And now, with out further adu, Part II of Jeremy Shirk’s(author of Make Money Bartending) blog post on increasing your speed as a bartender. Why is this so important? Well…the faster and more efficient you are as a bartender, the more tips! You can serve more customers and they wait less for their beverage. You’re happy, they’re happy…it’s a win-win! ENJOY!!
Becoming An Extraordinarily Fast Bartender – Part 2
ef-fi-cien-cy [i-fish-uhn-see]
n. pl. ef-fi-cien-cies
1. accomplishment of or ability to accomplish a job with a minimum expenditure of time and effort.
2. The ratio of the effective or useful output to the total input in any system.
3. The ratio of the energy delivered by a machine to the energy supplied for its operation.
As a bartender, if you can churn out drinks with minimum expenditure of time and effort� you will make ridiculous amounts of cash and have the option to work at virtually any establishment you like.
In Part 1, we spoke of ways you can increase you speed. All speed requires is the decision to� well� move fast. However, increasing efficiency requires more time and preparation than simply deciding to turn it up a notch� and that�s exactly why many bartenders collapse under the pressure of being thick in the weeds� because they fail to take the time to prepare their bar for maximum efficiency.
So how do you become more efficient?
1) Contemplation
Look at your bar surroundings:
Is there anything that can be improved?
Is there a certain action you hate doing, because it eats up so much time?
Now, while you may not be in a position to start reconstructing shelf and fridge space to suit your needs, such a minor change, like the location of your shot glasses, can make a drastic difference to the amount of effort you expend in during a shift.
And if you are in a position to influence bar reconstruction, do it if it will increase your bar�s efficiency! The bottom line is, become aware of your bar�s environment and make changes if necessary.
2) Preparation
Showing up 30 minutes earlier to prepare for your shift can make a world of difference to your night. Extra preparation time BEFORE your shift will result much less time and effort expended DURING your shift.
3) Systems
Systems allow you to execute without thinking, and that�s exactly what you want as a bartender. You shouldn�t have to �think� about where to reach for your grapefruit juice when someone orders a Seabreeze. It should be automatic. It should be second nature.
Have you ever seen a bartender buckle under the pressure of a mob of customers all screaming for a drink? Well, it�s not a pretty sight.
When every action is second nature, you can keep your cool easily, even when it gets crazy. Systems mean you follow the same procedure each time. You don�t do things randomly and sporadically, you do them the same, everytime! Everything from the way you set up your bar, to the sequential order you make drinks, etc.
4) Organization
While organization is a requirement of a good system. It�s important to stay organized throughout the night. Especially if your work alongside other bartenders.
Put things back in their place. Make sure you�re on the same page as your co-workers. It drove me nuts when I used to work with bartenders who didn�t put things back, or worse, because of their lack of preparation, have to come to my well/work area and grab a bottle.
As an efficient bartender, you will pull in the highest sales, and create the most enjoyable experience for your customers. Instead of dreading �the weeds�, you will welcome the craziness of working in a busy establishment because you know you can handle it.
~~~ The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips.
Rather than hitting your head against a brick wall trying to succeed on your own, let him take you by the hand and show you exactly how to land the bartending job of your dreams making hundreds in cash per night! 100% Guaranteed! Click here now for all the details!
Heaven forbid this will ever happen to us, but it DOES happen, and when it does, we HAVE to be prepared with what to do next!
I want to do something a little different here.
I want to hear YOUR response to this question, and then I will post the best answers so we can all learn from each other.
It’s a question I get all of the time from bartenders everywhere, and it’s a great one!
What do you do when you don’t get tipped by your customer?
Whether you are working at a bar or a restaurant and you serve a customer who does not tip you, or you work an entire night for a private party and you don’t get tipped (or tipped poorly)…
WHAT DO YOU DO??
As bartenders, we survive and depend on our tips, so it really hurts us financially when we don’ get that tip we worked so hard for.
Recently, one of my bartenders did an event for me. The client who hosted the party was from a different country (I will not identify due to incorrect stereotyping for bad-tippers!).
Anyway, at the end of the night, the client walked up to my bartender, said thank you, HUGGED HER and gave her a $5.00 tip.
FIVE DOLLARS?!
My bartenders are used to making $100-$300 in a tip at the end of the night (and sometimes way more!!)
Needless to say, my bartender was devastated and confused. She thought she did an outstanding job, and the host loved her!
But I gave her tons of helpful advice that I use for those rare times when my tip is below par or non-existent. Advice that she truly took to heart that she believed was very helpful.
But I ask you, in your bartending or serving position, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU DON’T GET THE TIP YOU DESERVE?
Please reply in the comments section of this BLOG. I will then compile the best answers along with what I have done in the past and will create a great article that everyone will get a FREE copy of!
Hey guys, great article written by guest author Jeremy Sherk, author of Bartending Secrets Exposed. Enjoy!!
