Almost every day I feel like someone brings up the topic of mixologist vs. bartender and I thought I was sick of the topic. But it got me to thinking – why do we just have one term to describe what really embraces a myriad of desires and skill sets?
Bar chef: Anyone that has spent much time in the high-end restaurant scene knows that there are a plethora of different terms to refer to people in the kitchen: line cook, pantry, pastry, fry guy, chef de cuisine, chef de jour, and chef. Perhaps there was a day many years ago when everyone standing behind the bar carried out the same function, but that is no longer the case. Now there is someone that is in charge of ordering, inventory, recipes, hiring, and otherwise making sure that every night the cogs of the wheels are greased, tuned, and ready to roll. That if the shit starts to hit the fan, that the fan already has plastic wrap on it so the shit will never get to it. That is the bar chef. They work the hardest, they run the bar, and they are on the top of the respect ladder. They change the cocktail list, make sure the bar never runs out of Maker’s Mark, and know when limes doubled in case price. A bar chef typically works for a high-end independent restaurant that prides itself on service and creativity. They work long hours, but they gain a lot from the sense of pride of making something, running something, and making it good.
Mixologist: It could be the case at a restaurant that the person who does a lot of the managing aspects behind the bar (i.e. hiring, inventory, and pricing) doesn’t create the cocktail list and really doesn’t have the initiative, passion about flavors, or creativity it takes to be the mixologist. In most cases, the bar chef and the mixologist are the same person. But that needn’t always be the case. A mixologist comes up with new drink recipes, is creative in bringing new flavors together, and keeps their pulse on new spirits and what’s going on in the world of drink creation. They own recipe books, love to eat out and experience new flavors, and can tell you who Audrey Saunders, Tony Abou-Ganim, Dale Degroff, and Gary Regan are.
Bartender: As there are many types of bartender, I’ve broken it up into seven different genres of bartender.
Dive bartender: The dive bartender works at a bar that was probably just went smoke-free because of government regulation in the last couple of years. The dive bartender wears what he wants to, typically a t-shirt and jeans. He knows most of his customers by their first names and he depends upon a very strong regular clientele that mostly consists of men. The dive bartender typically works in one establishment for a long time, makes good money, but doesn’t always deserve the respect he deserves from either the guests or his peers. He is typically rough around the edges and sees things all the time that would make most people cringe. He is the word when he is behind the bar – and what he says goes. He works until the bar closes, cleans up for 30 minutes and then calls it a day.
Country-club bartender: The country-club bartender wears a button down long sleeve shirt tucked into trousers with pants. It is very likely that he wears a tie. The country-club bartender garnishes every drink with either a lime wedge, lemon wedge, lemon twist, or a cherry. Every drink gets a bev nap under it. The country club bartender very rarely calls his guest by his first name, unless the member has been at the club’s bar for years and only then will the country club bartender steer away from the preferred Mr. Blank. Typically the country club bartender is older and more gentle. He works in an atmosphere where people are typically well-behaved and because of this he maintains a sense of dignity that is nearly impossible to hold on to when you are habitually sentenced to taking care of drunk people day in and day out. The country club bartender can almost always be in bed by midnight.
Club bartender: The club bartender is young and hip, typically allured by money and hype. They wear hip attractive clothing. A good club bartender is amazing to watch, as they know they are on stage and they are fast, resourceful, and charming. They typically have a sex appeal that you don’t always see in other fields of bartending. More and more the club bartender tends to be a woman. The club bartender works late, parties afterward, and usually goes home when the morning sun is well into the sky. The burnout rate is high for the club bartender and rarely do you see someone stay in this position for more than a couple of years before they move to another club (as often times there is not a long shelf life on nightclubs) or another style of bartending.
Service bartender: The service bartender works the service well at a busy restaurant and barely interacts with the guest. A good service bartender is quick and knowledgeable, organized, and has impeccable mis-en-place. They have an amazing drink repertoire and can just produce, produce, produce. They typically stay at a restaurant for many years until a better opportunity opens up. This is another style of bartender that can be in bed by midnight except for maybe Friday and Saturday – but even then they will be in bed by 2 a.m.
Catering bartender: Perhaps the lowliest of the bartenders, the catering bartender works off a cart. They typically wear white stiff starched shirt and fake bow ties with wretched polyester black pants that flatten out even the best ass. Their drink knowledge goes little above drinks where the ingredients are given in the title: vodka tonic, rum and coke, or whiskey sour. They typically work for a catering company for only a few months while they look for solid work and they are typically the most miserable and bitchy of the bartenders.
Corporate Restaurant bartender: The corporate restaurant bartender is typically a bartender who most likely decided that the money is good bartending but they need more stability in their life – most likely because they bought a house or are about to have a baby. They typically hate their job because they gave up a lot of identity to wear a uniform and make blender drinks according to a recipe created in an office over 2,000 miles away. Not always, but many times these guys will work for years at the same establishment eventually turning into bland human beings filled with pipe dreams that they never expand on.
Just a regular bartender: A regular bartender is the guy at the bar you like to go to who knows your name, is comfortable in his space, and makes you feel like you are home. He has a good knowledge of spirits, beer, and wine and a wealth of information on almost every topic so he can strike up conversation with almost anyone. Dress depends on the place, but most regular bartenders wear their own choice of clothing and they always look nice. They typically stay at the place for years, have a strong regular clientele, and eventually open up their own bar. They go home when the guests leave and like it that way.
Might this bring an end to the debate Mixologist vs. Bartender.
- Columbine Quillen
I am a mixologist bartender and this is my blog.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post! We often discuss these two titles around here – what are the differences, similiarities,etc.
I like how you breakdown the role of bartender – since it can really impact the kind of experience you have and clientele you work with.
Great description! Ive been a dive bartender, a club bartender, and now turned in to the regular bartender. But, I started a beverage catering company as well. Does that change my status?
I hope this would not be too late to request for practice exam. I am doing it in July which i still get 2 more months to go. However I am now on the first few pages of the material. Please help.