Bartending Secrets

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So You Want To Be A Great Bartender?

This lens is designed to share some of the best bartending secrets, tips and tricks. Even the veteran bartender will find this lens informative.

Find out about the best bartending contests across the country and how you can participate.

Browse through a list of schools for bartenders and read reviews from past students.

Learn all the bartender terms to help you be a better bartender.

Receive a FREE ebook of drink recipes!

Learn How to Make More than 200 Drinks Without Studying!

Discover The Easiest Step-By-Step Drink Memorization System In Existence...

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Professional Bartender

Hawaiin BartenderA bartender is someone who serves beverages behind a licensed bar to paying customers. A bartender can also be called a barkeep or a barmaid. Bartenders are found in bars, pubs, taverns, nightclubs and other such places.

The bartender mixes and serves drinks, and the majority of drinks a bartender is making contain alcohol, such as beer, wine, liquor, liqueur, coolers and cocktails. They also serve water, juice, pop and other non-alcoholic beverages for customers who do not wish to drink alcohol such as a designated driver or a non drinker.

As well as make and serve drinks, the bartender is also responsible for taking payment for drinks (either from customers, waiters or waitresses), keeping the liquor supplies and glassware stocked, keeping the bar area clean, maintaining enough ice and garnishes on hand and serving food to customers sitting at the bar, if the bar offers food for sale. Often, the bartender is expected to dress appropriately to add to the atmosphere of the bar. In some establishments, the bar tender might participate in flair bartending, which contributes to the entertainment in the bar.

Bartenders are expected to be able to mix hundreds of types of drinks to please any paying customer in a quick, accurate and non-wasteful fashion. In some establishments, such as a busy nightclub, the bartender is only expected to serve the customer a drink and nothing else. In a smaller place such as a tavern however, the bartender might be expected to be a good listener, and allow the customers to have a shoulder to cry on.

All bartenders should be friendly, however, and enjoy having contact and communication with customers. Good bartenders have a way of attracting regular customers. Good bartenders like this will remember the favored drink of regular customers; have drink recommendations on hand or recommendations for other bars, as well as several other unofficial duties.
In most countries, tipping is expected of the customer, and this is how the bartender gets the majority of his income, as most bar tenders are paid minimum wage.

In some places, minors are allowed in bars, and it is the bartender's responsibility to check for identification before serving them alcohol.
If this sounds like a lot of work, with not much reward, look on the bright side. You are working at an establishment that serves gallons of liquor each day, and you are in charge of it. The job of bartender is management, customer service, and so much more! Even a bartending job looks good on a resume when you present it in the proper way!

Before you start to tend bar - whether it's as a job or in your own home, a good grasp of liquor terms can be a great asset.

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Let us know what you think or if you have a question.

  • BuckHawk Sep 30, 2010 @ 11:07 am | delete
    Nice list of terms and activities. And quite a collection of schools. Had no idea there were so many!

Bartenders Lingo

Do you know all the terms?

bartending vocabulary - cocktailA lot of the terms and phrases listed below are standard throughout the industry. A good professional bartender will know his or her profession inside out. If you're just tending bar at home, you're sure to impress people with your vast knowledge.
Here are some of the more common terms used in bartending.

Box - Pour the drink into and out of a shaker, usually only once. This gives the drink a quick mixing without shaking

Call Drink - A liquor and mixer, of which the liquor is a name brand (ie. Tanqueray and Tonic, Bacardi and Coke, etc.)

Chaser - A chaser is a mixer that is consumed immediately after a straight shot of liquor to create a different taste.

Cocktail - This can be any of various alcoholic beverages consisting usually of brandy, whiskey, vodka, or gin combined with fruit juices or other liquors and often served chilled.

Collins - A drink similar to a sour which is served in a tall glass with soda water or seltzer water

Cooler - A drink consisting to ginger ale, soda water, and a fresh spiral or twist of citrus fruit rind and served in a Collins or highball glass

Crusta - A sour-type drink served in a glass that is completely lined with an orange or lemon peel cut in a continuous strip

Cup - A punch-type drink that is made up in quantities of cups or glasses in preference to a punch bowl

Daisy - An oversize drink of the sour type, normally made with rum or gin. It is served over crushed ice with a straw and sweetened with a fruit syrup

Lace - Normally applies to the last ingredient in a recipe meaning to pour on top of the drink

Eggnog - A traditional holiday drink containing a combination of eggs beaten with cream or milk, sugar, and a liquor such as rum, brandy, or bourbon

Fix - A sour-type drink similar to the daisy made with crushed ice in a large goblet

Fizz - An effervescent beverage - one which is carbonated and emits small bubbles

Flip - A chilled, creamy drink made of eggs, sugar, and a wine or spirit. Brandy and sherry flips are two of the better known kinds of flips

Frappe - This is a partially frozen often fruity drink. It is usually a mixture of ingredients served over a mound of crushed ice.

