UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

 

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What is meant by well, call, and premium?
This refers to the quality and/or price level of spirits you offer at your bar. Everything in life has levels. With automobiles, it’s compact, midsize, luxury, and dream on. Behind the bar, the vodka that you keep in your speed rail is the well vodka. Next, Smirnoff will probably be the call vodka then Absolut for a premium vodka and Ketel One for ultra-premium vodka. (Just so you know, there wasn’t an Ultra Premium category until the Chopin and Greygoose type boutique vodkas hit the market in the late 1990s).

What does the term "neat" mean?
A spirit poured and served at room temperature straight from the bottle. 

What does the term "straight up" mean?
Chilled in a shaker tin or stirred in a mixing glass then strained. The term "up" is short for straight up.

What is meant by last call?
A term said in a bar at the end of the

night to let guests know that it’s time

to order the last drink because

the bar will be closing.

 

 

Who is this and what cocktail did he invent?

Henry "Carl" Ramos. He invented the

Ramos Gin Fizz in New Orleans in 1888

at his bar The Imperial Cabinet.

 

What is POS?
Point Of Sale. The computer system used to make transactions.

 

What does it mean to "build" a drink?
Fill a glass with ingredients and that's it.  No shaking, stirring, no rolling, just build.

What does "on the rocks" mean?
Over ice.

What is the "well" area behind the bar?
Your well is the workstation where you make drinks. It contains your ice well, speed rail, mixers, bar mats, tools, etc. Most of everything you need should be no more than one step away from the well.

What is a speed rail?
It’s a long stainless steel shelf about the height of your knees that holds the most commonly used well liquors in your well. It’s usually connected to the ice well.

If a guest orders a Scotch on the rocks with a "water back" what do they want? 
They want a Scotch over ice in one glass and a short glass of water with ice in another glass. It’s usually set about an inch back from the drink. 

At the end of a bar shift, what bottles are generally always cleaned and why?
Your well bottles are cleaned because they’ve been used the most and are sticky. 

What are the benefits of bar mats and glass mats?
Bar Mats

Bar mat catch little spills as you make drinks.

Glass Mats

Glass mats provide a risen surface to allow airflow for drying. In most states, it's a health code to store glassware without airflow.

What does it mean when someone calls a drink?
To call is to say the brand of spirit when ordering. Example is, "Can I have a Bacardi & Coke?" They called their rum and it was Bacardi.

 

 

In bars where drink orders are verbally given to bartenders by servers or cocktail servers, what does calling order mean?
A calling order is a way a server should call out their drinks to a bartender.

Wrong way: I need a Coke, Bud, Screwdriver, Piña Colada, Corona, and a Sprite

Right way: They need to group their orders and call out the Piña Colada first because it takes longer than the others. So the calling order for this order would be, Piña Colada, Screwdriver, Bud, C

 

What is a nickname for cocktail napkins?

Bev naps.

 

What bar is this and where it located?

The Carousel Bar located in The

Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans.

The bar stools on carousel the

move and it takes 15 minutes to

make a full revolution.

 

What are the first three things you should do when greeting a guest? 
Good eye contact, nice smile, and then place a cocktail napkin in front of them.

What does a cocktail napkin in front of a guest indicate?
They’ve been acknowledged. If a manager or co-worker sees a bev nap in front of a guest then they know they have been attended to. 

What does it mean to be "in the weeds"?
You’re very busy and you don’t have time to even keep your stock up, keep up with your tabs, etc. You just feel like you can never catch up to what is being demanded of you.

Explain the purpose and use of a lemon twist.
A lemon twist is a piece of lemon rind. You twist it to release the lemon oil onto a cocktail. Many will also lightly rub the glass rim with the twist as well. If you look close, you can see the oil release when you twist. You can also smell it. And it will also flame if you want.

What does it mean to be slammed?
Very busy. When you’re slammed, you’re generally stocked up and just work like a machine pumping out cocktails and everything else it takes to be a bartender. When you’re stock runs out and you get behind then it turns into in the weeds.

 

What was this period of time called?

It was the Gin Craze of the early 1700s in

Great Britain. The over consumption of

gin almost destroyed an entire nation.

The etching to the right is called

Gin Lane. 

 

 

What does it mean to burn the ice?
Melt the ice in the ice well.

What is added to a beer to make a Red Beer?
Tomato juice.

