A bartender is someone who prepares and serves drinks in a bar.
A bartender is a person who prepares and serves drinks in a bar or other similar establishment. He usually works at the bar of the place (the English expression bartender can be translated as “bar man” ) and specializes in combining different alcoholic beverages to make cocktails .
A bartender must know the ingredients of traditional cocktails and, by having notions about the flavor and alcohol content of different drinks, he can create his own cocktails . Many times he also knows how to prepare different kinds of coffee, although the coffee expert is the barista .
Similarly, the bartender may have knowledge about wines , although the specialist in this type of beverage is the sommelier or somellier .
Bartender's role
The role and importance of the bartender depends on each establishment. In some bars, he acts as the person in charge of the place, so he must keep customer accounts (determine when they should pay for their drinks) and control the behavior of patrons to avoid incidents.
There are also bars that have their bartender as the main attraction since, in addition to serving and preparing drinks, this expert puts on a kind of show while carrying out his task . Thus, it is common for bartenders to throw bottles into the air and then pick them up, or to dance while serving cocktails.
The bartender usually has direct contact with customers.
The work
Regarding the term bartender, the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) indicates that its plural is bartenders and suggests using it without variation in terms of gender. Therefore, if a woman dedicates herself to this task, she should be referred to as “the bartender.”
For many teenagers, becoming a bartender can be a dream, as it is one of the first jobs they know when they begin to "leave the nest." Although it can be a fun occupation with a fairly high monetary income, it is not for everyone. First of all, the hours are quite hard , since bartenders generally work at night; Additionally, you need to be prepared to deal with aggressive and rude customers, at least after a few hours of consuming alcohol and other substances.
Before we get to all that, however, the number one requirement is age : this job requires having reached the age of majority, which in some countries begins at 18, while in others, at 21. For On the other hand, in some establishments a bartender qualification is required, which can be obtained through an official course, which varies depending on the country.
Regarding the preparation of drinks , practice is the best way to gain self-confidence and avoid the typical accidents of beginners. It is important not to let ourselves be blocked by the embarrassment that the latter may cause us, but to keep trying thinking that one day we will master the technique.
The bartender and the customers
As mentioned above, the job of bartender requires dealing with very particular clients, or at least in states that can make it difficult to perform tasks correctly. Although the degree of security and restrictions regarding behavior depend largely on the organization, which is why moments of violence may not break out in all bars, alcohol consumption is a constant and can lead to various problems for those who use it. serves.
In addition to the behavior of drunk customers , the bartender must be prepared to identify false documents presented by minors who try to impersonate adults to consume alcohol , and also to assist anyone who suffers a relapse, while medical help arrives. .