Bar tending help please?

Question

I really want to bar tend during college. I was wonder two things:

1. Do I need a license to do so? (It's Wisconsin)

2. Is there a site with drink names and contents or anything so I can learn the lingo?

Thanks!

Answer 1

yes you need a licens and you need to learn the lingo

fo sho

Answer 2

You are allowed to serve alcohol at 18 years of age...but you just can't drink it!  I attended ABC bartending ($600), and I would recommend it to anyone looking into trying the profession.  (I am not a representative of the company.)  Bartending school is for anyone, with or without a GED/Diploma/drivers license, etc.  It is good to go because they will teach you the RIGHT way to make a cocktail, and not just some way another person may do it.  

Unfortunately when you go out into the field you will come across MANY people who believe they know what goes in everything!  You'll never see a Mai Tai made the same way twice!  LOL!  As far as names go, you'll get the hang of it as you go.  Know the basics!  It is easier to sort out brands via type of alcohol than to memorize a list.  The higher the advertisement on a product the more you are going to hear it ie Capt Morgan, Jack Daniels, Skyy, Smirnoff, etc.

Just to clarify when it comes to scotch, bourbon, and whiskey.  You will see all those labels having "whiskey" after the name, as in Bourbon Whiskey, Scotch Whiskey, and then just regular whiskey.  Just go by the first name.  If someone asks for Bourbon...grab the bourbon (bourbon-whiskey) bottle!  Hope I didn't confuse you.

Scotch is a pain in the ***.  There are many kinds.  Malt, blended, etc.  Don't get too crazy trying to memorize those unless you absolutely want to.  If someone asks (rarely) what blended scotches you have...just check the bottles. Same goes for whiskey.  Canadian, sour mash, blah blah blah.  Just look, unless you want to memorize.

Names!  Oh this is the fun part!  You will learn silly names for a lot of popular drinks and shots!  Like Kamikaze for example.  They will relate to it by giving you the 3 ingradients:  Vodka, Triple Sec, Lime Juice.  Now grab the first letter off of each ingedient...V-T-L.  Now make a cute sentence relating to the shot.  V=Very T=Turbulent L=Landing.  Very Turbulent Landing.  Vodka Triple (Sec) Lime.  You see the pattern?  Plus the sentence correlates to the cocktail!  What has a very turbulent landing?  A Kamikaze!  Same goes for a Lemon Drop.  Vodka, Triple Sec, Sour.  Now the sentence. VTS=Very Tart Shot! V=Very (Vodka) T=Tart (Triple Sec) S=Shot (Sour)!

I would suggest navigating online to get the feel of a few cocktails out there, but do not swear to them as gospel.  Do not feel overwhelmed when learning everything because 90+% of EVERYTHING YOU WILL MAKE IS TOLD TO YOU!  Jack & Coke, Vodka & Water, Ammaretto Sour (which is just ammaretto and sour mix shaken), and so on.  Shots come and go, so memorizing ever single one if futile, especially when some uneducated people make them differently.  Depending on where you are in the US, the names change too!  A Cape Codder is just a Vodka/Cranberry in Florida...but you'll never hear anyone call it that.

So now that I have written you a novel...I hope this helps!  Good luck, and I strongly suggest taking the course.  It sets you up right!

Answer 3

I live in Michigan, and here you don't need a license, you just have to be of age.  I know you said wisconsin, but I don't think you need on in any state.  Or at least I have never heard of needing it.

Try these sites:

(one is amazon, there are a ton of book available that bars normally keep on hand too)

Answer 4

LINGO LINGO HERE!

http://www.miss-charming.com/bartender/l...

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment...

Might want to learn some bar jokes too.

Answer 5

you can go to drinksmixer.com for recipes for mixed drinks and cocktails.

Answer 6

You will need a license, but usually the bar will pay for it. Here's a good website:

http://www.webtender.com/