NOTES FROM BEHIND THE BAR
Hemingway’s Paris
(Originally titled: This Must Be The Place)
by James “The Barman" Charters
as told to Morrill Cody
Hardcover edition published in 1937
By Lee Furman, Inc.
Paperback edition published in 1965
By Tower Publications, Inc.
Mark Twain once said: “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 whiskey. I am not sure but the saloon keeper held a shade higher rank than any other member of society.”
Jimmy “the barman” Charters was the most famous bartender in 1920’s Paris. The Boulevard du Montparnasse was where all the artists, writers, and poseurs would congregate to drink and socialize. And Jimmy Charters was the one who served them all.
Among his customers were: Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, Harpo Marx, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, etc. It is Ernest Hemingway who wrote the introduction to this book and said: “If his book has only one-half of his charm, one-quarter of his knowledge, and one-quarter of his experience, it should still be a fairly intoxicating volume.”
In Hemingway’s Paris, Jimmy Charters writes of his experiences as a bartender in mid-1920’s Paris. The characters were all in a class by themselves. Like any good modern day bartender, Jimmy had an inner sense of knowing about people. Whether instilled at birth or acquired on the job matters not. He could “read” people from the moment they walked into is bar. And it is from this viewpoint, customers as main characters, that makes this book a wonderful read.
Jimmy Charters was born in 1897 in the town of Rhyl in Wales. He originally planned to become a professional boxer, and fought in Liverpool, London, and Manchester.
He eventually was offered a position as assistant waiter at the Midland Hotel in Liverpool. This was a very elegant hotel with a swimming pool, grill room, theatre, French Restaurant, and a beautiful lounge. He caught on quickly, and within a month was promoted to a full-fledged
- 2
waiter.
In the French restaurant, the headwaiters were all Italians. They told Jimmy that he must learn French to succeed as a headwaiter. Arrangements sent him to Paris to work at the Hotel Meurice.
After several months at the Meurice, he then went to the Carlton. He naturally sought experience in various departments of hotel work, and worked as dishwasher, waiter, and assistant cook. After the Carlton, there was the Crillon, the Majestic, the Continental, and several others. Then there was the Hotel Massene in Nice as assistant barman. Next was Ciro’s in Monte Carlo. He enjoyed bar work more than being a waiter. When Jimmy started bartending, however, all he had to offer was his “Liverpool grin.”
He returned to Paris as assistant barman at Jack’s Bar. Next was the Bar de l’ Opera. “At one time or another, I must have worked at every big café and nightclub in Montmartre, including Pigall’s, l’Abbaye de Theleme, Le Royal, le Perroquet……..”
One day Jimmy heard about an opening at a bar called Le Dingo in Montparnasse. He was hired there as assistant barman and waiter. This was the beginning of his many years as bartender to the Quarter.
Jimmy Charters also gives some fine points on the art of bartending. He lists diplomacy as a first requisite, along with no squabbling over bills. Contrary to the bar owners, however, he says how he would like to give a free drink for every two or three the customers buys.
Jimmy could also tell when a man or woman walked into his whether he or she desired solitude or companionship. He started many romances this way, and encourages people to talk together if they showed any inclination.
Then there was the exhibitionist. He tells of an English girl who would sit at the bar and after several drinks would pull her dress wide open, exposing herself stark naked. He would have to wrap the dress around her and tie it securely. “You see it isn’t so easy being a bartender. You have to be prepared for all kinds of emergencies.”
He also talks about advantages for bartenders, such as professional services offered free by lawyers, doctors, and others from his many clients. He obtained reduced rates at cinemas and theatres, horse-racing tips, and free “entertainment.” He also received free bottles at Christmas from the French liquor people, who gave him a present of their product. Even today many bartenders partake in the receiving of free services and gifts, one of the advantages of “being in the business.”
Jimmy Charters mentions that most writers are drinkers, and how white wine has always been the favorite with writers and artists. He used to pass Shakespeare & Co. almost daily when he worked at the Trois et As bar. Shakespeare & Co. was a bookshop on the rue de l’Odeon run by Sylvia Beach. “Many of the white-winers of the Quarter have been of the Sylvia Beach school.” Sylvia Beach was the first publisher of James Joyce’s Ulysses .
