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Bar Guide
Setting Up Your Bar
Tap into our bar-stocking tips:


 

  • Because people are drinking less alcohol now, you'll likely need more wine, bottled waters, and soft drinks than you may expect and less hard liquor.
     
  • Don't be tempted to buy out the liquor store. Choose only the liquors you know your guests will drink. If you're unsure, stick with the basics: whiskey, Scotch, gin, vodka, tequila, rum, or vermouth for cocktails, and wine and beer.
     
  • Buy plenty of mixers—carbonated water, tonic water, lemon-lime carbonated beverage, and ginger ale.
     
  • Remember to make a variety of nonalcoholic beverages available for nondrinkers. Sodas, fruit and vegetable juices, bottled water, iced tea, and hot coffee and tea are all popular. Keep in mind that many guests will drink both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks.
     
  • When making and garnishing cocktails, be sure to have the necessary "extras," such as maraschino cherries and olives, on hand. You also may want to cut lemon peels and lime and lemon wedges in advance.
     
  • Don't forget the ice. Allow about a pound of cubes per person, a little more for longer parties (or for parties on hot days).
     
  • You don't need a wide selection of bar glasses. Ten- or 12-ounce all-purpose glasses and 9- or 10-ounce stemmed wineglasses will work for nearly every drink. If you'd like, you can rent old-fashioned glasses, highball glasses, brandy snifters, and cordial glasses for your party. Disposable plastic glasses, available in various sizes, are convenient to use, especially for a big party.
     
  • Be sure to have a bottle opener, corkscrew, cocktail napkins, small towel, sponge, and wastebasket handy.
     
  • You may want to have a blender nearby if you plan to serve blended drinks, such as frozen margaritas or daiquiris.
     
  • Set up the bar away from the food table and either make it self-serve or snag a friend to act as bartender.


 

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Bartending Training Schools

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Also see:
 

 
  • University Bartending Open this link in a new window - Learn to bartend, with classes on Northeastern campuses.
  • TIPS Open this link in a new window - Training for Intervention Procedures. Offers programs for training people to responsibly serve, sell and consume alcohol.
  • The Vermont Bartending School Open this link in a new window - Located on Route 7 midway between Rutland Manchester in the town of Mount Tabor. 40 hour course, job placement, lodging available.
  • Rhode Island School of Bartending Open this link in a new window - The Rhode Island School of Bartending is a fully certified school offering flexible courses and reasonable tuition. Job placement assistance is available to all graduates.
  • Professional Bartending School Open this link in a new window - Learn bartending in only 40 hours. Located in Knoxville, TN.
  • Professional Bartender's School of NE Open this link in a new window - Bartending school in Boston licensed by Massachusetts department of education offering bartending schools geared toward job placement
  • Pro Bar School of Bartending Open this link in a new window - Courses in all aspects of bartending including the Smart Serve Certificate.
  • Online Bartending Institute Open this link in a new window - Master the art of bartending, learn new drinks and stop by the after hours chat room.
  • National Bartenders School Open this link in a new window - Become a certified bartender in just 2 weeks. Hands on training. State of the art bar nightclub facilities. Nation-wide lifetime job placement assistance and online hiring. Bottle flipping classes available. Payment plans financing.
  • National Bartenders School Open this link in a new window - Learn to become a certified bartender in just 2 weeks. Hands on training and a state of the art bar nightclub facility. Nation-wide lifetime job placement assistance and online hiring. Bottle flipping classes available. Payment plans financing.
  • Ebartendingschool.com Open this link in a new window - An online self-improvement program in bartending designed to teach you all the skills needed to become a professional bartender for a fraction of the cost of attending traditional bartending schools.
  • Boston Bartending School Open this link in a new window - A nationally franchised bartenders school that's licensed by the State of New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Education
  • Bartending1001 Open this link in a new window - 1001 drink recipes on one CD ROM. Join the ranks of Professional Bartenders.
  • Bartending School Online Open this link in a new window - State certified,licensed vocational course through an Instant Access or CD-ROM home study.
  • Bartending School Of Ontario Open this link in a new window - Complete one-month bartender training for the hospitality industry or for home bartending; taught by experienced professionals.
  • Bartending In One Day Open this link in a new window - Learn the skills needed to become a professional bartender or an accopmlished amateur in as little as one day.
  • Bartending Academy Open this link in a new window - Arizona's oldest state certified bartending school with 3 locations. Day and evening classes and job placement assistance.
  • Bartenders Academy of New York Open this link in a new window - Bartending school: learn to bartend and be a bartender. Bartender training academy located on Long Island, New York. Online job placement available.

