I Think The Alcohol Made You Forget Your Age

I have been saving this story for you ALL week!

Let me start off with a small preface: I work at a bar that only has a 1:30 a.m. Missouri state liquor license. What this means is Monday through Saturday we can be up until 1:30 in the morning, and Sunday's we are only allowed, by law, to stay open until midnight: http://atc.dps.mo.gov/licensing/by_drink.php

Story Time:
An older woman, and three older men sat down at the far end of the bar at about 10:00 p.m. As usual at this time, I begin my spiel of, "I'm sorry, we are a 1:30 bar Monday through Saturday, but on Sundays we have to close, by law, just like the liquor stores, by midnight. I just wanted to give you a heads up, as we will have to do last call by the latest at 11:30 p.m. and everyone has to be out the door by 11:50 p.m" They understood, so they seemed. By 11:00 p.m. two of the gentlemen had left, leaving the older man and woman at the bar together. At this time she started crying to the older gentleman about something that happened to her when she was eighteen years old!! At 11:30 p.m. I did last call, and the older gentleman had the audacity to ask my other bartender to brew him a fresh pot of coffee to make him an Irish coffee. We instructed the gentleman that it would be a minute before the entire pot of coffee would be done brewing and that he had done last call already. He started to throw a fit, we then told him he wouldn't be able to drink it fast enough before they had to leave due to bar closing, he thought otherwise and continued to throw a fit. As this had already ruffled our feathers for the evening,  with much clean up work still ahead of us, at 11:45 p.m. I asked everyone to finish up their drinks and head to the door and that it was bar closing time. These two were not the only 2 people in the bar, there were three other gentlemen in the bar at the other end.

The older woman then informed me, I had no right to kick her out and that I just hated my job in which I would find a new one. I informed her that she was not being singled out, as everyone had to leave the bar, and that it was the law within our liquor license that we must close at midnight on Sundays. She continued out the door and yelled "BLAH. BLAH. BLAH. BLAH." to me while holding my bar door open. 

Thought's in my head: Excuse me hold old are you!? 60 or 5!? Get your life together for peed-sakes. First your crying over something that happened when you were 18 years old and now you are talking to me like a freshly 21 year old drunk girl, if not a toddler!? Mind Blown.

Things Bartenders Want You To Stop Doing

BuzzFeedYellow makes many of my favorite video's portraying how customers truly act. And I can usually identify to them all.

If you are wondering how a bartender would prefer to not to act, enjoy this film by #BuzzFeedYellow! Yes people really doing these things, ALL THE TIME....(no joke)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umzZgTBUgsQ

KC Royals Game 5 of ALCS

On your phone inside a bar & lack of manners

Scenario:

Older lady, by herself, sit down at a table alone that sits SIX people, during game 5 for the royals ALCS game. My bar is seat yourself, but we try to ensure room for everyone, especially during big events. 

Myself (manager): Approach her after she gets off her cell phone and politely ask if she has more people joining her?
Lady: Yes, 3 to 5 more
Myself: Great, I will get you additional menus and your serv... *cut off*
Lady: Looking at the draft handles *after interrupting* I'll have a corona light and a menu
Myself: *baffled by ones rudeness* continue to finish my sentence: YOUR SERVER will be 'jane doe', I will grab you extra menu for your party and get that corona light started for you and 'jane doe' will be right over to help you.

*Server delivers beer and menus*

Lady: *Uses her finger to wave me over* !?
Myself: Is there something that I can do for you?
Lady: Yes, what is this? Did you pour this beer, I didn't see you...
Myself: *baffled again* (thinking: YOU WERE ON YOUR PHONE!!) Yes ma'am, it is Corona Light, and I did pour it for you, right out of the draft system at the bar, is something wrong with it
Lady: Oh ok, no, I just didn't see you pour it.

What did we learn?
1. Do not be on your phone (phone calls) while inside a bar. People are waiting on you, and it's just rude in general.
2. Do not interrupt your server, or anyone ever for that manner.
3. Do not wave someone down, ever, let alone your server, who was just at your table
4. Do not question someone's intelligence to meet your request
5. If you have to see every drink made for you, 1. don't sit at a table, or 2. just don't go out.