Ernest Hemingway was another friend of Sylvia Beach. At the time, Hemingway was a correspondent for a Toronto paper, and wrote short stories in his spare time. “Hemingway came to my bar frequently (he was no white-winer!) and we would have long conversations about boxing or he would tell me about bullfighting, in which I was much interested though I know nothing about it.” Jimmy and Ernest often went to boxing matches together.
Jimmy Charters devotes a section of is book to drinks and drinking. He gives a formula for the French way, or safest way to drink: not more than two cocktails before dinner, a good wine served with the meal, and afterwards, one or two liqueurs with coffee. “Fortunarely for bars, Anglo-Saxons always agree with me when I tell them this, but they never follow the advice.”
Jimmy was not a big drinker. “…I myself cannot do it. One or two strong drinks, and I am on a rampage for the rest of the day… so I almost never drink.” In this and other ways, Jimmy was unlike most bartenders. He prided himself on the difference.
- 3
In his opinion, good Scotch whisky was the safest drink, straight or with plain water. Gin was good as an apertif, but not the strong French aperitifs, which were synthetically made, or the heavy French wines (which contained chicory and coffee), which could ruin your stomach.
“Mike” and “Brett,” the hero and heroine of Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises, were based on actual people. (Jimmy Charters does not disclose their real names.) Their real-life romance stole the attention of the Quarterites.
Both came from upper class families. They were very much in love and frequently were in Jimmy’s bar. Things eventually turned sour, and Mike started romancing an American girl, but did not stay with her long.
In the interim, the real life Brett met and married an American, and moved to Greenwich Village. Mike never returned to his usual self. Life became difficult, and he encountered many financial difficulties, along with drug problems. He died shortly thereafter, from an overdose of pills. Whether intentional or not, will never be known.
Jimmy called the Trois et As (which means “The Trey and the Ace”) his best bar. He said he had more fun there than any other place in Montparnasse. Jimmy tells anecdotes about Oscar Wilde, Modigliani, and other various artists and restaurant and café owners. He also tells stories about Harpo Marx and Djuna Barnes.
Towards the end of the book Jimmy gives his diatribe on alcoholics. He claims to have much success in handling drunks because he himself had been drunk so many times, (which is a contradiction of his earlier statement that he seldom drinks.) He then reaffirms himself and says that he has forced himself to stop drinking entirely (except occasional bouts) because alcohol affects him too seriously. He goes on about some of his customers who were drinkers of the alcoholic type.
In one of the later sections, he gives a review of the various bars in Montparnasse. This is a good overview of the bohemian lifestyle on the Left Bank. It tells what life was like for the motley assortment of artists and poseurs who flocked to Paris during this time period.
Jimmy also talks of his romances and love life. From Jeanne, a Burgundy girl who was assistant cook at the Dingo, through a Bretonne named Germaine, a girl called Madeleine (who resembled Pola Negri of the movies,) and lastly Marylene, who became his wife.
The last chapter talks of the end of Montparnasse. The tourists started arriving in greater numbers, driving the artists and writers out. The sightseers came to experience the counterculture as they heard about it from the press back home. This was 1929, the start of the depression in America.
Although out of print, Hemingway’s Paris is a treasure to seek out in libraries, good used book stores, or on-line. Jimmy Charters was not only a barman, but a humanitarian.
Sam Putnam, a friend of Jimmy’s, writes: “I can see Jimmie yet, reaching across the bar, gentle like, to put an obstreperous customer to sleep - gently, oh so gently - then, one hand on the bar and he’s across, picking the guy up, dusting him off and sending him home in a taxi - and paying his fare! That was Jimmie. I often wondered how he made any money…Montparnasse may be the explanation of my liver, but I wouldn’t have missed it for all that. Livers be damned! I’ve got something to tell my great-grandchildren about, and Jimmie to them will be a mythical character - which is exactly what he is.”
But Jimmy Charters sums it all up himself: “…a barman is really more important, in many cases, than the bar itself.”
James Charters: bartender extraordinaire.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Happy Inauguration!
,
Great night in DC tonight!
Worked my bar in Friendship Heights, Washington, DC.
We had a live band, (actually, very good!).
A dance floor was put in, and was used by inauguration people.
Thought I would have a hard time parking at the metro parking lot mid-afternoon, but got a parking place very easy. Lot of people were leaving early, I guess.
Got to work very easy.
Crowd at work was very festive. Everyone decked-out.
