Bartending Pro Tips Part 2:

This article is a continuation of Bartending Pro Tips Part 1: How to Make Money and Have Fun With a Career In Bartending

8. If there is trouble or violence try, at all costs, to avoid coming out from behind the bar. Raise your voice and attempt to take control verbally, while you are dialing 911. Many bars do not provide security. A personal friend of mine came out from behind the bar and hit an assailant with a full bar bottle since the assault was against a woman. That bartender (who owned the bar) is still in prison not because the bad guy died days later, but because the bartender ?came out from behind the bar.?

9. Tip jars are sort of an optional thing, depending on the type of bar. If you follow the sort of relationship-building techniques I have suggested, then when your customer is cashing out it should be a face-to-face, handshake-to-handshake experience They are a lot more likely to deal with you fairly (maybe show off a little bit too) than if they can sneak a few quarters and a dime into a tip jar when you are busy. If you have waiter and waitress staff, one surly server can easily cost you a considerable amount, and that is only if you ever even see their tips. Tip and bar/service accounts should, in my opinion, be kept separate and are in many establishments.

10. That naturally brings me to keeping the other staff happy! Their ability to make money has to do with how well the drinks are made and how quickly they can deliver them, so there is a delicate balance between your bar customers and the table customers. Keep an eye on your own customers, and try to anticipate when they might need another drink. Take care of it, in advance, and if you you are filling table orders (very important) always acknowledge your bar customers and let them know that you noticed. Assure them that their drink is coming right up!

11. Even if it is not within your job description, help the table staff clean up and flip the chairs. Support them any way you can. The only time I would ever advise coming out from behind the bar would be in defense of the staff, and, even then, yell loudly, several times (to staff mostly), for someone to call 911. They will need to know that they have your support (even in if your place of employment has bouncers), so just always do what you can to protect their sense of having a good place to work because, in spite of all your efforts to provide a fun atmosphere for your customers, unhappy staff can detract from that.

12. When you have time, spend time talking with your customers. Don?t sit on a stool sipping a coke and obviously trying to find some time alone, even if you are ?on break.? You can be on break at home. Talk news, talk about local folks and interesting places, but more importantly try and get them talking about what is important to them. They aren?t in a library, they are in a bar, and maybe they want to talk, a lot more than be talked to. It?s easy to walk away when you get busy; they can wait and, if they can?t, start gauging their intoxication level.

13. Thank every customer for having spent their time there with you and, if possible, shake their hand. That sort of thing means a lot to people and will keep them coming back. Look them in the eye, particularly when they are cashing out. (Tip Time)

14. If that moment isn?t available, because you are otherwise involved, when you see them rise to leave (and you are sure the bill is cleared), just yell over your shoulder ?Hey (name) thanks! Be careful and come back, OK??

15. Study any bartender?s book on mixed libations carefully, but it?s just as important to watch your co-workers mix drinks. It is a craft that can be learned from experience. If anyone requests a drink that might be from their local area, or by a name you are not familiar with, don?t be ashamed to say ?Hey, I don?t know it but I?ll make it right now. Teach me!? They will usually be proud to.

Some bars are just crazy some nights, or are just always that way, and you might be one of four or five bartenders with very little time to employ some of these techniques, especially with loud music or live bands. I know, I have worked in them as well but, even so, you will have brief moments when you can utilize these suggestions and, believe me, they will pay off. Even with multiple and busy bartending situations, customers will seek you out, try to sit near where you are working and, when you aren?t working, they will ask when you are going to be working next.

By the way, once you have a ?following,? changing jobs is easy!

Bartending is a fun, interesting and lively job! I have made up to $50,000 a year bartending as a second job!

Find a place you enjoy living, a bar you like and ENJOY work for a change!

Bartending Pro Tips Part 1:

In a bar, you will find an interesting and diverse community of people who will seek out fine bartending, not only for the relaxation and camaraderie, but also for a familiar and comfortable environment where they are recognized and accepted. For many people, in this competitive and aggressive world, a bar may be a sole source of sustenance for those basic things that are so essential to us all as humans. We are, after all, social beings.

Who doesn't recall an episode of the television series "Cheers" when every time one of the leading characters would walk in, the entire bar would erupt in the chorus of "Hey Norm?"

Few of us are entitled to such a universal form of recognition and instant acceptance from bar patrons, but an excellent bartender can provide almost the same sort of experience for customers.

I bartended to work my way through both undergraduate and graduate school, and have gone back to it several times when I grew weary of corporate life. The money (if you do it right) is about the same anyway, and, admittedly, it is tiring and demanding, like any job, but it is a heck of a lot more fun!

