13 Crucial Tools Every Successful Bartender Must Have!
By
Jeremy B. Sherk
A man is only as good as his your bar rag to be the same
tools is a phrase I'm sure every night. You don't want to
you've heard before and it think about where it is
applies to bartending as much everytime you need it, you
as anything else. want it to be second nature,
you want to be able to grab it
You'll only ever be as good without even looking!
as your tools, so make sure
you're not without them. The The party can often get
quality of your tools can make sloppy so you must have your
or break your experience bar rags close at hand.
behind the bar so it's
important you take this lesson
seriously. Ice Scoop
There are countless Forcefully cutting through
bartending tools out there. and scooping your ice with an
Will you use them all? No. But actual glass is a very stupid
there are certain tools that thing to do. Yet I see
every bartender must have. In bartenders do it all the time.
this first lesson, we'll be I don't even recommend you
taking a look at those 'must- 'gently and carefully' scoop
have' tools so pay close the ice with the glass.
attention. There's just too much margin
for error.
Bottle Opener If you chip the glass, and
you know it, you're spending
Now whether you're working in the next ten minutes emptying
a low or high volume bar, a and refilling your ice well.
bottle opener is not only If you don't know it, and you
crucial to your speed, but happen to serve a customer a
also your hands! drink garnished with glass
shavings you could be in some
Imagine opening every bottle serious trouble.
of beer ordered with your bare
hands... you wouldn't last Using a metal ice scoop is
the night without seriously mandatory as a bartender. It
doing damage to your palms. really doesn't take more time
to scoop ice with a separate
There are many different scoop. You can also do some
types of bottle openers out fancy tricks once you get good
there on the market... too.
everything from a simple 'key-
chain opener' all the way to a
'butterfly bottle opener', Jigger/Measuring Glass
you know, like a butterfly
knife? Pretty cool. If you work in a bar that
allows free pouring, you won't
Find out what works for you. be needing this handy tool.
I've used the same stainless But in most regions of North
steel 'speed opener' for years America free pouring is
now, it does the job with illegal and you're required to
style everytime so I've had use some sort of measuring
no reason to switch. device, whether it's an
automatic or manual device all
depends on where you work.
Wine Opener/Corkscrew
While I'm not a believer in
The best, most versatile wine the automatic devices you see
opener is known as the nowadays, using a shot glass
'waiter's wine opener'. It'll or jigger manual device to
always do the job, even on the measure the amount of alcohol
most difficult and the most you pour into each drink is
stubborn corks. Compare this what I've always done as a
to many others out there that bartender.
often break the cork or have
you struggling in front of the For those of you who work at
customer to get the damn places with extremely tight
thing open. inventory control. I offer you
an amazing 'overpour fake'
A waiter's wine opener technique in Bartending
includes a corkscrew worm, a Secrets Exposed to keep the
sharp blade to cut the seal 'tip friendly' relationship
of the wine and also a bottle with your customers while
opener device if you're keeping your integrity with
desperate for one. the boss. Click here to get it
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I recommend a 'two-level'
lever on your opener as well,
that's what I personally use. Garnish Picks
Mine has never failed me in
opening a bottle of wine. Skewers, plastic swords
picks, arrow picks... or
whatever you want to call
Cocktail Shaker them... are for those
exclusive garnishes like
This is the stainless steel olives and cherries. They
thingy you see bartenders pour really add to the presentation
ingredients into for a of a drink and are a must-
martini or shooter and shake have for those customers you
vigorously. This is a must- want to really impress.
have for all bartenders.
Whether it's giving the
A good rule of thumb for customer three olives with
cocktails is, the colder it their martini or an orange
is, the better it tastes. Why slice and a cherry with one of
else would bartenders concoct my seductive martinis, I
a drink by pouring pre-chilled always have a supply of
ingredients into a shaker garnish picks close at hand.
with ice, shaking like crazy
and then serving it in a
chilled glass? Because you Pour Spouts
want every part of the process
to be 'chilling' to prevent Whether you free pour or not,
any 'warming' of the a bar that deals with any
cocktail. type of volume and has any
interest in inventory control
There are two types of should have these on all of
shakers out there: the high moving liquor
bottles. There are many
1 Standard Shaker different styles of pour
spouts out there:
This is a three-piece
stainless steel shaker that -plastic
has the strainer built into -metal
it. I find the Standard Shaker -neon
is not as common among -glow in the dark
professional, working -slow pour 3 seconds per
bartenders. ounce
-fast pour
It consists of the shaker -screened
tin, lid with strainer and -flapped
cap. Perhaps it's more -measured
complicated design with
smaller parts discourages All have some associated
working bartenders from using benefit or gimmick. But I like
this more often. But it will things simple so I use the
do the job just as well as metal 'slow pour' spouts on
the... all my liqueurs and the metal
'fast pour' spouts on all my
2 Boston Shaker well liquor which I'm using a
shot glass for anyway. Why
From my experience, the wait three seconds when you're
Boston Shaker is actually more measuring with a glass
standard among professional already?
