Member-only story
What I’ve Learned After 1 Year of Bartending
The ups and downs of serving people alcohol
First and foremost, I want to be crystal clear that this article solely reflects my personal experiences and perspectives formed from bartending. Serving people alcohol is an amusing, compelling, and strenuous occupation. I never expected to ever become a bartender. Quite frankly, I knew very little about different types of cocktails, wines, and beers since I’ve never been a frequent consumer of alcohol. That all changed when I decided to accept a job in the hospitality field that happens to require that all of their staffers be licensed and skilled bartenders.
The initial learning curve was steep; I had large amounts of anxiety throughout the beginning of the training process. I quickly learned that being a bartender was not solely about making and serving drinks; it was also about being able to make conversation, be vigilant, and in some cases, entertain patrons. I’m not a type-A personality and can be reserved when it comes to striking up casual conversations with random people, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to be more open.
Fast forward to one year later and I am a confident, skilled bartender who has served thousands of drinks to all types of different people. I’ve met people from all over the world, from…
