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What exactly do
you do when you have nothing and I mean nothing
at all and all you have around you is some wine
glasses and some bottles. If I were you, I would
surely have flashbacks of the movie “Coyote
Ugly” going on in my mind. When it comes to bar
tending, you can be assured there will never be
a dull moment in your life. That's because bar
tending is one of those few things that could be
real fun and exciting which is all the more
reason for being pursued as a hobby. I mean lets
admit it, what can be more fun than always
trying out new stuff with different kinds of
drinks with the end result being having a good
time. So yeah, bar tending could be a great
hobby because well, come to think of it, it
offers you with everything that hobbies are all
made up.
Lets face it
though, its not one of those hobbies that you'd
like your kids to take up at an early age. But
if you see them getting really influenced by
movies like Cocktail and others, its time that
you give in some consideration. Besides, its not
that its illegal or something like that. I mean
c'mon, there are bar tending schools all over
the country and they're doing a pretty good job
by providing bars with great bar tenders. So
before you get all hyped up with pursuing this
as your hobby, there are some things that you
ought to know. Bar tending is a responsibility
and it doesn't just involve mixing different
types of drinks, its also important to hear out
the other patrons. Even the bar tending schools
consider this to be important since the job of a
bar tender is more like taking care of its
patrons.
First of all,
you have got to remember that bar tending is not
all that cheezy and low life job that you used
to see in the old Western movies. On the
contrary, it can be quite a reputable
establishment these days around. So if you want
to play smart, you should make the most of this
hobby and turn it into something really big.
Okay, we’re not talking about you opening up
your own bar just because we told you to, but if
you’re good enough, what the hell, why not
right? You’d be surprised to know the various
techniques that are involved by mixing drinks to
make really good cocktails and other drinks.
But you should
also know that bar tending is not all about
drinks, chatting over with a few friends and the
good life. As a bar tender, you also have to
keep a tab on the customers walking in and pay
heed to their drinking habits. Training is the
key to master the art of bar tending unless of
course you want your drinks to taste like feet.
Okay, we’ll be honest here, bar tending will not
always mean that you’ll be in certain situations
you might have seen in one of the most popular
soaps “Cheers”. Nope, that isn’t going to
happen. Attitude, patience and the proper bar
tending skills are the three most important
traits required to learn and live the bar
tending life. Apart from these three traits, if
you happen to possess people skills, it’ll be
like a feather in your cap for your
achievements.
So if you’re
into bar tending as much as I thought you are,
lets walk you through about mixing drinks.
Creating drinks is something really artistic but
at the same time, it depends upon the taste of
the person mixing it. The most common lesson
that you are bound to learn in any bar tending
school will be shaking, pouring over a spoon,
etc. These would be the simplest techniques when
it comes to bar tending which is more than
perfect if you tend to bar tend within the
comforts of your own private bar at home. Now
lets get on with some of the techniques shall
we.
Shaking is a
good technique when it comes to preparing drinks
that contains fruit juices, cream and even eggs
for that matter. With these ingredients in the
drink, it becomes obvious that the drink needs
to be shaken. When shaking, you simply have to
use the cocktail shaker which in turn helps you
to mix the contents in the drink and at the same
time serve it chilled which is exactly what your
patrons are looking for in the first place. The
best way to do this is by freezing the drink and
then breaking it down with the contents in the
cocktail shaker. You will know that the drink is
ready to be served when you see some drops of
water condensed on the surface of the shaker,
This will ensure that the drink is chilled
enough after which you have to finish off the
deed by straining the drink.
Okay now, most
of the cocktail shakers come with a built in
strainer. In order to strain, it is important
that you should have used ice cubes and not
crushed ice since its obvious that the crushed
ice will clog your strainer. Besides, if ever
the patron asks you to serve any drink with
crushed ice, you should never strain it. How
many times have you heard the phrase “shaken not
stirred” by our very own James Bond? Stirring a
drink would include stirring it in a mixing
glass with either a glass or a small metal rod.
Then of course, muddling is the best when you
want to bring out the flavor in the drink
especially if it consists of fruit juices, mint
garnishes or something like that. The best way
to do this is by crushing the content
(ingredient) with the help of a muddler on the
back of a bar spoon or pestle.
Speaking of bar
tending, how can we even forget about the ever
so great flaming. As you might have already seen
sometime, flaming is nothing but lighting a
cocktail or any other alcohol which is typically
done to bring out the flavor in the drink. But
hey, since this method obviously involves
playing with fire and that too in a literal
sense, it is advised that you maintain some
caution. We say this because there are some
drinks that may have relatively more alcohol
content in them which might as well result in
the drink to ignite rather furiously. One word
of caution here, never let anyone drink up a
flaming drink, always extinguish it before
serving.
So
now that you know what bar tending has to offer
which is nothing but for you and to keep people
happy, there is no reason to back away from this
hobby. While practicing/training for it, who
knows, you might even get used to flair bar
tending which is bar tending taken to a whole
new level.
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