How To Start Bartending

Before we answer the question "how do you become a bartender?" you need to discover if bartending is the right job for you. Bartending can be a very unpredictable job, with lots of people barking orders at you. Needless to say, the work load can get tough making the job very stressful.

Not to mention you may have to contend with drunk men and women that are rude and belligerent . In cases where you are an early morning person than bartending is certainly in no way for you. When your bar closes late at nighttime your last call is not until the bar is clean.

Despite these bad things bartending can still be a great career. If you genuinely like people then you'll probably enjoy being a bartender.

So how do you become a bartender?

It would be a mistake to expect a bar to hire you without previous bartending experience. Tending bar is a craft that takes a lot of time to develop. To get to the point, becoming a bartender is usually done a couple different ways.

One method is to attend bartending school. Bartending lessons can give you experience mixing drinks. You'll also have plenty of time to memorize the most popular drinks. This is important so that you don't find yourself running back and forth to a drink recipe book.

When going to bartending school its also a good possibility that you will become TAM certified. TAM stands for Techniques in Alcohol Management. This course guides you on ethical behavior when serving alcohol, improves your abilities to prevent the sale of liquor to minors, and teaches you ways to minimize accidents.

Although being TAM certified is not a requirement in most places, a number of towns and cities do demand at minimum one TAM certified member of staff be in the property at all times.

Another way you can get into bartending is by becomeing a barback. These can be thought of as the right hand man to the bartender. A barback's general duties are things like cutting garnishes, cleaning the glasses, filling the ice well, and getting extra stock from the back room. Many times you can get a barback position without any previous experience. From there you can work your way up to becoming a bartender.

Many people in the business say you shouldn't bother going to bartending school. Instead they recommend becoming a barback. It's important to remember that this is your choice not theirs. Bartending school is a great way to get extra training. It will also increase you self confidence behind the bar before actually tending bar for real.  

Make sure you research the school you're thinking about attending. Like anything else, some classes are bad, some are good. So put in the extra effort to find out if its worth your money.

Whatever rout you decide to go one thing is for sure. It never hurts to practice making drinks.  Learn about the different kinds of liquor and the styles of wine. Start memorizing the most popular cocktails.

Bartending can certainly end up being a truly rewarding occupation and if you are really serious about this you can land your initial bartending position.

Check out https://bartendingschool101.com/ for more information on bartending.