What color and flavor is Galliano (gah-lee-AH-no)?
This anise-vanilla flavored liqueur is yellow.

What are other names for carbonated water?
Club soda, soda water, and seltzer water.

What are shorter names for a Long Island Iced Tea? 
Long Island Tea, Long Island, and LIT (el-eye-tee).

What’s the difference between a Long Island Iced Tea and a Long Beach Tea?
A Long Beach Tea has cranberry juice in place of cola.

What is the back bar?
The back of the bar. This is where you find many liquor bottles displayed.

What is Shoes For Crews? 
Shoes For Crews is famous for making slip-resistant shoes for people working in the hospitality industry. 

What is a Black & Tan?
Dark beer layered on top of ale. Guinness and Bass are the common two beers used.

What are the three ingredients in a Piña Colada?
Rum, pineapple juice, and coconut cream.

What flavor and color is Chambord? 
Burgundy colored black raspberry.

What flavor and color is Midori? 
It’s vibrant green honeydew melon liqueur.

What is Stolichnaya? 
It’s Russian vodka and is called Stoli for short.

What type of salt is used for Margaritas? 
Kosher salt.

What is a service bar?
The bar where servers get their drinks. Sometimes the bars are not visible to the public.
What is the difference between Smirnoff Ice and a beer? 
Both Smirnoff Ice and beer are brewed and have about the same alcohol content. However, Smirnoff Ice is brewed using a malt base.
How can you keep a cork from drying out while in a bottle of wine?
The proper storage for wine is on its side so that the wine touches the cork and doesn’t dry it out.

What is a toast?
A toast is a short speech given in honor of someone. After the speech, everyone raises an alcoholic drink (it can be non-alcoholic too), clink their glasses together and drink to that person or persons. Speak, lift, clink, and drink.
What does two-top mean?
Two guests at a table. Three-top means three guests at a table and so on.

What is a spill sheet?
A sheet kept behind the bar so when a mistake is made, spilt, or a bottle is broken, etc. the alcohol is written on the spill sheet. It’s needed so the manager can add it to the inventory.

What is a comp sheet?
A list of drinks that have been comped (given away). Some bars allow you a couple comps a night so make regulars happy. You just have to write it down for inventory purposes.

What is a tab?
An ongoing bill for a guest during their visit at the bar. Usually a credit card is given to hold the tab open.

What amount is considered a proper serving of port or sherry?
2 1/2- 3 ounces.

What # does a Visa credit card start with?
Four.

What # does a MasterCard start with?
Five.

What # does an American Express card start with?
Three.

What does the term "top off" mean?
To put a little more what something on the top of a drink. 

What is meant when you say "top shelf"?
Top shelf refers to high-quality premium spirits that are usually up on the top shelf of the back bar. They generally cost more.

What is Happy Hour?
In modern times, it normally means the hours between 5-7 after a normal workday, but also means the time when drinks are at a discount. Some states don’t have happy hour.

What liqueur is used a Rusty Nail?
Drambuie.

What is a Rusty Nail? 
Scotch and Drambuie on the rocks.
What does the term Presbyterian mean?
It means that the mixer is half ginger ale and half soda water. It’s called press for short as in, "Can I have a Bourbon Press?"

What is breakage?
Your empty bottles at the end of the night. Some places require you to actually break the empty bottles. Even if you don’t break them, they are still called breakage.

What is simple syrup?
Equal parts sugar and water. Heat the water and add the sugar then stir until melted.

How do you make homemade sweet-n-sour mix?
Mix simple syrup, water, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. To make Margarita mix substitute the lemon for lime.

Basically, if you add a splash of cranberry juice to a KamiKaze then what popular drink have you created?
Cosmopolitan.

What does "hair of the dog" mean?
When you have a hangover it’s said that you should have a drink of what you had the night before to feel better. It’s called Hair of the Dog.

When working behind the bar, what do you softly announce to another bartender when you step behind them?
You say, "behind" or "behind you".

What’s the difference between a Piña Colada and a Chi Chi?
A Piña Colada is made with rum and a Chi Chi is a Piña Colada with vodka. 

What is Dewar’s? 
Blended Scotch whisky.

What does it mean to muddle?
To crush ingredients with a thick stick called a muddler. 

About how many glasses of wine should you get out of a wine bottle?
4-5 depending on your pour. There are around 25 ounces in a bottle so if you pour around 6 ounces per glass then you’ll get 4 glasses.
What country is Finlandia vodka produced? 
Finland.

