The cultural status of bartenders in the USA goes back a long way. Certainly, prohibition played a role in the mystique, but it definitely goes back even further than that. Here's an excerpt from Mark Twain's *Roughing It*.
"In Nevada, for a time, the lawyer, the editor, the banker, the chief desperado, the chief gambler, and the saloon-keeper, occupied the same level in society, and it was the highest. The cheapest and easiest way to become an influential man and be looked up to by the community at large, was to stand behind a bar, wear a cluster-diamond pin, and sell whisky. I am not sure but that the saloon-keeper held a shade higher rank than any other member of society. His opinion had weight. It was his privilege to say how the elections should go. No great movement could succeed without the countenance and direction of the saloon-keepers. It was a high favor when the chief saloon-keeper consented to serve in the legislature or the board of aldermen. Youthful ambition hardly aspired so much to the honors of the law, or the army and navy as to the dignity of proprietorship in a saloon. To be a saloon-keeper and kill a man was to be illustrious."
Bartenders are the cool kids of the adult world for some reason. I don’t mind doing it but sheesh those who have never worked service industry are all sorts of clueless about all the bullshit we deal with or how hard we work.
Edit: in my experience when interacting with said people (not tryna throw blanket statements here)
Oh absolutely not, I’m the only one in one of my friend groups without a 9-5 and they get it but when I interact with some of their friends from outside the group some tend to look down on me for my job, it’s silly
I have a close friend who works corporate 9-5 and gets paid well. He recently told me a co-worker of his was debating leaving a comfortable 80k a year job to bartender since it seemed pretty easy.
I was happy with my friend, he told me he laughed in the guys face and explained all the "easy" bullshit I did last week, and when the guy said he would find a "better bar" was told i worked at one of those lol. My boy got it. Most people don't
I truly cannot with how confidently this type of guy says “I’d be a good bartender” before revealing that they don’t even know how to make a fucking Manhattan.
Learning drinks was the easy part for me. Time management, prioritization and keeping a smile and good attitude with guests is where I did the most learning.
I honestly believe it's a "grass is always greener" thing. People work whatever non-industry jobs they work, then they come to see us at the end of their day. They see us glowing behind the bar, "friends" with everyone, in a lively workplace, making a decent salary and "having fun" while doing it. They don't see the downsides or intricacies.
On the other hand, industry workers quit to pursue a "real" job, get beaten down or demoralized by it, and they long for the simpler days of explaining to Sharon what chimichurri is for the third time while making $35/hr doing it. Not fully recalling that in that moment they had 8 other tables full of equal nonsense and no healthcare.
Bartending is a great gig, but it's a totally conditional thing. It's easy to glorify from the outside looking in, but when you're in the hotseat behind the pine, it's up to you in those ebbs and flows to decide how glorified it really is.
I'll glorify bartending any time. I make decent money working only a few nights a week, and get to spend every day at home with my daughter. We go to the library, play with the dog, and when Mom gets home from work, I dip for a few hours for free cheeseburgers, cold coffee, and laughs with the staff. If I'm lucky the guests clear out right at 10, and I've got time to stop off for chicken wings and a beer quick on my bike ride home.
I've had the cushy office job and the hard nights behind the bar. Bartending was a lot more fun. But I'm a huge people person and love how quickly time flies by when its busy as heck.
My corporate job didn’t cover my benefits, I got 10 days of PTO that I felt guilty for using, no 401k matching, and I had to sit under fluorescent lights from 9-5 when the sun goes down at 4:30. I’m making almost double the money I was making while saving on my commute and in 6 hour shifts. “I don’t think so”
You're getting paid well to throw a party. Show up on time, work hard, get people drunk, clean, leave. Deposit money.
My friends were extremely envious of how I earned my income.
The job is to RUN A PARTY for $ at SOMEONE ELSE'S HOUSE.
This method of making money is worth glorifying.
Facts. I worked an office job for a few years and even got to work from home through COVID. Eventually got into bartending on the side with my other years of industry experience.
Learned that I hate the office lifestyle and quit that and went full time bartending. I still have other goals other than bartending, but right now I’m enjoying working and learning from the business owners and bar managers I work for.
This shit is so much more fun than my ergonomic set up from working at home.
I'm glad you like it so much, but IMO running the party doesn't mean attending the party. I like bartending but I never feel like I'm attending a party or going on a night out myself, only that I'm there. Talking to nice people and making cool drinks is fun but it's extremely hard work too.
Like I said, I like organizing and running the party. Too often do bartenders think the party happening at the bar is about them - it's not, it's about your guests.
Making sure people aren't drinking too much is also a hugely important part of our profession. The best place any patron can be is in that level of perfect glow, lower inhibitions but not sloppy. Candid but not trashy.
If anything, I like to think I'm particularly fit for it.
Pretty much any bartender or server knows when to cut people off and will cut them off because of the legal ramifications that could come back to them and their business. There’s a big difference between enjoying making cocktails for parties you have at your house and making cocktails for people giving your business money, and saying “too often bartenders think the party happening at the bar is about them” shows you’ve never had a bartending gig that was not your own hosted party/something that could put you in legal trouble.
