I recently picked up some guest shifts at a pal of mine’s new restaurant/bar. When I asked what the bar login number was, I was told we ring drinks separately. I thought this was strange, because how were we going to combine our checkouts and divvy up the tips? Turns out bartenders don’t pool, but collect their own tips…?

They also use the designated service well, obviously at the end of the bar intended for servers to pick up their drinks, as a server station for them to ice water? So, the service printer is in the middle of the bar and both bartenders are expected to make service drinks. If you’re making a drink, you cross it off on the ticket and basically just hope that the other bartender will do their share of the service drink making. As if this isn’t already wonky enough, the servers then come behind the bar (I’m talking about to the dead middle of the bar between both tenders) to pick up their drinks????

And the cherry on top- servers do not tip out the bar at all.

Has anyone else ever worked a system like this? Asking mostly regarding to the separate tips deal. I’ve been doing this for 15 years and never heard of it. Have I been living under a rock or is that wild?

I moved to a new state 7 weeks ago, and there's a bar just 3 blocks from my apartment. I've visited this small-town bar 3 times in the last 45 days. Tonight, I went to the same bar and stayed there from 10 pm to 1 am. I greeted the bartender, being polite since I used to be a bartender myself.

While there, I met two women around my age and ended up buying them 6-7 drinks each. I pulled out 10 grams of weed and asked if anyone wanted to smoke. The bartender asked if he could join, and I said, "Hell yeah, bro!" We smoked all the weed outside in the gazebo, then came back and closed out my tab. The two women wanted to keep drinking, and so did I, so we got another round. This happened one more time, and I covered all three rounds. The last two bills were $60 and $40, and I tipped a combined 20% ($20) on those.

When I was walking out, I checked my bank account and noticed three charges. I had forgotten about the first tab. I asked the bartender what the third $50 charge was, and he pulled out three receipts. I realized my mistake and said, "Oh yeah, my bad!"

As I was leaving, I ran into a group of 7 guys and said, "What’s up, boys? Drinks on me!" They cheered, and I asked the bartender for "3 pitchers of whatever they want!" But the bartender cut me off, saying, "Sorry man, I'm cutting you off." I replied, "For them, not me!" He then said, "Nah, because you're being annoying as fuck and then your bitch ass is gonna be questioning the bill."

I shot back, "Excuse the fuck me? Why are you being so unprofessional? I just tipped you 20%. You didn’t seem to mind that $20 tip earlier." The bartender responded, "I don’t care about your stupid tip." So I said, "Then give it back, bitch."

At that point, the bartender got right in my face, maybe 5mm away, and said, "Get the fuck out, or I'm calling the cops." I replied, "Go ahead, I spent 8 years in the Army, I’m not afraid of cops." We locked eyes in a staring contest, and I challenged him, "Do something, my man. Also, consider my tip canceled, asshole!"

Two guys stepped in to separate us. I'm 6'1" and 280 lbs, while the bartender was maybe 5'9" and 210 lbs. Then, a big guy—probably around 6'6" and 320 lbs—gently grabbed my shoulder and said, "Come take a walk with me; you don’t need to do this." I told him, "Yeah man, this guy’s trying to punk me, but he's in the wrong." The big dude replied, "I get it, but for everyone's sake, just go home." So I walked home.

Is anyone else having a hard time finding a bartending job near Orange County California… I have been jobless for 4 months and it feels like an eternity… is anyone else having this problem? 😩😩😩😩 I’ve had many interviews but nothing is sticking.. help!!

Hey y'all! I just had an Arizona DL walk through my door, but it seems iffy...the expiration is 2066...should I confiscate it?

This feels so silly to write out! Long story short me and my coworker are being bullied by a woman that’s been coming to our bar for almost 11 years. We always treat her well, give her special treatment (though I’m of the opinion this only enables her behavior), and do our best to make her happy. Recently she’s began to actively bully me and my coworker; she criticizes our work, will whisper about us to her friends, make snide remarks about our appearance, etc. She always sits next to the service well, so it’s impossible for us to avoid hearing her comments or remove ourselves from the situation without affecting our productivity. Management is aware of her behavior, but because we’re a chain, they are unable to take action until her behavior escalates from petty comments and snide remarks to something more tangible. She’s an impossible to please guest, just generally unpleasant, and has even driven out some of our other pleasant regulars because they don’t want to be around her.

Can anybody offer any advice? What would you do?

I love my job and this whole situation is giving me anxiety about going into work.

Have a college degree, but not exactly in a step-in sort of industry. What did y’all do for bridge jobs? Please don’t say sales or real estate, I know they’re common but not applicable for me.

I've got some mushroom powder at work and I'm thinking of incorporating it into a vesper. Any recommendations on where to infuse? Also open to other recommendations. Cheers

The owner of our bar decided they were gonna do random breathalyzers in a state where that’s not allowed without reasonable cause. I don’t drink while I’m working anymore (we used to be allowed to), but I still feel like I should fight it

Edit: forgot a word

I work at a neighborhood bar and my Friday nights are seriously struggling. It’s a great bar and does well the rest of the week but Fridays just get slower every week.

