As professional bartenders, Bill and I wanted to help bartenders and hosts at home. So we provide free tips on drink trends, recipes, serving tips, bar etiquette and landing your dream bartending job. We call it the Bar Ninja Education Center. There are also links for bartending associations and related sites. Whether you want to become a full-fledged Ninja behind the bar or just pick up a few cool moves, check it out.
- Mike Garrison, Chief Executive Ninja
Whether you want to become a full-fledged Ninja behind the bar or just pick up a few cool moves, the Bar Ninja Education Center is the place to hang out. Check back often for tips on working behind the bar, drink trends, recipes and landing a great bartending job.
Bar Ninja Inc. strongly supports moderation in consumption for all alcoholic beverages.
We also support responsible service when serving alcohol, whether that's in a public establishment or a private home. That includes not serving alcoholic beverages to anyone under legal drinking age and to anyone who appears intoxicated.
(See "Cool Designated Driver Drinks" in our "Recipes" section)
The bar is sectioned off into several different areas:
- Bar Top: the area where customers set their drinks
- Spill rail or Bar Rail: the beveled area around in the inner edge of the bar
- Service Bar: the area where drinks are prepared for the severs
- Back Bar: the area where the more expensive liquors are displayed
Alcohol is grouped in 5 levels according to price:
Well: Aristocrat, Bowman's
Call: Bacardi
Premium: two liquor cocktail
Super Premium: three or more liquor cocktail
Top Shelf: Single expensive liquor-i.e., Grand Marnier
You should always familiarize yourself with what brands the bar carries and how much each product is.
Bar Sinks
Most bars have a three-compartment sink for washing glassware. The three-sink system is used for washing, rinsing and sanitizing. The first sink should also contain a manual brush scrubber in addition to cleaner.
First Sink
Hot Water with soap
Brushes
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Second Sink
Hot Water (Clean)
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Third Sink
Cool water with sanitizer |
You will find that some bartenders use hot water in all three sinks. However, sanitizer breaks down in hot water and becomes ineffective, so the third sink should contain cool water.
Equipment
The correct tools are essential to any professional bar, and are necessary for making cocktails. These are the tools you will need to properly mix cocktails.
| 28 oz Shaker |
| 16 oz Pint Glass |
| Hawthorne Strainer |
| Muddler |
| Wine Key |
| Blender |
| Bottle Opener |
Mixers
Mixers can vary from bar to bar. Some bars use concentrate that must be manually mixed by the bartender, while some establishments use pre-mixes on the soda gun. (The soda gun is the device used in virtually every bar to dispense carbonated beverages. It is a hand held unit, with a bag in the box dispenser.)
Common mixers found in today's bar:
| Mixer |
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Abbreviation |
Orange Juice
Pineapple Juice
Cranberry Juice
Grapefruit Juice
Bloody Mary Mix
Coke, Sprite (7up), Diet Coke, Ginger Ale
Soda water
Tonic water
Tap water
Daiquiri mix various flavors
Pina Colada mix
Margarita mix
Grenadine (cherry flavored)
Sweetened Lime Juice
Half & half
Cream of coconut (Crema de Coco Lopez)
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OJ
PJ
CJ
GJ
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Basic Recipe for Bloody Mary Mix
(Courtesy Massanutten Mountain Resort)
2 cans of tomato juice
5 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
5 shakes of Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon of celery salt
2 Teaspoons of horseradish
2 limes fresh squeezed
1 dash Dijon mustard
Pina Colada Mix
In lieu of prepared mix, pina colada mix can be made from scratch. It is simply 2 to 1 Pineapple Juice to Coco Lopez. The recipe is on the back of the Coco Lopez can.
16 oz Pineapple Juice
8 oz Coco Lopez
Cocktails should be served in an appropriate glass, clean and never chipped. Be sure not to touch any surface of the top of glass that the customer will drink from.
Always use a cocktail napkin or a coaster and face your bottle beer (label towards the customer).
Appropriately garnish all cocktails with neatly cut fresh fruit.
All drinks with the exception of shooters, and shots, should get a stir straw. Juice drinks and tall drinks should get a turbo straw.
Always pack the glass with ice; not using enough ice will result in using too much mixer. This will dilute the drink and the customer will complain of underpouring.
Never add alcohol to a prepared drink. This is illegal in some states. Make the new drink from scratch and write off the old drink in your waste log.
Garnishes
Fruit should get cut at the beginning of each shift. All fruit should be cut neat and appear fresh.
Lime wheels go on the edge of the glass. This is the major cocktail garnish, and will account for 80% of the drinks you garnish.
Lemon wheels can also be set of the rim of the glass. Some bartenders squeeze the lemon over the drink and drop it in after rimming the glass.
Oranges are primarily used on tropical drinks and old fashioneds. However, they are growing in popularity and are turning up on drinks such as cosmopolitans and other drinks that require a hint of citrus. The citrus flavor in orange is less harsh than that of a lemon or lime.
Cherry - Used on all Collins, Manhattans, fizzes and Rob Roys. It can be placed directly in the glass. Cherries are also used in Apple Martinis when apple wedges are not available.
Olives are traditionally served on a spear (2 to 4) and dropped in the drink.
Nutmeg - a spice that is sprinkled directly on the top of the drink.
Whipped cream - This should be used on frozen drinks and all coffee drinks. It can be swirled directly on top of the drink.
Cocktail Onion - Prepared the same way as olives and dropped directly in the drink.
Flag or Butterfly - a cherry speared into an orange, used on tropical drinks.
Fresh Mint - Due to the current popularity of the mojito, fresh mint leaves are becoming a necessity behind the bar.
Glassware Handling Tips
Avoid touching any part of the glass that comes into contact with the customer's mouth.
