Lesson One: Ice...Ice...Baby
The use of ice to cool the burn and dilute the strength of spirits
making all booze more user friendly.
Straight to the wannabe section…
Think you know your way around a cube or two?
Answer my bitter quiz questions correctly and jump to lesson two!
Given a scoop, a mixing tin, and the same size glass which are acceptable for filling a glass with ice?
Only the scoop. NEVER use another glass (it may break) and NEVER use a mixing tin (it is not shaped correctly and the hard metal edge can chip the rim of the glass). Clean, fresh ice free from shards of glass is step #1 for all great cocktails!
How much ice goes in a scotch on the rocks?
A full glass… ‘on the rocks’ means a full glass of ice.
How much ice goes in a whiskey neat?
None…’neat’ means no ice; room temp liquor in a room temp glass.
How much ice goes in a martini straight up?
None…ice is used in the preparation of the drink to cool the cocktail which is then strained into a chilled glasss. The used ice may be served alongside so that the cubes can be added singularly to keep the drink at temp without unnecessary dilution.
What is the most important lesson in ice cube management?
Always us the scoop because cubes of ice and shards of broken glass are impossible to tell apart visually. If ANYTHING is broken in or near the ice NEVER guess that all the pieces are removed. ALWAYS remove ALL of the ice, clean the ice well completely, replace the ice and then resume with a clean, fresh (glass free) supply of cubes.
Aced my quiz? Nothing for you to see here! Bounce on to the next bitter quiz and try your luck there.
One of the first tests for anyone who steps behind my bar is the ‘pour me a coke’ test.
I place an empty pint glass on the mat, remove the scoop from the ice and tell my new
victim…ummm…I mean trainee to ‘pour me a coke’.
On the mat, in addition to the empty pint glass, I have placed another empty pint glass,
a shaker cup, and a mixing tin. One of three things will occur.
My newbie will grab one of the empty pint glasses, reach for either of the metal tins or
!ding ding ding! ask me ‘where’s the scoop’?
If you want to look like you know anything about bartending the first thing to learn is that
while glasses and ice are behind EVERY bar they must be kept in their proper place.
Using the scoop EVERY time is the best way to keep your ice free from shards of glass.
This practice helps to keep your guests at the bar for last call
instead of in the emergency room with a bloody mouth.
If all it took to be a bartender was knowing that ‘on the rocks’ means a drink that is made with ice and ‘neat’ means a drink made without then you would all be bartenders by the end of this sentence.
Of course it is not that simple, but the use of ice (when, where, and how much) is the first thing to learn.
Now that you know to always use the scoop, lets talk about when, where, and how to use the ice.
For us drinkers and drink makers there is a secret language that will give us all the clues we need.
We might call this secret language ‘barlingo’.
Ice barlingo for beginner bartenders:
whiskey neat
Neat is barlingo for no ice.
Room temp liquor served in a room temp glass. Most often used for single spirits presented alone with no mixer.
scotch on the rocks
On the rocks is barlingo for with ice.
Room temperature liquor poured into a short glass filled with ice. Used for single spirit pours or cocktails served with little or nothing else added.
rum and coke
All drink barlingo requires knowing the ingredients, selecting the appropriate glass, filling it completely with ice and executing the recipe properly.
Many drink options are common or easily identified by their name. Others are industry standards which are learned over time. This type of drink barlingo is used for cocktail collaborations of liquor with other spirits and for any combination of booze with mix or mixers.
martini straight up
Straight up in barlingo means that ice is used to make the drink and then removed to prevent any further dilution.
Ice is used in the mixing tin to cool, dilute, or aerate during preparation and then the cocktail is poured off into a chilled glass. The used ice is then discarded or served alongside with a spoon to be added singularly over time to retain the temperature without watering down the cocktail.
When you break something
Glass in the ice is a definite no bueno.
What to do when – despite your best efforts – anything is broken in… on… or around the ice.
How to flip the ice:
When you are providing iced cocktails, a back up of clean, covered ice must be kept on hand.
This allows for limited interruption when breakage occurs and will also provide the best opportunity for an effective reset thereafter.
