What a bartender needs to know during an interview. Prepare in advance for your work shift

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Surely, many people know who a bartender is, but few know how to become a professional bartender. If you are also on the list of those who decisively say: I want to become a bartender - where to start, this information is for you.

Bartender in summer cafe– the job is temporary, another thing is a professional bartender who is recognized on the streets. Such a specialist has regular clients and his skill is the basis for receiving a high salary.

I want to become a bartender - where to start?

You need to start by choosing a path, of which there are two:

  1. independent comprehension of the basics of the bartender profession;
  2. admission to bartending courses or vocational schools.

Regardless of which path of training to become a bartender is chosen, the first lecture will be devoted to introducing you to the history of the origin of the profession (you can glean information by browsing the Internet).

If we talk about the history of the bartender profession in a nutshell, we will inform you that this profession originated in the distant United States. The first bartenders worked in stores, but in special departments - bars. A few decades later, the bartender became what we know him to be - the man behind the bar who, like a magician, can prepare any cocktail, alcoholic or tonic.

The question put forward, I want to become a bartender - where to start is a statement - a requirement young man who doesn't need advice. You can invite a persistent young man to get acquainted with the “pros and cons” of the profession.

Pros and cons of being a bartender

The answers to the persistent young man will begin with highlighting the positive aspects of the profession and will look like this:

  1. The bartender does not need to get up early, go to the bus stop half asleep, or “squeeze” into a crowded minibus. The bartender goes to work when the bulk of the workers return home. Its operating hours are evening and night.
  2. The bartender needs to switch to a “nightlife” lifestyle, while still managing to look attractive at all times.
  3. The basis of a prestigious job is training, but unlike other specialties, bartending courses are usually short-term.
  4. A bartender is unthinkable without communicating with people, which will naturally attract new acquaintances and connections.
  5. The profession will also bring personal benefits: you can surprise with your cocktail-making skills at any friendly party.
  6. The young man will not have to do hard physical work, except that he will sometimes have to carry boxes of bottles.
  7. Let us not yet dispute the assertion that the bartender “rakes in money with a shovel.”

It should be explained to the young man that in this profession not everything “goes like clockwork.” There are several negative points, namely:

  1. The bartender's working day is irregular. Many establishments operate on the principle: “until the last customer.”
  2. The ability to mix cocktails makes you want to taste them. This means you can be able to say to yourself: “No.”
  3. Always smile at clients, even if “the cats are scratching your soul.”
  4. But the ability to memorize endless recipes can also be attributed to “positive” moments, because memory and intelligence are wonderful human qualities.
  5. The specialist is a financially responsible person. The dishes are listed on it; it is he who writes off the broken dishes.

Professional qualities of the person behind the bar

Question “I want to become a bartender - where to start?” is also associated with the professional qualities of a bartender. A real bartender remembers everything by heart: recipes, prices of drinks sold, techniques, technology for preparing cocktails, rules for storing food. Never mix up the range of dishes and drinks sold in the bar.

In addition, a person who is planning to work as a bartender must also have professional qualities that need to be developed throughout the entire period of work as a bartender:

  • cheerfulness, sociability, sociability;
  • patience and restraint;
  • ability to concentrate;
  • have the ability to joke and approach everything humorously;
  • have not only the desire, but also the ability to communicate with people.

Without these qualities, a bartender will not succeed as a specialist, and the work will turn into painful torture.

Regarding the bartender's salary

The question asked: “I want to become a bartender - where to start?” is also connected with curiosity about the bartender's salary. If, having learned the real salary figure, the young man does not grin contemptuously, then he will work as a bartender.

The bartender will have to start at 20-30 thousand rubles. If you strive to do everything professionally, the salary can rise to 50 thousand. If a specialist rises to the rank of brand chef and manager, his salary can double.

What about tips?

There is an opinion among young people that the bartender receives so much tips that you can immediately buy a fancy car, buy an apartment... This transfer can be stopped, because the client will tip only if he sees professional service.

Bartending requires skill, personality and the stamina to work late into the night, which is quite hard. Many people want to work as a bartender, so before you submit your resume, you should learn all the basic bartending techniques and memorize all the popular drinks. Read on to learn how to become a bartender.