Every bar is different in its nature and appeal (strip bar vs. a restaurant's cocktail lounge), so this is not a "one size fits all" but, for the most part, if you follow these few words of advice, you can make it both enjoyable and very profitable!

1. Welcome all of your customers as though you know them and introduce yourself. Remember their names and welcome them, using their names, the next time they visit. (Keep a legal pad if you need too, "gray beard, thick glasses, name George, drinks Bud"...and any quirks you can note that will help you recall. Failing that just say "Hey good to see you again!" Just think of it like if you were having a party in your own home.. It's easy!

2. Always keep in mind what their drink of choice is and be prepared to offer them their preference. You should already know the names and preferences of your regulars.

3. If a customer comes accompanied by a date or companion, treat them both as if they are royalty, address the customer as in "Wonderful to see you again, Mr. or Ms so and so (if they are a regular). And what can I do especially for your guest?" Be sure to use the finest glass for their friend. If you treat them with that sort of respect, you cannot only expect a nice tip, but you can bet that they will be back over and over, and looking for you.

4. Yes, do remember jokes. Remember them when you hear them and study them on the Internet. Internet jokes are so boring that most of us just delete them, but ahhh...the telling of a joke is just that, it is the delivery and the story telling that makes it both interesting and amusing. Be prepared to have at least two new ones on every shift.

5. Your smile and your obvious enjoyment of both your job and your customers are worth a lot more than tossing bottles about or doing circus tricks. If you can do it, well it doesn't hurt, but most folks are there for a drink, company and the respect and recognition that they don't receive in day-to-day life.

6. Depending on the policy of your employer, when customers come in for the first time, and have just one beer while reading the newspaper or looking around, and then start to leave, slide them a free beer/drink and say "I am glad that you came in and I have enjoyed your company," (calling them by name, of course). "My name is so and so, and please do come back." Pay for that beer/drink out of your tips if you must; you will get it back, ten-fold.

7. Remember that these are customers. They are not really your buddies, so stay professional.

8. Though you will have many opportunities for intimate encounters, stay focused on your career and that you are there to make a living. Don't ever forget that "one night stands" are never just that in the bartending world; the customer you became close with will likely be sitting on the other side of the bar, within a few days, regardless of how much you regret that moment.

Tips 9-13 are not listed due to article length constraints. Please visit our website listed in the resource/bio box for part two of these bartending income generating tips or look for Part 2 of this series on this website titled: Bartending Pro Tips Part 2: How to Make Money and Have Fun With a Career In Bartending!

Steve Landen has been bartending for half a decade. He is a contributing writer for Bartending-World.com, a bartending school resource site for current and aspiring bartenders.

Bartending with Style

As opposed to the other food service careers, bartending is one job where personal style counts the most. The best bartenders I've known always have a personality to them, and some even have a little edge of attitude. Always remember that the whole point of your job is recreation.

The best bartenders are good conversationalists. Have a joke or two ready. Read up on the news daily before your shift, so you'll be able to keep up chat on sports, politics, and business.

Working in America, don't stress so much over knowing really complex drinks. About half of your orders will be for domestic beer, anyway. The non-beer orders will be something simple like a shot or a simple mixed drink like a vodka-and-coke. If somebody orders something really complicated, do your best to get it as close as you can and serve it. Bar etiquette nearly demands that the customer accepts whatever you pour as your version of what they ordered, and anybody who is enough of a troublemaker to ask for a Long-Island Iced Tea when you're slammed busy with a full bar generally deserves whatever you put in their glass, and probably wouldn't know the difference anyway.

Some environments to avoid: A bartender can get work nearly anywhere in the world that allows alcohol, so you might as well be picky about where to work. You can work where you want, it's your career and a matter of personal taste, but if I were you I'd avoid working in these places if I could help it:

Night clubs, rave clubs, or anyplace that requires a bouncer and caters to a young crowd. Loud music, rowdy customers, frequent fights, dumb kids trying to fake their ID on you. Additionally, young adults aren't civilized enough yet to know how to behave in a bar, can't hold their liquor, and don't tip worth anything.

Big commercial chain "McBars". I don't want to name names, but any place that advertises on TV is about as far from a real bar as you can get and still serve liquor. Especially if it's solid ferns and oak inside and caters to the yuppie crowd. These places tend to draw featherweight drinkers and have no personality to them, plus you'll have an uptight management hierarchy over your head every minute.

Gambling bars or sports bars. Generally, any place with slot machines built into the table or giant screen TVs that are always on and turned all the way up just aren't worth much. There's too much distraction from the serious business of drinking and developing a warm relationship with the bartender which will result in a thoughtful tip. Anyplace where the focus is to encourage the customer to never make eye contact with you is deadening to work at, since you might as well be a robot for all anybody cares. The exception is if the bar is actually in a casino or hotel or has an actual live band. At least there people are likely to stay a while.

