Dean Serneel has created an excellent 4 Volume DVD set which is all you need to become an expert in the bar tending industry. Each disc is packed with step by step techniques and vital training information. Special Features include: trailers, short videos, and bonus footage. The Menus are broken down into specific categories, so your not wasting time looking for the content you need to see.

Volume 4, Practical Bar Magic, includes tried and tested magic tricks from years of working as a professional restaurant magician. Over one hour of epic, memorable, Bar Magic. Learn how to do tricks with props found behind your bar. Slow motion step by step instructions of over 25 different tricks. Learn the Floating Shaker Tin, make a Lit Cigarette disappear, and how to Steal Watches right of the arms of your guests. This disk is perfect for anyone working the wood.

This is not only a super way to improve your tips and customer loyalty, it’s loads of fun at parties too!

To get more information, see video clips or purchase Practical Bar Magic click here!

We have decided to occasionally feature a product from our extensive Tip20! Bar Store now and then.

Found in the Flair Briefcase Tool Kit

Today we are featuring our “Top of the Line” Flair Briefcase Tool Kit.

If you are a Flair bartender then you know how important it is you keep your gear in tact and easily toted from one gig to the next. This professional flair bartenders tote is not only equipped with flair appropriate tools, but it is perfect for easy transportation.

The Bar-Tote is a durable, all-black, water-resistant, nylon tote designed to carry an assortment of bartending and personal items. It measures in at 14″W 12″L 4.5″D and has 16 compartments varying in size to fit your every bar tool need from jiggers and shakers, to calculators and asprin. This large bar tote comes equipped with easy carry handles and a removable strap for shoulder carry.

Flair Briefcase Tool Kit

Contents of the Flair Tool Bag Kit

• 3 – 28 oz Weighted Powdercoated Neon Yellow Shaker Tins
• 16 oz Mixing Glass
• Powdercoated Neon Yellow 4-Prong Strainer
• Powdercoated Neon Yellow Speed Opener w/ Magnetic Clip
• Jigger (.5 x 1)
• 3 Piece 28 oz Stainless Steel Shaker
• 2 Practice Flair Bottles
• Stainless Steel Fruit / Ice Tongs
• Stainless Steel Muddler
• Citrus Press (Chrome)
• Fruit / Twist Knife with Blade
• Utility Knife
• Shaker Grip Tape (Red)
• 2 Lighters
• Julep Strainer
• Double Lever Corckscrew
• Light Up Pen
• Black Shaker Mat
• 5 Black Tapered Metal Pourers
• Stainless Steel Ice Scoop
• Neon Yellow Pour Check
• Stainless Steel Bar Spoon
• Gold Martini Mister
• Bar Products Black Towel

Believe it or not ALL OF THIS INCLUDED for only: $119.94!

Arrive at work or the party, make an impression and show off your stuff.

See more info and options here.

From the “Best of Craigslist” Date: 2004-01-13, 2:13PM PST

Welcome to your neighborhood nudie bar! Come in, have a seat, check out all the pretty girls. Oh, look! Here comes one now. But why is she fully clothed? I’ll tell you: because she’s me, your nudie bar waitress–here to tell you about our two drink minimum’

‘Two drinks!’ you scream, ‘they didn’t tell us at the door!’

Let me explain, idiot:
They don’t tell you that at the door because they don’t want to scare you cheap bastards off. See, you come in, you see a naked dancing lady, chances are, even the cheap mofo’s want to stay. You’ll probably be too distracted by the live pussy to notice the signs on all the tables that say, ‘two drink minimum.’ So I’ve been hired at minimum wage to inform you.

I don’t tell you this. Instead, I smile, and in the sweetest, bubbliest voice minimum wage can buy, I say,
‘It’s not the doorman’s job to tell you about the two drink minimum, it’s MY job!’
I hold a little sign with all the drinks and prices on it in front of you and ask kindly, ‘What would you like?’

You ignore the sign and say, ‘I’ll have a Budweiser.’

This is where I change my tone to sad and empathetic.
‘We don’t serve alcohol,’ I explain, ‘It’s illegal in San Diego to have full nudity and alcohol.’
I feel you. I understand. You make me want to drink.
Other times, I think, good try, little under-21 punk. You only got in because it’s an 18 and up club.

