Bartending in LA: Important Little Things

Julia's Blog about Event Staffing / June, 29th, 2022 / ~ 9 minutes read

There are many important factors that go into successfully bartending in LA, some of these perhaps go overlooked as being insignificant by the average customer, but every bartender in Los Angeles worth their salt knows them and incorporates them into their daily bartending routine.

This simply means the bartender arranges the bar area in a certain way in order to be able to find what they need quickly and efficiently to perform their job well. What a lot of bartenders do is lay out their bars organization of bottles, tools, garnishes, and other frequently used necessities, so that they can be easily accessed when they need them most, especially when speed is of the essence.

Some bartenders find that labeling specific areas of the bar with pieces of paper so that everyone knows this exact bottle is always placed back in this spot, or that these bar tools always get cleaned and then returned to this other area. It helps prevent confusion and miscommunication between themselves and the other staff.

It may seem to be a little bit over the top, but when it's a busy shift, and the bartender is taking several drink orders while simultaneously making a cocktail and calculating another guest's tab, they need to find what they require to do their job in a timely fashion.

We've all observed this task, either watching bartenders in a scene of a movie or your favorite local bartender polishing glassware in their downtime. It's not just for theatrics or to look busy. This is part of the job. Oftentimes when glasses are washed they are power washed either in a washer behind the bar itself or in the kitchen area.

What happens a lot of times in busier establishments, is the glasses are washed in bulk and quickly so as to replenish them for the floor and the guest's needs. The soap can oftentimes leave water marks on the glassware so that it gives the impression that the glass is dirty when it is not. The other fact is there are some things that the dishwasher can NOT remove easily, like women's lipstick. So the bartender is simply double-checking the cleanliness of the glass before it is put before the guest.

Also after the glassware is placed on a shelf or rack for a period of time, it collects dust, sometimes invisible to the eye, but a quick polish of the glass before giving it to a guest makes them feel like they are being cared for by a very detail-oriented and attentive bartender.

When bartending in LA, the bartender will always put a paper napkin underneath every drink they serve, which signifies many things. First, it shows that you are putting down a fresh drink for the guest. If this is not their first beverage, the previously empty glass was removed and the napkin that was underneath it. It also makes a quick way for the bartender to highlight the bar top by seeing these white squares on the bar. They can quickly scan the bar top and zoom in on the drinks to see who needs a refresher.

Next, cold drinks sweat- more so in hot weather or a crowded and warm bar area, and they leave moisture residue on the bar. Traditionally bars were wooden, and the napkin served as a way to prevent the bar from getting water stains, and from a puddle of water forming and getting the guests' hands wet. It is essential to provide great bar service.