By Wayne Curtis - April 2012 The Atlantic Magazine
The original recipe for Benedictine liqueur was discovered in a 16th-century alchemist’s notebook—or so I was told by my tour guide at the Benedictine distillery in Fécamp, France. That notebook, in turn, had been associated with the Benedictine monks, who she said had helped devise the recipe. Any chance that I might glimpse this exalted tome? “No, it’s not here,” the guide said. Read More
]]>From a lounge in a renovated Las Vegas wedding chapel to a 19th-century-style saloon, America’s best bars celebrate the handmade, the historical and the locally sourced. Read More
Interested in a shot at the title, a trip to Chicago to demonstrate your skills at IWSB, plus $5,000? Read More
A Halifax hotel has renamed its lounge after a longtime bartender who has been working there for nearly five decades.
In 1963, Roy Clorey began pouring drinks at the Griffin lounge at Halifax's Nova Scotian Hotel.
Although the hotel is now called the Westin Nova Scotian and the lounge has moved from its original location — now home to the Sykea Salon and Spa — Clorey is still mixing his signature martinis.
"I enjoy what I do. To me, it's not a job. Some people come to work and they come to a job. For me, it's part of your life, when you've been in the business that long," he said Thursday.
"As long as I can do it. Like I said, I'll know when to quit."
Clorey said he felt honoured when officials at the Westin Nova Scotian surprised him at a staff Christmas party and told him the name of the hotel lobby bar would be changing from Eve to Roy's Lounge.
Earlier this week, they made it official.
"Usually I know everything that goes on in this hotel, through management or staff," Clorey said with a laugh.
"I was surprised. I was shocked."
Roberto de Armas, who has worked with Clorey at the hotel for five years, said he's learned a lot from his colleague.
"The professional things, the passion, the way he talks to the customers — he's always happy and he's still happy, so it's very nice for us," he said.
And Clorey knows how to keep a secret — like all the best bartenders.
"Most of the stories, you know what I mean, the only place you could put them would be in Frank Magazine," he said, laughing.
]]>If you are looking for a quality bartending school south of Cincinnati, OH and north of Knoxville, Tennessee, this is it! For more information on this great school, visit their page on the USA Bartending School Website.
Valerie Carcia sells trendy women's clothing as a retail sales manager by day.
By night, she's a bartender -- in Indianapolis.
And that happens to be a pretty good gig to have as the Super Bowl -- the nation's party weekend -- makes its way to the city.
"I've already been offered to do Playboy, Maxim parties and some of the Super Bowl (NFL-sanctioned) parties," said Carcia, 27, a regular bartender at Peppers in Broad Ripple. "There is a major need."
Bartending, perhaps more than any other temporary job, will be in high, if not desperate, demand.
Those in the event planning and catering business estimate thousands of bartenders will be needed in the days surrounding...... Read More
All managers, servers and bartenders who sell or serve alcohol are required by the state of Washington to have a MAST (Mandatory Alcohol Server Training) license.
The Class 12 permit is a mixologist permit for managers, bartenders and anyone else who mixes drinks with alcohol or draws from a tap, and is 21 years old. Anyone with a Class 12 permit is consumed on the premises must have at least one Class 12 permit holder on duty.
The Class 13 permit is a server permit for servers and ID checkers who are at least 18 years old and carry alcohol to customers or open beer and wine and pour it into a glass at the customer’s table. Class 13 permit holders cannot mix drinks or draw beer or wine from a tap.
For more information check out our website at http://www.washingtonclass12permit.com/
]]>Bartender Training Moves from Nice-to-have to Must-have Status
At bar after bar I’ve visited lately, I’ve observed a frightening trend: Patrons often know more about drinks, drink-making and ingredients than the bartenders and wait staff serving them. Knowing that your customer now embraces all things drink is a good thing — they’re more willing to explore and, as the economy improves, spend — but the fact that they may possess more knowledge than your staff doesn’t bode well for your business.Let’s face facts: The days of on-the-job training for bartenders are over. No more “just shadow Charlie over there, and he’ll show you what to do.” No matter how good Charlie is, he’ll likely pass along bad habits and ....Read More
]]>Bartender Salary: A Bartender Career Profile
Recently Britney Spears made the news, again, by inquiring about bartender jobs at a California hotel. Britney, or anyone who is interested in becoming a bartender, should read this Salary Story. We spoke to bartender Craig Hysell about bartender jobs, a bartender salary, bartending school and more. Many people wonder if they need to attend school to become a bartender. This interview provides the answer, plus insider info on what it takes to succeed as a career bartender. So pour yourself a cold one and keep reading!
"We're like a family here," Pryor said. "I don't like to put any pressure on them (to talk). I just listen to what they're telling me."
And he considers the conversations to be confidential.
"It's like a doctor-patient kind of relationship," Pryor said.
That aspect of bartending has been captured in movies and television shows over the years. It also is what prompted researchers from Ohio State University to zero in on VFW bartenders in a recent six-month study. Their findings, published in the Journal of Military Veterans Health, suggested that bartenders could play a role in helping to identify veterans who exhibit signs of mental distress. Read More
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