Sober Bartending

I can't stress enough the importance of sober bartending. Now, I am not opposed to the occasional "shot-thirty/bar staff meeting/relief shot every now and then. On some nights, you just need a shot or two to make the painful customers less painful or to kick your ass into a higher gear. Call it liquid motivation if you will.

What I am opposed to are the bartenders who get so stinking drunk that they stop being functional bartenders. Trust me, I have worked with this type on a number of occasions. It's annoying for customers because they usually get served slower and receive incorrect drink orders or F-ed up drinks. It's annoying for the rest of the bar staff because now everyone behind the bar has to work twice as hard to make up for the drunk bartender. I don't want to have to pull someone else's weight behind the bar too. I have enough things to worry about already.

And what if an incident takes place at your bar like a customer gets unruly and picks a fight with another customer? We all know that drunk people aren't the most rational people on the planet. So if you add a drunk bartender into the mix, you can make a bad situation worse.

Some bars have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drinking meaning no drinking behind the bar or you can get fired. Some bars require you to ask a manager before drinking anything alcoholic. Some bars just don't care. Whatever kind of bar you work in, do your customers and co-workers a favor and maintain yourself.

There is nothing sexy about an ill-functioning, drunk bartender.