Name a few things you might find in a bartenders pocket.
Wine tool, bottle opener, lighter, cigar cutter, cell phone, magic trick, or mints. 

What is and always will be considered a real Martini?
Gin and dry vermouth. 

If you replace the olives in a Martini with cocktail onions, what drink have you made? 
Gibson.

What garnish is a flag?
A cherry speared orange slice.
When someone says "on the fly" what do they mean?
I need it now.

What does the term "on the house" mean? 
It means that the house/bar is buying.

What’s a station?
A station is a section of a bar or restaurant that a server, cocktail server, or sometimes bartender is assigned to work. 

What does D.U.I. stand for? 
Driving Under the Influence 

What does D.W.I stand for? 
Driving While Intoxicated.

What is Absolut and where is it produced? 
A vodka produced in Sweden.

What is the most popular amaretto and where is it produced? 
Amaretto di Disaronno (dee-sa-ROW-no) from Saronno, Italy. It comes in a clear square bottle with a large square screw top and has an almond flavor.

What is Grand Marnier (marn-YAY)? 
It’s an orange Cognac-based liqueur from France. 

What is Perrier (pair-ee-A)? 
French sparkling bottled water. They say Julius Caesar drank from the spring from which Perrier is taken in 58 B.C. 

How do you serve Perrier? 
Perrier should be served cold without ice preferably with a wine glass and a slice of lime on the rim of the glass. 

Why is word Curaçao (KUR-uh-sow, rhymes with cow) capitalized? 
Because it’s a place in the Caribbean called the
Netherland Antilles (Dutch West Indies), which is off the coast of Venezuela.

What is a jigger used for?
To measure spirits or other liquids.

Name two types of shaking tins and what are their main differences?
Boston and cobbler. Boston is two pieces and a cobbler has three.

What is a strainer?
A strainer allows you to shake a drink then strain it into a glass without the ice falling into the glass A Hawthorne strainer has a metal coil on it and is used for a shaker tin. A julep strainer is used for the mixing glass. 

What is the famous line in the 1942 film Casablanca that mentions gin? 
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she had to walk into mine. 
What does it mean to free pour?
To pour freely from the bottle not use a measuring device.

How do you count a free pour?
When you free pour you count in your head to measure the spirit you are pouring. Generally, a one-count is 1/4 ounce, two-count is a 1/2 ounce and so on. 

What flavor is Rumple Minze (ROOM-pull)?
Peppermint.

What is a cover charge?
A fee paid to get into an establishment.
 

What does "cut off" mean?
You can no longer be served any more alcohol. You’ve been cut off.

The money in your cash drawer is called what? 
Your bank.

What does "86'd" mean?
It can mean you are out of stock of an item and also a slang term for when a guest is banned from coming in the establishment.

At the end of a shift, what is typically poured down the beer drains?
Hot water. A lot of bars will pour the leftover hot coffee down the beer drains as well.

What flavor is Goldschlager?
Cinammon. It is clear with gold flake floating in it.

If glass is broken in or around the ice well what are the immediate steps a bartender should take?
If you are working another bartender you need to let co-workers know that you need to burn the well, so they don't use the ice. I've seen some busy bars throw a bar towel on the ice and make an "X" with grenadine as well. The next step is to get a bucket of ice work from and get the bar back to burn the ice. Inspect for glass shards and remove then replace the ice.

Glass is clear and ice is clear. One little shard in someone’s drink can mean a lawsuit.

What is a reading?
A reading is print out of your sales and transactions from your shift. 

What is the garnish for a Manhattan?
Cherry.

What ingredients are in  a Manhattan?
Rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters.

What is the Scottish cousin of the Manhattan? 
Rob Roy. It uses Scotch whisky.

 

What does the cocktail term "perfect" mean?
To use half sweet and half dry vermouth. Example, "Can I get a perfect Manahttan?"

What is the garnish for a Gin & Tonic?
Lime wedge.

What is in a Seabreeze?
Vodka, grapefruit juice and cranberry juice with a lime garnish.

What is in a Baybreeze?
Vodka, pineapple juice and cranberry juice.

What’s another name for a Baybreeze? 
Hawaiian Seabreeze.

What is the quickest way you can chill a bottle of wine?
Spin the bottle in a bucket of iced water with a little kosher salt. 

What garnish does a snifter of Sambuca get and why?
Three coffee beans for good luck.