Steps

Sharpen your skills

    Learn how to make drinks. To ensure that your cocktails look and taste like a professional's work, you need to learn the basic techniques of making drinks, not just pouring and stirring. You can find information about making different drinks online and then practice until you memorize them. Here are some things you should know before you start looking for a bartending job:

    Remember the basic drinks. Start studying different kinds alcohol and methods of preparing the most popular cocktails. To a certain extent, the drinks you should know how to prepare depend on the bar where you work. Upscale city bars may specialize in martinis, while the average student bar serves a large number of Irish car bombs. But no matter where you work, you should know how to prepare a basic set of the most popular cocktails. Learn to cook the following:

    • Basic mixed drinks: whiskey and soda, greyhound, vodka and orange juice, rum and cola, gin and tonic, etc.
    • Bloody Mary, Dark End Stormy cocktail, Hairy Navel, Melon Ball and Alabama Prison.
    • White Russian, The Godfather and Peppermint Party.
    • Martini, Manhattan and Rob Roy cocktail.
    • Tropical drinks: Pina Colada, Daiquiri, Margarita and Hurricane.
    • Shots: lemon drop, slippery nipple, jager bomb.
    • Mimosa, mint julep, mojito or Irish coffee.
  1. Watch the bartender in action. There are small tricks to properly pour good beer, mix drinks and save time at the bar. Watch how the bartender handles orders. Basically, the science behind bartending isn't all that complicated. The most ordered drinks are liqueurs with the addition of other alcohol. Buy a recipe book to learn more advanced cocktails and practice making them at home.

    Decide if you want to go to bartending school. There you will learn the basics and have the opportunity to practice making cocktails. Make sure this school has a real working bar and that's it necessary equipment. A bartender's job is based on hand techniques, which require speed and precision. Nothing can replace skills and long training.

    Find a job

    1. Find a job online. Most vacancies for work as a bartender are posted on the Internet, on specialized job search sites. Do a search and make a list of jobs that catch your eye. You may be asked to send your resume online or invited to an interview.

      • Even if you're worried about your lack of experience, that shouldn't stop you from applying for a bartender position. You can be hired as long as you have practiced your bartending skills and memorized the drinks.
      • Don't forget to update your resume, check that it is written correctly, and correct any errors. Indicate not only your experience as a bartender, but also any other experience related to providing various types services. Any mention of working in the restaurant industry is also a plus.
      • Some establishments prefer to hire bartenders without experience, because this way they will not have bad habits. Whether you have experience or lack thereof, don’t forget about your cover letter and resume. They should be bright and fully express your personality. Your personality and attitude will elevate you above other job applicants.
    2. Walk around the bars and chat with the managers. if you have favorite place, find out who owns it and talk to him. Get to know the bartenders, bartenders, and servers and let them know you are looking for a bartending job. This great way make the necessary contacts and create a good impression of yourself. The manager will be happy to hire you as a bartender as soon as a vacancy opens.

      Attend a charity event for bartenders. Many large cities now offer this option. Select an event and invite your friends. Thanks to this, you and your friends will practice making drinks. This is a good opportunity to gain some experience and make new acquaintances. If you impress the bar owner, he may offer you a job.

    Get a job

    1. Prepare for the interview. Many applicants for bartender positions come to interviews unprepared. If you think the job of a bartender is so easy that you don’t need to prepare for an interview, you probably won’t get this position. As with any job, approach the interview question with a positive attitude and respect for the position.

      • Dress up. When it's time for the interview, your appearance will be one of the main selection factors for the position. If you want to get a job at a fancy restaurant, dress the part. If you want to work in some youth club, dress brightly. If you choose to work in a bar for drivers, dress roughly. Whether they tell you this in an interview or not, most bars are looking for a certain type of person.
      • Be prepared to show off your skills. Don't show up for an interview if you don't know how to make a martini.
    • Some may disagree, but being a bartender's assistant is not a bad start to a career. You learn from the bartender you work with and work your way toward becoming a bartender. For hard work, a good bartender might even teach you a trick or two.
    • Establishments Catering are good place to start your career. If you are at least a little useful to them, they will hire you, and you can learn how to prepare basic drinks and how to properly pour wine and beer.
    • If you decide to go to bartending school, check for a license issued by the Ministry of Education. Find out how long they have been in business. Beware of any school that guarantees you a job or future employment. Because this is basically illegal. All bartending schools can offer you is help in finding a job.

