How to Become a Bartender
Overview of the Bartender Role
A Bartender works in bars, restaurants and other branches of hospitality and catering and serves drinks to customers.
Bartenders will also oversee inventory management and replenish stock when necessary. They are also required to verify the age of customers and keep the bar clean.
Bartenders must be able to memorise orders and have a good knowledge of drink-mixing including recipes and measurements of ingredients. A professional Bartender has excellent communication and social skills and can risk assess when necessary.
Dress Code
Bartending can often come with a uniform depending on the establishment. But if none is provided, then smart attire, such as a collared shirt or a plain blouse and black pants is a good choice. Always opt for non-slip, comfortable shoes for long shifts.
Bartender Responsibilities
It is a Bartender’s role to prepare and serve both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, take customer orders, and keep the bar area tidy and free of spills.
Bartender Tips
If you’re thinking of a career in Bartending, getting the basics down and memorising drinks is a must. Practice makes perfect, and it’s always useful to perfect your skills.
Consider taking a certification course to increase your chances of employment, this will help you to better understand the industry and drink mixing techniques.
Skills of a Bartender
Bartenders need to be adaptable and able to multitask, as well as have good interpersonal skills. It is extremely important to understand alcohol safety and have great attention to detail.
Interpersonal/Multitasking Skills
It is a Bartender’s job to take customer orders and make the drinks the customer requests. This requires a good memory and the ability to multitask, as often customers will ask for more than one drink when they order.
Remember to speak politely and be diligent. It is important to be able to mix drinks accurately while maintaining high standards of quality while considering any specific requirement from the customer.
Knowledge of Alcohol Safety Standards
Dealing with and handling alcohol comes with its own risks, and as a Bartender, you have the right to refuse more alcohol if a customer has had too much. This is why it is important to know the Alcohol Safety Standards to be able to recognise any potential risks.
This knowledge is gained through training and certification courses and is a requirement to be able to serve alcohol in any establishment.
Attention to Detail
Becoming a Bartender requires confidence in your ability to memorise recipes and measurements, especially when it comes to learning how to mix cocktails and other drinks.
A high level of attention to detail is needed for this, as not only do the correct measurements need to be taken for each drink, but the drinks will also have a specific look. This includes glass shapes and styles, drink colours and drink garnish.
Sometimes customers will request modifications, and it is part of a Bartender’s role to fulfil those requests accurately.
Duties of a Bartender
As well as serving drinks, Bartenders are required to maintain stock, create a good atmosphere for customers, and ensure legal compliance and customer safety.
Serving Drinks & Maintaining Stock
While serving and mixing drinks is the most important part of a Bartending job, it is not unusual to run out of certain ingredients, but a diligent Bartender will be motivated to restock any dwindling items before they’re gone completely.
Stock must be organised safely and must be accessible to anyone working behind the bar. Knowing when certain items need to be replaced is a learned skill that a Bartender will get used to using as they gain experience.
Creating a Welcoming Atmosphere
A Bartender needs to be polite and welcoming to customers. Carefully listen to and acknowledge the requests of guests and provide them with what they need. Body language and eye contact are also important to create a relaxed environment.
It is important to keep the bar area neat, and looking presentable, avoiding any spills and cleaning between services.
Ensuring Legal Compliance & Customer Safety
A Bartender must be able to risk assess. It is important to be observant and understand alcohol tolerance and limits. It is a Bartender’s prerogative to refuse to serve more alcohol, even if this causes conflict. A Bartender must be calm in all situations and adhere to the law to prevent any liability to themselves or the business.
Customer safety is of utmost importance and a Bartender may need to address disruptive behaviour and keep a safe environment.
Bartender Career Progression & Advancement
Bartenders can progress into specialised fields such as mixology or bar management with enough experience and additional qualifications. There are also opportunities in event bartending and leadership.
Becoming a Bar Manager or Mixologist
It is possible to progress into Bar Management roles from Bartending with enough experience and some skill development. Bar Managers must have excellent communication, organisational and customer service skills. There are also courses a Bartender can take, such as Professional Bar Management.
Bartenders will learn to memorise and mix drinks efficiently, but to advance to a career as a Mixologist, Bartenders will need to increase their skills and experience, which can be learned through mixology courses. These courses specialise in providing in-depth knowledge about cocktails, recipes, history and mixing techniques.
Opportunities in Event Bartending or Leadership
Event Bartending is done on a larger scale than regular bartending. It is important to have good time management skills and be able to work well under pressure in this section of hospitality. It is important to have experience in Bartending before applying for these roles.
Leadership roles will require excellent leadership skills and a good understanding of stock management for placing orders. It will also be necessary to produce rotas in this role and make sure that the business is safe for both workers and customers.
FAQs on Becoming a Bartender
Is Bartending a Flexible Career Option?
Bartending is generally considered a flexible career option, as it allows for flexible scheduling with the option to work night shifts and weekend shifts, or part-time.
What Qualifications Do I Need to Be a Bartender?
Though entry-level jobs do not require experience, applicants should have a good knowledge of mixing and serving drinks. Bartenders must be at least 18 years old.
How Much Can a Bartender Earn?
A Bartender can generally earn between £18,000 and £25,000 per year depending on experience and location.
What Does a Bartender Do?
A Bartender’s role is to mix and serve drinks to customers, manage stock, take payments and keep the bar area clean.
Can Bartending Lead to Other Hospitality Roles?
Yes, Bartending has many transferable skills such as communication, multitasking, working under pressure and managing customer expectations, which are all useful for other areas of hospitality.