This reset process is referred to as flipping the ice.
Move the clean covered ice to a working position.
Uncover your clean ice and continue to make cocktails (using the scoop of course) while your usual ice well is cleaned.
This process requires two people (one to make the drinks and the other to clean the well) and is the only way to provide uninterrupted service while the resetting process is underway.
Carefully remove all ice paying special attention to any glass pieces and remnants. When the ice well is 100% empty rinse all sides and bottom. Carefully clean drain at bottom of well.
Contaminated ice should be removed in a separate vessel which is NEVER used for clean ice transport and disposed of in such a way that insures proper handing.
All sides and bottoms of the original ice well must be cleaned to insure that no shards remain. Hot water can be used to speed things up and explains why this stage of the process is referred to as ‘burning the ice’.
Inspect and Refill
Inspect the ice well to insure that all ice and broken glass has been removed.
Refill the well with clean, fresh ice.
Refill and replace your backup ice. Keep you backup ice covered to insure that should breakage occur it will not contaminate both your well and your backup.
Repeat as is unfortunately necessary.
Wannabe(s) – Here’s your spot –
Ice management has a role both at home and at pro.
For first timers behind the bar knowing the when, where, and how to get ice can make you an instant help behind any bar.
Wannabe at Home
No home icemaker can handle more than four average drinkers. Expecting more than four boozers? Ask each guest to bring a bag of ice. Place an extra cooler by the door and have them drop the bagged ice in as then arrive and then use as needed.
For extra hospitality points, line the floor of the cooler with bottled water and treat your guests to some ice hydration on the way home!
Tips For My Homies
Always remember when chilling anything that the ice goes in second. When chilling wine, the bottle goes in first then the ice is scooped around it. When packing a cooler, the beer goes in first then the ice is put on top.
Putting the ice in the container first and then laying the item on top does nothing. To provide the chilling effect, the ice must melt down and surround the beverage. Ice water is even more effective as it provides more contact – just make sure that you don’t need to preserve the label before submerging a bottle of wine!
Wannabe Pro
Icing the well is the first step in bar set up. In most cases there will be things that will need to be cold BEFORE you start making cocktails (like the soda plate or your beer and white wine selection). In addition to stocking ice for cocktails and chilling, always have a separate supply of clean backup ice that is kept covered. Keeping the ice covered insures that shards of flying glass don’t contaminate your secondary supply.
During service the steady flow of clean ice is essential but a true pro NEVER hesitates to flip the ice if anything is broken because safety is the number one priority.
Protender Points
All ice should be transported in a container dedicated to only clean ice transport. Never put broken ice in this bucket. Never put broken ice directly into trash bags as it can tear through the plastic bag and cause injury during disposal.
Always keep your ice scoop in a designated spot out of the ice well. If it finds its way back into the ice make sure to remove it when refilling or it will end up buried under the clean ice.
Last, the only thing I’ve done more than scoop ice is count money. When I first arrived on the scene, a talented vetender took one look at me bending at the waist as I filled his ice buckets. “You planning on doing this for a while? ” he asked. When I responded in the affirmative he wisely instructed me to bend with my knees instead.
Bartending beats up on the body…
ALWAYS BEND AT THE KNEES when filling your ice buckets!
Barbacks & Tenderonis
You may have gotten behind the bar because you look good or have muscles (or both) but you can instantly be of use by asking where the ice machine is, what container is used to transport clean ice, and where to put the scoop when refilling. You never want your busy bartender to have to look for the scoop only to find it buried under the new ice!
Proper completion of this vital task will let your bartender know that you are not only pretty to look at but also smart and useful.
Badass Basics
The first badass basic to know when you step behind the bar is keep your mouth shut.
Now I know that sounds harsh but if you are unable to handle a direct order then behind the bar may not be the place for you.
It is normal to want to talk about every drink you have every had or made but now is not the time. The reason why is …get ready…BECAUSE I SAY SO but the explanation is as follows: conversation and pace of business have an inverse relationship. If your bartender is busy they are accommodating a myriad of requests in a certain order. Imagine a jenga tower configured from blocks made up of drink requests organized in order of priority. A busy bartender is keeping track of everything that is ordered and the progression of people doing the ordering; keeping track of what cocktails are requested, the quickest way to make the round, who is up next and who is after them. Concentration is paramount. If you step behind my busy bar and say or ask me anything its like pulling the wrong block and the entire tower may fall down.
