Bartender: Part-Time Therapist, Full-Time Drink Mixer

When your drink comes with unsolicited life advice.

Nathan Chen
4 min readJan 29, 2024
Photo by Dmitriy Frantsev on Unsplash

Welcome to the thrilling world of bartending, where the cocktails are strong, the patrons are unpredictable, and your ability to remember a drink recipe is less important than your capacity to nod sympathetically while someone tells you their life story. Forget what you’ve seen in the movies; this isn’t just slinging beers and listening to jukeboxes. No, my friend, this is the big leagues — where your shift is an unscripted reality show, and you’re the star.

Job Overview:

We’re seeking a dynamic individual with a passion for mixology and an even greater enthusiasm for listening to the same story about someone’s ex for the 47th time. You’ll be working in an environment where the customer is always right, even when they’re clearly wrong, and your main job perk is developing an encyclopedic knowledge of who’s cheating on whom in your local area.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Mixologist Extraordinaire: Whip up everything from a classic martini to that obscure drink someone saw on a TV show once and insists is real.
  • Unlicensed Therapist: Offer a shoulder to cry on, dispense wisdom like a fortune cookie, and master the art of the…

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Nathan Chen

I'm Nathan Chen, a queer Asian writer advocating for LGBTQ+ issues, Asian representation, work life & mental health. Let's explore life's complexities together!