How To Become A Bartender In NYC
There's a mysterious allure to bartenders that draw people in. With the reputation as the rockstar of the restaurant, it's no wonder people want to learn the craft.
And not only do bartenders make a decent income, they also meet some wildly interesting people.
So if you're ready to know what it takes to be behind the bar, sit back, relax, and take notes, because this job can be crazy, and this article will bring perspective on what it means to tend bar.
Here's the breakdown in 4 parts on how to become a bartender in NYC.
People Skills
Training
Product Knowledge
Responsibilities
People Skills
Social skills are one of the most important things in the bartending profession.
You're dealing with drunk customers who can be difficult to deal with, and by meeting a wide variety of people, they all have trigger points that could upset them if you say the wrong thing.
Good communication with waiters, the front-of-house team, and the kitchen is also incredibly important.
If you're a bartender making drinks for the bar and the floor, the waiters are relying on you to be efficient, quick, and responsive to the many orders you may be juggling at once.
And with that pressure, you need to be able to keep a good poker face, because the guests at the bar are facing you the whole time, so they sense any kind of stressful energy you give off right away.
From that, people can get annoyed because you don't keep a positive, fun attitude. This has nothing to do with you personally, but simply the fact that guests want what they want, and you're there to entertain and serve them.
Much of your interaction with guests is superficial, so you need to have a thick skin when it comes to small talk—If someone says something out of line, offensive, or crazy, you just have to shrug it off and not take it personally.
If you can handle that, you've covered about 70% of bartending.
Training
There are a couple of ways to go about this. But it all depends on the circumstance and the people that you know.
First off, bartending is a skill that needs to be acquired, it's not something you can B.S. and get away with it. (unless you're a professional bullsh%$ter) That being said, there are a lot of ways to learn.
One way is starting out as a barback. It's an entry-level job, and anyone can get hired if you show your enthusiasm and willingness to learn.
This is a pretty labor-intensive job, and you act as an assistant to the main bartenders. It's tough work, but you get hands-on experience, and you get to ask all the questions you want to the bartenders.
Consider it a paid internship.
Another way is to get a bartending certificate. But before I go any further, getting a certificate does not qualify you as a bartender by any means.
It helps you learn the technical side of bartending and memorize a ton of drinks.
But a certificate is just one extra badge you can add to your resume.
But if you're good with people and confident to figure stuff out as you go, you can get away with getting a job with just the certificate.
The third way to train as a bartender is to transition from being a server to a bartender.
There are plenty of people who prefer being behind the bar instead of the floor, and they commonly ask management if they can train.
The transition should be smooth if there's an opening and the timing is right.
Product Knowledge
This is the remaining 15% of what it takes to be a bartender. As a master of beverages, bartenders need to know a ton of information. Whether it's cocktails, beer, wine, or whiskey. There's a wealth of knowledge in the beverage world.
Take whiskey, for example, there are endless amounts of whiskey varieties and a ton of connoisseurs who know their whiskey and love talking about it.
So if you're not one of those bartenders, who has a solid grasp on whiskey production, history, and tasting notes, you'll come off as an amateur.
But Depending on the type of bar you work at this might not be so important.
Some bars only showcase some typical whiskey and only have a few top-shelf bottles.
Or if it's a bar that's more of a craft beer type of place, then whiskey isn't nearly as important, but now you have to know the difference between 30-40 kinds of beer.
So at the end of the day, your product knowledge depends on where you work, but the fundamental amount of knowledge you should have to be an effective bartender is,
15 classic cocktails
Knowing the differences between lagers, stouts, pilsners, and IPA's
8 grape varieties and regions for each type of wine
Background and tasting notes on 15 different whiskeys
Working knowledge of standard spirits such as rum, vodka, gin, aperitifs, etc.
You can get away with knowing less, but having at least this much under your belt will make your job a lot easier.
On top of all this product knowledge, there are physical skill sets that you'll need to learn.
Proper shaking, garnishing, stirring, and measuring, are all crucial when you're under pressure and the clock is ticking.
There's no time to think when you have a stack of tickets pouring out of the machine waiting for your orders.
In addition, hauling booze isn’t light. You may have to carry some heavy kegs or boxes of liquor for a shipment.
Responsibilities
This section overlaps with some of the material mentioned above, but bartenders hold a good deal of accountability when it comes to their job.
These days, restaurants are cautious with who they hire because of the strict food safety protocols that are regulated frequently. They need people they can trust and depend on, but also fun to be around.
Certain certifications are becoming more of a standard requirement for restaurant workers. And the E-tips certification for bartenders is one of them.
You learn about the precautions for difficult guests, checking ID, and taking appropriate action in problematic situations.
Not nearly as fun as taking a certification for learning cocktails but an important one at that.
There's also the food handlers certification that all chefs have to take nowadays.
Most bartenders aren't required of this but restaurant owners are wary of the food inspection protocols—and bartenders are no exception when it comes to handling food that has an expiration date.
So as fun and exciting as bartending can be, there are lots of regulations that need to be followed.
It's different from place to place, and the quality of management or legitimacy of the place also comes into play when that's the case.
Working in fine dining might not be your vibe, but you can trust the legitimacy.
And some hole-in-the-wall venues might suit your style, but you should be careful because some places have legal issues that might affect your paycheck.
Final Thoughts
Bartending is fun, you'll witness crazy moments that'll make great stories one day.
Just know that it's a serious job, and there's more to it than most people think.
Career-wise you can go far by branching out into different lines of work—It's more or less a gateway career to other careers.
And anyone can develop the skills to become a bartender, and it's a job worth pursuing.
So remember to have fun with it because dealing with crumby managers and awful guests can sometimes feel like carrying a ball and chain.
But all in all, I'm sure you got this. Cheers!