Of course when things aren’t busy normal conversation is appropriate but remember they busier the bartender the lesser the talking AND ITS NOT PERSONAL ITS BUSINESS. Prove you are a badass by using your eyes not your mouth.
Look to see what your bartender needs and then get it for them without interrupting their train of thought or flow or service with the question ‘do you need ice?’ Instead LOOK to see how much ice is in the well and if a fresh backup is needed.
The first badass basic to master is
USE YOUR EYES NOT YOUR MOUTH.
So after all of the talk in this lesson about ‘use the scoop to keep the ice clean and free of glass’ you get behind the bar and the first thing some BOZO asks for is ‘dirty ice with his dirty martini’
WTF?
There are always some exceptions to every rule and I’ll make sure to let you know what they are.
Here is the inside secret to two types of dirty when it comes to martinis…
A dirty martini is a vodka based martini with olive juice substituted for the dry vermouth. When ordering a dirty martini, the amount of olive juice desired is indicated by the requested depth of the dirty. Very dirty means a generous amount of olive juice; slightly dirty calls for less.
Dirty ice is barlingo used to ask that the ice used in the making of the martini is served alongside.
Dirty actually refers to the marinated cubes remaining in the shaker tin after the martini is poured off into the chilled glass. This used ice is called ‘dirty’ as opposed to scooping fresh or ‘clean’ cubes from the ice well.
These seasoned cubes can then be added to the martini singularly. I always serve them with a spoon which allows the boozer to keep the drink at temp without any unnecessary dilution.
Occasionally an extra nice bartender might do you a solid and have a little extra pour off from the shaker to add to your cubes.
$$$ Make sure to thank them $$$
Perhaps you wonder…
What makes me think I’m a badass bartender?
All right darlings listen up: not all drink makers are badasses and of course not all badasses make drinks. I certainly don’t own the term nor did I invent it but I am intimately familiar with how it presents itself behind the bar.
It isn’t hard to know or find the recipe for any given drink but that’s not what badass bartending is about. Knowing what’s in the drink is entry level; refining specific details about the request, knowing the proper order that the ingredients should flow in, and understanding the optimum way to combine and present the cocktail gets you halfway there.
Showing up on time… every time… no matter what, being loyal to your coworkers, stepping up or in when necessary and looking good doing it while being watched, judged, yelled at and harassed or even threatened will get you almost there.
Doing it for months..years… even decades?
Through all that a bartender’s life will throw at you and STILL standing in?
You have arrived!
For illustration, perhaps a simple acronym might help:
B….is for the build of the drink. Not what goes in the drink but how to make it. Almost all drink recipes list ingredients in order of majority (what there is most of is listed first) and as a result usually combined in that order when in many cases the reverse makes for a much tastier beverage. As far as ‘combine in shaker’ well there’s so much more to master mixing than that!
A…is for the attention to details. How would you like your martini? Straight up or on the rocks? Dry? Dirty? How about Absolut vodka? Absout Citron? Would you prefer a lemon twist?
D…is for the discipline to prepare the drink perfectly each and every time. Making it the best they’ve ever had whether you like them or not, are presently tired/sick/pissed off/fucked up, whether you expect a tip or know you are going to get stiffed, and regardless of if whether it is the first New Year’s Eve that you’ve worked or the 25th in row.
The ability to stand in doing the job at a very high consistent standard for hours, weeks, and even years while smiling and watching others have fun shows you have the discipline of a badass bartender.
So that tries to explain where the ‘bad’ stands for but as for the ‘ass’ well that’s something you have to bring yourself.
Check out Sharon Stone bring her own version of ‘ass’ to a jack on the rocks…no scoop required.
I found this website from your comments off reddit, this has helped me immensely as I’m getting into the industry and learning the ropes, thanks for this!
Thank you for checking out my site and good luck in the industry!! You’ll be great !!