It's nice to sit in a bar and slowly sip something delicious. sweet cocktail... Meanwhile, on the other side of the bar, work is in full swing. The king of the bar - the bartender - mixes cocktails, pours expensive drinks, and conducts conversations with visitors. If you also dream of being in his place, then why not?

As a rule, people decide to become a bartender in two cases.

Case one: You are a student and have decided to combine work and study. Since you study during the day, the only possible time for work is at night. If previously students could go to work in a casino as a cashier or cashier, now with the closure of all gaming houses, there are only two options left - a waiter or a bartender.
If you just want to earn money and do not dream of the title of best bartender, then you just need to complete inexpensive short-term bartending courses, where you will be taught the basic things - what to pour into which glass and what to mix with what.

In Moscow, such courses can be completed, for example, at the Central School of Training (Krasnoselskaya metro station) - the Waiter-Bartender course, designed for 96 academic hours, will cost you 2,400 rubles; at the Central Institute of Personnel Training (Oktyabrskaya metro station) - here a similar course costs more, but there are weekend groups.



Case two: You want to devote your life to bartending and dream of building a career in this field. In this case, you should take your training seriously and complete the courses, after which you will be able to independently work behind the bar counter of reputable establishments. As a rule, these are long-term courses that include not only theory, but also practice. Many of these schools have an improvised bar counter and classes are held directly behind it, so as not to give empty theory, but to immediately show everything in practice. Here you will be taught how to use a mixer and shaker, and prepare all 60 types of cocktails accepted by the International Bartenders Association. In addition, master classes are often held here by producers of various alcoholic beverages - they not only talk about the drink, but also show what can be done with it. Upon completion of such courses, internship is provided in one of the prestigious institutions in Moscow. Agree, after completing the internship and experiencing everything, as they say, first hand, it will be easier for you to find a job, and you yourself will feel more confident.
You can take such courses at the BAR-STAF training center, created by the Bartender Association of Russia, at the Business College + Krasnopresnenskaya metro station.

However, in order to become a bartender, it is not enough to just complete courses.

Firstly, the bartender must look attractive. If you have problems with the skin of your face or hands, uneven teeth or slurred speech, then you will have to forget about becoming a bartender.

Secondly, the bartender must be a friendly, sociable person. For people who are withdrawn and offended by the whole world, the road to the bar is also closed. A bartender is a person who not only serves customers, but one with whom many people will talk after a few glasses, he is a person who is obliged to pay attention to everyone, he is a person who is always friendly, smiling and in a good mood.

Thirdly, as a rule, young people become bartenders. In order to make a cocktail, you first need to bring what to make it from. Fragile female shoulders cannot do this. But just because it’s accepted doesn’t mean it’s the rule. If you are a girl and want to become a bartender, please become a bartender! Just keep in mind that this is not as easy work as it seems.

Fourthly, bartenders usually work at night. If you are slow-moving and like to sleep, then the job of a bartender will be difficult for you.

Fifthly, if you are inattentive and slow, then it is better for you to look for another job. The bartender must be able to serve everyone without getting confused about who has already paid and who has not yet. In addition, the bartender must ensure that there are clean dishes in the bar.

If all of the above doesn’t scare you, and you still want to be on the other side of the bar, then go for it! They say that bartenders get good tips :)

The basic rules of a bartender have not changed in 100 years, they are simple and you will learn how to make wonderful cocktails for your family, friends or any party you go to.

The main things you need for a bar:

  1. Vodka
  2. Scotch whiskey
  3. Bourbon - American whiskey
  4. Tequila
  5. Cognac

To equip a bar, you will need equipment that can be purchased at any bar supply store. One of best selections equipment for making cube ice is a cube ice maker.

The bartender station should also consist of the following tools:

  1. Shaker glass.
  2. Glass - mixer.
  3. Strainer.
  4. Cocktail spoon.
  5. Ice bucket.
  6. Measuring cup - for beginners.
  7. Speed ​​regulator – makes it possible to conveniently pour alcohol.