Karaoke is popular and brings a crowd around here but I’m on my 6th kj over the last year and each has either run people off or taken their crowd with them and it’s just hit working out anymore. There’s also three bars within a mile that also have karaoke.

I’m thinking about having a dj instead. Hand out cards to customers to make requests and want to have some games and prizes with it.

Yall do anything like that or have ideas of what would be fun and bring folks in?

Thanks so much!

I have a new cocktail and mocktail that use sweetened condensed milk. It always gets stuck in the jigger and I have to use a spoon to scrape it out. I’ve also tried adding the condensed milk to a measuring glass with liquid in it and it sinks to the bottom and sticks. I don’t wanna be wasting product. Thank you!

This is something I’ve discussed with my co workers and nobody agreed with me on my side. I believe a green tea shot, white tea shot, lemon drop, Vegas bomb, water moccasin, etc. should have a full serving of alcohol 1.5oz depending on booze strength. My co workers say they just make the specs of a cocktail and pour a cocktail into smaller glasses for less than a full serving of liquor per “shot”. How strong are your shooters/gulper shots?

Hello bartenders of Reddit!

I wanted to see if it's often for you to get the loner crowd and how you feel about them.

I go to bars alone every weekend. I wear big headphones and sit by myself and drink. I don't talk to anybody I just mind my own business. I like to be an unnoticed type of guy who's here and not here but I do notice that I'll only appear a couple times at the same bar for a couple weeks before the bartenders suddenly know what I want to drink beforehand. I know they don't mean anything by it but it does make me feel a certain type of way because I feel that I'm memorable somehow. I don't do anything wrong, I pay what I owe, tip %20 and just leave.

Right now I'm at my 2nd favorite bar which doesn't have Guinness. I wish I was at my favorite bar which does have Guinness and is right near it but I was there just last night and I feel self conscious showing up again tonight.

So my question to you is, is my kind of customer often? The type that just comes all by themselves, drink and leave?

Am I the only one who doesn’t often add Sprite? I don’t really find it necessary.

Am I wrong? Or is this common. Just curious.

Hi, sorry in advance for the long post but I really need help.

I’m a uni student and I recently started as part of the bar team in a hotel, and I hate it. The people I work with are lovely, and although i’ve been thrown into the deep end they’ve done their best to help, but I hate the job. I’m 19 and from ages 16-18 i worked in a supermarket and loved it, so I thought starting this job would be fine, but the anxiety I feel at the mere idea of going to work makes me feel so nauseous.

For context, I have mild cerebral palsy that has only ever really affected my legs and my ability to walk long distances/stand for long hours, I did have an operation a while back to make the disability more hidden but my ability to stand for so long hasn’t improved much. So far I’ve only worked 7/8 hour shifts and I know many of you guys who have been in the business for years will think that’s nothing, but having to stand for that long with only one break has been really difficult for me.

Today, I was supposed to have my first 9 hour shift, but when I went in I told them I had a fever and they sent me home because the anxiety was too much, I felt like I was gonna throw up or cry or both. I only got 3 hours sleep the night before because I was so anxious about the shift. I haven’t even been trained behind the bar yet, I just do table service and clean up, but I know that i can be thrown behind the bar and be expected to know what I’m doing at any moment, which doesn’t help with my worries.

I don’t know how to ask for advice or how to make this better, I’m writing this post because I’m starting to feel super anxious about my shift tomorrow. I want to call in and say I’m still sick, but I haven’t even worked here a month yet. I wouldn’t care if they laid me off but I don’t want to disappoint my parents and my grandparents who have been pushing for me to get a job, and my friend who recommended me for the job. I feel really trapped. I didn’t think i’d hate it this bad but i’ve never dealt with anxiety induced insomnia until last night. Does it get better? Should I just quit and look for a new job?

I didn’t tell the company about my disability when I applied because I thought it’d be counterproductive, why would they hire someone who struggles to stand for extended periods of time? But because of me foolishly thinking I could handle it, I’ve backed myself into a corner and I don’t know what to do. I’ve thought about talking to a higher-up in the hotel about my disability and seeing if they could accommodate it, but as for proof I even have this disability I wouldn’t know where to look. After I had my operation years ago, I was officially discharged from the hospital and I don’t look disabled, so finding documents/paperwork to back myself up seems like an impossible task.

I really really don’t want to go in tomorrow, I have a 6 hour shift on monday which I think I could handle I just don’t want to do 9 hours. If anyone could give me some reassurance or advice I’d really appreciate it because I don’t want to feel this awful about going to work anymore, especially since I’ve just started

I manage/bartend at a year round outside pool bar. Weather is getting COLD and we are struggling to keep our hands warm while bartending. Seeking advice from other bartenders who outside in the cold like ski resort bartenders, etc. How are yall keeping your hands from going numb while bartending? and just staying warm and not stiff in general?

I know this gets asked a lot, but do you all have recommendations for a pos for a small bar with a limited kitchen? Thanks in advance!

