I’m a bartender but I don’t really drink much.
Well, occasionally 12 shots of tequila will make their way into my life after a tough shift. Sure, 16 beers or so might accompany a sporting event, but that’s about all the hard drinking I do these days. Other than that, I might have a glass of wine – or maybe bottle – to help me reflect on all the entertaining events that can only happen in my line of work. I’ve heard a lot of good stories and learned a few lessons over the years, and I’ll share them with you here.
Bartending means cut hands, slippery floors, heavy lifting, stocking coolers, eating mostly cold meals standing up, getting yelled at by angry customers, and generally no benefits, reviews or retirement plans. It’s a hard manual job and, if it wasn’t for talking to people, a well trained monkey could probably do it.
However, it also means you’re the life of the party and most people are happy to see you. You’re the ear to bend, the cat who brings the booze, an inexpensive shrink, and everyone’s best friend. It’s a never-ending stream of entertainment that’s as diverse as the people served and the situations surrounding their life stories.
Some folks have good things going on, some have bad, and they all want to drink. Proud dads, happy moms, people who got promoted, just bought or sold a home, and families with graduates all make me a part of their best events. Cheating spouses, punching Santa Clauses, alcoholic parents, and Boston Red Sox fans all make me a part of their worst. It can be fun all day, or terrible every minute. But either way, there are always good stories to tell.
Each month, I’ll publish a bit of bartender knowledge here. Pour a glass of wine along with me and enjoy some good stories, cocktail news, bar trends, facts I’ve heard or ideas I’ve come up with after 25 plus years of doing this gig. Hopefully it will give you some fun insight into the bartending world, and at the very least you’ll have had some wine!
Catch you next time.
Cheers!
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