Grog - A rum-based beverage with water, fruit juice, and sugar commonly served in a large mug

Highball - Any spirit served with ice and soda in a medium to tall glass (a highball glass)

Julep - A drink made of bourbon, mint, sugar, and crushed ice

Lowball - A short drink made of spirits served with ice, water, or soda in a small glass

Mist - A liquor served over a glass filled with crushed ice - often as is the case with an after dinner drink

Mulls - A sweetened and spiced heated liquor, wine, or beer served as a hot punch

Neat - The consumption of a spirit as a straight, unaccompanied shot

Nip - A quarter of a bottle

Nightcap - Wine or liquor often consumed right before bedtime

On The Rocks - A drink served over ice

Pick-Me-Up - A drink designed to relieve the effects of overindulgence in alcohol

Punch - A party-size beverage consisting of fruit, fruit juices, flavorings and sweeteners, soft drinks, and a wine or liquor base

Rickey - A drink made of a liquor, usually gin, a half lime and soda water. It is sometimes sweetened and often served with ice

Shooter - A straight shot of liquor taken neat

Sling - A drink made with either brandy, whiskey, or gin along with lemon juice, sugar, and soda water. It is served both hot and cold.

Sour - A short drink consisting a liquor, lemon or lime juice and sugar

Toddy - A sweetened drink of liquor and hot water, often with spices

Tot - A small amount of liquor

Virgin - A non-alcoholic drink

Well Drink - A liquor and mixer of which neither are defined brands (ie. Gin and tonic, rum and coke)

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Drink Duels

In the search for the most popular drink we are holding a duel. The winner of this week's duel will then compete against a new drink next week. If you have a favorite drink and want to see how it would stand up to a duel, let us know what it is and we will add it to the competition.

Which drink is better, Alabama Slammer or Long Island Iced Tea?

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Alabama Slammer

aris says:

Alabama Slammer

astrunk5 says:

Definetly the Alabama Slammer!

Long Island Iced Tea

arvin says:

long island iced tea

Angel says:

Deff Long Island!!

Joie kim says:

I choice long island iced tea because the taste and aroma of it is really make a drinker a good man and it's like your in the beach when you drink of it.

 

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FREE Drink Recipe Book

The Best Cocktail RecipesIf you are new to bartending or just want a handy reference to all the popular drinks out there, visit www.bartendertricks.net for a free drink recipe book.

Make the Best Cocktails

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Basic Bartending Techniques

Creating cocktails can be straight forward or artistic depending on the person, their tastes and how far they want to take it. Often the first lesson of Bartending School teaches the basic skills from shaking to pouring over a spoon. Most people can easily get by with these techniques in a professional situation. When tending bar at home - it's a definite!

Shaking - Shaking is the method by which you use a cocktail shaker to mix ingredients together and chill them simultaneously. The object is to almost freeze the drink while breaking down and combining the ingredients. Normally, this is done with ice cubes added to the shaker about ¾ of the way to the top. Then pour in the ingredients, hold the shaker in both hands with one hand on top and one hand supporting the base. Give the shaker a short, sharp, snappy shake. DO NOT rock your cocktail to sleep. When water has begun to condense on the surface of the shaker, the cocktail is chilled and ready to be strained.

Straining - Most cocktail shakers are sold with a build-in strainer or hawthorn strainer. When a drink calls for straining, ensure you've used ice cubes, as crushed ice tends to clog the strainer of a standard shaker. If a drink is required shaken with crushed ice (i.e. Shirley Temple), it is to be served unstrained.

Stirring - You can stir cocktails effectively with a metal or glass rod in a mixing glass. If you use ice, use them to prevent dilution and strain the contents into a glass when the surface of the mixing glass begins to collect condensation.

Muddling - To extract the most flavor from certain fresh ingredients such as fruit or mint garnishes, you should crush the ingredient with the muddler on the back end of your bar spoon, or with a pestle.

Blending - An electric blender is often needed for recipes containing fruit or other ingredients that do not break down by shaking. Blending is a great way to combine these ingredients with others creating a smooth, ready to serve mixture. Some recipes call for ice to be placed in the blender in which case you would use a suitable amount of crushed ice to produce a smooth, pleasant tasting drink.