You finally look at the sign I’ve patiently held in front of your face. This is where you exclaim loudly, ‘$4.25 for a COKE?!!’

Inwardly, I sigh. Outwardly, I correct,
‘$8.50. You have to buy two.’
I sense your confusion, (not too good at math, eh?) so I explain again,
‘It’s a TWO drink minimum.’

You’re speechless.

Let me explain: In America, when you have a business, you want it to make money. Say you have a nudie bar in a city/state where it’s illegal to have full nudity and booze under the same roof. Where the heck are you going to make your money? You gotta sell something. So you sell cokes and juices for $4.25. And you make it a two-drink minimum.

Now you’re really upset.
’8.50 for two cokes? I’m not paying $8.50 for two cokes!’

Here’s a reality check, idiot: First of all, I’m talking to you. I doubt women talk to you much, unless, like me, they’re in the service industry. That’s gotta be worth something. Secondly, have you been to the movies lately? They’re like $9, and you don’t even get cokes. What’s more, you have to leave after an hour and 50 minutes. In a strip club, the entertainment is live. Nudity, right in front of you, and you can stay longer than an hour and fifty minutes. Plus you get two nonalcoholic drinks. For a mere $8.50. It’s really a super bargain. So get off my ass. I didn’t set the prices.

The more I think about this, the more it bugs me. You aren’t paying $8.50 for cokes; you are paying $8.50 for the privilege of having many women take their clothes off and dance before you. Ask some random non-crack head woman outside to take her clothes off and dance for you for $8.50. See what happens. You might get slapped, you might get the police called on you. Now, with that same $8.50, you go try to get 15 women to do it. It ain’t gonna happen, buddy. So buy the drinks and realize it’s a bargain.

But I don’t balk at your resistance to the $8.50. Instead, I make a cute little flirty face and purr, ‘It’s really worth it” (I’m a real fucking bargain at minimum wage, I tell you.)

Now what gets me is the sheer percentage of you who will—after all this—say,
‘Nah, I’m good. I don’t want anything.’

You look past me, at the naked dancing lady, verbally and non verbally telling me, ‘go away ”

I try to put it in even simpler terms. I say,
‘It’s a two drink MINIMUM. You HAVE to buy two drinks to be in here.’
Then pause, dumb it down more:
‘You HAVE TO BUY TWO DRINKS.’

You don’t want to tear your eyes away from the bent over ass a few yards in front of you. I know, it’s a joy to watch a pretty naked girl bent over slapping her own ass. But somewhere in your pea brain, it registers that you cannot fully enjoy the ass until you get the persistent waitress to leave.
‘Okay, okay,’ you grumble.
‘What would you like?’ I ask, slightly relieved. My smile is warmer.
You look back at the sign. On it, an assortment of non-alcoholic beverages. Coke, diet coke, Sprite. Orange juice. Cranberry juice. Etcetera.

You start reading it. Slowly.
Yessssssss, your waitress has allllllllllllllllll dayyyyyyyyyy…

After an eternity, you decide.

‘I’ll have coke.’
I turn to your friend, whose been standing next to you the entire time.
‘What would you like?’
‘Uh, nothing. I’m not thirsty.’

Part Two: I Bring the Drinks

‘Are you guys paying separately or together?’
‘Separate.’
‘That’ll be eight fifty,’ I say.
You see two cokes in front of you. You complain,
‘Ahh, you bring ‘em two at a time?’
‘Yes, you idiot. Like I would trust you to buy one now and one later?’
Actually I only say, ‘Yes. ‘

You hand me a twenty.
I make change, giving you eleven one-dollar bills and two quarters.
Why so many ones?
A. Because it’s a strip club! I’m hoping that once you see a big pile of ones, you’ll realize what they’re for, and give me one.
B. I know if I don’t give you a bunch of dollar bills now, you will be asking for them later when the stripper whose ass you’ve been staring at hits you up for money”’ And lastly,
C. Since you’re probably not going to tip me well on the drinks, you for sure aren’t going to tip me for a second trip if I have to bring you change later. I unload all my ones on you now to save myself the trouble.