Some people at my bar had just returned from the inauguration ceremony. They were very ecstatic about being in DC for the ceremony. Now I wish I would have been there!
A very historic day, and to have been there, something to always treasure.
Was very proud to have served cocktails to people who were there.
Going home was not the problem the media had anticipated:
overcrowded metro trains, etc.
Boarded the metro train after midnight. The train was crowded, but not overwhelming. You could tell that everyone on board was coming home from the inauguration balls. Men were in tuxes, women were decked out in extravagant gowns.
Funny thing is, half of them were asleep!
Quietest metro train I ever rode!
Normally, metro trains after midnight are very noisy and boisterous.
Especially New Year's Eve.
Will never ride a metro train again on New Year's Eve. Next time I'll drive to work.
Too many drunks!
I just want to sit there in peace and quiet and do my crossword puzzle.
Oh well...
Happy Inauguration!
Worked my bar in Friendship Heights, Washington, DC.
We had a live band, (actually, very good!).
A dance floor was put in, and was used by inauguration people.
Thought I would have a hard time parking at the metro parking lot mid-afternoon, but got a parking place very easy. Lot of people were leaving early, I guess.
Got to work very easy.
Crowd at work was very festive. Everyone decked-out.
Some people at my bar had just returned from the inauguration ceremony. They were very ecstatic about being in DC for the ceremony. Now I wish I would have been there!
A very historic day, and to have been there, something to always treasure.
Was very proud to have served cocktails to people who were there.
Going home was not the problem the media had anticipated:
overcrowded metro trains, etc.
Boarded the metro train after midnight. The train was crowded, but not overwhelming. You could tell that everyone on board was coming home from the inauguration balls. Men were in tuxes, women were decked out in extravagant gowns.
Funny thing is, half of them were asleep!
Quietest metro train I ever rode!
Normally, metro trains after midnight are very noisy and boisterous.
Especially New Year's Eve.
Will never ride a metro train again on New Year's Eve. Next time I'll drive to work.
Too many drunks!
I just want to sit there in peace and quiet and do my crossword puzzle.
Oh well...
Happy Inauguration!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Single Malt Scotch
,
THE SINGLE MALT
Order a scotch and water in any pub, and you will more than likely receive a blended whisky. But the true scotch connoisseur will always ask for a single malt, neat, or with a little water. For most scotch drinkers, single malts are the superiors of all scotch whiskies. There are tips and tricks to the distillation process and in the different regions of Scotland the scotch produced has its own distinctive flavor and character unique to that location.
Single malts are distilled from a mixture of water, yeast, and malted barley. Blended whiskies, on the other hand, will combine a single malt with other grain whiskies made from corn, barley, wheat, or malted barley. According to Kristina Sutter, Master of Whisky and On-Premise Rep for Diageo Brands, blended scotch can be up to fifty-percent single malt. A bottle of single malt will also always come from one single distillery. However, ninety-percent of all whisky made in Scotland is used for blends.
Water is the one single ingredient that gives each single malt it’s distinctive character. Water sources differ on the amount of peat, granite, and heather they contain. These factors come together to give each scotch its own uniqueness and flavor.
Kristina says that “some malts contain no peat, and some distilleries have no water source.” Kristina also says that “eighty-percent of the flavor comes from the barrel: color, aroma, and wood used”. She also says that the air has a minor affect. The barrel is used only once for American whiskey, while with scotch whisky, the barrel is used three to four times, or until it is exhausted. A lot of scotch barrels are used for patio furniture after their use.
There are five basic steps in the making of single malts. These are: malting, mashing, fermemtation, distillation, and maturation.
Barley is first screened to weed out any foreign particles, and then it is soaked in water tanks for about three days. Some distillers will then place it on concrete malting floors from one to two weeks until partial germination. This germination process will produce “diastase”, which makes the barley soluble for conversion into malt sugar. The barley has to be turned three times daily during the malting process in order for this to be accomplished. Due to concern for most cost efficient techniques, most distilleries these days will leave the malting process to a separate malting company.
After the barley has been properly malted, it is then heated in a kiln or oven for drying out. This also gives it the color and flavor it is known for. While peat is generally added to the kiln fires during this process to give the malt its smoky flavor, some distilleries have opted for the use of coal or oil in addition to a sprinkle of peat. After the drying process is finished, it is then ground into grist.