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Irish toast:  May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.  Take the world free and easy and may it take you the same.

 

[The Webtender] An excellent resource for drinking games, books, cocktails and easy to navigate.  Some banners but not annoying.

[BarMeister.com] Also a good resource for books, plenty of drinking games and nicely laid out with easy navigation.  

National Bartenders Association  American Association of Bartenders whose mission it is to help people in the hospitality industry, have chat room, monthly newsletter and events for a nominal membership fee.

The Martini List  An incredibly long list of martinis that should quench any martini lover's thirst.  Plus an animated gif that broke me up

www.georgian.net/rally/tequila/  A comprehensive look at the history of tequila and the myths surrounding this libation. Also an extensive list of clippings from various newspapers in regards to the blue agave plant, price increases and why.

www.pracx.com  This is a shareware program called CollegeBar.  It is an instructional mixed drink program that shows how to make over 4000 alcoholic cocktails.  By entering a list of the ingredients you have on hand at the time, this program will give you a list of cocktails you can then choose from....a handy feature.  Easy to use and fairly inexpensive.

www.Spitzy.net  

you will find a drink database where you can add a new drink, search for drinks or rate your favourites.

www.whiskynet.com  U.K.'s oldest online off-licence

www.classicwhiskey.com  If you are looking for further information on Irish Whiskey, this site is for you.  Rated Editor's Pick by several leading search engines. Features over 40 brands of Irish whiskey including information on the History of Distilling, Distilleries and the Distilling process. Includes on line shop with credit card facilities delivering to most places in the world

 

Non-Booze Sites

For something different check out the M & M's candy site for the kid in you.  www.m-ms.com  Crispy

www.mapquest.com.  A great site for when you are planning a road trip.  Just enter point you are departing from and destination and it will figure out mileage and time with accompanying maps.

http://www.balloonfiesta.com/gallery/shapes/index.htm  If you have never been to a hot air balloon festival and would like to go to the granddaddy of them all, then Albuquerque, New Mexico is the place to go October 6- 14th, 2001.  They are celebrating their 30th birthday.

A great Australian site/search engine if you are heading down under.  Will be sure to put you on the right path.

www.geniusfind.com   dedicated to providing end users with high-quality, informative websites.

www.novelties-r-us.com  Looking for a neon beer sign for your home bar, then this is the place

 

 

Bacardihttp://perso.club-internet.fr/papilon/index_enghish.htm   Pascal has an interesting collection of 1300 swizzle sticks which he started to collect about three years ago.  Although the majority of them are from France, he has some from several other countries.  Anyone else out there have an interesting collection?

WHITE RUSSIAN http://www.micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cocktails/index.html Have you ever wondered what your favourite drink would look like under a microscope, then this is the place for you.  Fascinating, especially the Tequila and White Russian slides

http://www.lastcallgame.com To download a demo of a great interactive bar game, please check out this site, it may take a 1/2 hour to download but it is definitely worth the wait.  For novice bartenders and experts alike.

www.bargizmos.co.uk  As the name implies, it is a site for unique  'whatchimacalits' for the bar.  Everyone should own a Mexican shooter belt.

http://www.dorrk.com/poetry/cocktailnation.html  A poetry site that provides glimpses into bar life.  May not be to all tastes but I applaud any guy who's not afraid to put out his take on things in his own words. 

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