion.
9. Socks and stockings- wear clean and stockings daily.
10. Uniform- uniform must be well fit, not too loose or too tight, clean and well
pressed.
11. Jewelry- don’t wear jewelry with uniform except watches or wedding rings.
12. For women only-
 Wear well fitted foundation garments for good appearance and health
posture
 Apply cosmetics moderately and neatly.

13. Avoid bad habits-

 Fussing with face, hair, neck, and picking at skin blemishes while on
duty.
 Using handkerchief in the dining room unless necessary
 Sneezing or coughing carefully
 Chewing gum or eating candy
 Combing in the dining room, kitchen or in the pantry
 Smoking while on duty
 Carrying a service cloth under your arm
 Counting tips or playing with pocket coins.

B. Hand Washing Steps

1. Wet hands with warm water to melt the soap.

2. Apply soap to produce lather
3. Rub for 10-20 seconds to remove germs
4. Rinse away germs
5. Dry hands with paper towel or hand dryer
6. Turn off tap or faucet with paper towel

X. Rules Bartenders Should Consider and Apply:

1. After serving drink, step backward or move away instead of listening to their
conversation unless directly addressed to you. It’s very unprofessional to participate
in guest’s conversation unless you are asked in a particular topic.
2. Have a good memory for the faces, names and tastes of your regular guests and greet
them pleasantly from the time they arrived up to the time they leave the place.

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 3. Handle complaints courteously and do actions immediately.
4. Never hurry a guest or that you are impatient of her/him
5. If you are to answer a telephone call at the bar, do so quickly.
6. Be cooperative and friendly with your co-employee.
7. You are not a professional bartender unless you fill the glasses at the right amount or
height, and not have a drop of left over in your mixer.
8. As soon as you finish preparing a drink, put the tools and bottle back in their proper
places no matter how busy you are.
9. Standard recipes must be followed to avoid inconsistencies of service. If you have a
regular guest, learn his like and dislikes.
10. Cocktails that are shaken must be shaken briskly but not too long.
11. When serving and mixing the drinks in front of the customers, show your tricks by
putting the glass on the top of the counter or on the rail with showmanship.
12. Do not serve drinks in the glass that is newly emptied. Always use a new one.

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Chapter 2 Activities

Name: _____________________________________________________________

Subject and Schedule: ________________________________________________

Deadline: October 27, 2020

1. Draw the organizational structure of the bar and indicate the basic duties and responsibilities
of the bar personnel.

2. Enumerate and discuss the qualifications needed to become a bartender.

3. In the Philippines, serving alcoholic beverage to minors is illegal. You are a bartender in one
of the popular bars here in Metro Manila. One night you have a guest, a senator, who happens
also to be a major stockholder of the company of the bar you’re working with. He had company
and one is his nephew, a 17 year old teenager. He wants you to serve his nephew an alcoholic
beverage because it’s his nephew’s birthday. Will you serve his nephew? YES or NO? What will
you do to solve this situation?

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