A set of glasses is the face of the bar. In addition, every visitor wants to have a drink that looks beautiful and tastes good.

Therefore, it’s worth talking about the main types of glasses used by bartenders:

With these glasses you can make absolutely any drink.

Drink mixers are used to mix cocktails.

They are divided into sodas and juices.

Sodas include:

  1. Cola.
  2. Light Cola.
  3. Sprite.
  4. Tonic.
  5. Club Soda.

The main juices used in the bar:

  1. Orange juice.
  2. Cranberry juice.
  3. Grapefruit juice.
  4. Tomato juice - for bloody mary.
  5. Pineapple juice.
  6. Coconut milk - for making Pina Colada.

Also, it is worth knowing the main types of additives that the bartender uses:

  1. Fermented milk mixture.
  2. Pomegranate juice.
  3. Sweet additives.
  4. Bitters.

Garnishes are an important part of drinks that give the appearance of the drink:

  1. Cherry.
  2. Olives.
  3. Oranges.
  4. Limes.
  5. Lemons.

Basic methods of preparing side dishes

Oranges are very large, so first they need to cut off the ends to prevent them from rolling away. The orange is placed with the cut part and cut in half. Then take one of the orange parts and carefully cut it into slices. Then you need to make a cut on one of the slices in the middle of the pulp and put it on the glass.

A lime is smaller than an orange, so you can simply cut it in half without preliminary preparation. Cut the lime halves into slices. Why in slices you ask? Yes, because they are mainly added to the drink to enhance the aroma.

Lemon is the most important. First you need to cut it in half, then into slices. These are the same wedges as those of a lime. The most interesting thing is that the lemon is “squeezed”. In order to squeeze a lemon, you need to cut off the ends of an orange, using a spoon to separate the pulp from the peel.

As soon as the lemon pulp is extracted, you will be left with one peel (a kind of barrel of lemon peel) and a small amount of pulp on it. It's good that there is some pulp left on the peel, because it will add flavor. The peel must be cut in half and cut into small slices at an angle; they will always come in handy.

Now there are a large number of cocktails that are constantly being improved and something new is added to each of them. We will tell you some of the most popular and easy to prepare. It will be easy for you to start, and thanks to its simplicity, you will easily remember the cooking method.

Americano

In the process of preparing Americano, it is not gin that is used, but weaker ingredients. That's why we use sweet Vermouth instead of gin. Pour ¾ of the measuring cup into a glass filled with ice. Then, Campari liqueur is added in the same amount. To prevent the drink from being very strong, gently break it with Club Soda, which must be poured into the glass almost to the brim. Then add a squeeze of lemon and stir.

Coastal breeze

Pour some vodka into a Highball glass filled with ice. Then you need to add cranberry juice half the glass and top up Pineapple juice. Add a slice of lime and you're ready for a coastal breeze!

Black Russian

One of the main types of cocktails, which is prepared with the addition of juice. A cocktail consisting of two alcoholic drinks, usually prepared in low glasses with ice. The Black Russian cocktail is one of these types of cocktails. First you need to add a measuring cup of vodka, and then ½ coffee liqueur. Mix well.

Bloody Mary

Often this drink is not prepared correctly, but we will show you correct option its preparations.

Add a measuring cup of vodka to a highball glass filled with ice. Then add ¾ cup tomato juice. To remove bad smell add a little Tobasco and Worcestershire sauce. Lightly salt and pepper a little. Add a side dish - a stalk of celery about 15 cm long.

This drink is great for helping with hangovers.

Cape Cod cocktail

Add a measuring cup of vodka to a highball glass filled with ice. Fill the rest of the space raspberry juice(nothing except raspberry), leaving a little room for a slice of lime.

The Cape Cod cocktail comes from an area in Massachusetts where raspberries are grown. This is why the cocktail acquired the name “Cape Cat”.

Cocktail "Cosmopolitan"

This drink was invented after the appearance of a popular television show of the same name.

First, you need to cool the martini glass by placing ice in it.

