Becoming Part of Bar Management – A Good Goal?

I just finished another 55 hour work week & am wondering why the hell I moved into management, why does anyone? Why do we give up great money, normal shifts & the lifestyle? We give up all these things because we are ambitious, have leadership qualities, & it is inevitably the final step in your career. The difference between management ...

Bartending Competitions – New Form of Jousting!

As a result of my experience facilitating competitions as I have, I have gained useful insight into the psyche of a bartender & now understand what makes them want to throw their hat in the ring. It is the ultimate presentation of egos and over confidence. The flair and mixology competition is where every bartender with even a hint of ...

Bartneding Relationships & Other Disasters! (To Do or Not To Do)

Relationships are difficult when you both work 9-5 and see each other on the weekends. But what happens when you have fragmented hours and work every weekend? It can sometimes be stressful on both parties. Now I am not saying you shouldn’t have a relationship in this industry, I am simply saying it can be hard. It is sometimes challenging ...

What Happens After Last Call! (The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly)

So the customers are out, the lights are up & the bar is clean. What happens next? We start our nights by slowing down, unwinding. This usual entails copious amounts of alcohol, sometimes drugs, & of course sex. I choose not to sugar coat this industry, so hold on to your seats because this is going to be a raw ...

Knowledge is Power! (Never Stop Learning the Game)

I have been asked many times, what is the best piece of advice I can give someone in the industry? My answer for this is always changing because I simply never stop learning; you never know everything you can in this ever-changing industry. This is for everybody, including bartenders, servers and managers. In all the training I have done I ...

Bartending School vs Bar Back? Which is Better to Learn?

The age old debate… To get started – should you do BARTENDER SCHOOL vs. BAR BACKING We all need to start off somewhere, but when it comes down to how you should prepare yourself for your first bar job there are a few ways you can go about it. The two mains way are by getting a bar backing job ...

Why We Bartend! (And Is It For The Right Reasons?)

I am sitting here with a bottle of wine on my one day off this week wondering how I fell into all this. I’ve been in this industry for nine years. I know the lifestyle and job like the back of my scarred hand. Essentially I don’t have a job; I have the bartender’s lifestyle. It consumes every facet of ...

Bartending: The Lifestyle Series of a Bartender