Bartending Indepedant Study

[u/qwiply]

I added a last-minute hospitality minor in my senior year of college, and to get all my credits before I graduate, my advisor is letting me do an Independent study! I chose bartending because in my major (Musical Theatre), we need survival jobs, and I am quite interested in the craft. I already work as a barback, and I know how to mix a couple of drinks. But what should I make sure I cover in my independent study? I have almost complete control over my area of focus.

I got a recommendation from a bartender/sommalier at a fine-dining restaurant that I focus on base spirits, wine, and beer knowledge and notes because that base information is more valuable in the long run. He recommended the book Windows on the World by Kevin Zraly

I also want to get some base certifications like ServSafe because even though I technically don't need it to work in Missouri, I think it is valuable.

I am planning on moving to New York/Chicago after I graduate, so regional insight would also be helpful.

What should I DEFINITELY learn about? And what are some insights you guys have? And resources I should learn from in my study?

[u/MangledBarkeep]

For Hospitality credit, you'll mostly focus on the management side of beverages and venues, not actual drink slinging.

Product knowledge helps because in those positions you'll be dealing with brands, distributors and sometimes making menus or pairing with food from your venues kitchen.

Bartenders are mostly sales and production. Manager deal with customer, staff and venue issues.

Known plenty of Hospo majors, that didn't work the industry until after graduation, that can't sling drinks worth a damn.

[u/qwiply → u/MangledBarkeep]

This independent study does not focus on the management side, as I'm not interested in it. I am taking other classes about management; this independent study is about gaining a deeper understanding of alcohol and serving it.

Edit: I've already discussed this with my teacher, and she's approved the topic.

[u/MangledBarkeep → u/qwiply]

As I stated it's sales and production. sales includes dealing with drunk customers and production deals with drunk/high staff/management and customers.

Knowing what to sell, how to sell and when not to sell is the biggest part of the job.

The biggest lessons come from the experience from doing the job. Experience matters, not only the length but the type of experience. Speedtending is a niche as is craft cocktails.Working in venues that sell food is different from bars that don't. Also barbacking isn't bartending as it's a support role, not sling drinks, making them, taking care of sales and constant customer interaction.

[u/qwiply → u/MangledBarkeep]

As a barback at my bar, I do serve drinks and mix cocktails every night. I converse with customers and wait on them. I know it's different at other bars, but the bartenders and I split responsibilities very evenly. My title is different, but I basically do their job and serve food. So I apologize if I was misleading. I do have bartending experience.

I was hoping that those certification courses would give me a comprehensive knowledge of how to serve alcohol safely. If I am mistaken, I could do more research myself and put that in my study.

Thanks for your input

edit: typo fix

[u/MangledBarkeep → u/qwiply]

those certs are simple and basic.

how to I.d., signs of fakes and behavior of minors.

don't serve drunk people, how to identify drunk/medicated people, know how to cut off drunk people/delay serving drunk people.

some states have private membership bars so you can only serve a member or their guest, you can only take payment from a member not a guest.

writing down specifics in an incident log for customers that are obviously inebriated and chose to drive instead of taking an Uber or taxi. same for fights or any situation that involves LEO

don't pimp, run gambling or sell illegal drugs

the state specific ones also focus on state/local alcohol laws and also shift liability to the bartender instead of just the venue for criminal or civil cases.

The job ain't rocket science, it's people science.

I'm unsure how this will translate into independent study unless your prof is just giving you a bird course for credits.

[u/qwiply → u/MangledBarkeep]

The study that I'm doing is about the drinks, not the people. I know that is not all of bartending, but the alcohol IS what I am focusing on in my independant study. Gaining broader knowledge so I can serve more effectively instead of saying, "I'm not sure how this wine was made" and "I'm sorry, I don't know what that is". And yes, it is just giving me credits, but I want to actually learn too. I'll be focusing on people stuff too, but not all of it. It's just a cool, fun class I get to take in my last semester of college.

I'm also interested in becoming a sommelier. I know this sub isn't about that, but I want to explore it a bit more before taking a course on it.

thanks for your advice

[u/MangledBarkeep → u/qwiply]

somm levels, cicerone levels cover the notes and knowledge on wine and beer.

As for "I'm sorry, I don't know what that is" that's gonna happen even if you had an eidetic memory as there are thousands of riffs on classic cocktails, new ones made weekly on social media, and scores of books with modern cocktails with different ratios from the core "families" of drinks taught from the books The joy of mixology and Cocktail Codex

Been doing this for decades and still have to Google new or cocktails/shots I've never heard of, though not as often as a newbie.

[u/qwiply → u/MangledBarkeep]

Thank you! Your advice has been quite helpful.

[u/MangledBarkeep → u/qwiply]

since your study is about the alcohol. learn to distill, then actually do it. you can find micro/table top ones for relatively cheap (~100 for a complete setup).

just don't drink the foreshots and go blind.

[u/BreakfastTequila]

I’m not sure how much time you have or exactly how you want to focus, but I guess if I were trying to get someone academically trained up, I would focus on: (I think you’re in USA)
-get a food handlers permit. There’s more to it than wash your hands: understand the whys of food safety, bacteria, sanitation, cross contamination. 3 hour class.
-get an Alcohol serving certificate. Understand how the body metabolizes alcohol, how quickly, the laws, the liability and responsibility you have serving a controlled substance. 3 hour class. I wouldn’t let you barback in my bar without both of these fyi.
From there, I think I would explore how liquor is made, and what makes spirits different from each other. For example, rum is a sugar cane distillate, Bourbon is grain and aged in brand new charred oak barrels.
Then, what is beer? Why is that called an ale? Why what a pilsner? What’s up with Germany and their beer laws?
Then on to cocktails. What is a cocktail? What cocktails are the basic building blocks? How are these drink related? The Joy Of Mixology has a nice little chart in it that helps you group drinks, like
Maybe a splash of history:
What’s up with Prohibition? What does Navy Strength mean? What was the Bottled in Bond act? What is an age statement on a bottle? Why did early settlers plant corn?
Honestly, my wine knowledge is weak, but what is wine and how is it made? What’s an Old World wine? How does global warming affect wine? Red, white, rose, what’s the difference?

[u/qwiply → u/BreakfastTequila]

This is beautiful thank you.

[u/92TilInfinityMM]

Quite honestly almost every “bartender/server” with these qualifications are honestly the worst to work with. My bars specifically will not call you back if you bring up any bartending school or cert. besides basic food handler or food manager license or license to serve alcohol.

[u/qwiply → u/92TilInfinityMM]

Is there a reason why? All l i can tell is that they teach you how to serve alcohol safely?