But I do make it slightly inconvenient. I have learned not to hand you your change, which you will pocket. If I put your change on my tray, you have to pick it up. I’m counting on you being too lazy to pick up the quarters. That way, I’ll get at least fifty cents, (yeah, it’s pathetic what I gotta do for fifty cents). Fifty cents is more of an insult than a tip, but because I make so little, I figure it’s better than nothing.

So you pick up the bills. You look at the two quarters on my tray, decide it’s not worth it, and leave them. You didn’t tip me; you were just too lazy to pick up the quarters. You don’t say thank you. Neither do I.

I turn to your friend.
‘$8.50,’ I say.
He’s rifling thru his pockets. He’s scrounged up a five-dollar bill and three wadded ones. He drops them on my tray.
‘It’s $8.50,’ I say. ‘You’re short fifty cents.’
He looks at you.
‘You got fifty cent?’
You remember that fifty cents and nod at my tray. It’s already there. For a $17 order, I get nothing. And because I value/need my job, I don’t say anything.

Here’s a little rule: When you buy a drink, never tip less than a dollar. I live so far under the poverty level that I have to go to bars with $2 drink nights. I still tip a buck a drink.

If you ask your strip club waitress to go get someone because you want a lap dance, give me a dollar for my trouble. If you didn’t tip me for drinks, and don’t intend to tip me to go get her, get off your ass and get her yourself.

Lastly, don’t come in with a bunch of guys, have a big order, not tip me, then ask me to change $40 into ones to tip the dancers with.

I’m not making a living wage. My paychecks do not even cover my share of rent. And guess what? In the tipping/service industry, the government assumes we are getting tipped, and taxes us accordingly. I lose money when you don’t tip. It costs me money out of my paycheck!

My favorite: I wish you were out there reading this, but I’m assuming you’re retarded and illiterate. You came in. You bought two drinks. You asked for all ones for change. You gave me nothing, explaining, ‘I need these for tips.’

Let me explain something: You’re telling me that the naked ladies are more important for you to tip than your server. Well guess what? Some of those naked ladies (deservedly) make over $500 per night. Your dollar, little man, doesn’t mean shit to her. You will only mean something to her if you get her in a private booth and let her do a string of lap dances for you at $15 a pop. Ten dances, she’ll remember you and smile at you next time you come in.

I’ve seen strippers pick up dollars time and time again and not say ‘Thank you.’ I will always say thank you for a dollar. That dollar will mean a lot more to your waitress.
I can’t believe you, saying, ‘I need these for tips.’ Then not tipping me, your server.

I hope all that jacking off gives you carpal tunnel.

13 Crucial Tools Every Successful Bartender Must Have

By: Jeremy Sherk

“A man is only as good as his tools” is a phrase I’m sure you’ve heard before and it applies to bartending as much as anything else.

You’ll only ever be as good as your tools, so make sure you’re not without them. The quality of your tools can make or break your experience behind the bar so it’s important you take this lesson seriously.

There are countless bartending tools out there. Will you use them all? No. But there are certain tools that every bartender must have. In this first lesson, we’ll be taking a look at those ‘must-have’ tools so pay close attention.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Bottle Opener
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Now whether you’re working in a low or high volume bar, a bottle opener is not only crucial to your speed, but also your hands!

Imagine opening every bottle of beer ordered with your bare hands… you wouldn’t last the night without seriously doing damage to your palms.

There are many different types of bottle openers out there on the market… everything from a simple ‘key-chain opener’ all the way to a ‘butterfly bottle opener’, you know, like a butterfly knife? Pretty cool.

Find out what works for you. I’ve used the same stainless steel ‘speed opener’ for years now, it does the job (with style) everytime so I’ve had no reason to switch.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Wine Opener/Corkscrew
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The best, most versatile wine opener is known as the ‘waiter’s wine opener’. It’ll always do the job, even on the most difficult and the most stubborn corks. Compare this to many others out there that often break the cork or have you struggling in front of the customer to get the damn thing open.

