An employee who serves alcoholic drinks at a bar or restaurant is known as a barman, a barkeeper, or a bartender. Professionally, we call them a bartender and their job as bartending. There are different types of bars where you can get employed as a bartender. City bars, small town bars, and restaurant bars are always looking for skilled bartenders.
A bartender also earns a good annual income.
According to recent survey conducted by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand, the average annual salary of a bartender is around $31,000. A major portion of their income also comes from tips.
As a career option, bartending is quite lucrative. The work environment they work in is soulful and inspiring. During work, they come across different types of people belonging to different backgrounds or cultures. Most importantly, they really enjoy their time. You can always work extra hours and make more money than many earn on an average.
So, do you want to become one?
In order to become a bartender, earn a good income and achieve success in this career, you should learn what this job is all about. You need to learn the tips and tricks of bartending. You need to learn skills that will quickly set you apart from other bartenders out there.
To get started, you need to expand your knowledge about different types of alcoholic drinks. You should know how lager is different from ale. The more you know about drinks, beers, cocktails and their variations, the more easily can you impress a bar manager.
A degree doesn’t matter when it comes to getting a job as a bartender. There are plenty of bartenders who are into this occupation, in fact successfully, without ever going to any bartending school.
The business of bartending is more about passion, practice and creativity. If you have the required amount of passion, you too can become a self-taught bartender like many others. However, there are also many reputed bartending schools where you can obtain basic knowledge. You’ll come across many short-term courses where you’ll learn about bartending. But it’s always practical experience which improves your skills and turns you into a successful bartender. Before you join a bartending school, it’s a good idea to make sure they also provide assistance for job placement.
To become a bartender, you’ll need knowledge about –
Different types of alcoholic drinks
Preparation of drinks
Servicing of drinks
Liquor licensing regulations
While working as a bartender, your main role will be to prepare and serve different types of drinks, beers and wines. But you may also look after other responsibilities like taking orders, collecting cash, and gathering glasses. Depending on where you work, you may also need to serve food.
Definitely, the best part about this job (I repeat) is the opportunity to meet with people from different cultural backgrounds. It’s like feeling like an actor, as you are the center of attention. You have the responsible to help people enjoy as much as possible. It’s an opportunity to become a part of people’s memories as they visit your bar to have a wonderful evening.
Does bartending sound interesting to you? Please comment.
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