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5 Classic Cocktails Every Bartender Should Know

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Are you new to the field of bartending? Whether you are starting your first part-time bartending gig, or entertaining guests at a cocktail party… If you are reading this, odds are you aren’t an expert.

Like any job, expertise, or skill – you face a “steep learning curve.” The experts in the field have spent years perfecting their craft and you may feel like you are far behind…

The truth is though, you don’t have to be an expert to become a bartender. Also, no one expects you to be a professional mixologist.

Ever heard of the saying “if you know how to read, you know how to cook?” Well, bartending is not that far off.

You see, drinks build off one another behind the bar. By learning just a few drinks, you have the skills needed to learn many more. Daunting cocktails that are “complex” or “upscale” will soon be much easier to grasp.

Learn the following classics and you’re half way there. These are drinks you can count on to get you started as a bartender.

Before you know it, you’ll be running the show. Here are five classic cocktails every bartender should know. It all starts here…

#1 – The Perfect Manhattan

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces Rye Whiskey
  • ½ ounce Sweet Vermouth
  • ½ ounce Dry Vermouth
  • 1 or 2 dashes of angostura bitters (optional)
  • 1 cup of ice cubes
  • Garnish:
    • 1 Maraschino Cherry

Bartender’s Note: A “perfect” Manhattan refers to the equal amounts of sweet & dry vermouth. (as shown in this recipe) A number of people simply enjoy a 2:1 ratio of Whiskey and sweet vermouth. Everyone’s got their own preference.

Preparation:

  • Stir the rye, vermouth and bitters will with cracked ice in mixing glass.
  • (Although some prefer to “shake” their manhattans, stirring is the traditional method)
  • Strain mix into a chilled glass
  • Garnish with maraschino cherry

This video gives you everything you need, along with a bit of history:

#2 – The Classic Martini

Ingredients:

  • ½ ounce Dry Vermouth
  • 2 ½ ounce Gin
  • Garnishes:
    • Olive or
    • Lemon peel twist

Preparation:

  • Pour Vermouth and Gin into a mixing glass filled with ice cubes
  • Stir for 30 seconds
  • Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
  • Garnish with the olive or lemon twist

The above recipe is a happy middle ground in complexity. Again, it’s all about the customers’ preference.

#3 – The Old Fashioned

When it comes to cocktails and whiskey, nothing compares to the Old Fashioned. This classic dates back far before the Martini and Manhattan.

Ingredients:

  • ½ ounce Simple Syrup
    • Substitutes:
      • 1 teaspoon Sugar
      • 1 sugar cube
      • 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
  • 2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 2 ounces Rye Whiskey or Bourbon
  • 1 splash Club Soda or Water (optional)
  • Garnishes:
    • 1 orange or lemon peel and/or
    • 1 maraschino cherry (optional)

Preparation:

  • Pour simple syrup, bitters, a quick splash of water/club-soda, and whiskey into glass
  • * (If using sugar/sugar cubes/brown sugar, crush the sugar with a wooden muddler or strong spoon)
  • Stir crushed sugar and ingredients BEFORE adding ice
  • Add a few large Ice cubes
  • Stir again and serve with garnishes of choice (lemon or orange peel is the traditional route)

#4 – The Margarita

Classic cocktails like the Margarita are irreplaceable. This one’s simple..

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ ounce to 2 ounce Tequila
  • 1 ounce Cointreu or triple sec
  • 1 ounce Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
  • Salt – for garnishing of glass (optional)

Preparation:

  • Combine tequila, cointreu, and squeezed lime juice into cocktail shaker.
  • Fill shaker with ice
  • Shake until thoroughly chilled
  • ** Run lime wedge around the OUTER rim of a serving glass and dip in salt (optional)
  • Fill glass with fresh ice and stain mixture into glass
  • Garnish with lime and serve!

**Bartenders Note:  You can serve this cocktail in three different ways; (1) Straight up – with no ice, (2) on the rocks – as shown in the video, or (3) frozen – with the use of a blender.

#5 – The Tom Collins

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces dry Gin
  • Âľ ounce Simple Syrup
    • Substitutes: 1 teaspoon Sugar
  • Âľ ounce Freshly Squeezed Lemon
  • 1 to 2 splashes Club Soda
  • Tom Collins (tall) glass
  • Ice cubes
  • Garnishes:
    • Orange wedge or
    • Lemon slice

Preparation:

**Bartenders Note: This is a cocktail that can be made IN the serving-glass. If you are using sugar instead of simple syrup, however, we then suggest the “shake and strain” method served in an ice-filled glass. Also, make sure club soda is cold.