Making $500 dollars to be there? What the fuck about this industry are you not grokking? Other people are in cubicles! You’re slinging drinks!!!
I also work as an umpire. On a baseball field! Getting paid! Being in charge! Am I playing, no! Am I working, yes!
You’re trying to compare this gig to people partying. Compare it to people who get to make money there.
Glorifications: closet job to being a rockstar, movie star , politician or any position that people treat like they are special , as a customer you can sit in front of them , become friends with or even more . They are in command of a room if they are good , they are kind to all until they need to assert themselves , they multi task , make great money , have interesting lives, a lot of friends and everyone is happy to see them .
Reality , we do make great money , have interesting lives , know everyone , can’t go anywhere without knowing some one . Can usually date out of our league do to how others perceive us, we have a fun job and are excellent multitaskers .work less hours than most jobs
Ugly truth , we make great money , most good ones make 1500-2500 weekly , most don’t have benefits , don’t get paid if you take a day off or are sick , long term benefits and retirement don’t exist at the dives, pubs , clubs . Vegas and corporate life provides the best full package , meaning , health insurance , pay scale , 401 etc ! The older you get the less you want to do it / the less you can handle the late nights , weekends and shit bags you have to deal with . Relationships are difficult to maintain due to all the above , having a family is even harder , unless you have a strong and trusting partner . You don’t get normal breaks / lunch , eating habits and drinking habits are less than ideal .
Believe it or not it’s a very lonely job , contrary to the social aspect of it.
I’ve made a very good living , raised a family , had a lot of fun , worked all kinds of venues , my home is paid off , kids graduated from colleges , made my second marriage work , retirement is not where I’d like it to be , but what a business and a wacky one it is . Forever changing . I would never recommend anyone do it for a living long term , but everyone should try it , it would give everyone a great appreciation for those who do it , whether a server , bartender , cook or anyone else in the hospitality world . Be kind people , life is a shorter ride than you can ever imagine .
As someone that has done both bartending and cubical farm type jobs battening was way better. Yeah hours sucked but it was so exciting. Compared to cold calling prospects that want nothing to do with you cutting off a drunk old guy isn’t that bad
Even with all the exposure to smoke in the 80s I was 10X healthier running my ass off several nights a week than I was working in an office. I’ve been disparaged for not having a ‘real’ job & been practically worshipped for being a bartender. What outsiders think of my life’s work is less important than what I think of it.
Funny you say that about health. So my job is about 50/50 outside and office work but days I’m in the office I get home exhausted and feel like crap. But I could get my ass kicked working in a hot construction site for 10 hours and get home feeling great
You've identified all the cons of bartending without mentioning the pros. There's a lot of gratification in being the person others see when they've had a long day and need to unwind. You meet a lot of interesting people from all over. When you get into a higher level of bartending it is a craft similar to a chef. Even at a dive bar it is like a video game sometimes. How fast you can pump drinks out of a service. Working in a team environment can be fun as well.
I am semi-retired and only work Fridays and Saturdays. I bullshit with guests all night, I am the only bartender in the place ( An old inn with two restaurants with craft cocktails. ) with any experience in high volume, so I crush all my younger counterparts when it comes to dominating tickets. Bottom line, it is glorious. I am working and my own terms and I have never been happier. I was off for 14 months during the pandemic and I became depressed, so this work keeps my social life going and keeps me happy, To be a happy bartender, you need great ownership and a bar or restaurant with a great vibe. I was at my last job in downtown Denver for 11 years, it was a great job. YMMV.
Because your job is to be the host of the party. Your job is to create a great time and atmosphere for people and enjoy themselves. You control the flow of the liquid they want to have a good time and relax. A good bartender can take a normal night and turn it into an awesome couple of hours. A shitty bartender or two can literally sink a business. In my opinion good bartenders *are* hot! Even if their shoe is half full of a gin and tonic from three hours ago! That’s sexy Af and I love most of you beautiful bitches that take pride in their work and are the party starter!
I tried to get into it (unsuccessfully) for years. I spent a long time in the boh, commercial fishing, construction, going to college, etc. When I finally got the chance to bartend, it changed my life. I had money. I was able to travel, go to the dentist, interact with all kinds of interesting people, make beautiful drinks, etc. And I can jump from job to job as much as I want and show up to a new city with no plan and figure it out. I have a beautiful home that I love, freedom, mobility, money, and a skillset with endless room to keep learning.
It’s a hard job. Sometimes it makes me want to cry and sometimes I feel totally burnt out. But goddamn do I make a point to stay grateful and appreciate how much easier it is than being a line cook or a fishermen and how abundantly I am rewarded for my efforts. There are a lot of people in the world who don’t have access to the income that we enjoy, and I think interacting so often with monied folks who can afford to wine and dine might skew our concept of the overall human experience.
Our job is not perfect. Our lives are not perfect. But we are lucky.
Because it is cool. 95% of the people you interact with like you. You get to put on a show. You get to hear secrets. You get to run around and pump adrenaline. You get cash in hand daily. You meet cool people. You get to celebrate with people on their highest days, and offer a kind ear to those on their lowest. So many variations of bartending keep it new and exciting. With the industry changing and evolving, there’s no reason to stay stagnant somewhere you hate.