Building - When building a cocktail, the ingredients are poured into the glass in which the cocktail will be served. Usually, the ingredients are floated on top of each other, but occasionally, a swizzle stick is put in the glass, allowing the ingredients to be mixed.

Layering - To layer or float an ingredient such as cream liquor on top of another, use the rounded, back part of a spoon and rest it against the inside of a glass. Slowly pour the liquor down the spoon and into the glass. The ingredient should run down the inside of the glass and remains separated from the ingredient below it.

Flaming - Flaming is the method by which a cocktail or liquor is set alight, normally to enhance the flavor of a drink. It should only be attempted with caution, and for the above reason only, not to simply look cool. Some liquor will ignite quite easily if their proof is high. Heating a small amount of the liquor in a spoon will cause the alcohol to collect at the top, which can then be easily lit. You can then pour this over the prepared ingredients. Don't add alcohol to ignited drinks and don't leave them unattended. Light them where they pose no danger to
anybody else, and ensure no objects can possibly come into contact with any flames from the drink. Always extinguish a flaming drink before consuming it. There's nothing more depressing than a "frou frou" drink that has no decoration to it. Here are some of the more popular decoration techniques.

Bar Glasses

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Bartending Schools Across the US

Always wanted to learn to be a bartender?

AAA Bartender School Illinois - http://www.aaabartenderschool.com/

AAA Bartending School USA - http://aaabartendingschool.com/

A Absolute School of Bartending -
1447 Fulton Ave. - Sacramento, CA (916) 256-5461

ABC Bartending Schools Nationwide - http://abcbartending.com
Over 20 different locations for this great bartender training school

Academy of International Bartending & Casino -
68340 Vickers St. Suites - San Diego, CA (858) 560-6499

American bartending schools USA - http://www.barschool.com
Bartending Schools are in New York City, New Jersey, Orange County California, Palm Desert California, and Chicago

American Hotel & Lodging Institute - http://www.ei-ahla.org

Art of Bartending, Inc -
Toms River, NJ (732) 506-7750

Atlantic Bartender School -
Waterbury, CT (203) 754-6000

At Your Service Bartending School -
824 Resience St. - Wallace, ID (208) 659-6404

Bartending Academy -
2723 North Campbell Ave. - Tucson, AZ (520) 325-5004

Bartenders Academy New York - http://www.bartendersacademyny.com

Bartender school Baltimore Maryland - http://www.marylandbartending.com

Bartending academy bartender school Honolulu Hawaii
http://www.bartendingacademyhawaii.com
Bartending Academy (Honolulu, Hawaii)the oldest and premier bartending school in Hawaii!

Bartending college USA - http://www.bartendingcollege.com
The Bartending College: An essential element in the art of bartender mixology for bars & nightclubs(54 cities USA)

Bartending Institute of New York - http://www.bartendersuniversity.com

Bartender school & bar supplies Rochester, PA - http://www.bottlesup.com
Bottles-Up bar training courses are taught at your facility by our team of experienced Bottles-Up bartender trainers.

Bartender school Arizona - http://www.bartendingacademy.com

Bartenders of Santa Rosa -
1050 Hopper Ave. - Santa Rosa, CA (707) 523-1611

Bartending School in New York - http://apbbartendingschools.com
New York State Licensed School

Bartending school New England - http://www.bartendingschool.com

Bartending School of San Antonio Texas
http://www.sabarschool.com
The Bartending School of San Antonio trains people who want to be bartenders in the service & hospitality industry.

Bartender school Allentown, Pittsburgh, Atlantic ,Baltimore
http://www.bartenderschool.com/
Allentown Bartender School (PA)For mixed drinks & bar training

Bartender school Dallas
http://www.aimsacademy.com/
School of professional bartending (TX) Bar management & Culinary school

Bartender school Philadelphia
http://www.barmaster.com/
Barmaster Bartending School. Learn many mixed drinks for the bar & nightclub industry.

Bartender school Philadelphia - http://www.mainlinebartending.com/

Bartender school online - http://www.bartenderonline.com
Bartending school online in English and Espanol

Bartender school San Francisco - http://www.sfbartending.com

Bartender school Vermont - http://vermontbartendingschool.com

Bartending Schools Westchester Bartender School -Academy of Professional Bartending Westchester's Premier Bartender school New York - Serving White Plains and Westchester County!
http://www.ezbartending.net

Bartending world school California - http://www.bartendingworld.com

Boston bartenders school - http://www.bartendingschoolma.com
Licensed by the State of New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission

Boston Bartenders School New England - http://www.bostonbartender.com
Largest and oldest bartending school in New England .