Fill a mixing glass halfway with ice and add 1 measure of vodka. Then ½ measure of Triple Sec. Then add two measures of raspberry juice. It is very important not to make the drink too red, so two measures are enough. Add just a little lime juice and mix thoroughly. From the chilled martini glass, transfer the slightly melted ice into a mixing glass. Cover the mixing glass with a lid and pour ready drink into a chilled martini glass. Then add a garnish - a thin slice of lime.

Cocktail "Cuba Libra"

Such a cocktail will confuse even a specialist, since with a small addition, the cocktail will dramatically change its name.

We'll start with the original version.

Add 1 measure of rum to an ice-filled highball glass and top with Coca-Cola. Add a slice of lime.

Dry gin martini

Proper preparation of a martini distinguishes a bartender from an amateur. There is only one way to prepare it and it is the right way. Martini lovers are very picky, so you need to know how to make it!

First, you need to chill your martini glass. To do this, pour ice from a mixing glass into it. Set the martini glass aside to cool while you prepare the cocktail.

Vermouth makes a wet or dry martini. A wet martini has a lot of vermouth, while a wet martini has little or no vermouth. Today, no one will ask you about a wet martini. Martinis are made dry or extra-dry.

When making a dry martini, pour very little vermouth into a mixing glass with ice - about 10 ml. Then mix everything thoroughly. Then cover the mixing glass with a lid and pour out the vermouth completely. The whole secret is that only the smell of vermouth can be heard. Add a measure of jin and mix with several rotations. Pour ice from the martini glass into a mixing glass. Cover with a lid and pour the contents into a martini glass. Add a side dish - olives strung on a wooden stick.

Dry martini with vodka

As always As you already remember, a lot of vermouth - a wet martini, a little vermouth - a dry one.
Pour just a little vermouth into the glass - about 10 ml. Then simply cover the mixing glass with a lid and pour in the vermouth. After this, pour 1 full measure of vodka and mix. Pour the ice from the martini glass into a mixing glass. Pour the contents into a martini glass.

Some people like to add a squeeze of lemon to a dry vodka martini, so you can add it if you wish.

Extra dry gin martini

Cool the martini glass by pouring ice from a mixing glass into it.

Take a bottle of vermouth and make one circle around the mixing glass so that not a single drop of vermouth falls into the glass. Pour 1 measure of gin and stir the glass 12 times.

Pour ice from the martini glass into a mixing glass. Cover with a lid and pour the contents into a martini glass. At the final stage, add olives.

Extra Dry Vodka Martini

Cool the martini glass by pouring ice from a mixing glass into it.

Take a bottle of vermouth and make sure whoever ordered the drink sees it. Make 1 circle with the vermouth bottle around the glass and place the bottle in place. Then take vodka and pour 1 measure into a mixing glass and stir 12 times.

After this, pour the ice from the martini glass into the mixing glass. Cover with a lid and pour the contents into a martini glass. At the final stage it is good to add a squeezed twist of lemon.

Gimlet

Let's prepare another drink in a glass with ice, it's called Gimlet. Pour 1 measure of gin into a glass with ice. Another ingredient is sweetened lime juice, which can be purchased at any liquor store. Add ½ sweetened lime juice to a glass with ice. Then add a slice of lime and stir a little. The refreshing drink is ready!

Jim and tonic

Every time you walk into a bar, you hear someone ordering a gin and tonic.

It's very easy to prepare. To do this, pour 1 measure of gin into a highball glass filled with ice. Add gin and a slice of lime.

Long Island Ice Tea

This drink is prepared in large glasses, as it consists of 5 alcoholic drinks.

Fill a highball glass halfway with ice and add ½ measure vodka and ½ measure gin, then ½ measure light rum, ½ measure silver tequila. And, most importantly, triple sec liqueur. To make the drink tasty and sweet, you need to pour 4 measures of liqueur. But that is not all! We have to add sweetened citrus juice. Do not fill the glass completely, you will still need some space! Cover the glass with a lid and shake. The last ingredient is Coca-Cola to the top. Garnish – a slice of lemon. Place a straw and mix.