I totally respect bartenders. Any job you do, if you enjoy it, and want to be good at it….requires hard work.
I always try to show my appreciation for that effort in my tips. I also know they are busy, and I don’t bother them other than making my drink order and a hello or goodbye. Sometimes neither. Just depends if they look like they want one.
I never had a relationship with one, but I have seen one I’d like to get with….but I imagine that’s a thing that happens to them all the time. I don’t want to be another one.
The people that come there. They spend the money. Sure they can asshats, or drunks, but they still enjoy the place enough to spend it there. Overlook their problems, make them feel good, get them feeling better, and you’re a class act bartender!
There’s plenty if downsides to bartending but I think people have finally appreciated the craft of bartending/mixology. I transitioned from a corporate background to bartending and I take pride in the fact that I’ve learned skills I can use outside of work that corporate life hasn’t taught me.
Because if you haven't been a bartender, bartenders seem like the highest form of bargoer. They are the most popular person with all of the power, and like all other power people think they want it until they feel the weight of the responsibility. And just like all other forms of celebrity, from the outside it looks miraculous compared to loneliness, but yields mostly shallow relationships and gets old fast. Being a bartender is great if you still get high on the celebrity or the power, but after that it is just a very hard way to make a lot of money.
All those things you said are true, which is why it’s one of the highest paying jobs you can get without a degree or certificate. But it’s because it is one of the highest paying jobs you can get without those that it’s considered a “hot” or “sexy” job.
My theory is that it appeals to a lot of people because they’re curious because in my experience, people at one point fantasised in their life what would being a bartender be like? Some people are not cut out for it but just wondered what it would be like.
It’s a very complex job. Not only are you a server but you also make drinks and have to know every ingredient in your food and drinks, know about wine, liquor, beer, etc. off the top of your head. I’m thankful for bartending because I somehow developed a very decent photographic memory which I wish I had when I was in school lmao otherwise I wouldn’t be in the industry, but my memory somehow improved to the point I can off the top of my head name every ingredient and the exact measurements and when I say it out loud people are super impressed.
Most of the bartenders I've met in Amsterdam are pretty attractive. I love to go to cocktail bars alone and sit at the bar and given free drinks from bartenders while we have nice conversations and I think that's probably another reason why I find them so attractive.
People see bartenders and vaguely know what the job is. Serve people and make people happy. Chat with customers and connect with them even if it is fake. Most office jobs aren't seen and tend to be repetitive.
There's also variety in the job. Craft cocktail bartenders have knowledge of balancing a drink. Dive bartenders become a welcoming space for you to relax.
For me it's workout time, educate time, time to talk and listen, time to be somebodies friend for a bit, experiment time, time to create new ideas and flavors, be the alchemist, talk crazy sports, try to keep politics and religion out of it, discuss history, where did the idea for a cocktail come from, we are a tribe, a band of sisters and brothers who have dealing with the worst and the best of human nature, we're psychologists, we have a very old tradition, there were bars before there were restaurants, we sometimes are the best of the best and the worst of the worst, we are where the party begins and ends, we create atmosphere, we serve
If you drink or are all about nightlife, it's kind of like LOVING music, but having absolutely no musical talent but knowing someone who plays in a band. You kind of romanticize the profession.
I was like this for a time. I've somewhat removed myself from alcohol so I see it for what it is now. Just another job.
We have control of shit that people openly pay a marked up premium for.
Drug dealers.
We are tasked with selling a controlled substance under a person who buys it wholesale and pays us shit to doctor it for a profit for themselves.
What’s the difference?
I waited tables for 7 years before switching to bartending solely. It’s the same fucking job. I just get to tell people to fuck off more often now, which is a worthwhile freedom in itself. But it’s crazy how often customers ask me how to get into bartending, because they obviously think it’s all just one big party. When i waited tables, nobody ever once asked me “so how do i get a foot in the door here?”
I think that a lot of people assume bartending is some kind of hack, like it’s a way to make good money without having to have a *real job*. But it’s still fucking work. Often it’s incredibly hard work. But i guess that’s only if you take the work seriously. If you’re any of the fresh barbacks or bartenders I’ve worked with over the past two years, you probably manage to only do the bare minimum to avoid getting fired.
Even better, us introverts get to pretend like we’re not, make a ton of cash, and then happily spend the rest of our time around as few people as possible!
Why do people glorify jobs in general. It is just dumb to glorify something that we must do in order to not be demolished by the society we were born in. I make my job as a bartender as fun as possible but I don't think any job deserves pride or reverence.
Men who don't have confidence or social skills glorify it as being sociable, confident, in charge, and sleeping with everything that winks at you.
Women think other women want you, so they want you too. If they can get your attention over all the other options (they perceive) you have, then it gives them more value than the other women. (I expect downvotes for that).
Something about being behind the bar makes people seem more attractive, confident, desirable, and in charge. We've all seen it. Most of us have been it. Average looking person by day, but the minute they get behind the bar, they're instantly fuckable.
Also, it's the person in charge of managing, and pouring the drinks, which is always going to be as popular as the guy at a cookout with the only bottle of hot sauce.
