HYGIENE AND SAFETY

By schenly jane pabilona

Always be clean, tidy and diplomatic.
Always rinse/wash bar equipment like cocktail shakers and
strainers after use, even between drinks.
Always wash and dry your hands frequently, especially after
contact with citrus fruit/juices. This helps prevent hand dermititis.
Look after your hands, especially your fingernails, as these are
always in view. Keep fingernails short, and if using nail polish, use
neutral colours.
Don't smoke or drink while working behind a bar, it is
considered unsanitary and in many countries is also
illegal.
Don't allow a champagne corks to 'pop' on removal,
this is of bad taste and dangerous.
Handle a glass soda siphon by the plastic or metal
part only. The heat of your hand may cause the glass
to shatter.
Never fill a glass to the brim.
An Outgoing Personality
- If you have problems striking
up a conversation with
strangers, then you’re going to
have a difficult time behind the
bar.
- A great bartender has no issues
chatting with patrons, and
makes every customer feel at
ease. An outgoing personality
helps bartenders earn regulars
and, ultimately, higher tips.
Good Communication Skills
-Without good communication behind
the bar, the business will fall into
complete chaos.
Great bartenders can not only
communicate clearly to their patrons
(about the bar’s menu, drink specials
or drink suggestions), but they also
know how to work as a team with their
fellow employees, relaying orders and
asking for help when needed.
Tact
-When dealing with difficult situations
in a bar—like a drunk customer who
refuses to pay or a fight between
coworkers—you must be able to
restrain yourself from getting angry
or responding in a negative way.
The best in the business can not only
hold their tempers in check, but they
can also assuage the anger of others.
With the right approach, you can get
an unreasonable patron out of your
bar while, at the same time, making
sure they pay their tab and actually
leave a tip.
Stamina, Strength and Dexterity
-Yes, out of shape bartenders do exist. But it
is important to remember that the more
agile and fit you are, the better you’ll feel
making drinks night after night, and the less
chance you’ll have of injuring yourself on
the job. Bartending requires you to be on
your feet for hours at a time and, depending
on where you work, those hours can be
extremely strenuous and fast paced.
You are also expected to lift upwards of 50
pounds regularly—whether it be moving
kegs in the walk-in or handling cases of
alcohol. A great bartender is quick on their
feet and with their hands (being
ambidextrous is a huge bonus) and has the
strength to help with whatever tasks need to
be done for service.
Math Skills
-Yes, math is hard. But it is also necessary. As
a bartender, you not only need to know how
to calculate percentages in your head
quickly, but you must also be able to add up
drinks and be able to make proper change
after a customer pays their tab.
If you can’t keep track of your money or
other people’s money, you’re not going to be
very profitable behind the bar or go very far
in your career.
A Good Memory
-While it’s true that you can bartend without
memorizing hundreds of cocktails (especially
at beer and shot types of bars), you’re going to
need to be able to make cocktails without
looking up a recipe on your phone if you want
to make it big.
Furthermore, you’re going to need to
memorize recipes for syrups, ratios for classic
cocktail structures (like a Highball or a Sour)
and ingredients—like which scotch works best
with which type of sweet vermouth in a Rob
Roy.
Ultimately, all of that memorization will help
you make better drinks, which will help you
get better jobs, which will help get you better
pay.