Bartenders aren’t just drink dispensers who crack the occasional joke. The profession draws lots of different personalities, but the vast majority break down into five basic types.
If you’re considering going to bartending school in NYC, take a look at these profiles and see where you fit in:
- The Hot Bartender – Usually the top earner at his or her establishment, the hot bartender trades on a winning smile and good looks to earn big bucks from patrons. The great thing is that you don’t have to have graced the covers of Cosmo or GQ to be the Hot Bartender. You just have to look better than the other schlubs slinging drinks with you. Paying a little attention to your dress and your fitness can help, and a good personality goes a long way to making you more attractive, especially when you’re hanging around drunk people.
- The Bouncer – Bouncer bartenders are the order keepers of the bar. They usually started out on the door or working security and earned their spot as a bartender by exhibiting some good people skills or quick thinking. Bouncer bartenders command respect and help ensure everyone has a good time without getting out of hand.
- The Mixologist – The Mixologist is the artist/mad scientist of the bar. They’re probably the very best in the bar at making top quality drinks and are always experimenting with new concoctions or new twists on familiar favorites. For bars where drink quality is key, The Mixologist is an invaluable player.
- The Salesman – The Salesman builds a great rapport with the customers and can usually diffuse tense situations in the bar without resorting to The Bouncer’s methods. Salesman bartenders are good assets to a bar, as they can upsell patrons on drinks, and their likeable personalities keep customers coming back. The Salesman is usually pretty astute on the business side of working the bar, coming up with great ideas for new promotions and activities to drive business.
- The Party Machine – The Party Machine can be a double-edged sword for bar owners. They’re highly likeable and will help keep customers coming back, but they don’t always have the greatest sense of responsibility. The Party Machine puts having a good time ahead of business and may give away too many free drinks or partake of the festivities a little too much during his or her shift. That said, bartenders have to want to have fun; otherwise customers won’t warm to them. If you’re a self-identified party machine, try to keep it in check while you’re on duty to avoid running afoul of the bosses.
Personality will only get you so far in the bartending business. Learning the ropes of the business – how to make the best drinks, how to attend to the financial details – will enhance your prospects as a bartender. A quality training program can help provide the skills you need to do well, whether you’re a Bouncer or a Party Machine. There’s currently lots of opportunity in bartending, as employment is expected to grow by 10 percent over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
ABC Training Center provides training programs for a variety of careers, including bartending training schools in NYC. In business since 1972, ABC has an A + rating from the Better Business Bureau and an excellent track record of producing career ready graduates.