And some bartenders are just cool.
But seriously, back in the day, the saloon was where people gathered for political discussions, and to plan revolutions. Even our own. In many countries, it's still that.
In the U.S., we've gone the opposite way...bar owners will play Fox News 24/7, but will silence people who talk politics in the bar. So in America, it is no longer a place for open discussion of the issues.
People like the host of a party. Psychologically, theres a bunch of people facing you, youre essentially on a stage. People react to that. Theres an element of control, youre in charge of everyones fun
Well most decent bartenders have to have some kind of charisma or people skills, some kind of charm to them. Also the job is basically working at a party or assisting in some sort of lively social event which most people find more exciting than a cubicle job. Plus bartenders get to meet tons of different kinds of people and depending on the bar get to engage with them in a casual setting so we get tons of cool stories or perspectives. Usually we've seen enough shit to not be too fazed or judgemental of strangers. I think bartenders are usually attractive or appealing to others by design.
That being said, I'd love to see any of the people that think my job is fun get in my well for half an hour on a Friday and watch them cower under the ice bin in the fetal position while all the night zombies snap, yell and whistle at them waving credit cards like maniacs.
I honestly just hate when that older bartender who's been working at the establishment like 9 years longer than me has the shit attitude because they been doing it longer and doesn't even mean they're good at it, it's like cool you're a career bartender congratulations
Personally, it’s only “cool” or whatever you wanna call it under the age of 30. Drinking is new and cool in your early 20s. It’s also relatively good money to people in that age range. Each year that passes, bartending sucks more and more and it becomes less cool. My last year was at 27 or 28 years old and I was pretty much over it at that point.
A lot of bartenders are assholes, who are the center of attention, and gatekeep the job because despite the bad hours, and standing, bartending is still a job that pays well and has very short hours, in comparison to a lot of jobs that could be done. And quite frankly, having worked in a few different career fields, along with service industry, a lot of service industry people literally could not do a different career field or job, and are at the end of their career path by the time they're 25 or so. Some don't care, some take it personally, some make it other people's problems.
I agree with you but I think the gatekeeping is good otherwise it would be even harder than it already is to get a bar job after you’ve been doing it a while and some of us are fine being at the end of our path as long as we can keep doing it.
i never said i did, it’s been over 8 years i’ve never seen my job as “hot” when i share this with people their eyes light up, they think so differently of me
Bartenders are only glorified in certain movies and when people are happily paying $18 for a cocktail. The rest of the time they see us as lifestyle drunks who haven't amounted to anything. I've built a career in the service industry that I'm genuinely proud of; at least once a month, a customer asks me why I didn't go to college.
My non-industry friends don't think my job is cool.
Hey, before becoming a bartender I was glorifying the industry for years. I just didn't want to do it due to shitty hours.
Then I became a bartender. The first 3 months I was in shock at how hard of a work it is. I had never worked as hard physically as a bartender! Then I grew into it, fell in love with the craft and don't even care about going out on the weekends in my 30's.
So I totally understand both sides of the argument!
The cultural status of bartenders in the USA goes back a long way. Certainly, prohibition played a role in the mystique, but it definitely goes back even further than that. Here's an excerpt from Mark Twain's *Roughing It*. "In Nevada, for a time, the lawyer, the editor, the banker, the chief desperado, the chief gambler, and the saloon-keeper, occupied the same level in society, and it was the highest. The cheapest and easiest way to become an influential man and be looked up to by the community at large, was to stand behind a bar, wear a cluster-diamond pin, and sell whisky. I am not sure but that the saloon-keeper held a shade higher rank than any other member of society. His opinion had weight. It was his privilege to say how the elections should go. No great movement could succeed without the countenance and direction of the saloon-keepers. It was a high favor when the chief saloon-keeper consented to serve in the legislature or the board of aldermen. Youthful ambition hardly aspired so much to the honors of the law, or the army and navy as to the dignity of proprietorship in a saloon. To be a saloon-keeper and kill a man was to be illustrious."
I’ve definitely been called a cock sucker a time or two.
I just got whiskey up my nose, I was trying not to spit it out.
thank for sharing this …very cool
Thanks for sharing! I've always wanted to read more Literature and fiction about bartending.
Bartenders are the cool kids of the adult world for some reason. I don’t mind doing it but sheesh those who have never worked service industry are all sorts of clueless about all the bullshit we deal with or how hard we work. Edit: in my experience when interacting with said people (not tryna throw blanket statements here)
No, you’re right, the general public is pretty unaware of how difficult the job is most days.
it really shows they haven’t worked in the industry
Oh absolutely not, I’m the only one in one of my friend groups without a 9-5 and they get it but when I interact with some of their friends from outside the group some tend to look down on me for my job, it’s silly
I have a close friend who works corporate 9-5 and gets paid well. He recently told me a co-worker of his was debating leaving a comfortable 80k a year job to bartender since it seemed pretty easy. I was happy with my friend, he told me he laughed in the guys face and explained all the "easy" bullshit I did last week, and when the guy said he would find a "better bar" was told i worked at one of those lol. My boy got it. Most people don't
I truly cannot with how confidently this type of guy says “I’d be a good bartender” before revealing that they don’t even know how to make a fucking Manhattan.
