INTRODUCTION
So a guy walks into a bar and asks the bartender.. How many jokes have you heard start out that way. The bartender is the main focus of any commercial bar. Forget about the waitresses. Sure they bring the drinks, but the bartender has to make them. Forget about the fry cooks serving up greasy fries. Its the bartender who has made you crave them.
Bartenders have enjoyed a long and storied history. They are the psychiatrists that you dont have to have an appointment for. They are the ones you hear all the best jokes from. They are the ones who show you the neatest bar tricks to impress your friends. The bartender, for some people, is the best friend they never had.
Tending bar is more than just pouring a cold draught beer or mixing up a mean screwdriver. With all the new drink combinations out these days, bartenders must be up on all the new terminology not to mention having the ability to mix up an Alabama Slammer without looking in the recipe book.
Bartending schools are popping up all over the country. Lured by the enticement of cash tips for serving the drunken public, bartending has been elevated to an art form. When the movie Cocktail came out, bartenders sought out the ability to twirl bottles and throw them up in the air as the bottle pours a perfect shot before it lands softly in their hand. Few can argue this is something not the everyday Joe can do.
Whether you aspire to the Cocktail fame made popular by Tom Cruise, or if you just want to have an impressive home bar, this book will explore all aspects of tending bar.