Bartender profession: specifics and features

The bar industry is a huge, wonderful world that allows you to improve your skills from year to year. This work practically knows no boundaries - when you stand behind the bar for the first time, you can fall in love with it and spend your entire life studying the specifics and diversity of the profession from different angles.

In addition to the stereotype formed about the bartender, we interpret that these are always cheerful people who mix cocktails, the bartender is a unique, multitasking, multidisciplinary specialist.

The profession has several branches:

Barbecue

This is a bartender's assistant - a person who has just entered the industry and still knows little, but has an interest in development in this specific area. Few people usually see the barbecue, since he is engaged in preparations, polishing dishes and many actions that are hidden from the eyes of guests, but are very important for high-quality, fast and uninterrupted work.

Bartender-mixologist

In the professional world, mixologists are already experienced bartenders who can distinguish the taste and aroma profiles of drinks and, based on them, come up with new masterpieces and combinations.

Bartender-flairingist

These bartenders usually perform at events. These are showmen who can not only prepare delicious drinks, but also deftly juggle bottles , toss shakers and throw glasses over their shoulders. Flairing bartenders are the brightest representatives of the industry. The peculiarity of this direction lies in daily multi-hour training to hone skills.

Bartender

Of course, all bartenders know how to make coffee, but some are incredible at it. Masters of the coffee industry can draw a swan in three projections, a bear, or even an armful of flowers directly on the coffee foam. They can tell the difference between Brazilian grain and Ethiopian grain just by aroma and brew the best filter of your life.

Bar manager

This is already a manager. Almost always, a bar manager “grows up” from a bartender or senior bartender. This person stands behind the bar less and smiles less. He is now a serious leader - the whole bar rests on him. He plans the vacation schedule, negotiates with suppliers, takes inventory, develops cocktail menus and performs dozens of other tasks to ensure that his favorite bar prospers and delights guests (and, of course, management) every day.

Chef bartender

This person is the face of the establishment. Typically, the head bartender, like a chef, develops technical and technological maps, controls their implementation, and goes to guests in other cities and bars with the ideology of his establishment. Most often, there is a chief bartender in large chains, and he solves global issues of the image of the bar environment of the establishment, and locally in each enterprise the bar manager controls all processes.

Sommelier

Yes, undoubtedly, this is a separate large profession, but many sommeliers switched to the wine side from bartenders. The bar opened up the world of alcohol for them, and among the huge variety, they chose the wine theme. Working as a sommelier or cavist, specialists interact directly with wines, visit production facilities, plantations, and can easily name the most fruitful year of the last decade.

Brand Ambassador

This is also one of the pinnacles of the bar industry. This is an experienced bartender, a specialist, a professional, an artist to some extent. A brand ambassador represents a specific brand (most often alcoholic, but there may also be brands of syrups, purees, and cordials) or an entire portfolio. He promotes the brand, gives master classes based on his products in various establishments, comes up with drinks to maximally emphasize the advantages of the product and, undoubtedly, is the official face of the brand.

Owner of the establishment

This is probably what every bartender wants in the future - to have a small cozy bar where dear guests will come and work as a bartender as a pleasure. In fact, the bar owner may not be involved in the industry at all, or he may have achieved this golden dream from the very beginning.

How the bartender's journey begins

Everyone's bartending journey begins differently. Someone accidentally ends up in the field, wanting to work during the summer as a student for pocket money - and plunges headlong into the profession for many decades. Someone, having acquired the desire to learn a craft, studies, and only then gets a job. In both the first and second cases, everyone will play the role of a barback, and only then a bartender. Next, inDepending on desires and aspirations, everyone chooses their own path.

Where are bartenders trained?

There are several public and private schools that specialize in bartending training, as well as advanced courses that can be completed in a few days.

Let's be clear right away: a bartender is a full-fledged profession that has its own ranks and professional standard (by the way, updated on September 1, 2022).

There are government agencies that teach the profession of bartender and assign a professional rank after passing the final certification and demonstration exam. There are quite a few specialists who complete such programs, since there are several private schools on the service market that teach a specialty in a few months or even weeks.

Bartender's appearance

The bartender must be neat. Regardless of the format of the establishment a person works in, he interacts with guests. Therefore, whether he is wearing a three-piece suit in the lobby bar of the best hotel in the country, or a simple polo and apron in a small family bar, he must be clean, well-groomed and tidy.

How much does a bartender earn?

A bartender's income level can vary depending on the region, place of work, rate, tips and percentage of revenue. There is no specific amount, since businesses are so diverse, and the target audience, pricing policy and capabilities of each enterprise have a very wide range.

Where to find a job

Official job search sites will help with this - you just need to spend a few hours writing a resume, upload it and monitor opening vacancies. Also, in every city there are telegram channels where current vacancies are posted and, of course, you can come to the establishment you like and directly find out if workers are needed.

The profession of a bartender is unique. It allows you to realize all your ideas, all your creative potential and social activity. This is difficult (especially physically) work, but it gives excellent emotions, good resources and loyal associates.