Then the grist is mixed with hot water in large circular bins, and mashing occurs. In the mash bin, the starches within the grist are converted into a sugary liquid called wort. This wort is then transferred into the fermentation tanks for further processing.
The sugars produced during the mashing phase are now transformed into alcohol by the addition of yeast into the fermentation stage. The yeast cells act upon the wort’s sugar molecules turning the mix into an alcoholic mixture known as wash. This process takes about two days.
- 2
The wash is now transferred into the first of the stills and the distillation process begins. It is heated until the alcohol vaporizes and travels through the long, crooked neck of the still into a water-cooled, coiled tube where it is collected into a condenser and converted back into a liquid form called low wines. The low wines then flow through cooled pipes into a copper-spirit still. This is the place where the final distillation occurs. According to law, the whisky must be distilled twice.
The now clear distilled spirit is then transferred into oak casks for proper maturation. The alcohol level, at this point in the process, is about 120 proof (60% alcohol), but through the process of oxidation the alcohol content is considerably lowered. While some casks are bourbon-cured, some of the finer single malts come from sherry-cured casks. Matured whisky reaches its fullest potential in about twelve years. However, before bottling, most single malts are diluted with water to help lower the alcohol content to a palatable level usually at an 86 proof (43%). According to Kristina Sutter, the age on the label is the age of the youngest drop in the bottle, and once bottled, the whisky stops ageing.
There are four main areas of Scotland that produce single malts: the Highlands, Lowlands Speyside, and the Islay-Campbeltown area. Each area produces its own distinctive flavors and characteristics in its scotches.
The Highland malts, such as Dalwhinnie, Glenmorangie Clynelish, and Pulteney, have a richer, flowery scent and flavor compared to the Lowland malts.
The fairer Lowland malts are considerably lighter in flavor and appearance and are generally used for blends. Some examples of these lighter scotches are: Rosebank, Glenkinchie, and Bladnoch.
The smokiest, heaviest, full-bodidied single malts hail from the Islay-Campbeltown area. Examples are: Lagavulin, Bunnahubhain, Laphroaig, and Bowmore.
Finally, there are the Speyside malts, which were once considered part of the Highland malts. This particular region of Scotland produces some of the world’s finest scotch whiskies. Some of the more popular and well-known Speyside malts are: Cragganmore, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and Macallan. The Macallan is generally aged in Oloroso sherry casks (12, 18, and 25 years). Macallan has a slight vanilla scent and the scotch itself leaves a very pleasant aftertaste.
To truly appreciate a great single malt, it should be savored in a snifter, preferably neat or with a dash of spring water. (For tasting, a four ounce tulip-shaped glass is ideal.) Before rolling the scotch around in your mouth, sniff the bouquet and take in all of its various scents.
Savoring a single malt scotch (in moderation) can be a rich and rewarding experience, especially with good food and good friends!
Order a scotch and water in any pub, and you will more than likely receive a blended whisky. But the true scotch connoisseur will always ask for a single malt, neat, or with a little water. For most scotch drinkers, single malts are the superiors of all scotch whiskies. There are tips and tricks to the distillation process and in the different regions of Scotland the scotch produced has its own distinctive flavor and character unique to that location.
Single malts are distilled from a mixture of water, yeast, and malted barley. Blended whiskies, on the other hand, will combine a single malt with other grain whiskies made from corn, barley, wheat, or malted barley. According to Kristina Sutter, Master of Whisky and On-Premise Rep for Diageo Brands, blended scotch can be up to fifty-percent single malt. A bottle of single malt will also always come from one single distillery. However, ninety-percent of all whisky made in Scotland is used for blends.
Water is the one single ingredient that gives each single malt it’s distinctive character. Water sources differ on the amount of peat, granite, and heather they contain. These factors come together to give each scotch its own uniqueness and flavor.
Kristina says that “some malts contain no peat, and some distilleries have no water source.” Kristina also says that “eighty-percent of the flavor comes from the barrel: color, aroma, and wood used”. She also says that the air has a minor affect. The barrel is used only once for American whiskey, while with scotch whisky, the barrel is used three to four times, or until it is exhausted. A lot of scotch barrels are used for patio furniture after their use.
There are five basic steps in the making of single malts. These are: malting, mashing, fermemtation, distillation, and maturation.