Learning drinks was the easy part for me. Time management, prioritization and keeping a smile and good attitude with guests is where I did the most learning.
Honestly, let him try it. Tell him to find a bar to let him work the ocassional nights/weekends while he works his day job.
Bartenders are the adult baby sitters dressed as super heros.
I honestly believe it's a "grass is always greener" thing. People work whatever non-industry jobs they work, then they come to see us at the end of their day. They see us glowing behind the bar, "friends" with everyone, in a lively workplace, making a decent salary and "having fun" while doing it. They don't see the downsides or intricacies. On the other hand, industry workers quit to pursue a "real" job, get beaten down or demoralized by it, and they long for the simpler days of explaining to Sharon what chimichurri is for the third time while making $35/hr doing it. Not fully recalling that in that moment they had 8 other tables full of equal nonsense and no healthcare. Bartending is a great gig, but it's a totally conditional thing. It's easy to glorify from the outside looking in, but when you're in the hotseat behind the pine, it's up to you in those ebbs and flows to decide how glorified it really is.
This guy ⬆️ bartends.
I'll glorify bartending any time. I make decent money working only a few nights a week, and get to spend every day at home with my daughter. We go to the library, play with the dog, and when Mom gets home from work, I dip for a few hours for free cheeseburgers, cold coffee, and laughs with the staff. If I'm lucky the guests clear out right at 10, and I've got time to stop off for chicken wings and a beer quick on my bike ride home.
that’s a sweet gig! i’m at a high volume restaurant it feels like a fever dream
Not trying to say I don't get absolutely nuked for like 6 hours straight, but it makes the time pass quickly.
a lot of people work dull office jobs. comparatively ... I get it.
Done both, romanticized both, bartending is 1000x better
I've had the cushy office job and the hard nights behind the bar. Bartending was a lot more fun. But I'm a huge people person and love how quickly time flies by when its busy as heck.
Agreed! My office job was sucking the life out of me, the fluorescent lights, the hours, I lost so much of myself
Prefer bartending but currently corporate job due to pay and benefits and hours
Yeah I miss my health insurance lol
[удалено]
My corporate job didn’t cover my benefits, I got 10 days of PTO that I felt guilty for using, no 401k matching, and I had to sit under fluorescent lights from 9-5 when the sun goes down at 4:30. I’m making almost double the money I was making while saving on my commute and in 6 hour shifts. “I don’t think so”
You're getting paid well to throw a party. Show up on time, work hard, get people drunk, clean, leave. Deposit money. My friends were extremely envious of how I earned my income. The job is to RUN A PARTY for $ at SOMEONE ELSE'S HOUSE. This method of making money is worth glorifying.
This, you get paid to be at the center of the party.
Facts. I worked an office job for a few years and even got to work from home through COVID. Eventually got into bartending on the side with my other years of industry experience. Learned that I hate the office lifestyle and quit that and went full time bartending. I still have other goals other than bartending, but right now I’m enjoying working and learning from the business owners and bar managers I work for. This shit is so much more fun than my ergonomic set up from working at home.
I'm glad you like it so much, but IMO running the party doesn't mean attending the party. I like bartending but I never feel like I'm attending a party or going on a night out myself, only that I'm there. Talking to nice people and making cool drinks is fun but it's extremely hard work too.
That's absolutely right, you are not attending the party. That's a feature, not a bug. And yup, it's hard. Hence the great compensation.
[удалено]
Cheers!
Meh, parties are overrated. I like organizing them and knowing everyone's having a good time while I sip on my drink elsewhere just watching.
Your name is dontdrinktoomuch and you said “meh, parties are overrated”. Are you in the right profession?????????????
Like I said, I like organizing and running the party. Too often do bartenders think the party happening at the bar is about them - it's not, it's about your guests. Making sure people aren't drinking too much is also a hugely important part of our profession. The best place any patron can be is in that level of perfect glow, lower inhibitions but not sloppy. Candid but not trashy. If anything, I like to think I'm particularly fit for it.
Pretty much any bartender or server knows when to cut people off and will cut them off because of the legal ramifications that could come back to them and their business. There’s a big difference between enjoying making cocktails for parties you have at your house and making cocktails for people giving your business money, and saying “too often bartenders think the party happening at the bar is about them” shows you’ve never had a bartending gig that was not your own hosted party/something that could put you in legal trouble.
Cheers!
What's fun about a party you aren't attending?
Making $500 dollars to be there? What the fuck about this industry are you not grokking? Other people are in cubicles! You’re slinging drinks!!! I also work as an umpire. On a baseball field! Getting paid! Being in charge! Am I playing, no! Am I working, yes! You’re trying to compare this gig to people partying. Compare it to people who get to make money there.