A waiter’s wine opener includes a corkscrew (worm), a sharp blade to cut the seal of the wine and also a bottle opener device if you’re desperate for one.

I recommend a ‘two-level’ lever on your opener as well, that’s what I personally use. Mine has never failed me in opening a bottle of wine.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cocktail Shaker
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

This is the stainless steel thingy you see bartenders pour ingredients into for a martini or shooter and shake vigorously. This is a must-have for all bartenders.

A good rule of thumb for cocktails is, the colder it is, the better it tastes. Why else would bartenders concoct a drink by pouring pre-chilled ingredients into a shaker with ice, shaking like crazy and then serving it in a chilled glass? Because you want every part of the process to be ‘chilling’ to prevent any ‘warming’ of the cocktail.

There are two types of shakers out there:

1) Standard Shaker

This is a three-piece stainless steel shaker that has the strainer built into it. I find the Standard Shaker is not as common among professional, working bartenders.

It consists of the shaker tin, lid with strainer and cap. Perhaps it’s more complicated design with smaller parts discourages working bartenders from using this more often. But it will do the job just as well as the…

Bartender Tools

2) Boston Shaker

From my experience, the Boston Shaker is actually more standard among professional bartenders. This one is simply a shaker tin with a separate mixing glass that’s slightly smaller in size. It’s a two-piece device that you simply seal together to shake the cocktail.

The tendency is seal it as tight as you can and proceed to shake, although this is not necessary as you can often seal it too tight, and then not be able to open it when you’re done shaking and ready to pour the concoction.

If you’re ever in this situation, use the edge of the bar and clip the overlapping metal lip (which will always be on the outside, as the glass is always smaller and fits inside) against the edge of the bar. You can also ‘twist’ them apart, that will often break the seal too.

But avoid all that by fitting them together nice and snug instead of as tight as you can.

You can purchase shaker sets in all types of different sizes and styles, but they pretty much fall into one of the two types listed above.

=-=-=-=-=
Strainer
=-=-=-=-=

Again, you’ll find many different types of strainers on the market. But the only kind I’ve ever used and would want to use is the Hawthorn Strainer.

You know, it’s that real funny looking stainless steel thing with the handle and the spring coil. The purpose behind the spring coil on the strainer is so you can fit it into all types of different shaped glasses. So it’s a very versatile tool.

I should mention that when using a shaker I often do not use a strainer. I use the Boston Shaker and simply crack a tiny opening in the seal between the two and pour out the concoction ‘cracked egg’ style.

If you’re more of a visual learner like me, Tom Cruise does this when pouring his ‘Turquoise Blue’ Martini for Gina Gershon in the two floor NYC nightclub in the movie Cocktail.

=-=-=-=-=-=
Coasters
=-=-=-=-=-=

Not every bar uses coasters. But it’s a good thing to have. They’ll prevent a lot of unnecessary wet spots or ‘rings’ on the bar from moisture off the side of the glass.

I’ve worked in slower, classier places where using them is mandatory. I’ve also worked in higher volume nightclubs where you don’t use coasters because you’re wiping the bar down every five minutes anyway, so why bother? Which leads me to…

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Bar Towel (Rag)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

A fresh, clean set of bar towels is something every bartender needs. In high volume places, the bar is constantly needing a wipe down from spilt drinks, drink rings, sticky shooter glasses, etc.

I like to have a minimum of four, strategically placed wet bar towels in my working area at all times.

One thing I teach you in Bartending Secrets Exposed is to have everything systemized. You want things as seemingly insignificant as location of your bar rag to be the same every night. You don’t want to think about where it is everytime you need it, you want it to be second nature, you want to be able to grab it without even looking!

The party can often get sloppy so you must have your bar rags close at hand.

=-=-=-=-=-=
Ice Scoop
=-=-=-=-=-=

Forcefully cutting through and scooping your ice with an actual glass is a very stupid thing to do. Yet I see bartenders do it all the time. I don’t even recommend you ‘gently and carefully’ scoop the ice with the glass. There’s just too much margin for error.

If you chip the glass, and you know it, you’re spending the next ten minutes emptying and refilling your ice well. If you don’t know it, and you happen to serve a customer a drink garnished with glass shavings you could be in some serious trouble.