Do not touch the inside of the glass before or during the preparation of the cocktail. This is an unprofessional habit.
Practice holding as many glasses as you can at one time, to help your efficiency of motion behind the wood.
Never use a glass to scoop ice from the bin. It is dangerous because of the chance of the glass chipping. If the glass chips in the ice bin, the whole bin has to be melted down and washed out. This takes a long time, and is a major inconvenience.
Always check out your glassware before serving, especially red wine glasses. They tend to have lipstick on the rim, even after washing. (Most lipstick now is waterproof.)
Always store your glassware in the same order. You should not have to look. You should know your glassware by its location. This will allow you to move faster.
You should store your glassware in an inverted position.
Use matting or a shelf liner to insure proper airflow.
Check matting every night for stickiness. Clean as necessary.
Be wary of hanging glass racks-you do not want to put glasses in the path of smoke. It is acceptable, however if the racks are on the back bar.
Beer
Beer is grouped into several categories. The two major categories are Lagers and Ales.
Lagers are bottom-fermented beers fermented under refrigeration, usually resulting in a clearer brew. Ales are top-fermented beers that are fermented at room temperature.
Light beers - Wheat, Lager and Pilsner are all in this category. Light beers are usually light in color and easy to drink.
Bock Beers - From Einbeck Germany, these beer are dark and malty with no sweetness.
Porters - Dark beer with full bodied taste.
Stouts - Very dark with strong flavor, such as Guinness
Pale Ales - These are also full bodied, but their color may vary slightly, usually lighter than a stout. They are known for their distinct bitterness.
Brown Ales - Dark beer, with a sweet taste
Pouring Beer
Pull tap from the bottom. They can sometimes snap off if pulled from the top.
Taps are either open or closed. They will only pour foam if partially opened.
Hold the glass at a 45 degree angle to initiate the pour. Tilt the glass upright as the beer fills the glass.
If there is too much foam coming from the tap, it may need cleaning. You can also check to see if the keg is properly tapped, and all CO2 gauges are registering in their proper position.
Be sure to rotate all beer and kegs behind the bar. Bottle beer has a 110-day shelf life, and keg beer has a 40-day shelf life.
Serving Guinness
To serve Guinness, first use a room temperature beer glass.
Hold the glass at a 45 degree angle to initiate the pour.
Then fill the glass until it is ¾ of the way full.
Allow the Guinness to fully settle.
Then top of the beer by pushing the tap head forward, which will create the legendary Guinness head.
Customers understand that it takes a while to serve, and will be patient and appreciate your professionalism.
Eight Steps to a Perfect Martini
Martinis are in, and the ability to make a good martini will result in respect as a bar professional as well as an increase in tips. Some people judge bartenders on their ability to make a good martini.
- First inspect glass for cleanliness
- Then, fill the glass with ice and water.
- Next grab your cocktail shaker and fill it with ice and the appropriate alcohol. (gin or vodka)
- Shake the alcohol to properly chill it. (No more than 30 seconds, as the alcohol will dilute in the ice and lose its integrity.)
- Then dump out the water and ice from the glass.
- Next pour dry vermouth around the top edge of the glass, holding your finger over the air spout. (This controls the pour.)
- Then swirl the glass to make sure the vermouth has fully coated the inner surface of the glass.
- Next dump the vermouth into the sink, and strain in the chilled liquor.
This is also called an "in and out martini" or "spitting the vermouth." It results in a well balanced martini every time.
Shooters are a collection of liquors and juices served in a shot glass that can be consumed in one to three gulps. There are many different shooters that vary in popularity by region. Take the time to learn which shooters are popular in your area and take time to learn to make these profitable concoctions.
Customer Service Tips
Keep a clean bar for best presentation.
Smile often. People are at the bar for a good time, and they feed off of your positive energy.
Learn regular customers' names and drinks.
Anticipate customer needs. If they grab a pack of cigarettes, have an ashtray in front of them a second later.
Customers should not have to ask for a refill.
Do not serve intoxicated people. This is illegal in all 50 states and carries a hefty punishment.
Always light customers' cigarettes.
Do not allow customers to gamble or game on the bar. It is illegal.
Check every person's ID that appears to be under 30 years of age. It's the law. You have the right not to serve a person for any reason.
When in doubt, Don't Serve.
The house comes first. Do not give away drinks. The day you forget this is the day you lose your job, and your reputation as a bartender.
Do not marry bottles of liquor as they become empty. This is illegal in all states.
Do not transfer stress to your clientele. Even if you are busy, know that the day will end, and the rush will pass.
Efficiency in motion is one of the most important things behind a bar. Do everything in the least amount of steps.
Do not worry about tips. Serve great drinks and give great service and your customers will "show you the money."
Familiarize yourself with the various types of glasses and learn which cocktails are appropriate for each type of glass.
A Few Definitions (Mike's Cocktail-Concocting Glossary)
Build in Glass - pour ingredients into glass over ice.
Layer - Float each liquor on top of each other by using a spoon or a cherry.
Shake and strain - Pour the ingredients into a shaker tin, vigorously shake 8 times and then strain into the glass.
Straight up - This means no ice.
Neat - straight out of the bottle at room temperature
On the Rocks - Served over ice.
Back - this means in addition to, i.e., "I'll take a bourbon ginger with a water back"
Chilled - shaken and strained, usually into a shot glass
Dirty - Martini served mixed with olive juice
Bruised - Vigorously shaken to produce a cloudy froth.
Cool Designated Driver Drinks
Shirley Temple - Sprite and Grenadine
Virgin Mary - Bloody Mary Mix
Passion Punch - Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Pineapple Juice, Coco Lopez, shake and strain.
Virgin Daiquiris and Coladas (Blend the mix with Sprite or juice instead of alcohol)
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