  • In the serving glass… combine gin, simple syrup, and squeezed lemon juice
  • Add large ice cubes
  • Finish the mixture with the splashes of Club Soda without any shaking or stirring
  • Garnish with orange and serve!

Give yourself some credit.. You might not know it, but some bartenders cant even make one drink we just talked about.  Knowing these essentials now gives you an incredible advantage entering the workforce as a bartender.

And if you are looking to take your knowledge one step further, we suggest taking an online cocktail making course such as this one.

Cheers!

Bartending Tips For Beginners

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Being new at bartending can be a scary time. With multiple people moving quickly behind a confined space and hundreds of recipes to remember, it can become overwhelming quickly.

It is important to stay calm and keep your eyes open. Try to learn everything you can from the more seasoned bartenders and you will do fine.

Here are some bartending tips for beginners to help you get started:

1. There is always more to do behind the bar

It doesn’t matter if it is your first day as a bartender or you are a seasoned veteran, there is always more to do. If you can’t find anything to do, ask your manager or one of the veterans of the bar what you should be working on.

Pro tip: If there is nothing left to do behind the bar and you work in an establishment that has a kitchen, ask the servers or kitchen staff if there is anything you can do. This will make you a respected and admired employee, making it easier to ask for help when you are overwhelmed.

2. Glass Will Break, Drinks Will Spill

Working in the fast paced environment of bartending, it’s inevitable that a glass will break and drink will spill. The most important thing is to clean it up quickly and efficiently.

It is important to remember is that if a glass breaks you should tell the guest not to try to clean it up themselves

If the glass breaks near the ice well, it is necessary to remove ALL of the ice and replace it with new ice.

3. Keep the Bar Clean

This relates to number 2 above, keep your work area clean.

When the bar gets really busy, it will be easy to fall into the trap of taking shortcuts…

Tossing menus behind the bar, not wiping surfaces, not washing dishes, etc.

It is important to keep clean habits regardless of how busy the bar is. Not only will the bar  be a safer place, but customers will feel better drinking at a clean and tidy bar.

4. Know How to Pour Alcohol

Knowing how to pour properly is a skill that managers and customers alike will love.

Managers will love that you don’t pour too much alcohol, in turn costing them money…

And customers will love that you don’t under-pour their drinks.

Here is a great video teaching how to do a 4 count free pour.

5. Be an expert of drink recipes

Customers in a bar are often looking to you for your expertise. It is important to have an extensive knowledge of the menu in your bar. Know what spirits and other ingredients are in each drink.

But remember, people will often order drinks that aren’t on your menu, and it is important to have a broad understanding of some of the more popular drinks.

Study the classics and practice them. Your customers will appreciate your knowledge and will tip you well accordingly.

6. Be a professional

You may be just trying to pay the bills, or make your way through college, but it is important to be a professional in a bar.  You will be surprised at the kind of people that will sit down in your bar to have a drink.

Many of them could have opportunities for a hard working and courteous employee. People will also tip better when they know they are dealing with a professional.

Which relates to…

7. Know How to Talk to Your Customers, but Keep your conversations short

As a new bartender, it is easy to fall into the trap of spending too much time talking to a single customer. Often customers don’t realize they are holding you back, and it will cause you to fall behind in your duties.

Simply tell a guest that you need to do something and you will be right back. If that doesn’t work, you need to break a conversation. Your best bet is to walk backwards while continuing to talk to the guest until the conversation slows and ends.

Be sure to come back to the customer at some point though and re-engage. You can also try to engage the customer with another person at the bar so that they have someone else to talk to.

8. Stay out of the way of other bartenders

When you are a new bartender, and the bar begins to get busy, make sure you arent a hinderance.

A busy bar can be an overwhelming experience, but it is a great time to watch and learn from the seasoned bartenders.

Often bars are tight and it is important to be aware of the space you are taking up. Since you are new, and you dont know the protocol it is best to watch and learn. Ask the bartenders what you can help with and stay busy.

Bartending is an amazing skill to have, but it can often take a bit of time to learn. Keep your eyes open and stay busy.

As you get more comfortable, you will begin to get into a groove.

The tips above are a great place to start in your bartending journey, but if you want some more hands on experience before stepping into a bar, we suggest this Bar Basics course from A Bar Above. In it you will begin to better understand cocktail ingredients and learn how to cocktails at home. We suggest it to every beginning bartender. Check it out here.

Give it some time, try not to get overwhelmed and the next thing you know you will be a professional behind the bar, raking in the tips.