Barley is first screened to weed out any foreign particles, and then it is soaked in water tanks for about three days. Some distillers will then place it on concrete malting floors from one to two weeks until partial germination. This germination process will produce “diastase”, which makes the barley soluble for conversion into malt sugar. The barley has to be turned three times daily during the malting process in order for this to be accomplished. Due to concern for most cost efficient techniques, most distilleries these days will leave the malting process to a separate malting company.
After the barley has been properly malted, it is then heated in a kiln or oven for drying out. This also gives it the color and flavor it is known for. While peat is generally added to the kiln fires during this process to give the malt its smoky flavor, some distilleries have opted for the use of coal or oil in addition to a sprinkle of peat. After the drying process is finished, it is then ground into grist.
Then the grist is mixed with hot water in large circular bins, and mashing occurs. In the mash bin, the starches within the grist are converted into a sugary liquid called wort. This wort is then transferred into the fermentation tanks for further processing.
The sugars produced during the mashing phase are now transformed into alcohol by the addition of yeast into the fermentation stage. The yeast cells act upon the wort’s sugar molecules turning the mix into an alcoholic mixture known as wash. This process takes about two days.
- 2
The wash is now transferred into the first of the stills and the distillation process begins. It is heated until the alcohol vaporizes and travels through the long, crooked neck of the still into a water-cooled, coiled tube where it is collected into a condenser and converted back into a liquid form called low wines. The low wines then flow through cooled pipes into a copper-spirit still. This is the place where the final distillation occurs. According to law, the whisky must be distilled twice.
The now clear distilled spirit is then transferred into oak casks for proper maturation. The alcohol level, at this point in the process, is about 120 proof (60% alcohol), but through the process of oxidation the alcohol content is considerably lowered. While some casks are bourbon-cured, some of the finer single malts come from sherry-cured casks. Matured whisky reaches its fullest potential in about twelve years. However, before bottling, most single malts are diluted with water to help lower the alcohol content to a palatable level usually at an 86 proof (43%). According to Kristina Sutter, the age on the label is the age of the youngest drop in the bottle, and once bottled, the whisky stops ageing.
There are four main areas of Scotland that produce single malts: the Highlands, Lowlands Speyside, and the Islay-Campbeltown area. Each area produces its own distinctive flavors and characteristics in its scotches.
The Highland malts, such as Dalwhinnie, Glenmorangie Clynelish, and Pulteney, have a richer, flowery scent and flavor compared to the Lowland malts.
The fairer Lowland malts are considerably lighter in flavor and appearance and are generally used for blends. Some examples of these lighter scotches are: Rosebank, Glenkinchie, and Bladnoch.
The smokiest, heaviest, full-bodidied single malts hail from the Islay-Campbeltown area. Examples are: Lagavulin, Bunnahubhain, Laphroaig, and Bowmore.
Finally, there are the Speyside malts, which were once considered part of the Highland malts. This particular region of Scotland produces some of the world’s finest scotch whiskies. Some of the more popular and well-known Speyside malts are: Cragganmore, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and Macallan. The Macallan is generally aged in Oloroso sherry casks (12, 18, and 25 years). Macallan has a slight vanilla scent and the scotch itself leaves a very pleasant aftertaste.
To truly appreciate a great single malt, it should be savored in a snifter, preferably neat or with a dash of spring water. (For tasting, a four ounce tulip-shaped glass is ideal.) Before rolling the scotch around in your mouth, sniff the bouquet and take in all of its various scents.
Savoring a single malt scotch (in moderation) can be a rich and rewarding experience, especially with good food and good friends!
Monday, January 12, 2009
,
I think everyone should work in the restaurant business for at least six months.
Maybe next time you go out for dinner or drinks you'll have a little more respect for your bartender or waiter (excuse me, I mean "server". I guess it's politically correct now to call them "servers". But I'm old-school: to me, they are either a bartender or a waiter/waitress).
Yeah, I know, garbage collectors are now "sanitation engineers," and teachers are "educators."
I remember when the employment office was just that: employment office. Now it's "human resources."
There's dignity in every occupation. Just be the best at whatever you do.
I really respect anyone who will do almost anything to make a living. (As long as it's legal, sincere, and ethical).
But I prefer the old terms. I guess it's just me.
Oh well...................
Workers in the food/beverage industry are there to serve you. They don't get paid much by their employer. For that hour or two that you're there, they are your employee. You are buying the product (food/drink), from the establishment. But that bartender/waiter is working for you, and it's up to you to pay him a decent wage (i.e.: "tip"). That's just the way it is.