Using a metal ice scoop is mandatory as a bartender. It really doesn’t take more time to scoop ice with a separate scoop. You can also do some fancy tricks once you get good too.

=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jigger/Measuring Glass
=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you work in a bar that allows free pouring, you won’t be needing this handy tool. But in most regions of North America free pouring is illegal and you’re required to use some sort of measuring device, whether it’s an automatic or manual device all depends on where you work.

While I’m not a believer in the automatic devices you see nowadays, using a shot glass or jigger (manual device) to measure the amount of alcohol you pour into each drink is what I’ve always done as a bartender.

For those of you who work at places with extremely tight inventory control. I offer you an amazing ‘overpour fake’ technique in Bartending Secrets Exposed to keep the ‘tip friendly’ relationship with your customers while keeping your integrity with the boss. Click here to get it now!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Garnish Picks
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Skewers, plastic swords picks, arrow picks… or whatever you want to call them… are for those exclusive garnishes like olives and cherries. They really add to the presentation of a drink and are a must-have for those customers you want to really impress.

Whether it’s giving the customer three olives with their martini or an orange slice and a cherry with one of my seductive martinis, I always have a supply of garnish picks close at hand.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Pour Spouts
=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Whether you free pour or not, a bar that deals with any type of volume and has any interest in inventory control should have these on all of the high moving liquor bottles. There are many different styles of pour spouts out there:

-plastic
-metal
-neon
-glow in the dark
-slow pour (3 seconds per ounce)
-fast pour
-screened
-flapped
-measured

All have some associated benefit or gimmick. But I like things simple so I use the metal ‘slow pour’ spouts on all my liqueurs and the metal ‘fast pour’ spouts on all my well liquor which I’m using a shot glass for anyway. Why wait three seconds when you’re measuring with a glass already?

Time truly is money in this industry.

Now at this point you might be thinking, “Jeremy, you’re talking about the kind of tools and supplies the bar should be supplying, you’re making it sound like I have a choice on what kind of pour spouts I use.”

Realize I don’t want you to go out and start buying pour spouts and garnish picks. Those expenses should be left to the bar you’re working for. But remember that YOU’RE the one working the bar, not the manager. If the bar where you work has crappy pour spouts and doesn’t even use garnish picks, it’s up to you to suggest it!

I believe it’s your choice. After all, you’re the one using it, right? Managers will always be open to suggestions if it will improve your speed and performance, thus, increase sales.

=-=-=-=-=
Straws
=-=-=-=-=

This is obvious, but you should always have straws close at hand. The bigger or more you give the customer, the better. You control the speed at which your customers drink by how many straws you give them. Make ‘em drink fast so you increase your sales (which equals more tips).

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Lighter/Matches & Pens
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ask any bartender out there and they’ll agree that besides ‘a drink’, you’ll be asked for ‘a light’ or a pen more than anything else.

So what’s the best thing you can do??? Have them close at hand!

Have a ton of pens to lend, because you may not always get them back and you always want to have enough. Also, always have a load of matchbooks to give to customers in need.

I also recommend you have a sleek butane lighter of your own for customers needing a light right at your bar and also when flaming drinks are necessary.

=-=-=-=-=
Tip Jar
=-=-=-=-=

Last, but certainly not least is to have your own tip jar.

While I go into extreme detail in Bartending Secrets Exposed on the true art and science of the tip jar, what I’ll tell you here is that having one is a must! You’re losing tips without one!

