LetsSeeSomeID
New York, NY
Male, 33
I bartended for three years in NYC and San Francisco … for better or worse. Ask me anything.
In New York bars close at 4. Once the bar closes you have to clean and count out your money. So you're usually out by 4:30-5, unless there is some kind of after party and you decide to stick around for it. A lot of places I worked the managers, bar staff and a few regulars would stick around and drink sometimes until as late as noon the next day. Clubs are another animal - at least the big ones are. The big ones are usually huge and take forever to close out. They're also big money making ventures and have a lot of liability so there's not as much drinking behind the bar and there is almost never a after party. When I worked clubs I typically got out around 7-8am. They're less fun, the hours are longer and the music is horrible but the money is usually way better.
I like your rating scale. I'm not sure if martini always equals pain in the ass but I'm pretty sure scotch equals really cool. The quick answer is sort of. I never really cared what anyone ordered (with the exception of mojitos because they are a pain in the ass to make and once someone orders one suddenly everybody wants one). My main qualifier for if girl sucks or not based on the drink they order is if they know what they want (which means they're cool) or the come up and pull one of these: "Ummmmm, I want something....hmmmm... something like, strong but good. Like, not too sweet but kind of fruity." That person sucks. I also have a qualifier for guys. Guys that come up and start ordering stupid shots like Liquid Cocaines or Incredible Hulks or anything on fire or any other assortment of retarded drinks they've heard of, have no idea what is in, and pretend tastes good - those guys are douche bags.
Tough to say. Possible causes: 1) You might be in the wrong bar. Some bars emphasis making money over service. 2) You might be going when it's too busy. Often times if the bar is busy and you're not a regular it's not worth it to give a buy back. You're going to buy another drink either way. 3) You're trying to hard. If you get a free drink - great. If not - so what? Don't go expecting one. 4) You might not be awesome enough to get a buy back. Can't help you with that one. As for buying the bartender a drink - I never understood that. There is an entire bar back there at their disposal. Why would you buy them a drink when they can have whatever they want for free? A big tip will get you much farther with a bartender than buying them a drink.
DON'T yell at the bartender. DON'T learn the bartender's name and shout it out whenever you want something. You're two-dollar tip is worth about, oh, two dollars. For two bucks I don't need to deal with an asshole. A lot of girls would try and get your attention by cutting in to the front of the bar and pushing their tits up at you. I never went for that -- I thought it was petty and stupid. But not surprisingly, a lot of guy bartenders did go for it. The best advice I can give if its crowded is to know what you want and have your money out. The bartender is just trying to crank out drinks, help them work fast and they will remember you. Starting with a huge tip doesn't hurt either.
Sommelier
What's your favorite bottle of wine for under $20?Security / Bodyguard
Are you expected to take a bullet that's meant for someone you're guarding?Professional Gamer
What's the longest playing gaming session you've ever had?Depends. I don't think there is anything standard. Usually it’s whatever the bar manager decides to add.
Depends, I would say usually bartenders discretion. Also depends how busy the bar is. Bar owners wince a little less at seeing someone give away product when the place is packed.
The 'buy a drink for the girl at the end of the bar' thing happened occasionally, but not that frequently. It almost always worked in striking up a conversation. Whether it lead to anything beyond that I have no idea. One thing I learned in bars: women are very bad at turning down a free drink. Even if they don't like the guy buying it or the guy buying it is a total creeper.
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