Bartender
A bartender (also known as a barkeep or barman or barmaid or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but also occasionally at private parties.
As well as serving beer and wine, a bartender can generally also mix classic cocktails such as a Cosmopolitan, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, and Negroni.
Bartenders are also responsible for confirming that customers meet the legal drinking age requirements before serving them alcoholic beverages.
The key to mixing drinks is knowing the ideal quantity of each ingredient needed to create the flavor profile required.
Jerry Thomas established the image of the bartender as a creative professional, credited with being the father of American Mixology.
Thomas and Johnson incorporated flavored spirits, liqueurs, and fortified wines to their cocktails, which was a new concept.
[6] At the turn of the 20th century, slightly fewer than half the bartenders in London were women, such as Ada Coleman.
"Barmaids", as they were called, were usually the daughters of tradesmen or mechanics or, occasionally, young women from the "better-born" classes who had been "thrown upon their own resources" and needed an income.
Following the suspension of the eighteenth amendment and release of legal booze back into the market, the cocktail era unfortunately took a dip.
[11] The bartending profession was generally a second occupation, used as transitional work for students to gain customer experience or to save money for university fees.
[16] It is possible to mix a cocktail combining a number of bases, as long as they share essential characteristics, though it is considered "dangerous".
[17] The modifying agent functions as a buffer for the sharp bite of the base, and adds character to its natural flavour.
[4] Bases are sweeteners that aim to balance out spirits and acids; they can include simple syrup, honey, agave nectar, and liqueurs.
Common garnishes include decorative lemon twists, smoked herbs, and edible flowers.
The high turnover of staff due to low wages and poor employee benefits results in a shortage of skilled bartenders.
Whereas a career bar manager would know drink recipes, serving techniques, alcohol contents, correct gas mixes and licensing law and would often have cordial relations with regular customers, short-term staff may lack these skills.
[citation needed] Tipping bar staff in the United Kingdom is uncommon, not considered mandatory.
The appropriate way to tip a barman or barwomen in the UK is to say 'have one for yourself', encouraging the employee to buy themselves a drink with one's money.
In 1970, Dolly Williams filed a complaint with the state regarding this, and the Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor, and Human Relations ordered the city to stop banning female bartenders.
"Craft" cocktails are curated drinks using high-quality ingredients, generally accompanied by a higher price as well.
[31] Bartenders in the United States usually have on-the-job training, from the owners, management, or other superior staff with experience.
All bartenders in the United States should be knowledgeable in mixing, garnishing, and serving drinks with a positive attitude and excellent communication skills.
Professional bartenders need to obtain the certification of the National Labor Department's vocational technical ability appraisement.
In China, tens of thousands of people have obtained the "Bartender Qualification Certificate" issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection units.
Some provinces do not require certification, such as Saskatchewan, Labrador, Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where there is no legally mandatory certification to serve alcohol, but certain documents for serving alcoholic beverages are marked as "recommended" in the province, and employers have a right to ask their bartenders to have them.
The provinces that require bartender certification are Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia.
[6] Additionally, they may toy with the chemical makeup of drinks to make them more sour, bitter, sweet, tangy or deep.
[42] The British mixologist was one of only two women to be the head bartender at The Savoy in London, where she developed the Hanky Panky (a cocktail made with gin, vermouth and fernet-branca).
[42] The American mixologist is known for reviving and improving classic 19th century cocktails with new flavor combinations and fresh ingredients.
The digital age allows mixologists to merge their craft with technical tools and share it with a wider audience.
