Pappy Takes a Bartending Course - Tiki Drinks and Food

J jpmartdog Tiki Socialite Amesbury, Mass Joined: Mar 27, 2005 Posts: 650	J jpmartdog Posted posted on Thu, Jul 26, 2007 4:29 PM I was a bartender for most of the 10 years of the '80s, I worked at three establishments in the 10 year span and always two of the "joints" at a time to come up with 7 days work and 9 shifts a week! Bartending in the 80's was just different - the old Mr. Boston Bartenders guide was the bible, but that said... you poured drinks the way your bar manager wanted you to! I worked at a Resort hotel and Restaurant in Hampton Beach NH (The Ashworth/ the Patriot Lounge) Live bands 7 nights a week catering to the 40 to 70 year old crowd. We served all the classics - Martinis, Manhattans, Rob Roys, Old Fashions, Grasshoppers, Golden Cadillacs, Greyhounds (Vodka/Grapefruit) Salty Dogs (Vodka/Grapefruit with a salted Rim - even Blackberry Brandy and Soda. We also made Pina Coladas and Strawberry Daiquiris. We'd pour fast and pour with two bottles in each hand. After hours the bar manager would have us there until the sun started two rise lining up the bar with shot glasses drinking baby stingers and raiding the restaurant walk in for late night snacks. Can't tell you how many nights I'd race home trying to beat the sun up and get a few hours sleep before starting all over again! I also worked at a high end multi room nightclub /Disco - The Palace in Saugus Mass, just down the street from the Kowloon! The entertainment complex had 7 themed rooms, 35 bars and 35 bartenders each night. My shift usually started at 10pm and went till 1pm. Flashing Lights/ booming music and drinks as fast as you could make em - every bartender rang out at least $1000/shift! That's a lot of 3 and 4 dollar drinks in 80's time. Here's the kick at the Palace - management would place spotters at the bar to observe us. Often the manager would bring a new cash drawer to your register, run the tape and take your drawer... if it didn't balance you were relieved on the spot and an auxiliary bartender was waiting in the wings to replace you. Each night the manager would come by with two bottles of water and a shot glass and test your ability to pour an accurate shot - Bottles must be completely inverted vertically in the pour! Tough work, strict standards and a lot of rules! Things are different now - I don't think I could even step behind a bar - with all the new variations and all the new bartender created drinks that sweep the nation in a fast paced trend! Even all the new martini variations - never had em in the 80's - just Martinis's, Vodka Maritinis and Gimlets! I think that's why I love to find a classic Tiki/Polynesian/Chinese "joint" Classic drinks made with classic recipes! Just thought I'd tell you my bartender story! They were the good ole days to me! [ Edited by: jpmartdog 2007-07-26 16:42 ]

I was a bartender for most of the 10 years of the '80s, I worked at three establishments in the 10 year span and always two of the "joints" at a time to come up with 7 days work and 9 shifts a week!
Bartending in the 80's was just different - the old Mr. Boston Bartenders guide was the bible, but that said... you poured drinks the way your bar manager wanted you to!

I worked at a Resort hotel and Restaurant in Hampton Beach NH (The Ashworth/ the Patriot Lounge) Live bands 7 nights a week catering to the 40 to 70 year old crowd. We served all the classics - Martinis, Manhattans, Rob Roys, Old Fashions, Grasshoppers, Golden Cadillacs, Greyhounds (Vodka/Grapefruit) Salty Dogs (Vodka/Grapefruit with a salted Rim - even Blackberry Brandy and Soda. We also made Pina Coladas and Strawberry Daiquiris. We'd pour fast and pour with two bottles in each hand. After hours the bar manager would have us there until the sun started two rise lining up the bar with shot glasses drinking baby stingers and raiding the restaurant walk in for late night snacks. Can't tell you how many nights I'd race home trying to beat the sun up and get a few hours sleep before starting all over again!

I also worked at a high end multi room nightclub /Disco - The Palace in Saugus Mass, just down the street from the Kowloon! The entertainment complex had 7 themed rooms, 35 bars and 35 bartenders each night. My shift usually started at 10pm and went till 1pm. Flashing Lights/ booming music and drinks as fast as you could make em - every bartender rang out at least $1000/shift! That's a lot of 3 and 4 dollar drinks in 80's time. Here's the kick at the Palace - management would place spotters at the bar to observe us. Often the manager would bring a new cash drawer to your register, run the tape and take your drawer... if it didn't balance you were relieved on the spot and an auxiliary bartender was waiting in the wings to replace you. Each night the manager would come by with two bottles of water and a shot glass and test your ability to pour an accurate shot - Bottles must be completely inverted vertically in the pour! Tough work, strict standards and a lot of rules!

Things are different now - I don't think I could even step behind a bar - with all the new variations and all the new bartender created drinks that sweep the nation in a fast paced trend! Even all the new martini variations - never had em in the 80's - just Martinis's, Vodka Maritinis and Gimlets!

I think that's why I love to find a classic Tiki/Polynesian/Chinese "joint" Classic drinks made with classic recipes!

Just thought I'd tell you my bartender story! They were the good ole days to me!

[ Edited by: jpmartdog 2007-07-26 16:42 ]

Post #321397 by jpmartdog on Thu, Jul 26, 2007 4:29 PM