Becoming a Bartender is one of the interesting and fun-filled jobs worth taking up. And the fact that you don’t really need much educational qualification makes it more interesting.
Aside from that, you can be sure of making a living out of it considering the fact that what you take home as salary or incentive is encouraging.
In this article, you will learn more about bartenders and what they do. Additionally, you will get detailed information about how much Bartenders make currently.
The table of content below will guide you navigate through the content.
Who is a Bartender?
A bartender is someone who prepares and delivers beverages to customers, either directly at the bar or through waiters and waitresses who place drink orders for dining room patrons.
They pull draft beer mugs, pour wine, and make cocktails. If the location serves food, some bartenders will also take food orders. Bartenders either serve customers directly or through wait staff.
To become a bartender, you must be familiar with a wide variety of cocktail recipes and be able to make beverages precisely, fast, and without waste.
And aside from preparing and customers’ drinks, you will be in charge of keeping an accurate cash drawer during their shift and being able to account for any inconsistencies in the final drawer total.
And in some cases, you’ll be responsible for taking food orders.
For places you can work, you can work in restaurants, pubs, clubs, hotels, and other food service establishments.
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What are the Responsibilities of a Bartender?
There is a misconception that the only job of every bartender is to prepare drinks and beverages, but the honest truth is that there is more to what they do than just preparing drinks.
So, as a Bartender you’ll be solely responsible for the following;
- Keeping the bar area clean in accordance with the employer’s and the local health department’s recommendations.
- In some cases, you may be in a position to hire and train other bartenders, assistants, and wait staff.
- Must develop an efficient work tempo that keeps clients satisfied at the bar and, if applicable, in the dining room.
- Now, depending on the employment, you might take inventory and order supplies such as liquor, mixers, garnishes such as lemons and olives, paper goods, plastics, glassware, and other items.
- Bartenders must provide a safe environment for clients and be prepared to detect troublesome customers and have them removed if required.
- Check identification of the guest to make sure they meet age requirements for the purchase of alcohol and tobacco products.
- Arrange bottles and glasses to make attractive displays.
- Assess customers’ needs and preferences and make recommendations.
- Ability to Sell or influence others for up-selling and suggestive selling.
- Provide recommendations and suggestions to guest for choosing Drinks and Snacks.
- Be friendly and helpful to customers.
- Furthermore, you may need to affect customers who are in tears, who get sick, or who get angry enough to start out a fight.
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Is a Bartender Different from a Mixologist?
Actually, there is not much difference between them both. If you’re a mixologist, you are just a bartender only that you will know the recipes for a variety of popular mixed drinks.
There are the classic cocktails, of course, like martinis and Manhattans, and an excellent variety classified as sours, highballs, tropical drinks, and shooters.
Also, as a mixologist, there are many cocktail recipes you can learn on your own, at bartending school, or online. There are even smartphone apps that show you ways to combine a spread of adult beverages.
At a busy bar, you will not have time to seem up recipes, however. you will be expected to understand the way to mix any drink so you’ll advance to serve a subsequent customer.
Some bartenders develop signature drinks for the establishments where they work. it is vital that bartenders keep up-to-date on drink trends.
Bartender incomes are often higher for mixologists since drinks tend to be pricier. during a number of upscale establishments, a cocktail can cost a minimum of $14 to $16. Drinks at the fashionable Aviary in Chicago start at $18, while you’ll pay $23 a Bemelman’s in Manhattan.
Once you figure a 15 percent tip on a single drink which will cost the maximum amount as a meal in some restaurants, it is easy to ascertain how the bartender’s hourly wage can skyrocket.
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How Can I Become a Bartender?
There are no formal steps to becoming a bartender. Some bartenders qualify through on-the-job training.
They may begin as bartender assistants and advance to full-fledged bartenders after learning basic mixing methods and recipes.
Working with a more experienced bartender is a great way for new employees to learn the ropes.
Some organizations use self-study programs, online programs, multimedia presentations, or instructional pamphlets to train new employees’ service skills.
