I received a ton of questions in my email. I am surprised I got as many as I did. Many of them were questions about me. I had one that was a problem someone was having. I would like to start with that one first.
Q: I want to be a bartender. How do you even get hired as one? Do you have to get a license because that's a lot of money. And how do you remember all those drinks? I go to bars and everyone orders a different drink and it seems confusing! Help?
A: Let's start by explaining the obvious; bartending is a difficult job. There is a ton to remember and then on top of that you have to deal with peoples' lives and personalities outside of who they are. If you over serve someone they can walk out of the building and crash their car. It's a lot of liability on you. Don't let that scare you though. That is why it is so important to get your TIPS certification. TIPS is an alcohol awareness course that is almost mandatory for everyone is the restaurant industry. It teaches you everything from what is the legal driving limit for being drunk (.08) to how to detect if someone is drunk. This is the best course and (to me) I enjoyed it. You have to renew your certification, I believe, every 3 or 5 years. Rules change often so it is good to keep up with it. Even if you don't end up being a bartender or waitress, the knowledge you learn in the course is always good to have in the back of your mind.
Next, is bartending in general. I did not get a license when I first started, nor do I have one now. It is not a requirement with all jobs. It is helpful and good to have with no experience. It teaches you the basics: bar set up and clean up, garnishments, popular drinks, bar tools, how to make a drink (ie shaking, mixing, measurements), and a lot more. When I started bartending, I applied at a local, hole in the wall, bar that was run by a family. Most people came in to get beers. I created menus, recipes, and advertisements for cocktails. LIQUOR COST MORE THAN BEER OR NONALCOHOLIC DRINKS! It is so crucial to UP SELL UP SELL UP SELL! If someone wants a vodka tonic, ask if they want Grey Goose or Absolut, ect. It costs more so it is better for business. They ask for a Bud Light draft, say "Would you like a tall?". That is your job to make the business money. If your running out of well liquor everyday, your boss won't be as happy as if you went up to him and said, "I need a new bottle of Hennessy because I ran out". I had 7 out of 10 people at that bar ordering cocktails with top shelf liquor in them.
If you cannot find a job at a local bar for any reason, bars such as T.G.I.Fridays and Smokey Bones, is the a great option. I would actually try them first because they teach you from the ground up. Anything you were going to learn in your bartending class, you will learn here for free. I have worked at both and T.G.I.Fridays training is so extensive that you will learn everything. The only problem is that you only learn T.G.I.Fridays' drinks. It could be a popular drink that people can order anywhere, but Fridays has a special recipe for every drink. That is the only problem with corporate restaurants. Other than that, they are probably the best place to learn.
And to answer your other question of how I remember tons of drinks, REPETITION! That is literally the only way you will memorize a drink recipe. You can't look at a recipe, even if it's a hundred times, and memorize it. It is impossible (trust me I've tried). You need to make the drink multiple times. It takes me about 3 times to completely memorize a drink. But even if I make it those three times and then never make it again for 6 months, I will not remember it.
Hope this helped you!
Q: Why did you start blogging?
A: I always thought it was fun to read, stupid to do. After reading a million blogs, however, I figured I'd give it a try.
Q: Your baby is so cute! How are you able to balance two jobs and still raise her?
A: Like every other hard working mom in this world, balance. I used to work one job 3 days a week when she was first born. It was great because I had so much time with her and I would do anything to go back to that, but the money was tips, and tips isn't steady. I made excellent money, don't get me wrong, but there were some weeks I only made $300. That seems like a decent amount of money, but when your bills are high and you have a baby, it dwindles away pretty quick. There were some weeks I brought home over $800. It depends on how busy it is and how people are tipping. That is why I had to get a second job. One where I can have a steady paycheck and health insurance, as well as other benefits. It is tiring to work both jobs, but I love my bartending job so I won't quit. (and it doubles or triples my paycheck each week) Over anything though, I would love to have a steady job where I work 3 or 4 days a week and bring home what I bring home with two jobs. (American dream right?)
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Don't mind my tore up couch in the back, it has since been replaced. |
Q: Do you ever feel like you want to be a normal 22 year old without any kids, and you can go out whenever you want?
A: No. Seems like a weird answer for someone my age, but I love being a mom. I love coming home from work and making dinner and having family night, and playing with my daughter while watching a marathon of Bubble Guppies. I wouldn't trade that for all the parties and friends in the world. It is beyond amazing to see the appreciation in my daughter and boyfriends' eyes when I do things for them. Even if I complain that I'm so tired or that my feet hurt or that I do everything, I still enjoy and appreciate it. I've partied since I was 17 years old. It is a ton of fun, but I don't need that anymore. I can still go out to the club or the bar once in a while, but I choose not to. I go out maybe once a month, because spending time with my daughter is so much more fun to me. It took having a child to realize that. I thought all those years I knew what fun was, but the real fun begins when you start a family. Maybe I'm boring to others or I am "no fun anymore" (i hear that a lot) but I am happy and if you are my true friend, you know that. Plus I can pop open a bottle of wine at home in my PJs !
Q: Where did you get your family pictures done? They are beautiful.
A: Mr.Saddler Media. He is a friend from college and does a lot of different things. He just built his own studio and it looks amazing. He does awesome work as you can see on his Facebook page. He also has great rates. Give him a call for anything from photography to DJing.
That's all I am going to answer for now. Keep you questions rolling in! I love to read them!
cynthiaSDS1130@yahoo.com