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Most regard bartending as a fun, social role, but it’s also a pivotal responsibility in any restaurant or hospitality establishment.
Bartenders must be as responsible as they are outgoing. After all, bartenders are often at the forefront of an establishment facilitating the customer experience.
Consider the tools and best practices every bartender should know before shaking their first cocktail:
Current Mandates & Regulations
As regulations around the sale and service of alcohol continue to increase for added safety, security and accountability of establishments, bartenders need to be aware of any mandates that may impact their ability to serve.
In California, any alcohol server strictly serving cocktails must be over 21. However, an employee working in an area designated for food service must be at least 18 years of age to serve alcohol (but not pour). Additionally, it is illegal to serve alcohol in California between 2:00 am, and 6:00 am. Violators of this law who serve alcohol during prohibited hours could be fined $1,000.00 and spend up to 6 months in prison.
Upcoming Mandates & Regulations
It’s equally essential for bartenders to know of upcoming regulations, as they will need to plan for any future mandates to be put in place.
In California, for example, all alcohol servers and their managers will be required to obtain a Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) certification. This mandate is being enforced by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control under the Responsible Beverage Service Training Act.
Individuals will need to go through a training program to prepare themselves for testing to earn this certification. The Userve RBS training program, for one, is designed to help bartenders and alcohol servers educate themselves on the best practices for serving alcohol. Userve’s program is cost-effective and easy to use, making it a great tool to help any individual looking to get RBS certified.
Etiquette & Communication
Bartending etiquette means being attentive and social. Some of a customer’s most meaningful conversations in an establishment will be with the bartender. If there is one thing that customers like to talk about, it’s themselves. If you can keep them talking, they will continue to have a great time. Holding a conversation will also allow you to better surveil customers.
Responsibility
As servers of alcoholic beverages, Bartenders and other alcohol servers have a responsibility to mitigate alcohol-related harm on the premises.
Bartending can be a very social and fun job, but bartenders must be aware of excessive consumption and how easy it can be for a customer’s BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) to increase.
A bartender must be aware of their responsibility to serve alcohol safely and should have the tools to ensure a professional level of service.
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