Bartending Basics

Bartending can be a hobby for some people, and a career choice for others. Either way, it is very important to learn the basics of bartending before setting out on a brewing and mixing adventure. The best bartenders are those who know where all the alcohol is kept and do not even need to shift an eyelid to find what they are looking for, while they can simultaneously engage a customer in conversation or grab their attention with some interesting moves.

The whole purpose of bartending is to serve the customer whilst entertaining them as well. This is not a skill that is apt for everyone, and there are many people who just cannot seem to get it right. It takes subtlety and guile, which unfortunately is not as common as it seems. The elementary bartending lessons teach one how to captivate the customer, and not mess up the requested drink at the same time.

The first requirement for learning the basics of bartending, is in-depth knowledge about all the various cocktails that people commonly ask for. The bartender must know what goes in these cocktails, and what proportion they must be mixed in. Everything else is secondary. Here are some more tricks and moves that form an integral part of the basics of bartending, and every aspiring bartender must be an expert at these.

Shaking
Every cocktail that carries a lot of different ingredients requires to be shaken in order to get these ingredients mixed up properly. Bartending basics begin with teaching bartenders how to shake these cocktails in the right manner. Mixing the right amount of ice is also vitally important.

Straining
Right after shaking the cocktail, it is straining it that becomes important. Carrying this out in the right manner and ensuring that there are no floating pieces of ice is essential. Basics of bartending that deal with straining take some time to master, as there are many different types of strainers that can be made use of.

Stirring
The next part is stirring, and many bartenders tend to mess up a drink by stirring it in the wrong manner. At each step, condensation is taking place on the glass, and it is the stirring that removes the effects of this condensation. Stirring the right way also helps prevent extreme dilution of the drink.

Layering
This is important for cocktails that require multiple liqueurs as their ingredients. The bartender must know the weights of each ingredient and must also know how to pour the ingredients down in the right manner, so as to make it float above the heavier ones. This is a part of the basics that takes the most time to master.

Flaming
Some liqueurs have their flavor enhanced by setting a flame on the surface of the drink. This is something that must be handled with caution, and it is necessary to carry it out in the right manner. The basics teach bartenders around the world which liqueurs taste better after being set alight.

As mentioned before, it is crucial for every bartender to know the exact ingredients that go into each cocktail. He cannot sit with a book of beverages and drink recipes in front of him and then refer to it at the bar. This knowledge about various cocktail recipes can only be gained by studying the most popular cocktails that people would usually opt for. Learning it is not as easy as it sounds, and there are many things that an aspiring bartender must familiarize himself with.

Some bartenders like to entertain the customer by flipping the bottles and tossing them up in the air. This is known as flair bartending, and it should only be practiced by seasoned and experienced bartenders. There is a very high probability that the bottle will just fall and break, and this leaves no one impressed. A lot of practice must go into this before it is actually implemented.

Bartending basics can be taught to just about anybody with a keen interest in it. It is a very hobby or career choice, and the best bartenders will always be in high demand. If this hobby interests you, you must read all you can on the subject, before actually trying it for yourself.