The best way to improve your skills to become a bartender is to watch, learn, and assist experienced bartenders. You can start with YouTube videos to learn about common cocktails and mocktails. Then, apply for an entry-level position such as a barback, where you can observe other bartenders live and ask them questions. In the Middle East, many entry positions like barback come with accommodation and at least a minimum salary. While attending a bartending course or school is beneficial, gaining real-world experience in a work environment is crucial to building a successful career as a bartender.
Here is our advice on how to start your bartending career from scratch:
1. Start as a Barback
A barback's responsibilities include refilling fridges and shelves with heavy trays and bottles, as well as cleaning to help the bartender serve clients without interruption. As a barback, you are essentially an assistant to the bartender, allowing you to observe every move, learn quickly, and eventually claim a bartender position. Be prepared to work hard, as this job requires little to no experience but a lot of patience, sweat, and toughness.
Working as a barback isn’t easy, but it provides many benefits. If you’ve never worked in the Food and Beverage industry, you’ll gain an understanding of everyday operations. Pay attention to what goes on around you and you can gain useful knowledge:
- Learn different alcohol and soft drink brand names and types
- Watch cocktail preparations, write down the ingredients, and memorize the most popular ones
- Help with customer requests
- Prepare for busy rushes and stock up accordingly
- Understand “bar language” with its special terms
2. Become a Part of the Service Staff at a Restaurant/Bar/Lounge
Starting as a barback isn’t the only way to get behind the bar. You could also start as a hostess or server in a restaurant with a bar. In smaller venues, team members often learn to work together, allowing everyone to perform various jobs. This benefits everyone, as bartenders have a replacement if needed, and you gain desirable skills. Restaurants belonging to hotel groups usually provide cross-training options, increasing your chances of promotion within the company.
3. Learn How to Mix Drinks
To become a good bartender, you have to learn how to mix drinks. Practice at home and watch instructional videos on YouTube to improve your mixing techniques. To get any drink right, you need to learn how to pour correctly for several reasons:
- The right amount of alcohol yields a balanced drink that tastes great
- Overpouring costs the bar money
- Good pouring technique makes you more efficient at mixing drinks
Additionally, learn about cocktail ingredients like bitters and syrups and how they affect the taste of your drinks.
4. Finish Bartending School
While bartending school might seem like a good plan to get your dream job, real-world experience is often necessary before a bar manager will take a chance on you. In bartending school, you can learn how to pour, practice mixology, and maintain a clean workstation, but handling a tough crowd of thirsty customers is something you can only learn on the job.
Working behind the bar requires multitasking and performing well under pressure. In bartending school, you might learn how to make the perfect martini, but in the real world, you’ll have to make several different drinks simultaneously, tend to your customers, and keep your bar area clean, all while maintaining a positive attitude.
Becoming a bartender isn't easy. As you seek employment in restaurants and bars, look for a bartender willing to mentor you. When you first start, be humble. Beginning as a barback and learning from a mentor are two things you can do without prior experience. If you're willing to learn and work hard, you can achieve your dream of becoming a bartender. We hope this Bartending Career Guide helps you.
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