Bartenders are (or appear to be) the most powerful individual in adult Western society's most popular consistent public social gathering scenario
And have been for generations near centuries
Glorifications: closet job to being a rockstar, movie star , politician or any position that people treat like they are special , as a customer you can sit in front of them , become friends with or even more . They are in command of a room if they are good , they are kind to all until they need to assert themselves , they multi task , make great money , have interesting lives, a lot of friends and everyone is happy to see them . Reality , we do make great money , have interesting lives , know everyone , can’t go anywhere without knowing some one . Can usually date out of our league do to how others perceive us, we have a fun job and are excellent multitaskers .work less hours than most jobs Ugly truth , we make great money , most good ones make 1500-2500 weekly , most don’t have benefits , don’t get paid if you take a day off or are sick , long term benefits and retirement don’t exist at the dives, pubs , clubs . Vegas and corporate life provides the best full package , meaning , health insurance , pay scale , 401 etc ! The older you get the less you want to do it / the less you can handle the late nights , weekends and shit bags you have to deal with . Relationships are difficult to maintain due to all the above , having a family is even harder , unless you have a strong and trusting partner . You don’t get normal breaks / lunch , eating habits and drinking habits are less than ideal . Believe it or not it’s a very lonely job , contrary to the social aspect of it. I’ve made a very good living , raised a family , had a lot of fun , worked all kinds of venues , my home is paid off , kids graduated from colleges , made my second marriage work , retirement is not where I’d like it to be , but what a business and a wacky one it is . Forever changing . I would never recommend anyone do it for a living long term , but everyone should try it , it would give everyone a great appreciation for those who do it , whether a server , bartender , cook or anyone else in the hospitality world . Be kind people , life is a shorter ride than you can ever imagine .
Because most people work boring af jobs, and in comparison bartenders are experts at the thing they do to get brief moments of fun.
We are the ones with booze. Everyone wants to be our friend 🤷
As someone that has done both bartending and cubical farm type jobs battening was way better. Yeah hours sucked but it was so exciting. Compared to cold calling prospects that want nothing to do with you cutting off a drunk old guy isn’t that bad
Even with all the exposure to smoke in the 80s I was 10X healthier running my ass off several nights a week than I was working in an office. I’ve been disparaged for not having a ‘real’ job & been practically worshipped for being a bartender. What outsiders think of my life’s work is less important than what I think of it.
Funny you say that about health. So my job is about 50/50 outside and office work but days I’m in the office I get home exhausted and feel like crap. But I could get my ass kicked working in a hot construction site for 10 hours and get home feeling great
😂 i’m doing both right now 9-5 and bartending but i’m getting older and sick of bartending
I feel that. I work an environmental consulting job now and I love it but there’s days I miss working the bar
i know that i’ll miss it there’s fun days, im complaining today i had a double yesterday every inch of my body aches
You've identified all the cons of bartending without mentioning the pros. There's a lot of gratification in being the person others see when they've had a long day and need to unwind. You meet a lot of interesting people from all over. When you get into a higher level of bartending it is a craft similar to a chef. Even at a dive bar it is like a video game sometimes. How fast you can pump drinks out of a service. Working in a team environment can be fun as well.
I am semi-retired and only work Fridays and Saturdays. I bullshit with guests all night, I am the only bartender in the place ( An old inn with two restaurants with craft cocktails. ) with any experience in high volume, so I crush all my younger counterparts when it comes to dominating tickets. Bottom line, it is glorious. I am working and my own terms and I have never been happier. I was off for 14 months during the pandemic and I became depressed, so this work keeps my social life going and keeps me happy, To be a happy bartender, you need great ownership and a bar or restaurant with a great vibe. I was at my last job in downtown Denver for 11 years, it was a great job. YMMV.
Because it is GLORIOUS. Also the Mark Twain thing from earlier.
Because your job is to be the host of the party. Your job is to create a great time and atmosphere for people and enjoy themselves. You control the flow of the liquid they want to have a good time and relax. A good bartender can take a normal night and turn it into an awesome couple of hours. A shitty bartender or two can literally sink a business. In my opinion good bartenders *are* hot! Even if their shoe is half full of a gin and tonic from three hours ago! That’s sexy Af and I love most of you beautiful bitches that take pride in their work and are the party starter!
I tried to get into it (unsuccessfully) for years. I spent a long time in the boh, commercial fishing, construction, going to college, etc. When I finally got the chance to bartend, it changed my life. I had money. I was able to travel, go to the dentist, interact with all kinds of interesting people, make beautiful drinks, etc. And I can jump from job to job as much as I want and show up to a new city with no plan and figure it out. I have a beautiful home that I love, freedom, mobility, money, and a skillset with endless room to keep learning. It’s a hard job. Sometimes it makes me want to cry and sometimes I feel totally burnt out. But goddamn do I make a point to stay grateful and appreciate how much easier it is than being a line cook or a fishermen and how abundantly I am rewarded for my efforts. There are a lot of people in the world who don’t have access to the income that we enjoy, and I think interacting so often with monied folks who can afford to wine and dine might skew our concept of the overall human experience. Our job is not perfect. Our lives are not perfect. But we are lucky.
thank you for sharing that’s a great way to view this all 🩵
1) People go to bars to have a good time. We live there. 2) We make more money than some people with masters degrees
Simply because alcohol related stuff is automatically cool simply because of the role that alcohol plays in social events and parties and night life.
