Bartending Basics This Quarter

 

As someone who is interested in becoming a bartender, it pays to know about the bartending basics that come along with the job. Being a bartender includes a lot more than simply pouring drinks for customers as they request them, as I originally thought!

Like any other profession, there are a lot of things that you need to know about the work area, your day to day tasks, the tools of the trade, and how to prepare for your day before you even see your first customer. Beyond that, it pays to know the basic techniques for drink mixing and serving.

Tools:

• A Can Opener – For opening cans of fruit and syrup
• Cloths and Bar Mops – To keep an area clean and free of spills
• A Cocktail Shaker and a Blender – For mixing cocktails
• An Ice Bucket – To keep your ice cold and clean
• Measuring Cups – To measure ingredients used in making mixed drinks
• A Strainer – To remove ice, pulp, and other objects from mixes when you blend ingredients together

This is just a small sample of the many tools on the list, but also remembering that there are different styles of drinking glasses meant for certain kinds of drinks. Wine has its own type of glass, as do highballs, shots, cocktails, and many of the types of drink.

Preparation:

• Keep your main (most popular) liquors and your ice right in front of you. In all likelihood, you’ll be going back to these dozens of times throughout the day.
• Safety is just as important as efficiency. As you handle drinks while you work, you may spill some. Keep a mat under your feet in the work area so that you don’t run the risk of slipping and falling.
• You may also want to consider preparing your garnishes beforehand, so that you will have plenty to go around as people begin ordering the drinks that garnishes typically go with.

Various Techniques:

• Shaking – When a drink requires that it be mixed and chilled at the same time, you put the ingredients into a shaker in order to accomplish that.
• Blending – When you need to mix ingredients that can’t be broken apart by shaking, use a blender to ensure that the drink is made properly. Sometimes, you may need ice. When that is the case, use a fair amount of crushed ice to get the job done.
• Building – Unique among techniques that are considered bartending basics, building means that you put the ingredients into the glass from which the drink will be served.
• Straining – This technique ensures that large portions of ingredients are kept out of the drink as you pour it from shaker to glass