Bartender Training.

[John]

Hi all,

Having entered one or two public houses in my time and having received various levels of service I just thought I would ask the following questions: 1. Is there a formal Barkeeping course or is it more 'sit by Nelly' type of training?; and, 2. What do staff learn about whiskey in general?

The reason I ask is that a great deal of noise is made about the drop off in trade and about the traditional pub's need to diversify into other areas such as food and entertainment etc in order to survive. Well, I believe that the core business of any decent pub should be the ability to select, advise and serve the best range of drinks available and to be able to advise patrons on the differences between the brands, maturations etc in order for them to get the best value out of their experience - otherwise why not just go to the supermarket and pick something off the self and take your chances using trial and error? You would imagine that it would be a very easy way for the pubs to add value.

Despite this, I have sometimes despaired at the lack of knowledge demonstrated by bar staff when it comes to whiskey (in all its forms) and in their approach with respect to how it should be served. These are things that, from the quality perspective, should be easy to put right and yet the evidence at the moment suggests that they are happy to sit back and just let customers take what they are given.

I remember being in a bar in Amsterdam and looking at a quite comprehensive selection of available beers listed on the walls around the bar - I kid you not. I picked an obscure brew and the barman was able to give me a brief overview of the beer, he then looked around the shelves behind the bar for the proper glass (couldn't find it - I did say it was an obscure brew - so went down to the basement where the correct type of glass was retrieved complete with the beer's logo, etc), washed and dried the glass in front of me as was standard practice for ALL beers served, placed it on a mat and finally took the money. Like I said; quality service which need not cost the earth; can get you a good reputation and more importantly; repeat business - because you are more than simply a drinks vending machine!

Just my two cents.
John.

[DavidH]

Right on! Maybe the IWS can help things along by producing a seal of approval for whiskey bars that would evaluate range, knowledge, availability of nosing glasses, etc.

I'd also like to mention that in bars abroad when I've bought a round I've been given a tray to carry the glasses and bottles away from the bar. Why don't we see that in Ireland?

[Michael Foggarty]

Its a sad state of affairs.

What is supposedly the best bar culture, with the best bar staff is sadly no more than the fastest pint pourers.

I have bartended all over Europe and never passed an oppertunity to turn up to a training session, infact it was very hard to get on a session due to demand. We run several whiskey courses for staff through out the year with up to 40 places available but i find i have to invite about 100 people just to get 20 to turn up.

On a positive note DIT run a bar course which is fantastic and i turn up now and again to give a course in whiskey, which is very well receive. The younger bartenders coming through do want learn, but at the same time there is pressure to learn one disiplne (Wine or Spirits or Cocktails or Beer) now im well up on 3 of them but have very little knowledge of wine. Cocktails always seem to get their attention which in turn can lead to spirits.

I know some people on here would be alarmed at whiskey cocktails, but i feel it will always be the only way to get younger people into whiskey properly.

JD and Coke anyone?

Also after a bit of pressure from yours truley the Wine and Spirits Education Trust have started doing a spirits only course, which is not bad going from and organisation that has Spirits in their name but never had special spirit course available in Ireland!

[Whiskey Pilgrim]

Check out Heidi Donlon and her whiskey trail,she has an excellent Whiskey guide for staff.or check out the scotchcoc.com he has a service / consultency for whisk(e)y bars and training course....As a club why not lobby the Distilleries to provide better staff training like the breweries do, just a ditto !!

[varizoltan]

well, most of the bartenders should go on these courses, becouse they usually know f..k all