Bartenders are one of the most important parts of any restaurant that serves alcohol. They’re often the face guests see most and the dealer of delicious drinks. Beyond that, the position that they fill brings in substantial revenue for any restaurant or bar that can fit a bartender position into their staff.
What is a Bartender?
A bartender is a professional who prepares and serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to customers at a bar, pub, restaurant, or other establishments. Bartenders are responsible not only for making and serving drinks but also for providing excellent customer service and creating a welcoming atmosphere.
Bartender Definition and Role in Restaurants
Bartenders are the people that are placed in charge of a restaurant’s bar. This means that all liquor, beer, and wine that goes to guests will go through them. While that alone means that they’re responsible for serving a majority of guests, it also means that their position is incredibly important in the long-run.
Beyond just pouring drinks, bartenders are expected to monitor guests and ensure they aren’t overserved. While doing this, they generally have to prepare garnishes, juices, and syrups, as well as constantly clean.
Importance of a Bartender
Without a bartender, you’re left with the option to sell beer or wine, but that’s not always what fits the vibe or what can make the most profit. Beyond that, bartenders can create regulars by just chatting with them and being friendly. Guests like having someone to chat with while they have a drink, and having someone who’s a captive audience makes for an easy audience. Skilled bartenders will use this opportunity to sell more drinks, upcharge for better liquor, and just get to know their regulars.
Bartender Job Description
General Overview of a Bartender’s Role
Most bartenders tend to show up later in the day with enough time to prepare their bar for dinner service. Prep generally includes:
- Cutting garnishes (citrus, fruit, herbs)
- Juicing fruit
- Making simple syrups
- Infusing liquor and/or liqueurs
- Cooking sauces and other cocktail components
From there, a bartender will generally wipe down their station, face bottles, check kegs, stock their ice well, and pour spouts into any bottles that need them. Once their preparation and cleaning is done, it’s time for dinner service — and that means making a whole lot of drinks. Once finished, they wipe down and close up.
Key Traits and Qualifications Needed
The most important traits for any good bartender are an attention to detail and fantastic communication skills. While knowledge of cocktails and various bartending techniques can be taught and learned, the ability to peacefully defuse a situation with drunk guests is something that is harder to learn.
This isn’t to say that bartenders aren’t skilled, nor that they don’t need multiple talents, but more to say that communication and a keen eye will make them more naturally suited to the position.
Bartender Duties and Responsibilities
Preparing and Serving Drinks
The largest part of any bartender’s day will be pouring and mixing drinks. While each place will do things a little differently, generally bartenders will pour beer, wine, and liquor, as well as mixing cocktails. This means that they need to be aware of any house cocktail recipes, as well as have at least a passing knowledge of standard cocktails.
Managing Inventory and Stock
Just as any other position in a restaurant, bartenders need to be on top of keeping their bar properly stocked. Generally, this means that they’ll need to pay attention to the quality and stock of fruit (especially citrus), beer, wine, and liquor. They’ll need to regularly order more produce and alcohol, and ensure that it’s properly rotated and stored.
Providing Excellent Customer Service
Bartenders are often the face of a bar. While restaurants tend to separate bartenders (at least somewhat) from guests, bartenders still need to be prepared to regularly interact with guests and provide excellent service.
Handling Cash and Processing Payments
Before your bartenders can make a drink, they need to get paid for it. As such, they need to be competent with processing card payments, as well as being comfortable handling cash and providing change.
Adhering to Health and Safety Standards
No matter where you are in a restaurant, health and safety standards should always be your highest priority — and bartenders are no different. Bartenders should constantly be wiping down their bar and well, and should be regularly running glasses to ensure clean glassware for guests.
Skills and Qualifications of a Bartender
Knowledge of Mixology and Drink Recipes
Mixology as a whole is the lifeblood of any good bartender. More accurately, a good bartender is aware of a broad range of cocktails and knows why they work. By understanding mixology and why certain cocktails work while others don’t, bartenders are able to create new drinks and fix drinks that taste a bit off.
Beyond that, having a bartender that can recognize and make obscure cocktails can lead to a better experience for guests.
Strong Communication and Interpersonal Skills
As mentioned above, bartenders are required to regularly interact with customers and many will get to know your bartenders pretty well. As such, a great bartender needs to be comfortable carrying conversations and be able to defuse the occasional drunken moment.
Additionally, bartenders need to interact with several other positions in a normal restaurant. They’ll often have a barback to help with bussing glasses, running and replacing kegs, and restocking the bar — but if they can’t communicate effectively with their barback, that all goes out the window. Similarly, being able to easily speak with servers and the kitchen ensures that service as a whole runs a bit more smoothly.
Ability to Handle High-Stress Situations
While carefully monitoring guests to ensure they’re not overserved can reduce the risk of drunken shenanigans, they’re bound to happen at some point. Because of this, bartenders need to be able to remain calm during stressful situations.
Beyond that, service at the bar can get hectic. When every guest in the building wants a mixed drink, that means that your bar is getting hit hard. If bartenders can’t hang when they’re in the weeds, the unfortunate reality is that they likely won’t fit into most bar crews.
Tips for Hiring the Perfect Bartender
What to Look for During the Interview Process
Hiring a bartender is often going to boil down to three things: can they make a cocktail, are they certified to legally make cocktails in your area, and are they personable? The first can be figured out relatively quickly with a quick quiz on various cocktails. I generally ask them to make an old fashioned, margherita, and martini and give them a taste.
Next, it’s important to share a conversation with your prospective bartender. See how they do conversing with someone that they don’t know anything about. Do they seem calm? Outgoing? Are they comfortable talking to you, or are they giving short answers?
Assuming the conversation goes well, all that you really need to know from there is that they’re certified to sell liquor, and you’re set — and that’s something that you can help make happen if you really like them.
Assessing Experience Versus Trainability
Bartenders, like many positions in kitchens, are a position that requires a good bit of specialized knowledge, but it also requires a specific mindset. Bartenders who aren’t able to carry a conversation or communicate well with coworkers won’t be able to work effectively, even if they know how to make literally every cocktail on the planet.
Similarly, someone who’s willing to learn, personable, and capable of taking constructive criticism but has never made a cocktail may turn out to be a fantastic bartender with a bit of time. It all boils down to their outlook and your willingness to train and teach.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bartender Job Descriptions
How Detailed Should a Bartender Job Description Be?
Bartender job descriptions should be as detailed as any other job description. Break down the expected hours, pay, and bartender responsibilities and duties, and explain what you can offer to prospective employees. After all, a job description is just as much you selling them on your business as it is them selling themself to you.
Can Bartenders Be Trained Without Prior Experience?
Yes! Bartenders can be trained without any experience at all, as long as they’re ready and willing to learn.
.jpg)
