Bartenders' Manual

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11. TO KNOW HOW A CUSTOMER DESIRES HIS DRINK TO BE MIXED.

The greatest accomplishment of a bartender lies in his ability to exactly suit his customer. This is done by inquiring what kind of a drink the customer desires and how he wishes it prepared. This is especially necessary with cocktails, juleps, sours and punches. The bartender must also inquire, whether the drink is to be made stiff, strong or medium and then must use his best judgment in preparing it; but, at all times, he must make a special point to study the tastes of his customers and, strictly heeding their wishes, mix all drinks according to their desires and taste. In following this rule, the barkeeper will soon gain the esteem and respect of his patrons.

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12. HINTS FROM THE AUTHOR.

The author of this work would like to make a few remarks in relation to a special furnishing that has generally been greatly neglected. Whatever saloon or café you visit, you will find, with but few exceptions, no matter how elegantly the place is fitted up, that the working bench is usually constructed in a very poor and ill-shaped manner. Now, the remedy recommended is, that whenever a party has a saloon or bar-room fixed up for business, he should not leave all the arrangements to the cabinet-maker but make it a special point to have the bench constructed in a neat and comfortable method and of sufficient width, so that I will “show off” and be handy at the same time, especially in regard to the liquor, ice and water boxes. Every working bench should be lined with copper and tinned over and made of the best materials. This fixture cannot be made too well and it is best to not spare expense in having it done. With the copper lining the bench will last much longer, practically forever, and there is avoided not only the unpleasant leaking but the continual repairs that a cheaper bench will constantly require. The various boxes should be made with rounded edges, as square ones accumulate dirt and are, necessarily, more difficult to clean. Every box should have a false or loose bottom – a sheet of copper is preferable – the same size as the box, as this prevents injury to the real bottom of the box. The top lining of the bench should be corrugated, with a slight pitch forward, that the water may run off rapidly. The size of the liquor box depends upon the size of the bench. If a large business is expected, ample provision should be made for it. When expecting to do a fair business, the liquor box should be large enough to hold the principal liquor bottles that are supposed to be kept cool. For instance, at each end of the box there should be sufficient room for two or three bottles of whiskey – the 15-cent as well as the 10-cent grade – two bottles of gin (Old Tom and Holland), two bottles of sherry and Rhine wine, a couple of bottles of siphon seltzer as well as a bottle or two of imported seltzer. The box should be made of sufficient depth that the bottles will fit in the tubes, so that only the necks will appear to sight. The proprietor must know when he gives the order to the cabinet-maker, whether he wants the box to contain eight, ten or twelve bottles. The ice-box containing the broken or shaved ice should also have an extra bottom made of wood, in order that neither the true bottom nor the icepick should be injured by contact with one another. The wood bottom should be perforated, so that the drainage and lees may run off readily. All the bottles in use should always be kept closed with good corks and covered with nickel or sliver-plated mountings. The face of the bench should be decorated with good cabinet-work, in order to cover the rough material which is generally used, and, furthermore, the legs or supports should be “turned”, instead of the wide boards generally seen, for the reason that more room is obtained, cleaning is easier and the effect is naturally more pleasing to both the eyes of proprietor and customer. The floor underneath the working bench should be kept scrupulously clean, nothing being placed there except a fancy waste pail for each station. A handsome box of the same material as the cabinet work, lined with copper or other proper metal, is to be placed on the floor underneath the bench, for the purpose of placing empty bottles in it. The box-lining will save much labor and prevent accumulations of “leavings”. Additionally, every bar systematically arranged should have a couple of boxes made of the same material as the cabinet work, to be placed on the floor under the bench as a receptacle for the corks. Every bench should have the tubes in the liquor box and exact measurements should be taken, allowing for the width of the bottles as well as the space occupied by each tube. For instance, if the liquor box is to contain ten bottles of four inches diameter each, the box must necessarily be more than forty inches in length. Formerly, the tubes were made of wood which, continually damp, would, in the course of time, give out a bad odor. I have, therefore, invented these metal tubes, which should also be perforated, as this condition will more naturally admit the cool air to the bottle, keep it from sweating and have the liquor in a proper temperature for instant use.

No bartender should expectorate or throw bits of paper or other refuse into any of these tubes. By refraining from so doing, absolute cleanliness is assured. Expense should not be spared in making a handsome and convenient working bench, as far as one’s finances will allow, for it is the chief feature of the place and it should be the proprietor’s pride to have this part of his establishment a source of gratification to both him and the public. Again, in a bar-room where the working bench has not sufficient natural light, artificial means should be used. The small expense of lighting up a dark bench will be saved in the prevention of breaking bottles and glassware. It is also to be remembered that the bench should be large enough to allow the placing of bottles between the bench and the top of the counter. The apertures – from eight to twelve in number – for the bottles, which are usually from 3 ½ to 4 inches wide, should be made so that the end ones will come exactly to the edge of the board and not leave room for the possible accumulation of refuse. Have the sugar box or bowl arranged so that it can be conveniently reached, thus losing neither time nor steps. The floor behind the bar should be clean and kept perfectly dry. This will likewise be beneficial to the health of the man doing work behind the bar. The edge of the bench should be covered with a strip of metal 1 ½ inches wide, and this, when polished, will “show off” the bench to advantage.

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