Such programs explain the establishment’s concept, assist new bartenders in developing personal rapports with other staff members, and instill a willingness to operate as a team.
Some bartenders acquire their trade by attending a bartending school or by taking bartending classes at a vocational or technical school.
These programs teach students how to stock a bar, popular cocktail recipes, food safety protocols, basic customer service, teamwork, and local rules and regulations.
Programs also provide an opportunity to explore effective methods for dealing with obnoxious consumers and difficult situations.
Most courses take a few weeks, and some colleges assist their graduates in finding work.
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Do I Need Any Educational Qualification?
There are no formal requirements for getting employment as a bartender. It’s up to the employer to make a decision on what qualifications are necessary for the work.
Most seek candidates who have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. Licensure is required for the bar, not the bartender.
It’s possible to seek out the work if you are able to find an employer willing to rent you with little or no experience.
Getting a job at a high-end establishment generally requires 2 to five years of experience.
Bartending schools are often a plus, and should also open opportunities for higher bartender income.
Most basic bartending courses are 40 hours long and may be completed during a week.
Additionally to the fundamentals, bartending schools may offer classes in mixology, liability certification training, catering and event bartending.
A basic bartending course can cost $200 – $600, a comparatively small investment compared to potential bartender income.
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Are there age requirements for Bartenders?
State laws differ with reference to minimum age requirements for bartenders and individuals who serve alcohol. In most states, you’ll be 18 to twenty years aged to tend bar.
Some states require that bartenders under the age of 21 add the presence of a manager or supervisor over the age of 21.
Adjoining states may have different laws. In Washington and Montana, for instance, you want to be 21, but you simply got to be 18 in Idaho.
You would like to be 21 in Virginia, but only 18 in West Virginia. In Kentucky, you want to be 21, although a 20-year-old can tend bar with a supervisor.
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Do I Need any Other Attribute?
Bartenders are individuals with distinct characteristics. They are enterprising people who are daring, ambitious, forceful, outgoing, energetic, enthusiastic, confident, and optimistic.
They are commanding, persuading, and motivating. Some are also traditional, which means they are conscientious and conservative.
How Much Will I Make As a Bartender?
One of the nicest things about becoming a Bartender is the salary aspect. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median hourly wage for bartenders was $10.43.
This means that half in the profession earned more, while half earned less. Pay varies widely according to the employer and the nature of the venue and the skills and experience of the bartender.
On the other hand, in New York City the average base salary is $22,286, which is 9 percent above the national average.
With tips, the highest-paid bartenders can earn over six figures. Such jobs, as you might expect, are difficult to come by.
Tips are generally high in upscale establishments where drinks are more expensive. Cheap drinks mean lower tips, and a bartender in such an environment might be lucky to clear $50 a night.
The jobs website PayScale puts the average bartender’s hourly wage at $7.94, with a range typically between $3.46 and $13.59.
Tip income is often undocumented, so it is difficult to determine actual bartender income. Tips are generally high in upscale establishments where drinks are more expensive.
Cheap drinks mean lower tips, and a bartender in such an environment might be lucky to clear $50 a night.
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Where Can I work As a Bartender?
As a bartender, you can work anywhere alcoholic beverages or drinks are served. You can be employed by small neighborhood taverns and bars, restaurants, upscale nightclubs, and personal social clubs.
Also, you can get jobs in resorts, hotels, cruise ships, and venues presenting entertainment, including theater productions and professional sports.
Moreso, you can get opportunities to serve drinks at weddings, corporate parties, and other events at various sorts of facilities and private homes.
Talking about the schedule, you can work evening and late-night hours, including weekends and sometimes holidays.
All you need is physical stamina since bartenders usually stand during a whole shift. You may even be required to lift up to 50 pounds to stock supplies like ice, bottles, and glassware.
And in some cases, you will need a uniform. This depends on your employer and your work environment.
Reference
- https://work.chron.com/much-bartender-make-annually-7503.html
- https://setupmyhotel.com/job-description-for-hotels/food-and-beverage-service-job-description/
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