I agree: the tip reflects the service.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of "freeloaders" working in the restaurant industry.
Lousy service equals lousy tip. You know that and they know that.
But if you get great service, don't be a cheapskate and leave a cheap tip.
That bartender/waiter has been doing his best to make sure you have a great time.
Worst case for great service: the "verbal tip":
"Hey, we had a great time, the food was great, and your service was excellent!"
Then the tip line reads 12%.
Thanks, buddy, hope to see you again!
When I greet a guest, I usually ask: "Good evening, how are you?"
I expect something like: "I'm fine, thank you."
I really don't get it when they respond with: "what kind of wine do you have?"
What type of response is that to "Good evening, how are you?!"
Have some courtesy and respect.
We're human beings, too, with feelings.
If you're miserable, stay home.
Don't bring your misery to my place of work.
I want to have a good time at work, and I want you to enjoy your experience of sitting at my bar.
I really enjoy nice and polite people that I wait on.
Such a pleasure to have people like that to wait on!
Maybe next time you go out for dinner or drinks you'll have a little more respect for your bartender or waiter (excuse me, I mean "server". I guess it's politically correct now to call them "servers". But I'm old-school: to me, they are either a bartender or a waiter/waitress).
Yeah, I know, garbage collectors are now "sanitation engineers," and teachers are "educators."
I remember when the employment office was just that: employment office. Now it's "human resources."
There's dignity in every occupation. Just be the best at whatever you do.
I really respect anyone who will do almost anything to make a living. (As long as it's legal, sincere, and ethical).
But I prefer the old terms. I guess it's just me.
Oh well...................
Workers in the food/beverage industry are there to serve you. They don't get paid much by their employer. For that hour or two that you're there, they are your employee. You are buying the product (food/drink), from the establishment. But that bartender/waiter is working for you, and it's up to you to pay him a decent wage (i.e.: "tip"). That's just the way it is.
I agree: the tip reflects the service.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of "freeloaders" working in the restaurant industry.
Lousy service equals lousy tip. You know that and they know that.
But if you get great service, don't be a cheapskate and leave a cheap tip.
That bartender/waiter has been doing his best to make sure you have a great time.
Worst case for great service: the "verbal tip":
"Hey, we had a great time, the food was great, and your service was excellent!"
Then the tip line reads 12%.
Thanks, buddy, hope to see you again!
When I greet a guest, I usually ask: "Good evening, how are you?"
I expect something like: "I'm fine, thank you."
I really don't get it when they respond with: "what kind of wine do you have?"
What type of response is that to "Good evening, how are you?!"
Have some courtesy and respect.
We're human beings, too, with feelings.
If you're miserable, stay home.
Don't bring your misery to my place of work.
I want to have a good time at work, and I want you to enjoy your experience of sitting at my bar.
I really enjoy nice and polite people that I wait on.
Such a pleasure to have people like that to wait on!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
,
HEY SPORT!
Sure Fire Ways NOT To Get Served in a Bar
“Hey, chief! How about a gin and tonic?”
Walk into a crowded bar, and the above line will get you nowhere. A scowl, perhaps, if you’re lucky.
Bartenders are there to serve you. Most of them will bend over backwards for you. They aren’t your servant, but they’ll make you think they are. But give them their respect that’s due. They are human beings, too, with feelings.
Don’t ever walk up to the bartender and say: “What do I have to do to get a drink around here?”
First of all, you need a better line than that. Second, every bartender has already heard that line. It’s way overused. Try using “excuse me, please.” That gets the bartender’s attention rather quickly.
One of the worst things to do is snap your fingers to get attention. Bartenders completely ignore that. They’ll only respond to that with a dirty look or perhaps ask you if you’re calling a dog or something. A bar isn’t Pavlov’s laboratory.
Another non-attention getter is banging on the bar with an empty beer bottle or empty glass. Now you’re really going to have to wait for a refill. After that gratuitous act, you’ll be the last to get served.
Don’t expect to get served immediately when you walk into a bar that’s packed three deep. Other people have been there waiting before you. On the other hand, customers don’t want to hear from the bartender that the bar is short-staffed. That’s not the customer’s problem. That’s management’s problem.
If you want a cocktail made a certain way, tell the bartender when you order it. Don’t take a sip and then say: “but that’s not how I like it,” or “that’s not how I make it at home.”