How to do all the tricks: Get yourself a mixology pocket guide and keep it on you to avoid having to memorize every bizarre drink. But never let the customer see you checking it - keep it in a drawer or cupboard, or act like you had to go in the back room for a second.

Glassware: Many drinks are specific to the kind of glass; at the very least get the glass right. Keep one towel for drying and another for polishing. A stemmed glass should be used for cocktails with no ice, so that the drink will not be warmed by the hand holding the glass.

How to chill a glass: Either put the glass in a refrigerator or fill it with cracked, shaved or crushed ice before mixing. When the drink is ready, empty the ice out of the glass.

How to frost a glass: For frosted drinks a glass should be stored in the freezer or buried in shaved ice. To 'sugar frost' a glass, wet the rim of a previously chilled glass with a slice of lemon or lime and then dip the rim into powdered sugar.

Ice: You'll use lots of ice; cubed, cracked, crushed or shaved. Always put the ice in the mixer before pouring the drink; this way the liquids are chilled as they flow over the ice and there is no splashing. For stirring or shaking use cracked or cubed ice, and for specialty drinks crushed or shaved ice.

Sugar: As with ice, put the sugar in the mixing glass before the liquor. Usually powdered sugar is used because it dissolves quickly in alcohol at low temperatures.

How to stir: Drinks containing liquor and ingredients require stirring with ice for proper mixing. When using carbonated drinks make sure to stir gently to preserve their fizz. Too little stirring fails to mix the drink, while too much melts the ice and ruins the drink. Also, to stir a drink containing ice cubes, poke the ice a few times; this will evenly mix any and all liquors.

How to shake: Often drinks containing fruit juices, sugar, cream or other ingredients are difficult to mix -- these should be given a quick shake. When a drink requires frothiness use a blender.

Using a strainer: Always use a metal strainer - the kind which clips to the edges of the mixing glass.

Pouring: When mixing the same cocktail for a group of people, make all the drinks in one batch in a pitcher. So that no one drink is stronger or weaker than the rest set up the glasses in a row and fill each glass only halfway, then go back and finish each one off.

How to float liquor: To make one liquor float on top of another in the same glass pour each ingredient slowly over a teaspoon held bottom side up in the glass. The teaspoon will spread the liquor evenly over the one below without mixing the two. Be sure to pour the ingredients in the right order, always adding liquids in order of descending density.

Flaming Liquor: The trick to flaming liquor - rum, gin, brandy, or whiskey - is to make sure that the glass and the liquor have both been warmed. Fill a teaspoon or tablespoon with liquor of choice, heat over a flame and then set it afire. Pour the flaming liquid into the remaining liquor to light the drink.

Freelance writer for over eleven years.

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Online Bartending School compared to standard bartending school

Online Bartending School compared to standard bartending school

I have attended regular bartending school "in an actual cocktail lounge" and I must say that I learned more from the online bartending school I attended a year later, than I ever did in "the actual cocktail lounge".

Online Bartending School allows you to have the information at your fingertips at all times. There is a lot more information and you actually learn how to set everything up for yourself. You will not have to spend the $500-$1000 tuition too.

The online bartending school experience allows you to move at your own pace and you can actually learn tips like how to find a job faster, how to earn larger tips, and you can even take advanced classes to learn how to manage a bar.

The regular bartending school was a great experience and they found me my first few private party bartending jobs, but when I went to class online and at my own pace, I learned how to find my own jobs easily.

I also learned a lot of little tricks that make me more tips than I could ever imagine. I love bartending and I am very happy with my choice to begin bartender. The choice wasn't easy for me, so I attended both online bartending school and regular bartending school. Here are 3 reasons to save your tuition money and participate in online bartending school.

Reason #1 - You can work at your pace

When I took the regular bartending school classes I had to keep up with my teacher and if I fell behind that was just too bad. They cram everything into 2 weeks of training and you don't get trained unless you move with the class.

Also if you are a fast learner you will get bored. They move at an average rate so if you are a fast learner you will spend more time goofing off, then learning. This is not a good thing. You need to be able to move at your own speed or you are going to be stuck behind or ahead.

Reason #2 - You will save hundreds of dollars

When you attend online bartending school you will be able to save hundred of dollars on your tuition. Online studies cost about $50-$100, plus about $75 in supplies to learn with. The offline classes cost at minimum $500 and at maximum $1,500 plus you have to buy supplies for about $75 as well. Save your money and go with online bartending school.

