Bartender 101: Become a Bartender Trainee

Are you ready to learn to be a bartender? Bar tending is an enjoyable and profitable career. To see some of the possibilities, take a peek at A Career as a Bartender: What to Expect from Wages to Advancement Opportunities.

I learned early that it's more than just mixology. Anyone can learn to mix a drink. A bartender makes the bar buzz, keeps the party going, and maintains control.

Breaking into the Bar Business: Become a Trainee

Do you have an outgoing personality? Are you a fast learner? How are you at memorizing? Are you driven to succeed? Are you willing to start at the bottom and work your way up?

I taught many bartenders how to bar tend from the ground up. Why? Because they asked. They wanted to work at my bar. They were familiar with the clientele. They were hungry for a job. They needed a supplemental income. The list of reasons goes on and on.

Before training a perspective bartender, I reviewed past employment, checked references, and interviewed the applicant to ensure they were up to the challenge. One major hitch for applicants was that Texas requires servers be at least 18 years of age. If everything checked out on the application, the interview went well, and the age requirement was met, then training began.

To train a bartender I literally put them to work behind the bar. I would sit at the bar and direct them as orders came in. Regulars would assist me by ordering different cocktails to acclimate them and give them some variety.

Granted, situations would arise where I would have to take over the bar. I never knew when the bar would get slammed. During heavy traffic I had my trainee waitress and observe me as I made drinks.

For three shifts we would work this way. At the end of those shifts I would send the trainee home with a list of drink recipes to memorize.

There was a time or two that an additional training shift was necessary. Frankly I did not mind. It allowed me one on one time with regulars and gave me more time to give the trainee pointers.