What garnish does a Bloody Mary get?
Whatever your bar provides. The Bloody Mary wins for the most garnishes possible such as celery, green olives, scallions, cherry tomatoes, jumbo cocktail shrimp, pickled okra, pickled green beans, pickled asparagus, lime, lemon, pepperoncini pepper, carrot, dill pickle, beef jerky, or oyster on the half shell. Hot sauce, Worcestershire, wasabi, raw horseradish, beef bouillon, chili powder, white pepper, bitters, a splash of Guinness...the possibilities are endless.

How do you garnish a Brandy Alexander?
Fresh nutmeg.

What’s the difference between a red wine glass and white wine glass?
Red wine glass bowls are bigger.

What does it mean to rim a glass?
Such as when you put salt on the rim of a Margarita.

What does it mean when a kegs blows?
The keg ran out of beer.

What can you do to the keg handle at the bar to let people know that keg is empty?
Unscrew the tap handle off or place a glass (preferably plastic) on the handle.

What is half & half? 
It’s half cream and half milk. Most people will call it cream like, can I please have a Kahlúa and Cream? Most American bars stock half & half and not heavy cream.

What is the best way to pour cream half & half from the container? 
Open the pouring end then close it back up, turn over and squeeze.

What does it mean to up-sell?
Up-selling is when you suggest a substitute spirit of higher value.
If a guest asks for a Vodka Tonic you could ask, "Would you like me to use your favorite vodka"? 

What is Bushmills? 
Irish whiskey.

Name another popular Irish whiskey found in most American bars. 
Jameson.

What are some questions to ask when a guest requests a Margarita? 
On the rocks? Frozen? Up? With or without salt? Tequila choice?

Name some ways a guest can order a classic Martini.
Rocks, straight up, dirty, dry, extra dry, with a twist, two to one, and in & out.

What does cash out mean?
To do your paperwork and cash out all your money at the end of your shift.

What is a tip pool?
When tips are pooled it means all the money made from everybody is put together then divided evenly.

What is a shift drink?
Some bars allow bartenders one comped drink/shift drink after their shift. 

What is a bar back?
A bar back is a bartender’s helper. They keep the ice bins filled, stock beer, fill juices, dump trash, wash glasses, and anything a bartenders needs.

What is the standard tip from a server to a bartender?
15% of their tips. However some tip up to 20% for excellent service.

What is the difference between limejuice cordial and fresh squeezed lime juice?
Fresh squeezed lime juice is just that, juice from a lime. Lime cordial is a sweetened limejuice like Rose’s brand.

What is a standard tip out from a bartender to a bar back? 
15%-20% of their tips. 

What is a napkin caddy?
It holds the napkins.

Crème de menthe comes in two types, what are they? 
Green crème de menthe and white crème de menthe (clear). Both taste like mint.

Crème de cacao (ka-KOW, ka KOW) comes in two types, what are they? 
Dark crème de cacao (brown) and white crème de cacao (clear). Both taste like chocolate.

What order would you pour the ingredients in a shot glass when making a B-52? 
Kahlúa, Baileys, then Grand Marnier. Some bars will use other coffee and Irish cream liqueur brands as well.

What is the bitters that most every bar carries? 
Angostura (ang-uh-STOOR-ah) bitters.

What’s in a Screwdriver?
Vodka and orange juice.

If you add Galliano on top of a Screwdriver then what is it called?
Harvey Wallbanger.

If you add cranberry juice to a Screwdriver, what drink have you made?
Madras (MAD-dress).

If you take away the orange juice in a Madras then what drink do you have?

Vodka Cranberry.

 

If you add a lime wedge to a Vodka Cranberry then what drink do you have?

Cape Codder. Cape Cod for short.

If you replace the vodka in a Screwdriver with peach schnapps, what drink have you made?
Fuzzy Navel.

What is a vodka and grapefruit juice called?
Greyhound.

What is it called if you add salt on the rim of a vodka and grapefruit juice?
Salty Dog.

If you add cranberry juice to a Greyhound then what drink have you made?
Seabreeze.

If you add peach schnapps to a Vodka Cranberry, then what drink have you made?
Woo Woo.

If you add orange juice to a Woo Woo then what drink have you made?
Sex on the Beach.

Tequila, orange juice, and grenadine makes what drink?
Tequila Sunrise.