Essential Glassware You Must Know As A Bartender
As a bartender, it’s essential to serve drinks in the correct glassware. The whole essence and experience of a drink is in the quality and style of the glass it’s served in.
Would a nice cognac really be the same in a highball glass as opposed to a snifter?
Would a glass of wine really be the same in a rocks glass?
Would that sexy cocktail really be the same in a pint glass as opposed to a frosty, chilled cocktail glass?
Glassware isn’t just designed for the look and feel of a drink either. There’s often a beneficial purpose behind the design. For example, the slim, tapered neck of a champagne flute is designed to prevent the bubbles in the champagne from escaping. Also, the wider bowl of a red wine glass is designed to let the wine breathe.
Now I’m not going to list every shape and style of glassware in the universe. I’m going to focus on basic, ESSENTIAL glassware you’ll be expected to use and be familiar with as a bartender. I want to help you succeed, not intimidate you with dozens of different glasses out there.
Remember also that good-quality, sparkling clean glasses make a huge difference to the customer. Drinking is a ritual and all aspects of the ritual should be perfect, so glassware is something you should take very seriously.
Ready? Let’s go.
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Shot Glass
1 – 2 oz.
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You’ll have more of these break on any given night than any other glass. The kind of people pounding shots back will naturally slam them down on the bar, which often chips and even shatters them.
The most common are 1 oz. or 2 oz. shot glasses. Shot glasses are used for any shot or shooter. From a flaming shot of Bacardi 151 to a layered B-52 shooter.
Shooters with juice in them, like a Broken Down Golf Cart, should go into a 2 oz. shot glass so that the customer gets their 1 oz. of booze in the shot.
Used as a measuring tool as well, shot glasses are a must have in every bar.
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Rocks Glass (Old Fashioned)
4 – 9 oz.
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Known as a rocks glass because it’s used to serve many drinks with ice in them. The rocks glass is used for serving any built, single cocktail on-the-rocks.
When you’d use this glass:
- if a customer asks for their drink “short”
- for a “scotch on the rocks”
- for a “vodka martini on the rocks”
- for a Black Russian
- for a Gin & Tonic
You get the idea.
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Highball Glass
8 – 12 oz.
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A “highball” is any drink that mixes alcohol and a mixer. i.e. vodka cranberry, rum & coke, gin & tonic, whiskey seven, etc. Thus, the highball glass was developed to accommodate these types of drinks.
While “highballs” can just as easily be mixed into a rocks glass, it all depends on what the policy is where you work, as well as the volume of the glass. I will use highballs for ‘doubles’ and rocks glasses for ’singles’. I’d rather give the customer a little less mixer on the ’single’ which is why I use a rocks glass in that situation.
Highballs are by far your most versatile glass.
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Cocktail/Martini Glass
4 – 6 oz.
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This glass has true presence. You can take a simple cocktail, like a screwdriver, and shake it with ice, pour it into a frosty cocktail glass, add a nice garnish and voila! You’ve got a very sexy cocktail!
Any martini must go into this glass unless requested otherwise. Only shaken drinks will go into this glass as well, you’ll never build a cocktail into this glass, that would be very low-class.
Also, because of its ‘V’ shape, having ice in this glass is very awkward because it will keep hitting your teeth when trying to drink the concoction. Never add ice to a cocktail in this glass, unless a customer requests it, which does happen occasionally.
Despite the often large size of the brandy snifter, don’t pour more than a couple of ounces of brandy into one. The short stemmed bowl design is meant to be cupped to allow you to use your hand to warm the brandy.
Also, the size of the snifter will greatly influence the strength of the aroma, and unless you warm your brandy you will likely prefer to have a snifter smaller than 16 ounces.
For some, there’s nothing better than a frothy, big headed mug of beer to satisfy one’s craving. Not every bar has mugs but your bar should have some type of glass designated for beer.
There are so many types and styles out there. In Belgium for example, each beer has it’s own signature glass!
Generally beer glasses are very thick and sturdy compared to other glasses.
The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips.
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I have always wanted to do this but had absolutely no idea of how to put it all together! James, your system is by far the greatest system for a complete business I have ever seen. I made $600 on my first gig and booked another one from it. Thank you James. You really have not only helped me, but also changed my life for the better!"
Thanks for everything. Your program is really amazing! I have been a bartender for 12 years, I love it. I have worked in some real cool bars in Atlantic City, now I live in FL and work in a cool bar. I am a bartender period. Anyhow enough about how awesome I am.
I am almost done building my own portable bar from barplan.com. Also Elance was great I had my logo design done by someone on elance. Thanks again James!!
Isn’t that the question you ask yourself when you don’t get the tip you deserve?
The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips.
Heaven forbid this will ever happen to us, but it DOES happen, and when it does, we HAVE to be prepared with what to do next!
Anyway, at the end of the night, the client walked up to my bartender, said thank you, HUGGED HER and gave her a $5.00 tip.