Cape Cod School of Bartending -
12 Enterprise Rd. - Hyannis, MA (888) 437-4657

Capital Bartending School - http://www.capitalbartending.com

Charlie's Professional Bartending, Inc -
Spring Grove, IL (877) 884-BARS

Columbia Bartender school New York - http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccs/bartending/

Connecticut School of Bartending -
78 Franklin St. - Norwich, CT (860) 886-1955

Crescent bartender school New Orleans - http://www.crescentschools.com

Crescent School of Gaming and Bartending -
209 N. Broad St. - New Orleans, LA (504) 584-7222

Hospitality industry training school Florida - http://www.hsatraining.com/
HSA International (Florida)training programs and Human Resources Development services for the hospitality industry

Hotel & bar School California - http://www.hotelcollege.com
Hospitality Management Training Institute (San Francisco, California). Bar & beverage & Hotel management.

Hotel Training North Carolina - http://www.hoteletraining.com
Orleans Hospitality industry Training (NC, but provides tele-training)

I Can Bartend Milwaukee - http://icanbartend.com

I Can Mix Bartender School Michigan - http://icanmix.com
Master school of bartenders Illinois, CA, NY, NJ - http://www.mastersschool.com

International School of Professional Bartending -
Kansas City, MO (816) 753-3900

Kentucky School of Bartending -
1300 Hepbum Ave. - Louisville, KY (502) 584-7222

Lexington Bartending School -
2573 Richmond Rd. - Lexington, KY (859) 269-6060

Louisiana School of Bartending -
Baton Rouge, LA (866) 21-DRINK

Maryland Bartending Academy -
209 New Jersey Ave. NE - Glen Burnie, MD (410) 787-0020

Master Bartender School -
84 Main St - New Market, NH (603) 659-3718

Midwest Bartending School - http://www.bartendersschool.com
Serving the entire Indianapolis, Indiana area.

Minnesota School of Bartending - 2426 University Ave. - St. Paul, MN (651) 645-1252
and Minneapolis, MN (612) 333-6692

Mix em up bartender School New Jersey - http://www.mixemup.com
Training and placing bartenders in the NJ NY PA areas

Mountain View National Bartenders School - http://www.casinoandbarschool.com
National Bartenders Bartending School training and placing bartenders in the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

National Bartending Institute Georgia - http://nationalbartendinginstitute.com
The National Bartending Institute is a private hospitality school devoted to the training of personnel for the bartender profession.

National bartenders school California - http://www.nationalbartenders.com
First Bartending School in Los Angeles now in Florida, Nebraska & Oregon

National bartender School California - http://www.Nationalschools.com

New England bartending School - http://newenglandbartending.com

New York Bartending School NY & Florida - http://newyorkbartendingschool.com
Train to be a bartender in New York City and in South Florida

Pacific Coast Bartending School -
1320 S. Kellogg - Goleta, CA (805) 964-5400

Philadlephia bartending school - http://www.barinst.com
Bartenders trained at our Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bartending Schools.

Pittsburgh Bartender School - http://www.bartendingschoolpittsburgh.com
Full Service bartending school for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Eastern Ohio.

Premium pour bartender school Oregon - http://www.premium-pour.com

Professional Bartender School Tennessee - http://pbset.com
Knoxville Professional Bartending School

Professional Bartending School Virginia - http://www.bartending-school.com
Serving Virginia, Wasington DC and Maryland area for bartender training

Professional school of bartenders RI and MA - http://www.professionalschoolofbartending.com

Raleigh and Charlotte Bartender school North Carolina - http://www.cocktailmixer.com/

Reno Taho Bartending School -
3702 S. Virginia St. - Reno, NV (775) 329-5665
Resposible alcohol service training - http://www.gettips.com

Sacremento bartender school California - http://www.sacramentobartendingschool.com/

San Francisco School of Bartending -
760 Market St. - San Francisco, CA (888) 254-1100

Texas bartending School for Bartenders Texas - http://www.texasbartendingschools.com

The Bartending School -
2725 Cantrel Rd - Little Rock, AR (501) 227-5161

The Pacific Bartending School Torrance California - http://www.pacificbartending.com
State Licensed. The finest bartending school in the Los Angeles area...and the only bartender school in the South Bay.

The Premium Institute of Bartending - http://www.premiuminstitute.com/

Top Shelf School of Professional Bartending -
Tuscaloosa, AL (205) 792-2842

University Bartending school USA - http://www.universitybartending.com
Bartender training schools all over the USA.

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astrunk5

I am a mother of 3 wonderful children; ages 15, 12 and 10. With the loving support of my husband I spend my days writing about the things I am passion... more »

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