Most bartenders use standard recipes, but they’ll vary it any way you like. Just let them know ahead of time.
If you are ever cut off, for any reason, don’t argue about it. You won’t get anywhere. You are just wasting everyone’s time. Just leave and come back, (if you’re allowed), another time. Remember: the bartender is judge and jury.
Unless you are Spanish, and the bartender is Spanish, don’t ever use the term “senor,” when trying to get attention. A lot of bartenders will introduce themselves with their name. Try using it.
A regular customer will usually get served before you do. Right or wrong, it’s just the way it is. A person who comes in on a daily basis, perhaps with a group in tow, and spends a few grand a week, yeah, he’s going to get extra special attention. If someone’s helping to pay your mortgage, you give them prompt service.
Bartenders like to keep things sanitary behind the bar. Don’t blow your nose in a cloth napkin. If you don’t have a handkerchief, use a paper cocktail napkin, and then dispose of it properly. Don’t ever leave it on the bar for the bartender to pick up.
The bar is the bartender’s office. Don’t trash it. Respect it. You wouldn’t want someone coming into your office and leaving things all over it.
Barstools are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Don’t plop yourself down, and try to save the empty stool next to you for a friend that’s on the way. If there are other people standing near you, they are entitled to that empty stool, then and there. Tough luck for your late-coming friend.
- 2
If you are with a group at the bar, waiting for a dinner table, clear your check before going into the dining room. When checks are transferred into the dining room, the bartender will usually get cheated on most, if not all, of the tip. The waiter will generally receive the tip for the drinks and service that the bartender provided. Some restaurants will have the waiter tip out the bartender on transfer checks, (but it’s not etched in stone), but it is usually not the full tip amount that the customer left. And then the bartender usually has to “remind” the waiter about it.
Bartenders also have to be very careful about not serving underage people. If you walk in with a young looking group, don’t expect to order alcoholic drinks for everyone in your group, and then pass them back. The bartender will need a valid I.D. from everyone drinking in your group.
And if someone is underage, don’t go hide at a corner table and try to pass him or her a cocktail. You will be shown the exit quicker than before you came in.
If you come in with your son or daughter who is underage, don’t tell the bartender that it’s O.K. because they are with one or both parents. The law says “21,” with or without a parent. Don’t ask the bartender to break the law.
And last call means exactly that: last call! The purpose of last call is to give everyone an opportunity to not only order a last cocktail, but ample time to finish that last cocktail. Last call is usually given about one-half hour before closing.
For late night bars, drinks have to be off the bar by a certain time. It’s the law. If not, the establishment could lose their liquor license.
So don’t try or expect to get served after last call. Chances are you won’t have time to finish, and you’ll be upset when your half-finished cocktail is whisked off the bar.!
One of the worst things to ask a bartender: “Do you make a good Manhattan?” (Or a good “whatever”). How do you want him to respond? “No, I make a terrible Manhattan. Go somewhere else!”
When you walk up to the bar, and the bartender greets you with: “Good evening, how are you?” Don’t start rattling off your order without first replying: “I’m fine, thank you.”
Unfortunately, there are bartenders who don’t care about service. These self-proclaimed “bar stars” are just there till they get “discovered” and can make it on stage or film. They denigrate the profession.
But a real professional bartender treats his chosen career as a true profession. He is an artist behind the bar. (Watch a bartender layer a Pousee-Café. It’s like watching Renoir paint “Luncheon of the Boating Party!)
A true professional bartender will give you the great service and respect that you deserve. He wants you to come back. But he also wants you to think of him as a person, rather than a servant.
Try using “please” and “thank you.” They go a long way!
Sure Fire Ways NOT To Get Served in a Bar
“Hey, chief! How about a gin and tonic?”
Walk into a crowded bar, and the above line will get you nowhere. A scowl, perhaps, if you’re lucky.
Bartenders are there to serve you. Most of them will bend over backwards for you. They aren’t your servant, but they’ll make you think they are. But give them their respect that’s due. They are human beings, too, with feelings.
Don’t ever walk up to the bartender and say: “What do I have to do to get a drink around here?”
First of all, you need a better line than that. Second, every bartender has already heard that line. It’s way overused. Try using “excuse me, please.” That gets the bartender’s attention rather quickly.
