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Probably Infected posted:Looking into some new spaces for a craft beer oriented bar and deciding on the viability of the existing walk-ins.
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Apr 22, 2013 05:41
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photomikey posted:While working at a dive bar, we needed a walk-in to replace... the mess that preceded me. The owner ordered one off the internet, it came in flat panels and had to be put together. Went up in a day. I believe we had to have the refrigerant unit charged. Not sure of that. I do not recall the DIY walkin being expensive - maybe a couple grand? I assume it would scale pretty well - just more panels and a bigger refrigerant unit. About 2 years ago I built a 140 sq ft walk-in (wooden framing, 4-5" thick foam insulation, FRP paneling) for about $2500-$2800 which included the condensing unit, blower, and the door mounts/mechanism. It needed to be custom because of the layout of the available space. If a location just has a large empty basement, one of those would probably work fine. I'm currently looking into keg shelves that can line the inner perimeter of a walk-in, and stack the 20-30 liter barrels on the top and larger barrels underneath.
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Apr 22, 2013 07:30
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Ultimate Mango posted:Can any of you gents point me to an honest, good cocktail venue in Vegas? My company is sending me to a conference on the strip, and if I recall bars can be hit and miss especially near the touristy areas. I heard the secret level in the Chandelier in the Cosmo has some interesting stuff, but even that makes me scratch my head. Downtown Cocktail Room on Fremont is exactly what you want. Get the gently caress away from the strip, go downtown, and then go past the Fremont Street Experience. After the canopy ends cross the street and hang a right. (I think..) I was there in January with almost all of my bar staff and we're still talking about it. The drinks, atmosphere, location, music, seating, staff.. everything was perfect. Between us we ordered their entire menu, I tasted everything, and it was all somewhere between great and exceptional. When thinking about my next trip to Vegas, I am more excited about going back to that place than I am about anything else.
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Apr 22, 2013 12:02
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1) Baker's is one of my favorite bourbons, and every time I see it I'll order it, extra-enunciate the B, make a B with my fingers, and every single time they grab Maker's, pour me a drink and I'll shake my head. I'll say a BAKER'S and then they get mad and throw the drink and act all pouty like I did something wrong. How can I order this drink in a loud bar? 2) Brooklyn Summer Ale might be my favorite beer of all time. I just moved to LA and can't find anything comparable. Any suggestions?
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Apr 24, 2013 08:40
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JMod posted:1) Baker's is one of my favorite bourbons, and every time I see it I'll order it, extra-enunciate the B, make a B with my fingers, and every single time they grab Maker's, pour me a drink and I'll shake my head. I'll say a BAKER'S and then they get mad and throw the drink and act all pouty like I did something wrong. How can I order this drink in a loud bar? Just order regular Jim Beam.
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Apr 24, 2013 10:33
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 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1482605228/
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Apr 25, 2013 22:27
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Semenology posted:Semen is often freshly available behind most bar counters and adds a personal touch to any cocktail. You can't really argue with that.
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Apr 25, 2013 22:54
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I recently made the jump from security to barback at a concert venue. I love working my rear end off when we're completely slammed and I'm constantly in a state of motion. I've been taking every opportunity I jumping behind the bar and learning from the bartenders. Most of us have been in this place for a while now, so we're a close knit group, which has helped me out a lot since they're more than willing to offer pointers and tell me what I've hosed up. Barbacking is hard work and I love it.
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Apr 26, 2013 09:04
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Trip Report: Due to a soul crushing work schedule I missed most of the advice in this thread, but several independent industry folks (not just any random servers but people who i seek out when in town because they are so good) without hesitation told me to go to the Laundry Room. Chef Cody at é actually gave me the number from memory cold. Sure, the speakeasy concept may be getting a little tired but in this case really works. But since this thread is about bartending, I will focus on June (or whatever variation on her real name she is using at this moment). She is a cocktail encyclopedia, utter perfectionist, and loving machine, nay robot. She works a small room (maybe 7 seat bar and room for a dozen more at a table, rail, and piano) pretty much all by herself (the hostess was bored and helped wash glasses at one point). I had three drinks there and each was amazing, and are probably three of the four best cocktails I have had anywhere, and the drinks my friends had were similarly amazing. I had a tattletale, a too soon, and something of June's own creation that she had yet to name (involved fernet and rum). Even when she was clearly making things from the menu, she was tweaking the drinks slightly based on feedback from the drinkers. I was lucky to sit at the end of the bar and watched her work. Whether making one drink or six everything was measured (I now want a copper jigger, the one she had was damned sexy) and layered and made such that each drink's final steps happened in rapid succession. The bar was immaculate and spotless and seemed pretty well set up for such a small space. I suppose the concept and size allowed her to take her time, certainly not a high volume establishment. She could charge double for her drinks and I know at least my group would not have batted am eyelash. Probably the cheapest drinks I had all week. Looking back I should have tipped a lot more at the end of the night (35% in retrospect really seems wrong). I won't make that mistake again. This thread and its predecessor makes me wonder if I missed out spending time behind a bar busting my rear end for stories like yours. Going to the Laundry Room really makes me appreciate someone doing it right, and hearing June talk about her journey getting there was simply amazing.
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Apr 27, 2013 04:31
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If I had gotten a bar job like that I may not have stopped bartending, but alas I was too poo poo.
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Apr 27, 2013 04:47
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Sheep-Goats posted:If I had gotten a bar job like that I may not have stopped bartending, but alas I was too poo poo. I'm the opposite - Put me 12 deep and I'm happy, I can't imagine working a small room like that.
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Apr 27, 2013 14:25
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So last night for the very first time I worked nonstop. I've had busy nights. Very busy nights. But not like this. I mean I didn't even get time to take a drink of soda or anything for the 8 or so hours. The night did whizz by, though. On the negative side: My feet hurt, my throat hurts, and I'm tired as poo poo. On the plus side: Dolla dolla bills, y'all. I can't complain walking away with hundreds. Rotten Cookies fucked around with this message at 18:35 on Apr 27, 2013 |
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Apr 27, 2013 18:33
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Shooting Blanks posted:I'm the opposite - Put me 12 deep and I'm happy, I can't imagine working a small room like that. Rotten Cookies posted:So last night for the very first time I worked nonstop. I've had busy nights. Very busy nights. But not like this. I mean I didn't even get time to take a drink of soda or anything for the 8 or so hours. The night did whizz by, though. God this. A dive bar is a really tough gig for me on ultra slow nights (Monday nights, for example) because once I hand you your High Life, the amount I'm able to sit and bullshit with you is a ticking clock of how much we could possibly have to say. Perhaps if I were cocktailing it would be different. But weekends where we're balls deep, yes please. Way cool.
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Apr 27, 2013 19:34
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I'd be very happy making high quality cocktails at a small, low key bar setting with people who were really into the drinks. But none of the speakeasy affectations, that stuff drives me nuts. From an ownership side, I wouldn't so much prefer, but absolutely need to have a crazy high volume bar just to stay afloat given the current market. Definitely an interesting and frustrating contrast.
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Apr 27, 2013 23:05
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Time to make some playoffs money 
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Apr 29, 2013 19:04
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Going to start training at an established restaurant in Midtown this week - I've worked in fine dining before but not behind the bar. There are ~300 single malts I'll need to know a thing or 2 about.. I think just knowing the regions and characteristics about the regions will get me through most of them. I'm pretty bang on with my classics knowledge, my current go-to being Corpse Reviver #2.. so. good.
Ouija fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Apr 30, 2013 |
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Apr 29, 2013 21:00
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I'm going to be applying for a security job at a bar in a college town. Any tips for the cover letter/resume? I want to let them know that I'm not the kind of meathead who wants to get drunk and break heads that they probably have applying a lot. But I don't want to out and out say that because it seems tactless.
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Apr 30, 2013 20:11
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Any experience doing the same? Are you a physically large guy? Code words for what you're trying to say: thick skinned, friendly, tactful, understand the importance of promoting the image the bar owners and managers have in mind. Front door material. Don't forget that while security's major function is to chuck out poo poo heads it also has an important secondary function as a kind of human furniture that projects a certain image. For most clubs that means "celebs and high profile people are in here." For most college bars that means lots of girls and affordable drinks are in here. It's important that you demonstrate that you understand this is part of your job too. If it's not that might not be somewhere you want to work. If they ask you about longer term goals in the industry saying "doorman or promoter" is better than "head of security." raton fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Apr 30, 2013 |
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Apr 30, 2013 22:09
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No experience with that sort of thing, 6'2", 190, occasional gym body. I have taken a bunch of conflict resolution courses, but my entire work experience is manual labor / contracting.
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Apr 30, 2013 22:38
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Remember, a bar's job is to sell booze at high prices (compared to what you could pay in a store). It does this through social engineering more than anything else. You don't need to present yourself as The Wizard From Roadhouse first. You need to present yourself as a reliable, sane employable person. The next thing to do is to show that you're likeable. Then you just mention that you're willing to do security work. I once heard a security guy complaining that a manager had told him that his job was to take punches, not to throw them. Of course that's his job. How the gently caress could he not understand that? Well, it's because he didn't really understand security's role. Why is being big important? Because the image of being big stops a lot of fights from even getting started. Granted, there are always little shitheels who will start a fight with a big guy anyway, but most of the time they would have started a fight with literally anyone. There are, however, people who can be intimidated and they don't start a fight with a big guy. The ideal door man at a college bar has the image of one of those meatheads on a beach show on MTV but without the ego. The kind of guy who just has a lot of girls around him through circumstance. When he talks he shows that he understands a broad range of people and can gently, with humor, eat a pile of poo poo. Outgoing is better than not. You don't have to be ideal to get hired (you have to have friends working at the bar to guarantee that) but you should understand what ideal is. Mentioning the conflict resolution classes is good, but you'll have to also mention that you understand that a bar is a different environment (leave it at that).
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Apr 30, 2013 22:47
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22 Eargesplitten posted:No experience with that sort of thing, 6'2", 190, occasional gym body. I have taken a bunch of conflict resolution courses, but my entire work experience is manual labor / contracting. How good are you at spotting fake IDs? Security's other important job is keeping the place from losing its license.
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May 1, 2013 15:14
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Everything is trainable except being a big dude who wants to keep everybody from having a bad time (read: breaking the law or breaking stuff).
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May 1, 2013 16:36
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Frozen Horse posted:How good are you at spotting fake IDs? Security's other important job is keeping the place from losing its license. I know vaguely how they should feel, and I know the flashlight trick from my tonsilitis/2' blizzard/bar rescue week. If there's anything I should teach myself to look good at an interview, I'd be glad to learn it.
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May 1, 2013 20:22
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Runamok!
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May 1, 2013 20:43
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TncPDVmFJgw
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May 1, 2013 22:21
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I've never been cut off at a bar, but I did come close one night. My coworker and I came into our regular bar late one night, totally hosed up. We're cool with the bartender, we order two beers, and he comes back with two rocks glasses full of beer. I finished half of mine before going home. Ever do this to anyone? Do the regulars get a longer leash with the cutoff than new customers?
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May 2, 2013 00:57
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I've done that to a server coming in on their day off once. A little backstory, we're stocked with glassware going down in size from highball to rocks to some weird short thing that never gets used (whiskey?) to shot glasses. So when he came in pretty tipsy, I started from the top and served each successive round in a smaller glass. Of course he thought it was hilarious but got the point at the same time. I guess it'll be the same anywhere you go, just because people are more familiar with the behavior and habits of regulars and can gauge what level they're at, vs some random person who seems fine until they walk into a wall on their way to the bathroom.
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May 2, 2013 02:05
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MondayHotDog posted:I've never been cut off at a bar, but I did come close one night. My coworker and I came into our regular bar late one night, totally hosed up. We're cool with the bartender, we order two beers, and he comes back with two rocks glasses full of beer. I finished half of mine before going home. Ever do this to anyone? Do the regulars get a longer leash with the cutoff than new customers? Regulars are expected to know how to behave themselves. The shorties were a good hint that y'all could go ahead and 86 yourselves for the night, while still being welcome.
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May 2, 2013 02:18
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22 Eargesplitten posted:I know vaguely how they should feel, and I know the flashlight trick from my tonsilitis/2' blizzard/bar rescue week. If there's anything I should teach myself to look good at an interview, I'd be glad to learn it.
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May 2, 2013 02:25
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I was behind some girls with fakes on the way into a bar, and after the door guy looked at their IDs he asked them for each other's names, I thought that was pretty clever.
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May 2, 2013 04:50
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I am applying to get back into a barbacking gig tomorrow. Its a tequila bar, pretty classy, smokin hot girls that work there. Not to hot on the name, it implies drinking lovely tequila, salt/lime and all. Really wanting to get a better grasp on tequila. Everyone has boners about craft beer, whiskey, and cocktails, but dam Id love to groove on some tequila. I also get my doorman training by the city in two weeks, should be fun. I barbacked for three years at a massive joint that was more like a chuck e cheese than a bar. Also barbacked at a lovely bro bar for a summer. Looking forward to getting back into the game, but not holding my breath.
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May 2, 2013 08:06
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SubponticatePoster posted:I used to ask people their astrological sign back in the day. They'll memorize all the poo poo on that card down to the license number, but still either give you their sign or stare at you dumbly while they try to guess if it's Virgo or Libra. What kind of a massive retard would change their actual birthday, instead of just switching the year?
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May 2, 2013 21:48
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PT6A posted:What kind of a massive retard would change their actual birthday, instead of just switching the year? Sometimes they get old real IDs from someone that looks like them, so they may not have a choice.
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May 2, 2013 21:55
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SubponticatePoster posted:I used to ask people their astrological sign back in the day. They'll memorize all the poo poo on that card down to the license number, but still either give you their sign or stare at you dumbly while they try to guess if it's Virgo or Libra. What if someone doesn't know their sign? I don't.
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May 2, 2013 22:18
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FISHMANPET posted:I was behind some girls with fakes on the way into a bar, and after the door guy looked at their IDs he asked them for each other's names, I thought that was pretty clever.
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May 2, 2013 22:30
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FISHMANPET posted:Sometimes they get old real IDs from someone that looks like them, so they may not have a choice. Ah, forgot about that. I didn't have older brothers or anything so that option never occurred to me.
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May 2, 2013 22:34
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FISHMANPET posted:Sometimes they get old real IDs from someone that looks like them, so they may not have a choice. edit: Zauper posted:What if someone doesn't know their sign? I don't. SubponticatePoster fucked around with this message at 22:59 on May 2, 2013 |
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May 2, 2013 22:57
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SubponticatePoster posted:This. As ID's get more sophisticated and harder to fake they get someone else's real ID. In working the door I don't think I ever found a fake manufactured ID, they were all legit IDs being used by underagers. Do you get any specialized training on recognizing discrepancies between the photo on the ID and the person's face? I've never had anyone card me and scrutinize my face in any depth (granted, I've always been using my legit ID), but for example travelling in and out of certain countries, you can basically see immigration authorities running through a mental checklist of sorts to make sure you're the person pictured in your passport and/or entry photo. EDIT: Mind you, one time I did get refused for off-sales when I was only a year or two above the legal age. The bartender found it suspicious that I didn't want to walk to the much-less-expensive liquor store 3 blocks away, but the reality was that I was picking up beer for my nearby friends as a favour, and they wanted it ASAP and gave me the money. Sort of a piss-off, but I can understand why it happened. PT6A fucked around with this message at 23:19 on May 2, 2013 |
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May 2, 2013 23:17
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PT6A posted:Do you get any specialized training on recognizing discrepancies between the photo on the ID and the person's face? I've never had anyone card me and scrutinize my face in any depth (granted, I've always been using my legit ID), but for example travelling in and out of certain countries, you can basically see immigration authorities running through a mental checklist of sorts to make sure you're the person pictured in your passport and/or entry photo.  You learn to look at some stuff though. Hair color and style can be changed as can eye color with contacts. Distance between the eyes, eye shape and nostril shape is pretty individual and a good place to start.Nowadays they have an electronic scanner to tell you if the ID is a real one, still up to the door person to make sure it actually belongs to the person carrying it.
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May 2, 2013 23:28
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We tend to see a good number of people trying to get in with papers that are similar to or supposedly in lieu of their ID. People that supposedly got their licenses taken away for a ticket or lost them or somesuch. Those people don't get let in, and while I understand some court in some other state might've given it to you, I don't know what a ticket from Idaho actually looks like, so, sorry. I also once had an Irish citizen try to give me a b&w photocopy of her passport because she "didn't want to go out with the real one and lose it!" Ha.
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May 2, 2013 23:39
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