What Makes A Good Bartender?

Personality.

Anyone can memorize drink recipes, but it takes a special someone to be able to carry on a conversation with anyone who saddles up to the bar. When you are behind the bar, the bar is a stage that the bartender performs on. The people sitting at the bar are the audience. Trust me, all eyes are always on the bartender. Some people out there actually prefer to eat at the bar whenever they dine out because they want to watch the show. This is why it is crucial as a bartender to always have your game face on. No matter what's going on in your personal life, you have to leave it at the door at the beginning of your shift and put that smile on your face. A bartender friend of mine calls it her "shit eating grin".

I'm not talking about a typical song and dance routine. No American Idol shit here. What I'm talking about is the magical bar dance of churning out drinks for the restaurant and bar, while making sure everyone who is sitting at the bar is having a good time and is well taken care of.

A good bartender can talk to anyone who sits at their bar, is friendly and smiling, does multiple things at once, keeps a clean bar and makes delicious drinks in a speedy manner while making it all look like a walk in the park. It's these types of bartenders that really impress me and it isn't all that often that I see one. When I do see one, I also give my respect through a compliment and big tip.