Going forward I’ll be featuring my favorite news, articles and blog posts from industry leaders, magazines and bloggers each Sunday morning. No in the mood for news but looking for a hangover cure after a wild Saturday night? Head over to Wikipedia here.
Here are the links…
What Does a Bartender Really Need to Know? by Jack Robertiello
From the article:
Knowing the hiccup trick and dozens of others […] are rarely part of the conversation today. Too bad, because even though the drinks served today, at least in most craft cocktail bars, aspire to be the best ever made, service skills aren’t keeping up at the same level. I frequently wonder why, aloud, but except at the bars, where hospitality is more important than what’s popular, I see little change.
Mr. Robertiello is making a good point.
Today’s bartenders are expected to have tons of practical and theoretical knowledge. (Who invented the Sidecar? How do you make orange bitters? The list goes on forever…) While this knowledge is useful, lots of bartenders don’t focus enough on the little things that improve service dramatically:
- How do you cure the hiccups?
- How do you engage a customer so you don’t lose him before he places his order?
- etc…
Sensational Tequila cocktails by 4bars.com.au
There are few spirits that attain such a revered and celestial prominence in popular culture as Tequila. It is, according to Aztex tradition, sent from a higher power. The outstretched leaves of the blue agave reach longingly toward the stars from where they are said to have fallen. The heart of the plant itself was said to have been struck by lightning thousands of years ago, setting it on fire and leaving a delicious – and intoxicating – milky pulque for the ancient Aztec peoples.
This article features 6 delicious Tequila cocktail recipes. Here’s my favorite – the Charlie Sheen:
- 30ml Ocho Blanco
- 30ml Sloe gin
- 30ml Pink Grapefruit Juice
- 4 dashes grapefruit bitters
- 15ml fresh lime
- 15ml agave syrup
- egg white
Combine all ingredients in shaker and dry shake to emulsify egg white. Add ice, shake hard, double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit zest.
Click here to read the full article.
I Haze Because I Care by David Hayden
This is a funny article on how David plays pranks on new waiters to help them get the respect of their colleagues. (This sounds slightly counter-intuitive but it makes sense when you read it.)
Personally I have taken a fair amount of joy in watching a new server methodically water all of the fake plants in the restaurant. It makes me smile to send a server back to grab the “left-handed squeegee sharpener” from a storage closet that doesn’t exist. The facial expression of the restaurant manager next door has to be priceless when he is asked for a gallon of “beer gas.” […] Maybe I am a jerk, but there is a method to my madness.
Peanut Butter And Jelly by Caveman from Tales From A Bar
Bartending does come with a few perks. The money isn’t bad, it’s a fluid work environment…every shift is different…you have the opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life, and most importantly…there are the girls. Lets face it, sometimes I literally get paid to meet women…not a bad job benefit considering I am happily single.
This is an interesting post on being a single male bartenders. First, Caveman compares having a girlfriend while being a bartender with “bringing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to a five star buffet” and then tells the story of one of his most recent adventures. I’d highly recommend you read it – click here.