bartenders. This one is simply
a shaker tin with a separate Time truly is money in this
mixing glass that's slightly industry.
smaller in size. It's a two-
piece device that you simply Now at this point you might
seal together to shake the be thinking, Jeremy, you're
cocktail. talking about the kind of
tools and supplies the bar
The tendency is seal it as should be supplying, you're
tight as you can and proceed making it sound like I have a
to shake, although this is not choice on what kind of pour
necessary as you can often spouts I use.
seal it too tight, and then
not be able to open it when Realize I don't want you to
you're done shaking and ready go out and start buying pour
to pour the concoction. spouts and garnish picks.
Those expenses should be left
If you're ever in this to the bar you're working for.
situation, use the edge of the But remember that YOU'RE the
bar and clip the overlapping one working the bar, not the
metal lip which will always manager. If the bar where you
be on the outside, as the work has crappy pour spouts
glass is always smaller and and doesn't even use garnish
fits inside against the edge picks, it's up to you to
of the bar. You can also suggest it!
'twist' them apart, that will
often break the seal too. I believe it's your choice.
After all, you're the one
But avoid all that by fitting using it, right? Managers will
them together nice and snug always be open to suggestions
instead of as tight as you if it will improve your speed
can. and performance, thus,
increase sales.
You can purchase shaker sets
in all types of different
sizes and styles, but they Straws
pretty much fall into one of
the two types listed above. This is obvious, but you
should always have straws
close at hand. The bigger or
Strainer more you give the customer,
the better. You control the
Again, you'll find many speed at which your customers
different types of strainers drink by how many straws you
on the market. But the only give them. Make 'em drink fast
kind I've ever used and would so you increase your sales
want to use is the Hawthorn which equals more tips.
Strainer.
You know, it's that real Lighter/Matches Pens
funny looking stainless steel
thing with the handle and the Ask any bartender out there
spring coil. The purpose and they'll agree that besides
behind the spring coil on the 'a drink', you'll be asked
strainer is so you can fit it for 'a light' or a pen more
into all types of different than anything else.
shaped glasses. So it's a very
versatile tool. So what's the best thing you
can do??? Have them close at
I should mention that when hand!
using a shaker I often do not
use a strainer. I use the Have a ton of pens to lend,
Boston Shaker and simply crack because you may not always get
a tiny opening in the seal them back and you always want
between the two and pour out to have enough. Also, always
the concoction 'cracked egg' have a load of matchbooks to
style. give to customers in need.
If you're more of a visual I also recommend you have a
learner like me, Tom Cruise sleek butane lighter of your
does this when pouring his own for customers needing a
'Turquoise Blue' Martini for light right at your bar and
Gina Gershon in the two floor also when flaming drinks are
NYC nightclub in the movie necessary.
Cocktail.
Tip Jar
Coasters
Last, but certainly not least
Not every bar uses coasters. is to have your own tip jar.
But it's a good thing to have.
They'll prevent a lot of
unnecessary wet spots or While I go into extreme
'rings' on the bar from detail in Bartending Secrets
moisture off the side of the Exposed on the true art and
glass. science of the tip jar, what
I'll tell you here is that
I've worked in slower, having one is a must! You're
classier places where using losing tips without one!
them is mandatory. I've also
worked in higher volume Have your own, preferably a
nightclubs where you don't use wine carafe. The tapered neck
coasters because you're of a wine carafe means once a
wiping the bar down every five tip is in the jar, it's in.
minutes anyway, so why You won't have any hands
bother? Which leads me to... dipping in to swipe your hard
earned tips, which can often
happen in a busy nightclub.
Bar Towel Rag
Now you're a little more
A fresh, clean set of bar familiar with the tools you
towels is something every need to be an excellent
bartender needs. In high bartender. Remember, you can
volume places, the bar is always get all this
constantly needing a wipe down information and tons more by
from spilt drinks, drink getting started with the
rings, sticky shooter glasses, internets ultimate
etc. bartending success system,
Bartending Secrets Exposed,
I like to have a minimum of 'How To Double Your Tips and
four, strategically placed wet Land Your Dream Job, 100%
bar towels in my working area Guaranteed!'... at
at all times. http://www.MakeMoneyBartending.com
One thing I teach you in To Your Success,
Bartending Secrets Exposed is
to have everything systemized.
You want things as seemingly
insignificant as location of
About the author:
Jeremy Sherk
http://www.MakeMoneyBartending.com
skyrocket their tips.
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