Madras

Now we will prepare one of the “Screwdriver” options. We start with vodka. Pour it into a highball glass filled with ice. Then add half a glass of orange juice. Fill the remaining half glass with raspberry juice, leaving a little space for the lime. Take a slice of lime and squeeze it into a glass, insert a straw and stir.

Manhattan

Consists of two ingredients. Start by pouring ½ measure of sweet vermouth into a short glass filled with ice. 1 full measure of American whiskey. Garnish – pickled cherries. Insert a straw and stir.

Margarita

The most famous tequila cocktail. To prepare, you need to take a martini glass. You need to stick a lime onto its edge and, holding it with your hands, begin to turn the glass until the lime juice is distributed along the entire circumference of the edge of the glass.

Then you should have a fork with salt on hand. You need to place a glass in it and turn it three times. The lime juice will be combined with salt all around.

Take a mixing glass filled with ice and pour a full measure of tequila into it. Then add 1 measure of triple sec liqueur. Then you need to add sweetened juice, it's great to use citrus juice. You need to add 2 full measures of juice. Then add sweetened lime juice, which can be purchased at any liquor store. There is no need to measure the amount of juice, just add a little. Now you need to mix everything, so you need to take a shaker glass and put it on the mixing glass. Turn the glasses upside down and shake them from top to bottom over your shoulder 8 times. The entire mixture should remain in the shaker glass, then put the lid on it and, holding the edges of the lid tightly, pour the liquid into the martini glass. Squeeze a lime slice into a margarita glass.

Negroni

Prepare in a low glass with ice. First pour in a full measure of gin. Then ½ measure of sweet vermouth, followed by ½ measure of Campari. Garnish – a squeezed twist of lemon. Insert the straw and mix well.

Rob Roy

This is one of the variations of the Manhattan cocktail. First add ½ measure of sweet vermouth, then a full measure scotch whiskey. Garnish – pickled cherries. Straw and stir.

Cocktail “Seven and Seven”

Add to a highball glass filled with ice American whiskey– 1 measure. Then add soft juice - lemon-lime soda. Straw and mix well.

Cocktail "Scotch"

If you are asked for pure “Scotch,” it means “without ice.” Pour 1 measure of tape into an ice glass. Don't serve scotch in a small glass. The reason is that in a large glass you can lift the scotch without spilling it.

Water back - this means that guests just want a glass of water.

Scotch on ice is prepared in the same way, only using ice - 1 measure of scotch tape, then add a straw and mix.

Cocktail “Screwdriver”

Fill a measuring glass with vodka and pour it into a highball glass filled with ice. Then, instead of tonic, pour Orange juice to the edge No garnish needed, just a straw.

Sex on the beach

½ measure vodka, ½ measure peach schnapps, 3 measures orange juice. Then pour in the cranberry juice, leaving a little room for raspberry liqueur. Add a straw and enjoy.

Singapore sling

Pour a full measure of gin into a mixing glass filled with ice. Then 2 full measures of sweetened citrus juice. A little grenodine syrup. Shake a little and pour into a highball glass and add a little Club Soda. Leave another 2-3 centimeters to add Cherry brandy. Garnish – orange and cherry.

Tequila Sunrise cocktail

We start with 1 measure of tequila, which we pour into a highball glass filled with ice. Then orange juice, leaving 1.5 cm from the edge. Gently spread the grenodine syrup around the glass. Garnish – a slice of orange on the edge of the glass. Carefully insert the straw so as not to spoil the beauty of the cocktail.

Tom Collins cocktail

Popular summer drink, which is prepared in a mixing glass with ice. Pour in 1 measure of gin, then 2 measures of sweetened citrus juice. Place the lid on the mixing glass and shake it. Pour into a highball glass, leaving some room for the Club Soda. Garnish – orange and cherry.

Vodka with soda

The drink is prepared in a highball glass with ice. 1 measure vodka, then add Club Soda almost to the top, leaving room for a garnish - a slice of lime.

Vodka and tonic

Add 1 measure of vodka to an ice-filled highball glass. Then pour tonic almost to the top, leaving room for garnish. Gently squeeze the lime slice into the glass and insert a straw.