What is grenadine? 
A lot of people think that it’s non-alcoholic cherry flavored syrup, but it’s supposed to be pomegranate syrup.

What is a Tom Collins?
Gin, sour mix, and soda water.


Name six drinks that have glassware named after them. 
Collins, Hurricane, Old Fashioned, Wine, Margarita, and Irish coffee.

What drink is made with coffee liqueur and vodka?
Black Russian.

What drink has coffee liqueur, vodka, and cream?
White Russian.

What is the most popular coffee liqueur brand?
Kahlúa.

What is the bartender's name on the TV show The Simpson’s? 
Moe. 

A White Russian served in a tall glass and topped with coke is called what? 
Colorado Bulldog. 

A White Russian with Irish cream added is called what?
Mudslide.

Name three ways a Mudslide can be served.
Frozen/blended, on the rocks, and up.

Name the most popular Irish cream brand.
Bailey’s Irish Cream.

Coffee liqueur and cream is called what? 
A Sombrero. You generally serve it on the rocks pouring the coffee liqueur in first then layer the cream (half & half) on top. You do not mix it. If they want it mixed then a guest will ask for a Kahlúa & Cream.

What 1980s drink has coffee liqueur, amaretto, and cream? 
Toasted Almond.

What drink have you made if you add vodka to a Toasted Almond? 
Roasted Almond.

If you needed to make a drink that had a nutty flavor what liqueur would be your first choice? 
Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur.

What is rum made from?
Sugarcane or molasses.

Name the famous Jamaican dark rum. 
Myers's Original Dark Jamaican Rum. 

What is a railroad list?
A railroad is a list of cleaning duties divided up by each day and each shift. When you work you look at the railroad to see what you are supposed to clean that day. This way the bar’s icky parts get cleaned at least once a week. Sometimes sections of the bar can be divided up by each bartender and rotated monthly.

If you have a 3-sink glasswashing system, what solution is used in the 3rd glass-washing? 
Sanitizer.

If you have a 3-sink glasswashing system, what solution is used in the 2nd glass-washing? 

None. It should be plain water.

If you have a 3-sink glasswashing system, what solution is used in the 1st glass-washing? 

Soap/detergent.

A splash means a splash of what on top of a drink unless otherwise instructed?
Water.

What does float mean? 
Float means to gently pour/float a liquor or liqueur on top of a drink.

What is a mist? 
It means that it is served over crushed ice. 

What’s a Mimosa?
Champagne and orange juice.

What’s an older name for a Mimosa? 
Bucks Fizz.

If Southern Comfort is added to a the 1980s drink Sloe Screw then what drink have you made? 
Sloe Comfortable Screw.

Galliano added to the top of a Sloe Comfortable Screw makes what? 
Sloe Comfortable Screw Against the Wall.

How can you tell if your citrus juice behind the bar is spoiled?
It starts to foam and it smells bad.

If two guests come to the bar and one orders a White Wine Cooler and the other orders a White Wine Spritzer what would you give them?
Both have white wine. You’d add soda water to make the Spritzer and sprite or 7 up to make the Cooler.

What drink did James Bond 007 immortalize? 
Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred.

What are the basic ingredients of a Margarita? 
Tequila, orange liqueur (triple sec), and lime juice.

What is a Golden Margarita?
A margarita made with gold tequila.

What is a Golden Grand Margarita?
A margarita made with gold tequila and Grand Marnier.

What is a Top Shelf Margarita?
A margarita made with the top shelf spirits.

Does a Strawberry Margarita get salt on the rim?
No, but if a guest wants it then yes. Some ask for sugar.

What’s in a Kamikaze?
Vodka, triple sec, and lime juice. Old school bartenders use Rose’s sweetened limejuice. It’s usually made straight up as a shooter, but can also be ordered on the rocks.

What's a Jäger Bomb?
A shot of Jägermeister dropped into a Red Bull energy drink.

What's in a 1900s Redheaded Slut shooter? 
Jägermeister, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice.

What's in a 1990s Red Snapper shooter? 
Crown Royal, amaretto, cranberry juice. 

What's a Miami Vice?
Half Piña Colada and half Strawberry Daiquiri layered on top of each other. Some bartenders pour them side by side and busy bars will pour the strawberry mix in the bottom of the glass then pour in the Pîna Colada mix making the red gush up the sides. 

 

What does it mean to layer? 
Alcohol is different weights so they can be layered on top of one another creating layers.