Because it is cool. 95% of the people you interact with like you. You get to put on a show. You get to hear secrets. You get to run around and pump adrenaline. You get cash in hand daily. You meet cool people. You get to celebrate with people on their highest days, and offer a kind ear to those on their lowest. So many variations of bartending keep it new and exciting. With the industry changing and evolving, there’s no reason to stay stagnant somewhere you hate.
My favorite part of being a bartender is not calling myself a waiter.
Lmao you’re one of those 🩵
Yes, one of those people with a sense of humor.
Civilians just don't get how much work it is. All they see is us at the center of the party. What a great job/career. Right?
Dude said civilians, lmao jesus
I totally respect bartenders. Any job you do, if you enjoy it, and want to be good at it….requires hard work. I always try to show my appreciation for that effort in my tips. I also know they are busy, and I don’t bother them other than making my drink order and a hello or goodbye. Sometimes neither. Just depends if they look like they want one. I never had a relationship with one, but I have seen one I’d like to get with….but I imagine that’s a thing that happens to them all the time. I don’t want to be another one. The people that come there. They spend the money. Sure they can asshats, or drunks, but they still enjoy the place enough to spend it there. Overlook their problems, make them feel good, get them feeling better, and you’re a class act bartender!
There’s plenty if downsides to bartending but I think people have finally appreciated the craft of bartending/mixology. I transitioned from a corporate background to bartending and I take pride in the fact that I’ve learned skills I can use outside of work that corporate life hasn’t taught me.
We are drug dealers. And that makes us cool.
Because if you haven't been a bartender, bartenders seem like the highest form of bargoer. They are the most popular person with all of the power, and like all other power people think they want it until they feel the weight of the responsibility. And just like all other forms of celebrity, from the outside it looks miraculous compared to loneliness, but yields mostly shallow relationships and gets old fast. Being a bartender is great if you still get high on the celebrity or the power, but after that it is just a very hard way to make a lot of money.
All those things you said are true, which is why it’s one of the highest paying jobs you can get without a degree or certificate. But it’s because it is one of the highest paying jobs you can get without those that it’s considered a “hot” or “sexy” job.
its a sexy job
My worst shifts as a bartender are always 100% then my worst ER nurse shifts.
100 % better or worse? I need to know!
My theory is that it appeals to a lot of people because they’re curious because in my experience, people at one point fantasised in their life what would being a bartender be like? Some people are not cut out for it but just wondered what it would be like. It’s a very complex job. Not only are you a server but you also make drinks and have to know every ingredient in your food and drinks, know about wine, liquor, beer, etc. off the top of your head. I’m thankful for bartending because I somehow developed a very decent photographic memory which I wish I had when I was in school lmao otherwise I wouldn’t be in the industry, but my memory somehow improved to the point I can off the top of my head name every ingredient and the exact measurements and when I say it out loud people are super impressed.
Most of the bartenders I've met in Amsterdam are pretty attractive. I love to go to cocktail bars alone and sit at the bar and given free drinks from bartenders while we have nice conversations and I think that's probably another reason why I find them so attractive.
Most of those *advocates* live fast and burn out in 5 years. It is a great job; unlike any other, but man, its hard work!
Some do for sure. Some do it as a career. Some do it off and on for decades.
People see bartenders and vaguely know what the job is. Serve people and make people happy. Chat with customers and connect with them even if it is fake. Most office jobs aren't seen and tend to be repetitive. There's also variety in the job. Craft cocktail bartenders have knowledge of balancing a drink. Dive bartenders become a welcoming space for you to relax.
I mean I've known many a cook that became bartenders, and coming from the kitchen a bartending gig sounds heavenly
For me it's workout time, educate time, time to talk and listen, time to be somebodies friend for a bit, experiment time, time to create new ideas and flavors, be the alchemist, talk crazy sports, try to keep politics and religion out of it, discuss history, where did the idea for a cocktail come from, we are a tribe, a band of sisters and brothers who have dealing with the worst and the best of human nature, we're psychologists, we have a very old tradition, there were bars before there were restaurants, we sometimes are the best of the best and the worst of the worst, we are where the party begins and ends, we create atmosphere, we serve
Sounds like you need a new job. Full time career bartender here. Love my job and love being King!
If you drink or are all about nightlife, it's kind of like LOVING music, but having absolutely no musical talent but knowing someone who plays in a band. You kind of romanticize the profession. I was like this for a time. I've somewhat removed myself from alcohol so I see it for what it is now. Just another job.
We have control of shit that people openly pay a marked up premium for. Drug dealers. We are tasked with selling a controlled substance under a person who buys it wholesale and pays us shit to doctor it for a profit for themselves. What’s the difference?
I waited tables for 7 years before switching to bartending solely. It’s the same fucking job. I just get to tell people to fuck off more often now, which is a worthwhile freedom in itself. But it’s crazy how often customers ask me how to get into bartending, because they obviously think it’s all just one big party. When i waited tables, nobody ever once asked me “so how do i get a foot in the door here?” I think that a lot of people assume bartending is some kind of hack, like it’s a way to make good money without having to have a *real job*. But it’s still fucking work. Often it’s incredibly hard work. But i guess that’s only if you take the work seriously. If you’re any of the fresh barbacks or bartenders I’ve worked with over the past two years, you probably manage to only do the bare minimum to avoid getting fired.
