Pour Play

Why Pour Play?

First out of the gate, I'd like to share the impetus behind this blog and also the intent. First of all the name, I liked “Pour Play” because it sounds like foreplay, so that's a win. As for the rest:

At its most rudimentary, bartending is pouring. Pouring spirits, beer or wine; free pouring or jiggering; straining or double/fine straining; pouring over the rocks, neat, straight or a shot; dirty dumping; crack 'n' straining; the list goes on, but it's all about...pouring. Tilting those bottles. You pour the booze, wine and beer and ultimately, your guest pours it down the hatch. Thank you sir, I'll have another.

I've spent a lifetime pouring and I have had a blast. Bartending doesn't feel like work, it feels like "Play". If you're a fellow slinger, then you know what I mean. Bars are where people go to enjoy themselves, belly up, unwind, socialize, blow off steam, full on party down. And the bartender is in the thick of it--a contributing factor--which is where we go beyond the "Pour" and into the “Play”. And by “Play”, I don’t mean jerking off behind the bar, I mean having fun while you kill it back there…with aplomb. This attitude is contagious to guests and co-workers and also translates financially. So we’ll delve into customer service, pleasant guest experiences, tips for making better tips, situational awareness, sense of urgency and also the unpleasant things like rectifying mistakes, handling cut-offs and dealing with unruly guests in a diplomatic manner. All of these things vary by venue, so we will also delve into the different types of bars. And how policies may vary.

Lastly we can share some good jokes and anecdotes, I would love to hear all of yours if you're game. No bartender worth their rimmer salt would be caught without a good joke or bar related story in their pocket. On the flip side of that, the ability to laugh at a guest's terrible joke or listen intently to a boring story is important also (it took me years to master this skill, for every time I heard "Hey chief, I got a good joke for you!” I would die a little on the inside and I'm pretty sure my expression was telling).

Everything I've learned about bartending, I’ve learned the hard way (I truly don't know any other way, Benjamin Franklin had me in mind when he said, “Experience is the best teacher, but a fool will learn from no other.” I cut his kite-flying ass off after that snide comment) and I’m learning to blog in this same way. So the entries will not present in any particular order, only as they come to addled mind. They will arrive weekly in the form of tips, tricks, jokes & anecdotes or any combination of those. And whosoever is feeling froggy is welcome to share their TTJ&A as well. Almost as if we were behind the bar, shooting the shit whilst waiting expectantly for the mad Saturday night rush. Cheers my friends and here’s to a good shift.