1954 Practical Bar Management by Eddie Clarke

PRACTICAL BAR MANAGEMENT

Head Bartender, selected by the Management for the following qualities: integrity, ability, personality, and probable following.

The Ideal Bar Manager Suppose we amuse ourselves for a while and conjure up a fictitious X-ray camera, with which we could look into the inner most self ofthe ideal Bar Manager or Head Bartender. Whattype of person would we be likely to see ? Primarily it would show a man who has made bartending his career in life (he will almost sleep with a cocktail shaker or recipe book 'neath his pillow); most probably he first gained instruction in the cellar—learning all about the delicate care of wines, etc. Then after a period of such training, he graduated to the bar, where he was introduced to the noble art of washing glasses and emptying ashtrays, forging forever onwards—until finally the great day dawned when he was allowed to shake his first cocktail. The picture would show how he has built up his reputation and added to his experience over the years, in all probability moving from town to town—country to country, seeking and absorbing more and more knowledge of his chosen craft. It would portray also the very secrets of his personality, telling how that sunny smile and cheerful greeting is so often a mask covering up his own personal heartaches and troubles. For to him the whole world is really a stage, with himself the principal actor on his particular"set". So come what may of life's grim realities, the show will always go on, for no matter if the whole universe crumbles to ashes around him, he will continue to play his part—at least as long as his bar-counter is standing. He has the patience of Job, and no matter how provoked, he will never show it, but will remain polite and affable throughout any scene. He may receive undue flattery, yet he will not make it obvious that in future the givers of this are his favourite patrons. In fact, on the contrary, he will give an even more impressive welcome to the more infrequent customer, especially if he is accompanied by some friends. It would show why this"bar-personality"is regarded as a man of prestige, why the clientele do not merely look on him as an employee, but as a friend—someone to be called by his Christian name,someone whom they can confide in, someone whom they know will not betray that confidence. He never becomes unduly familiar, or

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