Have your own, preferably a wine carafe. The tapered neck of a wine carafe means once a tip is in the jar, it’s in. You won’t have any hands dipping in to swipe your hard earned tips, which can often happen in a busy nightclub.

~~~
The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped

thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips.

Rather than hitting your head against a brick wall trying to succeed on your own, let him take

you by the hand and show you exactly how to land the bartending job of your dreams making

hundreds in cash per night! 100% Guaranteed! Click here now for all the details!

For a great selection of Bartender Tools, check out the Tip20! Bar Store!

Becoming An Extraordinarily Fast Bartender – Part 1

By: Jeremy Sherk

Your speed and efficiency behind the bar is crucial to your level of tips as well as the quality of bar you can work at…

So, how does one become a faster bartender?

Speed and efficiency are the two primary ingredients of a “fast” bartender. Efficiency is working “smarter”, exerting raw speed is working “harder”.

With that said… please do not underestimate the importance of speed. Both efficiency AND speed are crucial to becoming a fast, money-making bartender. Just because you’re efficient doesn’t mean you can slack it behind the bar, being efficient simply means you won’t be wasting any effort.

If you’ve ever been “in the weeds”, you know that there’s no time to waste… you’re flying and moving as quickly as possible! Having a systematized, efficient bar setup will allow your night to flow… you’ll be able to effortlessly stay in the zone without hitting any unnecessary “speed-bumps”. Being “in the weeds” will no longer take you over. You’ll actually find yourself relishing the opportunity to be behind the bar when it gets crazy!

Increasing your actual speed, like anything, comes with practice. If you’re concerned about your speed, try practicing pouring shots over your kitchen sink at home.

Does this sound crazy? Well, in my early days I did exactly that. I would fill up an empty liquor bottle with water, stick a pour spout in it, and just crank out shots as fast as possible.

Doing this for just 10 minutes a day will drastically increase your shot pouring speed in as little as a week!

You can also try setting up a few different bottles with water to more closely resemble an actual behind-the-bar experience… where you’re moving back and forth, grabbing different bottles, etc.

~~~
The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips.

Rather than hitting your head against a brick wall trying to succeed on your own, let him take you by the hand and show you exactly how to land the bartending job of your dreams making hundreds in cash per night! 100% Guaranteed! Click here now for all the details!

Golden Throats Now Have an Easier Time Locating Places to Sing.

America loves to sing and with popular talent shows such as American Idol becoming the topic of the day, karaoke is as popular as ever. For the musically inclined finding good spots hosting karaoke both locally and while traveling has been a tough challenge. There is a website that can make that search quite a bit easier by listing karaoke locations and their hours searchable by state and city. HotKaraokeSpots.com is essentially a directory for venues to post their karaoke hours of operation and consumers’ benefit by having one consolidated online resource.

Karaoke is as much the rage today as it was when it was first introduced to the country back in the 1970’s. Karaoke is very popular in both big city and rural bars and now with much lower prices for home equipment it is becoming popular at parties and weddings.

“When I would travel to the Twin Cities form St. Cloud I would want to go out and sing some karaoke but I never knew where to go or what their hours for karaoke were. HotKaraokeSpots.com made this much easier for me. They even provide a map right to the club.” – Tim, St. Cloud, MN

Until now, the only ways to locate the best locations to unleash your vocal talent to the public was to stumble upon a bar or club that happened to be hosting karaoke that evening or to find information through local advertising or often outdated venue websites. HotKaraokeSpots.com has an easy to use directory and a discussion forum where consumers can participate in “K-talk” about their favorite spots, favorite songs and contests they may have participated in. The site also building a directory of “KJ’s” (Karaoke Jockeys) for those who like to follow a favorite host or need a KJ for a party or event. HotKaraokeSpots.com is particularly useful when traveling to another city where you may be unfamiliar with the local venues.

Update: Looks like this site is down for a while.

From a Tip20! Follower

Question:

I personally am a smoker and respect the rights of non smokers. This pertains to a very close friend of mine that also is a waitress but does NOT smoke.
She works in a small family owned Pizza Rest. but is a minority and treated as such just because she does not smoke. Her co-workers decide when they need to take a break to go have a cigarette and feel they can just leave her alone during the lunch rush, to still expect their tips from tables left inside while they are MIA for approx. 20-30 minutes. ok now she did confront the owner/boss of the business and her reply was,i feel sooo unfair, “Your just being predijust against the smokers”. now to me this seems WRONG. how would anyone else handle this situation i really want to help her out. how does one go against the boss for your non smoking habit?  Please help me with this!!this woman has been at this resturaunt for 10 yrs, the other girls have only been there for maybe 3… any advise will be greatly appreciated  thank you for taking the time to read this.
Tere’ a concerned friend

