It’s fun, it’s exciting,
you can earn a lot of money, yes, but in life, with all this good, typically
comes a bit of extra responsibility. We’ve always felt proud to
carry on this responsibility, because as victims of drunk driving accidents
know better than anybody, if something could have been changed to have
things turn out differently, by all means they would have changed it.
The fact of the matter is, YOU
can make a difference! You are at the helm of the ship as a bartender
and have the responsibility of being knowledgeable of who is drinking
what and how much. Even if you’re working on a busy night, by
using the pointers spelled out in this course, you’ll be able
to spot a drunk, potentially dangerous customer, and take action before
the unthinkable happens.
What not to do
Each state has different laws governing
the responsibility of the bartender when it comes to serving drinks
to intoxicated individuals and minors, but the bottom line is this:
don’t serve more drinks to someone already drunk, and if you’re
concerned at all that they might be getting behind the wheel of a car,
do whatever you can to make sure that they don’t! And most definitely
do not serve alcohol to minors. Check their ID even if you’re
not sure. (You may very well be flattering them!)
Serving alcohol to minors is a
serious offense and could result in the loss of the liquor license of
the bar in addition to fines.
Should someone ever discover that you and or your place of business
was somehow to blame for alcohol related injury or death, or even if
they could make it seem as though you were, there could be much more
serious fines resulting in civil and or criminal lawsuits against you
and the bar owner. These are serious facts which you, as a bartender,
must be aware of.
Sever Training Programs
Some states require a server-training
program to ensure that you are fully aware of your responsibility as
a bartender and thereby help to protect yourself, the establishment,
and the public at large. As far as getting a job, this is nothing for
you to be directly concerned with in that your new boss will be very
familiar with all the guidelines in your particular State as he has
the most to lose. Furthermore, he will most likely pay for your certification.
Server-Training certification is
typically not required prior to your first day of work, but rather can
be completed within months after the initial date of hire, with varying
time periods from state to state. Again, don’t concern yourself
with this process now, your new boss will take care of it.
Forget about the liability of the
bar or yourself, think about the lives you can save by being proactive
and adhering to basic safety guidelines.
Common signs of drunkenness
Now that we’ve hit you with
all the heavy legal ramifications associated with your new job, it’s
important for you to have the skills to recognize a drunk! If they’re
very drunk, the signs are typically obvious, but given the gravity of
the circumstances surrounding what could happen to you or your bar,
it’s important for you to be aware of the following and to look
out for the signs:
• Drinking Alone
• Drinking Too Fast
• Loud Speech
• Argumentative
• Complaining Persistently
• Argumentative in General
• Crude, or inappropriate comments
• Obscenities
• Falling Asleep or falling down
• Spilling drinks
• Stumbling , swaying or bumping into things
• Slurred speech
• Crying, depressed or moody
• Disparate changes in behavior
Most of these are fairly obvious,
but we can’t stress enough the need for you to have the ability
to spot these signs and act accordingly.
Approximate Blood Alcohol Concentration
(B.A.C.)
The legal DUI / DWI levels vary
from state to state, but you should know that the range is between .08
- .10 and you should be aware of how many drinks can get someone to
that level. Review the BAC chart below and do your best to familiarize
yourself with it.
#Drinks/Hour Body Weight in Pounds
100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 Caution
1 .04 .03 .03 .03 .02 .02 .02 .02
2 .08 .06 .05 .05 .04 .04 .03 .03
3 .11 .09 .08 .07 .06 .06 .05 .05 Driving Impaired
4 .15 .12 .11 .09 .08 .08 .07 .06
5 .19 .16 .13 .12 .11 .09 .09 .08 Legally intoxicated
6 .23 .19 .16 .14 .13 .11 .10 .09
7 .26 .22 .19 .16 .15 .13 .12 .11
8 .30 .25 .21 .19 .17 .15 .14 .13
9 .34 .28 .24 .21 .19 .17 .15 .14
10 .38 .31 .27 .23 .21 .19 .17 .16
11 .40 .34 .30 .27 .24 .22 .20
12 .38 .33 .29 .26 .24 .22
13 .40 .36 .32 .29 .26 .24
14 .38 .34 .31 .28 .26
15 .37 .33 .30 .28
These calculations should only
be used as a general guideline for estimating blood or breath alcohol
levels. The predicted alcohol levels listed may not be valid for a variety
of reasons.
How to handle drunk & disorderly
clientele
While most everyone comes to a
bar for socializing, fun, and with good intentions, alcohol, when used
excessively can bring out the worst in people which can in turn affect
the overall mood of the bar as well as the safety of themselves and
others. It’s important to recognize the first signs of drunkenness
and for you to control the situation.
If someone's drinking is getting
out of hand, try one or all of the following in an attempt to foster
a more bar friendly and safe atmosphere:
Slow down their drink orders.
Place water directly in front of their drink as a not so subtle hint.
Mix drinks with a lower alcohol content.
Offer alcohol-free drinks on the house.
Offer food.
Talk to their friend or partner, who may be more able to get through
to them.
Cut them off completely and stop serving them any type of alcohol.
If your customer is rude, unruly and dangerous, don’t hesitate
to have security or the police escort them out of the building.
If the individual is intent on driving and none of your other tactics
have worked, you may want to let them or their partner / friend know
that there are mandatory breathalyzer stops set up all around the bar
that they cannot avoid. This little white lie could do a tremendous
amount of good.
Remember that just because you
will never tangibly know the impact you make by being a responsible
bartender, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue this practice.
By abiding to the unspoken code of the profession, recognizing when
a customer could be a hazard to themselves and others and doing something
about it, you’ll be effecting untold lives but will never know.
You’ll never be recognized, thanked or rewarded in any way for
following this code other than by the gratitude you choose to give yourself
at the end of each shift.
You are an unknown hero in this
respect; changing untold lives by being a responsible bartender.
Free Bartending School Test Questions
& Hands on Homework
Please find your test questions
relating to Chapter 15.
This is it! The rest of the course
is about you applying your skills at your new place of employment! You’ve
come a long way and need to appreciate this. As we stated at the conclusion
of chapter 14, now is the time for you to focus on your weaknesses.
Challenge yourself with perhaps some of the blended drinks, or even
to create the perfect Martini! Whatever area you feel you need the most
work on, right now is the time to do it. Take stock of your skills and
choose a drink cluster, preparation method or single drink, and take
the time to perfect it!