Mark F asked:
I have 2 summers worth of experiance bartending at World’s of Fun in Kansas City and it serves very limited possibilities (maybe 20 different liquors). I’m wanting to start a job bartending at one of the local casino’s possibly and the job descriptions say I need to have a strong knowledge of drink recipes and different types of alchohol. Is there a home-based training program or something (book or computer) that is a good way to cram my head with recipes and the sort?
My daughter is taking classes at a local college for this.
Comment by kim t — November 4, 2009 @ 7:34 pm
bartenders school
Comment by Larry m — November 5, 2009 @ 6:09 am
I agree with Chris W for the site. You already have the most important part of bartending…. experience in customer service. School isn’t going to teach you a whole lot that you can’t learn on your own. To learn drinks, just get a book and have someone quiz you or look at the drinks on the site she gave you. Learning the drinks is just a lot of memorization.
Most places you work, though, you really won’t have people ordering all those different drinks. Most places, it’s the same thing over and over for the majority of your customers….. margaritas, beers, martinis/manhattans, rum and coke, etc. It’s still good to know the other drinks so you don’t waste time looking them up while the customer is waiting for their drink. That is the absolute most important part of bartending though ….. customer service and speed. Don’t leave the customers sitting without a drink….. if you have regulars, get to know what they drink …. know who wants what and what they don’t want. That’s what is gonna make you your most money in bartending….. always making your customers feel important.
Comment by Shannon — November 8, 2009 @ 4:51 pm
I bought two books
One alphabetical by name
the other by the alcohol
The Bartender’s Best Friend > > $19.95
and
The Complete Book of Mixed Drinks> > $17.95
I got them from Barns & Nobel
Good Luck
Comment by MikeL — November 11, 2009 @ 11:32 pm