Bartending Tips

Drink responsibly when you are enjoying a drink. Don't drink if you are under the age of 21, and most importantly don't drive if you drink.

If you are serving as the bartender for the evening, know when to cut someone off who has had too much to drink, and don't be afraid to do this.

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When building a drink for someone, make sure to use the proper kind of ice for the type of drink. Ice cubes will melt slowly and have less chance of diluting the drink. Crushed ice works best in drinks that are prepared in a blender because they break up easier. If you are mixing a frozen drink, such as a margarita or a daquiri, shaved ice will probably work best.

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In addition to serving drinks with the proper ice, pre-chilling the glass, either by leaving glasses in the freezer or sitting in shaved ice, will help keep drinks colder for longer periods of time.

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If you are mixing a drink that uses a carbonated beverage, there is no need to shake or stir the drink once it has been completed. You will lose the carbonation if you attempt to mix it once the carbonated beverage has been added.

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Make sure you have all the necessary tools for a well-stocked bar. Some of these tools include: blender, bottle opener/corkscrew/can opener, ice bucket, mixing glasses, shakers, strainers, and bottle sealers.

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Make sure you have plenty of napkins, coasters, and above all else, glasses, and, for when you are done with the glasses, a method to wash them!

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There are many different variations to the Bloody Mary involving Tabasco sauce, black pepper, horseradish, and even pickles, but above all else, it is a drink made primarily from tomato (or V-8) juice and vodka.

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Some alcoholic spirits can be substituted for others in drink recipes. Gin and vodka can often be substituted for one another quite freely, as can rum and tequila.

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In addition to alcohol, make sure you have plenty of mixers on hand, and that they are the proper ones. Remember, club soda and tonic water are NOT the same thing!

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Most people free pour when casually making drinks. However, if you want to make a proper drink, try using a measuring tool such as a jigger or a control pourer. A jigger is usually a two sided metal bar tending tool into which you pour the liquor into to get the desired amount. One side is a fluid jigger (1.5 oz) and the other is a "pony shot" size (1.0 oz). If you don't have a jigger on hand you can use a regular shot glass in a pinch. The control pourer is just like it sounds. It will automatically stop after a certain amount to control the amount of liquor has been poured. Using either of these tools will help create a perfect cocktail that is neither too weak or too strong.

If you are acting as the bartender, if you know you will be acting as a bartender on a regular basis, try to remember what people are drinking, and their likes and dislikes. This extra added touch of knowing what each person's "usual" is will help expedite things for you, and make the person having the drink feel special as well.

A big part of being a great bartender is knowing how to make drinks from memory. So get yourself a book with popular drink recipes and memorize how to make them. You don't have to know how to make every concoction ever invented but knowing the standard drinks and shots such as Manhattans, martinis, cosmos, kamikazes, Alabama Slammers, etc. is a must. You can always keep a drink recipe book on hand for the non-standard drinks.