*All and all be respectful and have manners where ever you go, we're all adults* 

10 Popular Myths about Bartenders

10 Popular Myths about Bartenders 

To Start this off, I thought I would share with you 10 Popular Myths about Bartenders, with the help of thoughtcatolog.com These are 10 myths that bartenders most typically run across, while I agree with all of them, I am also going to put it into perspective from myself. Enjoy!

1. We are just biding time until we get a “real job”. While this might be true that some of us, yes are going to school to do something different; this is in fact a "real job." We probably work harder than most of you with "real jobs," starting with our 10 to 12 hour shifts. And since we do work for our tips and it is our source of income, our hard work usually ends up paying off (literally) better than you 40 hour work week salary behind a desk. And for the rest of us this is already a "real job!" Some of us love it, are good at it, and want to make it (if not already have) our career, its called being an entrepreneur!
2. We sleep until noon. Yes, I have always love sleeping in. No we are not wasting away our day, as our day usually starts when yours ends. Do you say the same thing to night nurses? No. But for many of us, it's a routine clock to wake up and get things done, much before noon.
3. We’re all alcoholics. Yes, we have access to A LOT of alcohol, but we are not like "normal people" (as you'd call yourselves.) We drink for taste, and to finally relax. Not as many Friday and Saturday go-ers whose end goal is to get completely obliterated, and generally cannot stand or even talk.  We actually know our body's tolerance level and many should figure theirs out as well. Yes, we get drunk from time to time, but many of times I am serving the alcoholics. 
4. We’re uneducated. This is my favorite. Many of times we are far more educated than one would think with degrees in business. But guess what, when your used to working hard for your money and getting paid for the hard work, it's hard to apply that hard-work for a pay cut because you went to school for an under paying job in comparison to tending bar. 
5. “You must get hit on all the time”. Speaking for myself, No. But if one thinks that that line is the way to hit on us, it also doesn't work. They only ones that really try, and it obviously hasn't worked their entire life, are the filthy old men. And even if you do hit on us, it's not going to get you a free drink, but hey, its worth a 'shot.'
6. We went to bartending school. Only if you are completely uneducated on the industry itself. This is not an industry that a school or any class can teach you, it is an acquired trade. You learn hands on, when you are given the opportunity. Yes, you start from the bottom, but so does everyone else! Bartending school does exist, for those willing to throw away money, and those who are very gullible. If you apply for a bartending position with zero experience behind the bar, but you went to bartending school, chances are your application will get tossed, or the manager will laugh in your face. 
7. We actually like you. "Your fun, friendly bartender is at work. She's there to make money. I know it feels like you’re all just hanging out but you aren’t – She’s sweating and running around while you sit and relax. So if they throw you a free drink, it’s not purely out of love and goodwill which means that you need to throw back a tip. If you don’t, you’ll quickly learn how much it sucks when the bartender *doesn’t* like you." -Quoted directly from thoughtcatalog. com because it is 100% true for myself as well!
8. We want to get you wasted. "Drunk people are the worst people to deal with, especially when money is changing hands. I understand that, under my watch, people are gonna get there but it’s most definitely not the singular goal. Trying to manage a bar full of drunks is something that I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. Additionally, there is liability – I don’t know what you do when you leave my bar. If you get in a car and kill someone (or yourself) drunk driving, that’s on us, legally and spiritually. A good bartender pays attention to intake and subtly tries to help you pace yourself. We aren’t that hard up to squeeze every dollar out of you, that we’d risk your life over it." - Another 100% true statement, quoted from thoughtcatalog.com
9. That we’re gonna “make it a good one”. Ok, so I'll make sure to not forget this memorized recipe. Oh, you wanted it 'strong?' Sorry, you didn't order a DOUBLE. This one is absolutely hated by all bartenders, why? Because, it is typically an arrogant way of saying you want something for free and your not going to tip regardless.' NO. I make a living off of tips for one, and two, it's called stealing and I would never get another bartending job in the city again, because some stranger wanted me to "make it a good one." 
10. We have a “favorite drink to make”. My favorite drink it my own for a reason. I am 80% sure that we do not have the same taste palettes. Nor do I want to sit next to your for the next 30 minutes telling you want I like and is my favorite, for you to continuously tell me no. If you are coming to a bar to drink, you should know what you like; if not a specific drink, at least the tastes and ingredients that you prefer so that they stand out to you on a menu.