Perhaps no job embodies the expression “The good, the bad and the ugly” like that of a female bartender. Some that we know lead with the good. Others don’t get past the bad. All have plenty of ugly.
We found the Female Bartender tips from the late blog Shoulda Called It A Night somewhat informative, but mostly just entertaining:
1. Be tougher than anyone who enters your bar. You need to be able to throw someone out without the help of a bouncer.
2. Be the biggest flirt without giving it all away. You need to be able to lure the men without them following you home.
3. Know at least one bar trick to entertain your customers. Mine involves drinking a beer with no hands.
4. Provide entertainment for the annoying ones who want to chat constantly. Lay out a straw puzzle in order to keep their mind occupied.
5. Handle your liquor. This one is EXTREMELY important. Your patrons want to drink with you. I’m not talking about 3 or 4 shots. I’m talking about 9 or 10 over a 6 hour shift.
6. Be physically fit — in case you need to drag a 300lb Alabama construction worker out of the bar after he passes out in the girl’s bathroom.
7. Be a good fake listener. Don’t actually listen to all of the tales of heartache, divorce, indiscretion, fantasy, lust, etc. You’ll go crazy. Listen enough to respond with basic answers but not enough that you’ll have to start drinking to get over their problems.
Meanwhile, the benefits can be big, and we don’t just mean the tips. A few top female bartenders in Richmond, VA add, “The compliments are free-flowing. Maybe not always genuine, but always appreciated” and “it’s fun to surprise those who underestimate our bartending prowess — until our fellow men bartenders ask us what’s in drinks while we run circles around them.” Where do we sign up?