Dear James,

I am new to the bartending scene…very new, I just finished bartending school and have not secured a job yet. I really do not want to work in a bar, club or restaurant, I would much rather do private parties, weddings, etc; however I am very nervous about starting out alone. I think that starting with a company that specializes in bartending for private events might be a good avenue for me to pursue. The question is how do I get a company to give me chance to prove myself with a even though there will be a little bit of a learning curve?  So what would your best advice be about how to get your foot in the door without having experience?

Sincerely,

Roni

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James’ Answer:

Hey Roni!

Welcome to the Bartending Catch 22: Managers are looking for bartenders with experience…so how do you get some?!

Listen, if you want my advice, just do private parties on your own! But here is ONE way you get over your fear…

BRING someone with you!

If you know anyone who has been in the service industry for sometime, even if they are just a server, having a second person there will help you tremendously!  Promise them you will split all the money 50-50 and they will be very willing to help!

Another trick with mobile bartending is that you will tell the host exactly what to provide so YOU will know what drink options are available.  If some guest throws a curve-ball drink at you that you have no idea how to make, simple say, “Oh sorry, I dont have the proper ingredients back here to make that.”  Simple!

ALSO, when you arrive early and get all set up, the guests will usually start to “trickle” in.  SO you quickly get acclimated to the process of mobile bartending.  In other words, you get to practice on a few guests before the real party begins!

Once you do your first event, you will actually laugh at the fact that you were ever nervous!  All of the bartenders and staff I train have NEVER bartended before…YOU have actually gone to bartending school so you are light-years beyond the rest!  You are going to KILL it, just go out there and get that first gig under your belt!

Take care!

$621.00 in 4.5 Hours:

Now, what’s stopping you from booking your FIRST event?! Get out there and make some $$$! Have fun, talk to ya soon!

Cheers,

James Wedmore

The Mobile Mixologist

Also, the video is very informative in terms of how to create your professional bartending business logo!

Enjoy!

As you may or may not know, I was in Texas this past weekend for one of my good friend’s weddings. It was really great to be on the OTHER side of the bar for a change and drink heavily and enjoy good company!

Well, one of the benefits of stepping outside of your bartending position and putting yourself into the shoes of your customer, is you get a REAL feel for what defines a GOOD Bartender. Well in this case, I was easily able to identify what defines a BAD bartender.

Why this Bartender Sucked MORE than “Meet The Spartans”

Excuse the obscure movie reference, I can rant about my disdain for that film in another post, but none of the groomsmen and I liked this bartender one bit! Ya he was old, creepy looking, and lacked any real personality or energy (everything that a bartender should have) but here is where he sent me over the edge:

My buddy Drew and I walk up for our 3rd Margarita in less than the first thirty minutes of the ceremony (in my defense, it was hot, I was thirsty, I like tequila…what?!) and here is what our friendly, neighborhood bartender said to us:

“Alright boys, you’re on the clock” (As he handed us number three)

I exchanged glances with my drinking buddy and decided I wasn’t going to just walk away from this one with a curtesy smile.

“I’m sorry…what clock would that be?” (Ya, I’m a sarcastic drunk)

Well, the bartender proceeded to tell us how he had noticed that we had been drinking rather quickly and that we were on his “watch list” (wtf?). If we kept drinking at this rate, he would have to “cut us off” WOW! The three words that NO patron ever wants to hear…and he just went there! Oh Snap!

Ok, ok, so even though I was proud that someone had taken notice of my drinking talents, I was still perturbed by his comments…thus he was labeled by me and Drew (and all the groomsmen) as a BAD BARTENDER.

So, What Should you NEVER do?

Before this post looks more like a big whiny complaint from a guy who actually had an amazing night (I later bypassed the whole bartender thing and found my own bottle of tequila, it never left my hand…”classy!”) there is something of value here that I want to share with you….really…

Do not condescend your patrons and convey your opinions of their drinking habits to them-especially in the first 30 minutes of the party! You are the LIFE of the party-not the DEATH of it! Now don’t get me wrong, “cutting someone off” is serious business and when it needs to be done, only a select few bartenders can effectively do it without any confrontations. And when it needs to be done, it should NOT be avoided by any means. BUT, for someone to warn you, and threaten to cut you off is GRATUITY SUICIDE!

In short, if you say “I’m going to cut you off,” you better just go ahead do it right then and there!

More NO-NO’s

Well, while we are on it, here are a few more things that a GREAT Bartender should never, ever do. Most are quick and easy and you probably already know them! I would LOVE to hear your comments, please feel free t add to the list!!

• Never Count your Tips in front of Guests
• Never turn your back to a guest while making his/her cocktail
• Never chew gum/eat food while working (I didn’t say drink!!!)
• Never leave your bar a mess-I hate that!
• Never use the glass to scoop the ice!
• Never arrive un-groomed and untidy
• Never talk politics or religion
• Never bring your baggage/BS Drama to work
• Never be the DEATH of a Good Party!

…I dunno, that’s all I got for now, anybody else?

Hope you enjoyed the post…cheers!

James Wedmore
www.BartenderforProfit.com