Hi,

I recently purchased a TABC course from 360training, and I don't need it anymore. I can't even refund it as it is more than 3-4 days since I purchased. If you are in need of this course, please message me. I will transfer this course to you. Thank you :)

For my traveller bartenders, has anyone ever worked as a bartender in croatia for a yacht during the season? is it possible to get in? how were your experiences? is it worth it?

So for context I am a 19 year old male bartender at a small-ish gay club in Scotland, I work two shifts on a weekend usually around 6-8 hours for 12 pounds an hour, and for tips I make about 40-80 pounds a night.

I'm looking to stay in bartending even once I leave university. Is 12 pounds an hour pretty average? Would I earn more in a bigger/smaller club? Earn more in a straight/gay club? What other places in the UK would I possibly earn more? Just because without my student loan once I leave university I am not sure if I could continue being a bartender.

I woke up at 9am today and have work at 6pm to 12am, is this doable without caffeine? I’m worried I’ll get exhausted before the end of my shift.

I see female bartenders close all the time and they are often alone. Some of those times there's only one (male) customer (who's not a regular) left in the bar. I imagine female bartenders must encounter some aggressive creeper types once in a while. What do you do to keep yourself safe in those situations? Do you get nervous if you're alone with just one, non regular dude when closing??

Hello! So sorry this is long. If you read this all and have advice, I appreciate you.

I just got a job as a server/bartender at a bowling alley/bar in my town. I honestly have near zero experiance in the service industry. My first job as a teen was a hostess at a fancy restaurant, but that only lasted for a few months. Then, for the past few years, with a full time job, I did odd jobs serving for a friend of mine that owns a catering company.

Anyways, a situation happened just tonight (my 5th shift at the bar) that I'm not sure how I should have handled to make the outcome better. There was a gentleman who came in to drink, of course, and he seemed more of the rough type. There were three of us female bartenders working and although I took his first drink order, my coworkers took care of him for the rest of the night as I'm still training.

I didn't see it, but apparently at some point one of my coworkers saw him go to the bowling alley which was empty, and he was gone for 10 or so minutes. When he came back he was apparently jittery and high strung, making her think he used coke or some sort of substance in the bathroom in that area. (I've never been around anyone who has used any kind of substance besides alcohol, so I didn't notice any signs, but he was more vocal after that)

He began cussing alot and was trying to talk to anyone who would listen, and then he began to make innuendos and comments towards me and my coworkers. One of whom is underage still. We didn't laugh at his jokes, but I didn't have much courage to say anything either in the begining.

When he came up for another drink, his comments continued and I don't remember exactly what he said, something about all of us being very hot, but I thought perhaps I should shut him down a bit since I wasn't feeling comfortable. And our silence obviously wasn't deterring him in any way.

I said, "that's not very appropriate."

He got defensive and angry at that and said I needed to learn how to take a joke, but also that he was sorry. While he was saying this and switching between being mad but also being apologetic, my coworker who has way more experiance than I do, said I should never say something like that to a drunk man, and that it could be dangerous for me.

I thought what I said was mild. Both my coworkers thought I should have shrugged off the comments even though one of them did tell him off moments later for telling her to f herself. At this piont I don't know. Because he did become a problem, needing to be kicked out and threatening our manager with a weapon. Did I start the problem becuase my words weren't catered properly, or was it a doomed situation from the start?

I've worked the past 3 Thanksgivings. They recently hired a bunch of new bartenders and the people who have been here longer are struggling to keep our days. So if they want to give my Thursday away they can give it to someone else for Thanksgiving. My parents aren't getting any younger and I'd rather spend it with them than at a job that's actively trying to replace me.

I requested it off ages ago giving my manager plenty of notice and he says "we're gonna be extremely busy this year I can't guarantee it." When he's been saying that every single year and we're all there standing around not even making money. Get one of your shiny new bartenders to work it.

So there we go!! Don't feel bad and won't regret it.

Some may remember the other day I posted about getting icy hot from a guest. Well today I was chatting with a guy from out of town about beer and he said he had a bunch of 3 Floyd's dark lord. I joked he should have brought me some (I grew up not far from there). He came back a few minutes later with a 2017 bottle and gave it to me.

What're some weird things you've gotten from strangers on the job?

https://preview.redd.it/7mxl8p09lkzd1.jpg?width=2455&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af1facf08161c35e389791a3ce62ac37c0592ba9

Hi there bartenders! I need professional opinions from people from the States (where bourbon originated).

Can I ask you which bottle out of these 5 would you choose for your home bar? Or if you don't have a home bar, imagine you have only these 5 available to you and your boss asks you to pick one for the bar at your job.

Anyways, these are the only high-quality (high-quality for Europe at least) bourbons that I have available to me in my relatively small city... So I'm asking for opinions, thanks!

Hey guys

I’m moving to Portland late march of next year… coming from 3 years of bartending in Southern California.. wondering what the scene is like up there now? Most of my bartending experience is in venues (comedy club & concert venue). I’m expecting that I’ll probably need to start as a barback somewhere but wondering what my best bet would be? This is my full time gig right now so I’d have open availability. It’s competitive where I’m at now but I hear the same about up Portland. Any advice is appreciated.