One of the worst things to do is snap your fingers to get attention. Bartenders completely ignore that. They’ll only respond to that with a dirty look or perhaps ask you if you’re calling a dog or something. A bar isn’t Pavlov’s laboratory.
Another non-attention getter is banging on the bar with an empty beer bottle or empty glass. Now you’re really going to have to wait for a refill. After that gratuitous act, you’ll be the last to get served.
Don’t expect to get served immediately when you walk into a bar that’s packed three deep. Other people have been there waiting before you. On the other hand, customers don’t want to hear from the bartender that the bar is short-staffed. That’s not the customer’s problem. That’s management’s problem.
If you want a cocktail made a certain way, tell the bartender when you order it. Don’t take a sip and then say: “but that’s not how I like it,” or “that’s not how I make it at home.”
Most bartenders use standard recipes, but they’ll vary it any way you like. Just let them know ahead of time.
If you are ever cut off, for any reason, don’t argue about it. You won’t get anywhere. You are just wasting everyone’s time. Just leave and come back, (if you’re allowed), another time. Remember: the bartender is judge and jury.
Unless you are Spanish, and the bartender is Spanish, don’t ever use the term “senor,” when trying to get attention. A lot of bartenders will introduce themselves with their name. Try using it.
A regular customer will usually get served before you do. Right or wrong, it’s just the way it is. A person who comes in on a daily basis, perhaps with a group in tow, and spends a few grand a week, yeah, he’s going to get extra special attention. If someone’s helping to pay your mortgage, you give them prompt service.
Bartenders like to keep things sanitary behind the bar. Don’t blow your nose in a cloth napkin. If you don’t have a handkerchief, use a paper cocktail napkin, and then dispose of it properly. Don’t ever leave it on the bar for the bartender to pick up.
The bar is the bartender’s office. Don’t trash it. Respect it. You wouldn’t want someone coming into your office and leaving things all over it.
Barstools are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Don’t plop yourself down, and try to save the empty stool next to you for a friend that’s on the way. If there are other people standing near you, they are entitled to that empty stool, then and there. Tough luck for your late-coming friend.
- 2
If you are with a group at the bar, waiting for a dinner table, clear your check before going into the dining room. When checks are transferred into the dining room, the bartender will usually get cheated on most, if not all, of the tip. The waiter will generally receive the tip for the drinks and service that the bartender provided. Some restaurants will have the waiter tip out the bartender on transfer checks, (but it’s not etched in stone), but it is usually not the full tip amount that the customer left. And then the bartender usually has to “remind” the waiter about it.
Bartenders also have to be very careful about not serving underage people. If you walk in with a young looking group, don’t expect to order alcoholic drinks for everyone in your group, and then pass them back. The bartender will need a valid I.D. from everyone drinking in your group.
And if someone is underage, don’t go hide at a corner table and try to pass him or her a cocktail. You will be shown the exit quicker than before you came in.
If you come in with your son or daughter who is underage, don’t tell the bartender that it’s O.K. because they are with one or both parents. The law says “21,” with or without a parent. Don’t ask the bartender to break the law.
And last call means exactly that: last call! The purpose of last call is to give everyone an opportunity to not only order a last cocktail, but ample time to finish that last cocktail. Last call is usually given about one-half hour before closing.
For late night bars, drinks have to be off the bar by a certain time. It’s the law. If not, the establishment could lose their liquor license.
So don’t try or expect to get served after last call. Chances are you won’t have time to finish, and you’ll be upset when your half-finished cocktail is whisked off the bar.!
One of the worst things to ask a bartender: “Do you make a good Manhattan?” (Or a good “whatever”). How do you want him to respond? “No, I make a terrible Manhattan. Go somewhere else!”
When you walk up to the bar, and the bartender greets you with: “Good evening, how are you?” Don’t start rattling off your order without first replying: “I’m fine, thank you.”
Unfortunately, there are bartenders who don’t care about service. These self-proclaimed “bar stars” are just there till they get “discovered” and can make it on stage or film. They denigrate the profession.
But a real professional bartender treats his chosen career as a true profession. He is an artist behind the bar. (Watch a bartender layer a Pousee-Café. It’s like watching Renoir paint “Luncheon of the Boating Party!)
A true professional bartender will give you the great service and respect that you deserve. He wants you to come back. But he also wants you to think of him as a person, rather than a servant.
Try using “please” and “thank you.” They go a long way!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
