Wonderful Ways to Improve Your Bartending Skills
Exceptional bartending is one skill that can take your bar or restaurant from good to great. Like any skill, however, bartending requires practice. Great bartending can significantly increase customer satisfaction and lead to an increase in overall sales. Below are a few great ways to improve your bartending skills and to help you create a more well-rounded dining experience for your guests.
Upgrade your tools
As the saying goes, “A man is only as good as his tools.” The same holds true for bartenders. Low-quality equipment will yield low-quality drinks, resulting in decreased customer satisfaction. Upgrading your arsenal with higher-quality bartending tools will show your customers that you truly care about crafting excellent drinks. Additionally, more complex drinks may require very specific tools. Stocking your bar with high-quality tools will ensure an obscure recipe never catches you off guard. When you have the proper tools, you’ll be able to fulfill each request perfectly and wow your guests every time.
Hone your memory
Memorization plays a large part in exceptional bartending. Referring to a recipe every time you make a drink will slow down service significantly and lead to a decrease in customer satisfaction. Honing your memory will enable you to effortlessly craft cocktails without needing to reference a recipe book. Improving your memory can also help you form a connection with guests. As you improve your memory, you’ll be able to recognize regular customers faster and provide them their usual drink with improved speed and accuracy. Recalling the names and drink preferences of regular customers will help you forge a more personal connection with them. This will solidify customer loyalty, increase their overall satisfaction, and even lead to a few more dollars in tips each night.
Perfect presentation
Style is equally as important as taste when it comes to crafting cocktails. As such, it’s important that you take some time and practice your presentation. The overall aesthetic of a drink can have a surprising perceived impact on its taste, after all. Brushing up on your presentation skills will not only delight diners from a visual perspective, but also give you the opportunity to showcase a bit of your personality and style. This can help set you apart from the competition and give you a bit of an edge over other bars and restaurants in the area.
Study up
One of the best ways to improve your bartending skills is to simply hit the books. There are plenty of popular drinks currently on the market, with new fan favorites debuting all the time. Studying common bartending lingo and brushing up on the latest drink crazes will help you deliver exceptional service to your customers every time. Set your sights on learning at least one new drink every day. This may seem like a daunting task, but within a month or so, you’ll be able to flawlessly produce an entire menu of new and fantastic drinks. After a few weeks of religiously studying and practicing classic drink recipes, you may even be able to start creating your own signature cocktails.
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