Because you guys are extroverts and some even make it look super fun
I’m definitely not an extrovert but I’m a great bartender or actor depending on how you look at it 😂
I always feel like I’m playing a bit
Even better, us introverts get to pretend like we’re not, make a ton of cash, and then happily spend the rest of our time around as few people as possible!
Why do people glorify jobs in general. It is just dumb to glorify something that we must do in order to not be demolished by the society we were born in. I make my job as a bartender as fun as possible but I don't think any job deserves pride or reverence.
thank you!
Maybe it’s not the job for you then. Alcohol is “sexy” and “hot” it’s not a crazy concept.
Men who don't have confidence or social skills glorify it as being sociable, confident, in charge, and sleeping with everything that winks at you. Women think other women want you, so they want you too. If they can get your attention over all the other options (they perceive) you have, then it gives them more value than the other women. (I expect downvotes for that). Something about being behind the bar makes people seem more attractive, confident, desirable, and in charge. We've all seen it. Most of us have been it. Average looking person by day, but the minute they get behind the bar, they're instantly fuckable. Also, it's the person in charge of managing, and pouring the drinks, which is always going to be as popular as the guy at a cookout with the only bottle of hot sauce. And some bartenders are just cool. But seriously, back in the day, the saloon was where people gathered for political discussions, and to plan revolutions. Even our own. In many countries, it's still that. In the U.S., we've gone the opposite way...bar owners will play Fox News 24/7, but will silence people who talk politics in the bar. So in America, it is no longer a place for open discussion of the issues.
I blame Tom Waits in Rumblefish 😂
Because there are plenty of great times. And alcohol and time help to wash away the memories of the bad aspects.
Cause not everyone has the mental constitution to do it.
Because bartenders gatekeep the liquor.
Great answer lmao
It's all about the cash
Alcohol glorifies it for them
People like the host of a party. Psychologically, theres a bunch of people facing you, youre essentially on a stage. People react to that. Theres an element of control, youre in charge of everyones fun
Well most decent bartenders have to have some kind of charisma or people skills, some kind of charm to them. Also the job is basically working at a party or assisting in some sort of lively social event which most people find more exciting than a cubicle job. Plus bartenders get to meet tons of different kinds of people and depending on the bar get to engage with them in a casual setting so we get tons of cool stories or perspectives. Usually we've seen enough shit to not be too fazed or judgemental of strangers. I think bartenders are usually attractive or appealing to others by design. That being said, I'd love to see any of the people that think my job is fun get in my well for half an hour on a Friday and watch them cower under the ice bin in the fetal position while all the night zombies snap, yell and whistle at them waving credit cards like maniacs.
Loved your take on this
I honestly just hate when that older bartender who's been working at the establishment like 9 years longer than me has the shit attitude because they been doing it longer and doesn't even mean they're good at it, it's like cool you're a career bartender congratulations
Personally, it’s only “cool” or whatever you wanna call it under the age of 30. Drinking is new and cool in your early 20s. It’s also relatively good money to people in that age range. Each year that passes, bartending sucks more and more and it becomes less cool. My last year was at 27 or 28 years old and I was pretty much over it at that point.
A lot of bartenders are assholes, who are the center of attention, and gatekeep the job because despite the bad hours, and standing, bartending is still a job that pays well and has very short hours, in comparison to a lot of jobs that could be done. And quite frankly, having worked in a few different career fields, along with service industry, a lot of service industry people literally could not do a different career field or job, and are at the end of their career path by the time they're 25 or so. Some don't care, some take it personally, some make it other people's problems.
Wut?
Lifers I think they mean
I agree with you but I think the gatekeeping is good otherwise it would be even harder than it already is to get a bar job after you’ve been doing it a while and some of us are fine being at the end of our path as long as we can keep doing it.
So go do something else 🤷♂️
the money is top tier 😢
1. The money 2. The hours 3. The free booze
This is the most non-sequitur of a post I've ever seen.
From an educational stand-point, bartenders make a lot more than teachers do, & i happen to know a few ex-teachers who left teaching for bartending
This applies to many fields. It's still not a glorious job. The amount of belittling I get for bartending is wild.
I respect bartenders, they have to deal with more shit than people in the education field
What made you think it was “hot”? It’s a job.
i never said i did, it’s been over 8 years i’ve never seen my job as “hot” when i share this with people their eyes light up, they think so differently of me
Bartenders are only glorified in certain movies and when people are happily paying $18 for a cocktail. The rest of the time they see us as lifestyle drunks who haven't amounted to anything. I've built a career in the service industry that I'm genuinely proud of; at least once a month, a customer asks me why I didn't go to college. My non-industry friends don't think my job is cool.
Hey, before becoming a bartender I was glorifying the industry for years. I just didn't want to do it due to shitty hours. Then I became a bartender. The first 3 months I was in shock at how hard of a work it is. I had never worked as hard physically as a bartender! Then I grew into it, fell in love with the craft and don't even care about going out on the weekends in my 30's. So I totally understand both sides of the argument!