Sour whiskey

Take an ice glass filled with ice and add a full measure of whiskey and 1 measure of sour mix. Pour into a mixing glass and stir well. Then pour back into the glass for ice. Garnish: a slice of orange and a cherry.

How to become a bartender. An enthusiast's story.

How to become a successful bartender? Where to start and what skills to develop? Short story emergence of the Odessa professional bar community. All this information in concentrated form is shared by a “simple” Odessa bartender, Alexander Zozulya.

Life before the bar

Life before the bar was like everyone else's. He graduated from school, or rather Shab school No. 1. Perhaps this influenced the attitude towards alcohol; we had a school subject - winemaking. And in almost every house they crushed grapes and made their own Home wine. When alcohol is readily available (not forbidden fruit) and the presence of several sports schools. As a result, alcohol abuse among teenagers was fashionable among most of my peers. It was interesting to experiment not with the dose, but with the quality, mixing different varieties grapes, aging in different containers, etc.
In 1998 he entered ONU. Mechnikov at the Faculty of History, Department of Archeology. Yes, I’m a bit of an archaeologist). During training, like any conscientious guy, he worked for small expenses as a loader at the port, a security guard at a disco, a cashier in a store, a waiter...

Professional bar - beginning

While working as a waiter, I constantly pestered all the bartenders with various questions. And I'm lucky! They knew how to tell stories and loved them. Especially Kostya Baikovsky, who at that time, having quite a lot of experience, successfully shared it with me. At that distant time There was very little information on alcohol and cocktails and it was almost “top secret”.
In 2002, he began his career and creative path behind the bar. This is where it began: night shifts of 10-14 hours, “research” of this or that drink in quality and quantity. Over time, it became obvious that youthful enthusiasm was not enough to be a professional... It was a time of “tequila booms” and “burning sambukas”...
There was only one solution. You need knowledge about drinks and cocktails to become better, to make better cocktails, and to earn more. I was constantly looking through books, articles, and the Internet - then self-education helped a lot. Plus, participation in bartending competitions among professionals played a big role. There you get a “blended concentrate” of experience and knowledge.

Rule "Aquarium"

For the last eight years out of 14 years of experience, he devoted himself to club work. According to unspoken statistics from professional bartenders, clubs are much more interesting than restaurants and pubs. There is more active communication here, more opportunities to prove yourself as a mixologist, as a fleur bartender or barista, a coffee specialist, that is.

Working in a TOP club can turn into “Groundhog Night”. It is important to separate one from the other here. Otherwise, sooner or later problems will begin.

When visiting a club, bar or restaurant, guests are looking for the atmosphere and comfort zone they need. Relax, unwind and perhaps forget about problems and quite often reprimand the bartender. The truth is not for everyone - here you need to be able to listen, people feel it. They pour out both positive and negative emotions, it happens that they give out a flow important information and then they really regret it. I recommend following the “Aquarium” rule. Everything that happens behind the counter stays there. Keep other people's secrets and be aware of all events in the city. This is practically a secret confession, take this advice into account in your work.

In order to become truly cool, it is important not only to have professional knowledge, but also to be a people's psychologist. The bartender is the face of the establishment who “feeds and disciplines” the staff and guests of the establishment. It determines how often guests will come to the club, what they will drink and eat. To do this, you need to win the trust of guests as a master of his craft, charismatic and cheerful, understanding, tireless, superhuman. Having gone through these stages of development, we are usually faced with the following question...

Perform and win competitions, travel to see the world and other bar cultures, become a bar manager, learn all the nuances of opening a bar from scratch, understand, become a successful owner of a restaurant or club. The list is not complete, but it will be enough to get you started.

It happened like this - in 2009, my friend and I rented a room in an abandoned factory without windows and doors, in the literal sense of the word. Having carried out the renovation on our own, we created the first specialized training room for flaring. A year later, I met the president of the All-Ukrainian Bartenders Association, Sergei Kodatsky, and the board director of the association in the Odessa region, Andrey Bugaenko.

Together with Andrey, they subsequently created and certified the Barboss training center in the All-Ukrainian Association of Bartenders. Which, after a certain creative period, was renamed the “Odessa Academy of Bartenders”. Where everyone who feels that bartending is his calling can learn this not simple, but such an interesting craft...

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