Reason #3 - You will have more skills from online bartending school

I never learned how to find a good bartending job from the regular school. Sure they found a job or two for me, but they were one night jobs. The online bartending school taught me how to get an interview, how to interview, and how to find the actual job and land it. This is a much more useful skill.

There you have three great reasons to choose online bartending school over regular bartending school. Take it from someone with experience, online is better.

Learn more about Online Bartending School at the following website:

Online Bartending School.

Find bartending jobs available in your area

Find bartending jobs available in your area

Bartending jobs are available all over the place, but you will not find most of them in the classifieds. For whatever reason bar owners and bar managers don't feel the need to put ads in the classifieds when they need bartenders. So how to you go about finding bartending jobs available in your area?

You don't need to have an inside connection in order to get a bartending job in your area. You do need to have bartending skills that you can use to land the job and perform the job once you get it.

Now in order to get a bartending job in your area you need persistence and determination. You need to be willing to put in applications with your resume and then go back over and over to get an interview. You need to go in person, too.

Phones are easy to hang up and letters are easy to ignore. If you want to get the job you need to go in person and ask for an interview. Then, you need to get the job. How do you do that?

You have to start with a large amount of confidence and know that your skills are the best. You have to be confident and ask for a try out. You have to know that if a bar owner and bar manager is willing to let you try out for a couple of shifts they will have no choice but to hire you.

Use these secrets to become better at finding bartending jobs. When you find a job make sure to always work hard and be honest behind the bar. This will give you great references for future jobs and you will make more money this way anyway.

Lea

rn all the secrets to finding better and more bartending jobs in your area. Get the secrets here:

Find a bartending job today

Online bartender guide - Your guide to a better job bartending

Online bartender guide - Your guide to a better job bartending

I am about to give you my 3 top secrets to my success as a bartender. I have been bartending for 5 years now and after a little trial and error I have came up with a way to get the best bartending jobs and to maintain the highest income possible in my field. Secret #1 - Take full pride in your work

People can sense when you don't want to be at a job or when you don't care about your job. You have to take pride in your job, especially as a bartender. You need to keep your area clean and clutter free, and you need to make sure that all of your customers are taken care of to the best of your abilities.

When you truly take care of people they will reward you with bigger tips. Even the non tipper will be forced to tip you out of guilt. This is one of my biggest secrets and it really is not a secret, but because everybody has forgotten about working hard it seems like a secret.

Secret #2 - You have to be persistent and consistent in your job search

The first key to finding a job bartending is to have the skills. If you don't have the skills go to an online training site and get them. The second key is to be persistent. It takes time and effort to get in at the best bars and clubs, but the payoff is huge. Don't be afraid to show up on a daily or weekly basis to ask for an interview.

You also need to be consistent and always keep your eyes and ears open for bartending positions. Even if you love the place you work and you are making good money job offers can serve as leverage for a raise or for more top shifts. This is how I have worked my way into the most profitable bartending shifts and have been able to get more raises.

Secret #3 - You have to be honest and hold yourself to the highest integrity

It is important to understand that being honest as a bartender is hard, but very necessary. Bartenders are labeled as thieves, sluts, and alcoholics almost automatically. Over time you will be able to diminish these thoughts from your manager. Stay honest and you will always get good reviews from your former employers.

There are the top three secrets that I have used to build up my worth as a bartender. Begin building your bartending worth by getting the proper training and using these secrets. With the proper training and these secrets you can expect larger tips and a better hourly rate or salary.

Get the training you need to be a bartender, find the best bartending jobs, and make the largest tips. Go here for my bartending secrets:

Bartender for hire - How to land your perfect bartending job

Bartender for hire - How to land your perfect bartending job

Are you a bartender, but sick of working crappy little jobs behind restaurant bars and small bars that don't pay very well? Here is the fastest way to land the bartending job that you have always wanted.

The first thing you need to have is an attitude that you are going to get hired and you are the best. Bartenders don't want to take chances on bartenders that they are not sure of. They want someone they know or have built a trust with. Don't be afraid to be a bar back or a server for a little while first, as long as your manager understands that you are going to be the next bartender.

The second thing you need is a never quit attitude. When you go out looking for a new bartending job you have to visit many locations and really put yourself out there. You need to go back to the place you apply and ask for interviews. It is harder to get turned down in person than over the phone.

The last thing you need to know is that you have to ask for a tryout. Sometimes when you ask for a tryout you can get one or two shifts to show your stuff. Make sure you show your stuff and prove that you deserve the job.

When you are looking for a bartending job these are a few things to remember. Also don't waste your time looking in the paper because bartending jobs are rarely advertised. Get out there and start looking for that job.

Get the bartending job you have always dreamed of and start making over $300 a shift. Get more information here: