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Sondheim posted:I'm 23, can't keep up with the young 'uns anymore. As a 23 year old, I'd like to say that this statement is not representative of all 23 year olds. I still do, in fact, consider myself a yungin'. Also, to contribute, I bartend at a catering hall/restaurant/hotel. I got there by being a server first, then sneaking my way into barbacking, and finally got to bartend. I feel like I'm spoiled since most of the time I'm working, it's an open bar. I never have to worry about handling cash, aside from breaking a $20 every so often. Though, I might have to worry more about cutting people off? Though most anyone who's getting hammered already has a room down the hall in the hotel. Basically, I think I've got it pretty good.
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Aug 11, 2012 22:15
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I'm just going to explain my situation where I work. I feel it's different enough to describe. I'll say it again: I feel like I'm not really as much a bartender as y'all at my current job. I'm at a semi-fancy event hall/hotel/marina/restaurant/bar. I personally work at the event hall bar. There are a lot of company parties (woohoo drinking on the boss's dime) weddings, communions, holiday parties, high school reunions (oh god) some media events, and oddly enough, funerals/wakes/whatever. Somebody died and now people are eating/drinking to oblivion. So whenever somebody books an event, they have the options of getting a cash bar (We have to ring up drinks and exchange money. So, real bartending.) a consumption bar (we just tally what everyone at the event drank, total, divided into categories of drinks) or an open bar (by far the most common. Like 97% of all parties) So I rarely having to worry about opening a tab for somebody, running their card, upselling or anything. The most I really have to do is break a larger bill for a guest. Money is no object. On top of these three cash options, there are tiers of liquor we provide. There's house brand (Crystal Palace vodka, etc. and no flavored stuff. Basic basic stuff.), premium (this is where we break out flavored vodkas and rum, and get Svedka, Bacardi, Tanqueray, etc.) and ultra-premuim (Patron, Grey Goose, and whatnot). If they're open bar, the ultra bars charge around $40 per person for a 4 hour event. Events are usually about 100 people. But 40 isn't uncommon, and neither is 200. What is mind boggling to me is that the liquor, wine, and beer is completely not regulated where I work. I don't know if we just make enough money where it's not an object, but there are basically no cameras and no REAL inventory on our liquor cage. I've seen a sheet where the liquor is counted by the case. Not bottle, or parts of a bottle, but by the case. I know the guys I work with are straight-laced and wouldn't rip off our employers, but if we wanted to, we could fill our bags full of bottles, waltz out, and nobody would know or probably even care. So on the topic of upselling: I rarely do it. Since it's an open bar, there's no real good reason for me to do it. What I've been doing is, if I think the person would tip me well, reach down to the well liquor, say "Ahhhh, I'll give you the good stuff" and pour something higher up. Would this fly at another place? Abso-loving-lutely not. Has it gotten me bigger tips? Hell loving yes. Does/will management notice? Doubt it. The people at the event are pretty much paying for the expensive stuff. So I give it to them, and pretend like I'm doing them a solid. Am I lovely for doing this? Maybe, but I say no. Many people are confused that they get a choice as to what rum they want in their rum and coke. Even if it all costs them the same zero dollars. Does anybody else have a "No Shots" policy where they work? Because I do. They can get it waived if they talk to my manager. But if I'm working a wedding and the groom wants a shot? He's getting it. And management accepts that. People think they're clever by sending up one person to get a double of tequila, neat. Then the next person from their group asks for just 4 glasses. Alright, enjoy your 4 'almost-a-shot's of tequila. I didn't break any rules, I know those people have a hotel room right down the hall, and even my boss thinks the no shots thing is bullshit. Then again, when the DJ offends my ears with "SHOTS SHOTS SHOTSHOTSHOTSHOTS! it is so satisfying to let out a big "Sorry, can't do that  " when the inevitable rush comes up to the bar. Though I have to pretend I am very truly sorry.So while the place I work at is semi-fancy, I'm in a weird spot, or so I think. The events start off being slow, quiet, somewhat civil, but by the end of the night, it's nearly club-like. Many times I will start off the night saying "Wow, they're really tame for a high school reunion." only to be slammed later, with everybody wanting alabama loving slammers because that's what they drank in high school. (Not a knock against the drink, or making it even, just that when a drink becomes contagious at a party I kind of hate it.) I don't have to worry about charging people, really. It is the norm for people to be staying at our hotel, so no worries about people driving off to wrap their car around some tree. Seems a big difference between this and James Woods's catering bartender experiences. ANYWAY! HUGE long boring post. Basically, I read your stories and think "Huh, well, that's weird." E: And I wrote this coming off a shift, so meh. Too tired to really proofread it all.
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Aug 16, 2012 07:24
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odiv posted:Wow, this seems nuts to me. Yeah, they're either making "enough" where they don't care about inventory (which is really sloppy, even when you are profitable) or someone higher up is skimming. I brought this up to my friend who has been at the place longer than me. The inventory apparently always matched pretty well to what we were reporting, so the food&beverage guy didn't think it was necessary (he's the one who does inventory). So now he just inventories by the case to see what needs to be ordered when. Which explains why the liquor cage is a complete mess with a bazillion boxes of poo poo. It's like the Food and Bev manager just peeks in and goes "ahhhhh, I guess we could use some more JD. We're running low on Goose, too." And the next week we're swimming in the stuff. And the BBQs at the manager's place are a once a year thing where everybody who attends pitches in like $10 to get a bunch of booze. And no, it's not the stuff from where we work. If he is sneaking it, he's hiding it behind a bunch of other poo poo we don't carry. v  v
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Aug 16, 2012 20:04
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Bash Ironfist posted:Well that does make sense. Also I'm sorry but that sounds like it was hilarious. I think it's the clamato that does it. Of all the poo poo to get drenched in, it was tomato and clam juice. Hey man, there's no motivation for getting a job like not having a job.
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Aug 16, 2012 22:14
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odiv posted:Arg. $0 in tips last night. I only served about 25 drinks and I make a really good hourly so I shouldn't complain. Still, I hate getting absolutely nothing in tips. I was once tipped $5 total in one night by a bunch of brits who tipped a quarter a drink. Weighing down my drat pockets! 
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Aug 18, 2012 19:10
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Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! Made the most I've ever made in one night tonight! It was a blur of 7 hours (Party lasted 4 hours, though) and I walked away with $500 (not counting my $10.50 hourly), got to see some woman walk into the bathroom, come out obviously having done coke. Later, thanks to security, I got to see her taken away screaming. Other guests (her friends) told me that was "just like her." Also the first night I ever got broken glass into my ice well. Somebody asked for some ice in their pinot, and the ice broke the wine glass. Mother. Fucker. So the whole night I was working out of bus bins for ice. It was also the first night I really got into the zone. Sometimes it felt like I was reaching for 3 things at once. I remembered everyone's drinks. It sometimes seemed like I had the drinks ready before they asked for them (I didn't. I just surprised myself with how fast I worked.) For the first time tonight I got snippy with a guest. This bitch kept yelling at me "HEY. HEY! Can I get CAN I GET TWO VODKA SODA WATERS?!" I knew what she was drinking. I was serving people who were before her. But she just HAAAD to try and get her order in. Repeatedly I would tell her "I'll get to that as soon as I'm done serving these gentlemen here." But that just prompted her to yell louder "HEY! I SAID TWO VODKA SODA WATERS!" So I just snapped a little and said "HEY! if you want your drink you have to wait like everybody else. HEY is not a way to skip the line." And when I did get to her I'd say "HEY. HEEYY! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" I know it probably sounds like nothing to you guys, but I'm especially calm when serving somebody, and this was actually way out of character for me. Normally I'd just smile and carry on. Lots of firsts for me I guess. Y'all are probably reading this and saying to yourselves "pfffft. puss." But leave me alone. I'm new to bartending, only like 1½ months in.
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Aug 19, 2012 09:10
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Got to throw somebody out for the first time It was really just a group of party crashers at a wedding I was working. The cocktail hour/reception had been going on for about 3 hours at that point. I didn't recognize these ladies, and they were wearing denim miniskirts and such when everybody else was dressed up fancy as gently caress. It was perfect, and I couldn't help but smiling when telling them they had to get out. They also had to go past at least two "Private Event" signs. Also, the bride's mother screamed at me for overserving her husband, who fell over stupid drunk in the middle of the best man's speech. She went on to yell about how he's on medication that makes him "drunker than usual." I think she just needed to hear herself say that to get how silly that was. And possibly trying to save her husband some face at their kid's wedding. Oh well. Made out pretty well anyway.
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Sep 2, 2012 18:32
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"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM "a rum and coke" BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM "A WHAT?" BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM Or the rush when the crowd hears this. And probably the general crowd that shows up to that kind place. Douches.
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Sep 9, 2012 22:58
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leica posted:Drunk Whispering 101 - Control Your Drunks BRT 236 - Advanced Fruit Cutting - Fri 6:15-6:30pm, Sat 12:34-12:36am, Sat 6:25-6:32pm, Sat 11:21-11:22pm, Sun 12:45-12:45am
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Sep 18, 2012 23:30
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Tuesday's my elective class. BRT 146 - Slow Nights: Flinging Coasters at Each Other.
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Sep 19, 2012 02:21
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoLs5KdeLQg&t=40s I got to barback last night. I was the only barback last night. For a 200 (Well, 192) person open bar. I don't know what those words mean to y'all. Maybe at your places, the barbacks have it easier, maybe that have it really tough, but I busted my rear end in an uphill push that was going the way of Sisyphus. All of our ice machines in our main building were empty. When I got there. So I went to the other buildings and got 6 huge bins of ice. Cut infinite lemons and limes. Ran racks of glasses, more than I think we even have. Got so much liquor. So much beer. Whenever I was behind the bar, stood in the middle of the two bartenders yelling at the crowd asking if anybody needed a beer. Had to repeatedly state I could only do beer. I tried my damndest to make sure nobody on the team was out of anything, I think I somehow managed. I'm sure everybody had a rough night, but that was my little slice of hell. The happy ending is I got $138 in tips while barbacking. Happy new year, thread.
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Jan 1, 2013 16:57
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Yes, many a time me and my coworkers have discussed the possibility of hopping the bar. Also which glasses we'd huk to do the most damage. And caging up the place to release Yeu-Gagh, the Snake Boss (a half man, half snake creature with 2 scimitars we keep locked under the beer cooler.) to wreak havoc on the guests. Of course, nothing ever happens that requires us to jump the bar. On the ultra boring days when we've done all the busy work we can, me and my buddy play a game of Magic: TG behind the bar. Of course, it's one game throughout the night usually. Highball glasses are the 1/1 tokens. I figure while I'm waiting on my ride to go out, I can do the cool thing and ramble in the thread.
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Jan 6, 2013 03:27
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After some very slow, cold months and then a fire, I'm being thrown back in to work a double. And I'm so excited.
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Mar 9, 2013 16:12
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PT6A posted:How concerned do you guys get about people driving drunk, and is there any liability involved with dram shop laws provided someone gets nabbed for DUI but doesn't actually cause an accident? I was at the bar earlier, and while I was having a smoke outside, I saw an obviously intoxicated person stumble across the street to their car, get in, destroy the better part of their clutch getting out of their parking spot, and drive off. I called 911 with the plate and a vehicle description, but now I'm feeling a bit worried that I could've landed my local bar and bartenders in poo poo if he actually does get caught or, god forbid, causes an accident. I like to think I'm an easy-going guy, but as a frequent driver and pedestrian in that area, among others, I feel that drunk driving is just not acceptable. I don't have to worry about this as often as some other bartenders since my place is also a hotel, and most of our guests are staying there. If I ask somebody how they're getting home and they're dodging the question or they outright say they're driving, that's when I have to deal with it. First off, we do the free taxi ride thing, which I think is awesome. If they adamantly refuse, I give them a free drink, probably a coke with a splash of whiskey on top or whatever. Just trying to get them to stay at the bar while not really letting them drink any more. I offer to get them something from the kitchen. Our chef has no problem giving a drunk some food if it means keeping them from driving drunk. If all else fails, we could always call our security or the cops. There are patrol cars all around the area, and they respond incredibly quickly to any call. Of course, I've only really had to do that once. Usually the problem is solved before it comes to that. Hope that helps?
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Mar 15, 2013 23:22
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Vent incoming. I work events at a catering hall. There are usually DJs there. The catering hall will give them food and we'll give them a drink or two if they want. No big deal. Except today, a DJ brought his three friends as his help to work a wedding here. The amount of equipment he had did not warrant this amount of help. I imagine it was the DJ, his friend, and their girlfriends, judging by the way they were interacting with each other. The two girls were coming up to the bar for the drinks. Three drinks every round. They came up four times. Before the party was halfway done. AND they didn't tip a dime. On the fourth time I had to tell them, "Hey, listen, we give the DJ and his help drinks just as a courtesy. If you guys are going to be working, you need to slow the hell down, or stop." And to me, they say, "Oh, alright. No problem." They go up to the god drat bride and ask if it was okay to get a drink from the bar. Within earshot of me. "Hey, we wanted to know if we could just get a little something to drink from the bar, maybe?" The bride comes up with them and they all order, and one of the girls gives me the loving smuggest grin I've ever seen, and it infuriated me. I make the bride's drink first and calmly tell her that we usually give out a couple to the other workers, the DJ's help already had a number of drinks, and I think they're abusing the courtesy. She asks how many, and I point to the back area where he DJ cases and poo poo is where they were hanging out. She could see from where she was that there were about 12 glasses back there. So the bride looks back at me and says loudly, "Well then water will be fine for them." So basically gently caress you, haha, you jerk. The DJ himself didn't know how much they were drinking until they'd been cut off, because his help went and complained to him. This was just his help that was doing this crap. During the cake-cutting and first dance and such, which was almost directly after they were cut off, the DJ was on the floor, and he had one of the help behind the big, black, felt trapezoid working the music. They obviously had cues for when the songs should change, and the help couldn't get it right. The DJ had a little bit of a micro-meltdown on the help, and I honestly felt a little bad for him. But later on, the help was walking past some children and one of them said loudly, while looking at me, "Yeah, there's way too many CHILDREN here." And it really pissed me off and I don't know why it got to me. What pisses me off more is the fact that it pissed me off in the first place. I don't feel that I overserved his help. But they were going at a ridiculous pace and I had to stop that poo poo. I'm just pissed that the one person got under my skin. I'm not the one getting indignant about being cut off at a wedding that I'm supposed to be working at. I told the maitre de pretty much as soon as it happened and of course I got backing on that. I'm just. Pissed. Less of a rant and more of a thing that happened at work that got to me. Rotten Cookies fucked around with this message at 04:59 on Mar 24, 2013 |
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Mar 24, 2013 04:56
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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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I love my catering bartending thing. I know I've got it good working class reunions. And weddings. Bridesmaids  Plus, a greater connection felt when watching Party Down.
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May 8, 2013 18:49
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confonnit posted:All of you people acting holier than thou obviously have never worked a place with large groups of corporate douchebags. Who gives a poo poo if you add a round of drinks for the staff to a $2k+ tab. It's a drop in the bucket and nobody notices or cares. Yeah, no. I DO know what it's like. I'm very often in the same situation that the dude described and I don't steal. If the people wanted to give me more money then they'd tip me. The so-called Corporate douchebags might have more money than you or me, but that doesn't make it okay. It might be a drop in the bucket. It might be equivalent to somebody stealing a single dollar out of your pocket. Would you be alright with that? Plus, if coworkers or managers are stealing from customers, then they'll steal from you.
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Aug 17, 2013 02:07
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40 OZ posted:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323893004579055224175110910.html?KEYWORDS=taxes I work events almost exclusively and I'd say 98% of my tips come in as cash. Hooray for my situation
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Sep 7, 2013 17:29
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Perdido posted:What's the worst you've seen drinking/the industry take a toll on someone, physically? While I was working a wedding a dude (who obviously wasn't there for the wedding. I hadn't seen him at all at that point and he was wearing jorts and flops) came up to the bar and asked, "Hey, man. How do I crash a wedding?... Can I crash this wedding?" Also somebody asking what's in a rum and coke. She wasn't joking.
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Sep 21, 2013 15:35
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If you ARE really good friends, then it should be easy to tell him "Hey, man, quit being a dick and taking our tips." I'm pretty sure that, depending on where you work, managers aren't allowed to touch the tips at all. If it's not illegal for managers to be in the tip pool where you are, then you should split tips by hours worked. That is, in your situation there was a total of 24.5 man hours behind the bar. You and the other tenders would get 7/24.5, or 28% of the pool, and you friend would get 3.5/24.5, or 14%. If he actually is that good a friend, there should be no problem in talking to him and explaining how unfair it is. If he makes a big deal of it he 1) isn't a "really good friend of yours" 2) is lovely to work for 3) is a jerk. E: I can't math. E2: I'm pissed because there was a really really poo poo crowd last night. Another bartender and I rang in $7,000 over 6 hours and we each got $60 in tips. I'm pretty pissed. It was a wedding, so we were expecting to get a big tipout at the end. We got $0. But we DID get the biggest "Thank you SOOOOO much!" ever. Rotten Cookies fucked around with this message at 19:04 on Sep 28, 2013 |
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Sep 28, 2013 18:54
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I notice you said you had 2 tickets... So which one of us you bringing with you, huh? E: Also, on the topic of rye, how about Bulleit Rye? I remember liking it.
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Dec 19, 2013 06:31
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nrr posted:Whichever one of you looks better in a bikini I'll have you know my androgynous, yet male body looks fantastic in a bikini, and tequila consumption is not a problem for me. Nay, a solution, in fact. No, but seriously, that is a loving awesome coincidence, those two tips. I hope you have a poo poo ton of fun and some more. There doesn't seem to be any especially high class places around me, specifically. I could travel about an hour either east or west and get to the Hamptons or NYC and maybe, MAYBE find something there, but I can't help but feel I'll be outclassed by the competition.
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Dec 22, 2013 04:46
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If you're still tipping for non-alcoholic drinks, I would not care in the least. It at least means you won't be on the floor at the end of the night. Though I would've expected you'd catch more poo poo from the other customers there instead of the bartender.
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Jul 9, 2014 01:42
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 The real tequila.
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Jul 25, 2014 17:20
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Just a fun play on "real" tequila. No fuckin' way I'm affording something that expensive.
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Jul 25, 2014 22:26
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Had a dream the other day that the Freemasons rented out our bar to do an initiation ceremony. Another bartender and I were "sworn to secrecy" or whatever. Vague threats were made, and in the dream it was terrifying. We see our friend in a fake beard about to be inducted, and he turns to us, goes  and chuckles. I go to get more ice in the lull, and I'm barred from exiting."Nobody leaves during the ceremony. And besides...I saw what happened..." Weird work dream.
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Aug 1, 2014 02:13
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God bless great barbacks, great titties, and great tippers.
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Sep 30, 2014 04:01
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E: nope. Not funny.
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Oct 7, 2014 07:32
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MAKE NO BABBYS posted:Not sorry bros, I'm into crude jokes and light-humored creepin' but still think jokes about taking advantage of intoxicated guests is loving gross and mad unprofessional. I guess you're not into crude jokes. It's a joke because it's gross. And bartenders aren't known to be the most professional lot. And who's jerking off who? Because I have yet to get a handy and if I continue drinking someone's gonna have to handle my passed out, limp dingus, so hurry up you prudes.
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Oct 11, 2014 01:57
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Der Luftwaffle posted:I wish people would step outside their comfort zones on spirits more. Not even comfort zones, just try a different brand for gods sake it's not like I'm foisting a sexual orientation change. Like if someone's having a few gin and tonics I'll recommend something cool like Citadelle or Botanist because holy poo poo one gets are caramelized during fermentation and is so smooth and the other is Scottish and who's ever heard of a Scottish gin am I right? 1-2 dollar markup from rail and they always just eye it with suspicion and "no thanks I'm ok". This gigantic selection behind me, all mostly full. It's depressing. Iunno, if I go out to a place and see a huge variety of bottles back behind the bar, I get as excited as I do for Christmas. I try and urge my friends to try different poo poo too when we're out together. A lot of guests at my job are fairly open to trying new things too, if only for one drink. The other people who don't want to try anything else? Eeeehhhh whatever.
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Oct 11, 2014 04:52
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If a dude and his ginger lady come up and ask for a shot, is it acceptable to suggest a red-headed slut?
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Oct 12, 2014 17:16
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My mule mug is the one I got from a thrift store with an engraving that reads "Jim's 18th Birthday" in fancy letters. After I got that, I saw no need for acquiring more copper mugs.
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Oct 13, 2014 15:09
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We had a 5.5hr open bar at my place. $105. You also got some pretty awesome food as well. First guy in the door scoffs as me for not serving Johnnie Walker Blue Label at our open bar. Rotten Cookies fucked around with this message at 22:02 on Jan 1, 2015 |
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Jan 1, 2015 21:55
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PT6A posted:Don't put Worcestershire in the Old Fashioneds. I saw that the other day (I even confirmed that it was on purpose!), and my brain had a spontaneous short circuit. How loving drunk and/or hungover was the person that did that? Also, death .cab for qt posted:What the gently caress
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Sep 5, 2015 16:41
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JawKnee posted:in which the problem of dumb people liking Jagr takes care of itself Jaromir is great, what are you talking about
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Sep 21, 2015 01:01
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God drat. I always meant to go visit in person and get some drinks from the guy and shoot the poo poo.
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Sep 26, 2015 19:49
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I just chuck everything into a cheap-rear end jansport backpack. Like 4 sets of shakers, pourers, muddler, strainers, spoon, knife, tiny cutting board, tongs, etc. But I do have a Crown Royal bag for my pourers* inside the backpack. *and also my d20s
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Apr 14, 2016 16:04
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Shooting Blanks posted:You bring your own pourers? Do you mean spillstop 285-50s or am I way off base? The pourers are for myself, I just keep them in my bag with all my other poo poo because I will someones bring my bag to a friend's party and start making drinks n poo poo. The bar I worked at has their own pourers.
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Apr 15, 2016 18:44
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