Sunday, September 7, 2014

Where Do Retired Bartenders Go?


Ok, where do all the old-school, life-long bartenders go?
I mean, when a bartender pulls his last draft, or mixes his last Martini, then what? What's next?Before they want to sit and vegetate on the couch before the "big event."

Most of them hang it up, probably sometime in their fifties. I'm talking about professional barkeeps, not the young bar stars who just do it till they get "discovered" and think they're the next Marlon Brando.
A lot of them don't work much past fifty or so, due to age discrimination. Yeah, it seems as if these restaurant and bar owners would rather have some flunkie behind the bar, rather than a real experienced pro who knows how to mix classic cocktails.
Some of these guys and gals have been established in unionized hotels, and they have "tenure."
But these lucky rubes are few and far between.
For the rest of us, we have to compete with the FaceBook crowd, who'd rather text and tweet than study up on cocktails. But when you think about it, I guess that's pretty much the case, no matter what profession you're in. You're past fifty? Better hope you have a nice pension that's been in the works!

So, what do these ageing cocktail shakers do?
Some of them become brand ambassadors for various liquor products. That's actually a good venue for someone coming out of the bar trade. Who else to spout off about the qualities of a particular liquor than someone who knows the real deal? Who else would know what types of cocktails a particular bottle of liquor would mix well with?
Why, an ex-bartender, of course!
Not only would he have the knowledge of a particular product, but also the contacts to sell that product. If he's in the same city where his plyed his trade beforehand.

Some of the smart bartenders may have saved enough money to open their own bar. But probably not too many of them around. Why? Because many bartenders don't save their money, unfortunately. They have to spread the spoils after work. There are after-shift cocktails to be consumed, after all.
There are certain bars around town, where after midnight, it's all restaurant workers. Bartenders, waiters, busboys, cooks, chefs, etc., all comparing stories about who had the worst customer of the night. Sometimes it's a rather close call. A photo finish, so to say.
And they all try to out tip each other!

Harry Craddock, one of the original bartending pioneers, was born in 1875, in England, and came to America in 1897. He was a hotel bartender all his life. When prohibition started in 1920, he, like a lot of other American bartenders, made a mass exodus to Europe to work their trade. Harry became head bartender at the Savoy Hotel in London, and penned one of the best books ever on cocktails, "The Savoy Cocktail Book."  Harry Craddock worked as a bartender all his life, and didn't retire till sometime in the 1950's.
After his retirement, "He wasn't drinking cocktails anymore. 'I had so much over 60 years that I  didn't want anymore.'"
He died in 1963, 87 years old, from vascular degeneration and a cerebral haemorrhage.
Harry Craddock was one of the few old-time bartenders who worked his trade from the time he was a young man, until his retirement, which was about a decade or so before his death during old age.
(Above quotes and info on Harry Craddock from "The Deans of Drink," by Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown. Published 2013.)

Then there are the retired bartenders who spend their remaining days in bars. They go to their old haunts, if they're still around, and watch the action from the sidelines.
Two trains of thought come to their minds, as they watch the bartender run around behind the bar like a trapped rat, when the bar is packed three deep, and arms are waving, and people yelling,  "Hey buddy, where's my drink?!"
First thought: "I sure do miss this."
Second thought (the majority): "Sure glad I'm out of this. You coudn't pay me enough to do this again."

Some of the literate bartenders may decide to pen their memoirs. Changing the names to "protect" the guilty!

And let's not forget the "fun bunch" who meet up for lunch somewhere at the local diner, and reminisce about the old days over endless glasses of buttermilk, so as not to aggravate their ulcers.

Lastly, there are those retired bartenders, whose only bar they come remotely close to is the coffee bar at the local AA meeting!

God bless them all!
 

 

old school cocktails for Ipiet © 2008