Tip20! Welcomes professional flair bartender David Neeson. Dave has skill, tallent and a personality that won’t quit. We eagerly look forward to Dave’s contributions and insight on the world of bartending from basic drink mixing to some of the real tricky stuff. We are certain that professional bartenders and home bartenders alike with glean some great information from Dave. Meet Dave here…

by David Neeson – Tip20! Contributer

My name is David. I remember growing up looking at people who have ‘fun’ jobs and being jealous.  I was 10 when I first went to a go-kart track and saw this guy whose entire job is to just sit outside and be around go-karts ALL DAY LONG… How awesome was that?   I mean he’s not in an office, or in the back scrubbing toilets, he’s around fun go-karts just sitting around and occasionally jumping on the back of a kart and riding it for a bit. Most important thing is he’s outside around people when THEY are having fun…

It took me awhile, but seven years later I became that guy.  I worked at a Family Fun Center for two years working the go-karts.   By now you’re probably thinking, “What does this have to do with bartending???”  Well hold on, because it was around that same time that I went into a TGI Fridays and saw a bartender who had the entire crowd laughing, cheering, and genuinely enjoying themselves.   It was at that exact moment that I found my new ‘fun’ job to strive for.

I left Indiana and went to college at the University of Dayton, in Ohio.  Sure I left my family and friends a state away, but I never forgot that feeling in the bar as a teenager. I wanted to be that guy who had the crowd cheering, and remembered that he was doing ‘flair’ behind his bar and owning every inch of it.  I didn’t know at the time how hated flair is to bartenders, all I knew is how much fun I had watching it.   Within the first two months at Dayton, I found a group of jugglers and learned how to juggle with the specific idea of applying it to bottles later in life.  Even though learning to juggle was a big step in my life, I was too scared to say anything about my hopes to family and friends, because it just seemed silly.  This brings me to another point I want to make: The ONE thing I would like to accomplish by this post is giving hope to those who enjoy something, not to be scared to strive to get it done, no passion is stupid…

My second year at Dayton I left on a study abroad program to Hawaii.  I was only 20 but thought I was the best flair bartender in the WORLD.   I soon found guys who showed me otherwise and taught me the art; yes I said art, of flair bartending.  I can truly pinpoint my passion for bartending, and flair, to that moment in my life.

It’s been several years since and I’m still growing and learning every day.  Flair bartending aside, bartending is still an art.   Not everyone can walk into a bar and own every inch of that bar top.  I’ve heard the saying over and over, “I can teach a monkey how to pour a drink, but I can’t teach anyone how to bartend.”

It’s hard to look someone in the eye when they’re having a bad day, and get them to trust you enough in the five minutes you’ve known them, to tell you why their day isn’t going well.
I’m here to talk about bartending.  So my first question to those who’ve cared enough to read this far is, Why do you bartend?   This isn’t meant to call into question the monetary rewards bartending achieves, but this is more calling into question your dedication to the art…  So… Why?  Why do you bartend.  I do this because it’s the only job that no one is perfect at.  No one can go into a shift and truly have the exact same thing happen to them because everyday is something different…

If by now you’re tired of bartending, or don’t have the motivation to grow in the art, then sit down and think about what it was like for you the first time you saw a bartender who really made you feel good… I mean someone who probably wouldn’t be able to pick you out from a ham sandwich, but yet you still respect enough to trust them with your deepest secrets…

Bartending can be fun.  Bartending SHOULD be fun.  Aside from the flair aspect, which I plan on talking about later, bartending should be a job people look forward to…   If your bar is gloomy, then take some action and be that one person who makes other people have fun… No one likes having a boring area to work, and fun can be contagious…

Well I’m going to end this with that same go-kart track that I worked at before bartending… It sucked… After the initial first week, it was boring and the same thing over and over while smelling gas fumes and dealing with yelling children every day… The one thing that kept me going was that even though I got the same question asked, and same scenarios each day, it was with a different person and I couldn’t hold that against them…   I never knew if I was going to the next race with a child who looked up to me like I did that guy how ever many years ago, so I had to make it fun… After I did that, the fumes and yelling didn’t bother me quite as much…

Choose your work style…