Lesson Three:
1..2..3 PourThe inside secret to the proper pour technique.
What it is … how to do it … and why you must.
Straight to the wannabe section…
Already know what makes the perfect pour?
Answer my bitter quiz questions correctly and jump to lesson four!
How much liquor should be poured for a single shot ?
The stardard single shot pour is 1.5 ounces.
How does the bartender measure the amount?
The bartender is responsible for accurate measurement and may use a shot glass, a jigger, or an internal count.
What is the proper pour technique?
Grab the bottle by the neck with a handshake shaped hand. Tilt the bottle at a 45 degree angle so the liqour pours continuously and evenly through the speed pour spout. Fill your shot glass or jigger while counting at consistent tempo. After the skill is developed, the use of shot glass or jigger is no longer necessary and a measured pour results without needed to use either tool.
If you use less ice do you get a stronger drink'?
NO! A common misunderstanding is that a full glass of ice makes a drink weaker. The amount of alcohol is measured so if less ice is used, the extra room in the glass is taken up with more mixer (not more booze) which results in a weaker drink.
Why does proper measurement matter?
There are many important reasons why the amount of alcohol is measured by the bartender. Consistent standard measurement benefits both the the drinker and the drink provider. The drinker knows the amount of liquor in any given drink and can thereby (in theory) correctly manage their own intoxication and the drink maker can fulfill their own responsiblities when it comes to responsible service. Standard measurement is also the key to proper bar inventory and accounting.
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If you spend any time behind the bar you will come across people who just do not understand the way things work. “Pour me a double”.. “hit me hard” or “use less ice because I want a strong one” they will say assuming this will get them a drink with more alcohol.
That is simply not the way it works.
First of all, if you want to decide how much to pour – drink at home.
Second, this isn’t my booze it belongs to the management so it is not mine to ‘give’.
Third, for many reasons the amount of liquor poured behind a professional bar is measured carefully. Just because you don’t see me with a jigger or shot glass does not mean that I don’t know exactly how much – to the milliliter – I am pouring with each raise of my arm. The fact is that I have done it so much that I don’t have to use the training wheels any more.
Retail liquor establishments have to be licensed (which can be very hard to obtain and incredibly important to hold on to) and are required to act responsibly in the service of alcohol. This practice may take many forms but none so important as the careful administration of measured intoxicants.
Simply put, the amount of liquor poured is not up to me…
so it’s certainly not up to you.
If all it took to be a bartender was knowing that a screwdriver is an ‘and’ drink made with well vodka and orange juice you would all be bartenders by now.
Of course that’s not all there is to it but now that you know what booze to choose let us move on to how much booze to use.
Learning some more barlingo will let us know what our drinkers are expecting with what they are asking.
single shot pour
Some of the barlingo to learn is not expressed but understood. When it comes to all ‘and’ drinks and most other mixed drinks it is understood that single shot of alcohol will be used. In the US the standard measurement is 1.5 ounces of 80 proof spirit. There are many reasons that this specific measure of booze is used but none more important than the proper management of one’s intoxication. ‘Please drink responsibly’ really means drink and be held responsible for everything that you do after. Consistent and universal use of this standard measurement (which contains the same the same amount of pure alcohol as a 12 ounce beer and a 5 ounce glass of wine) allows the drinker to correctly estimate the amount of liquor they are consuming when they are out and about and makes them responsible for their own level of intoxication (up to a certain point).
This is why a full glass of ice is essential for a strong drink. LESS ice means MORE mixer as the amount of alcohol can not change so any extra space is taken up with mixer. More mixer makes for a weaker tasting drink!
So when someone asks you for a screwdriver they are expecting a single shot (1.5 ounces) of well vodka and orange juice in a fully ice glass – all of the barlingo is understood.
make it a double
For some of my boozers this single shot measurement is insufficient. They want twice that standard measurement and use their barlingo to say ‘make it a double’. If allowed by bartender and permissable by law (and in that order), the bartender will pour twice the amount of booze in your drink with the same amount of mixer. This strong combination should not be attempted by the amateur drinker.
This amateur drinker is the one who doesn’t understand the lingo and asks me to make them a double martini. Only single shot drinks can be doubled! You can’t double a Long Island Ice Tea!
Some would rather a more subtle presentation of their booze and move in the opposite direction. They order their drinks ‘tall’ using their barlingo to let the bartender to know that they would like the same amount of alcohol with more mixer.
To review, a double screwdriver is two shots of vodka with orange juice where as a tall screwdriver is a single shot of vodka with twice the amount of OJ.
how bout a big cup of
The reason that a martini can not be doubled is because it already has more than a single shot in it. Depending on the size of the martini glass, this cocktail can have two or even three times the standard measurement simply by design. The original gin martini is an almost pure concentration of liquor measuring four ounces or more. If vermouth is used at all, it’s presence in no way diminishes the fact that what you are getting when you ask for a martini is a big cup of booze.
These days most martinis are vodka based. As their consumption has become more popular and prevalent the switch to ‘everybody’s friend’ vodka allows for wider appeal and more alternatives. Whether espresso or french, cosmo or lemon drop, make no mistake about it what you are getting with this barlingo is a big cup of booze masquerading in a fancy glass.
You can’t double a martini because it is already all booze! The only way to double it would be to order two…and let’s see how you handle the first one – martini’s are for advanced drinkers!
multiple shot drinks
Of course each and every drink is not a single spirit situation that is just where the barlingo begins. Many drinks (booze and mixer) and cocktails (booze and more booze) have several shots in their ingredient list.
The most famous multiple shot drink may be the Long Island Iced Tea. This drink recipe calls for five equal measurements of the five white liquors: vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and triple sec (as well as sour mix and coke.) Many bars will allow a full ounce of each spirit while others will use a half ounce portion. Either way the drink would be almost twice to more than three times the standard 1.5 ounce count.
This drink represents the other end of the single shot spectrum and there are many combinations in the middle. Drink recipes will call for full, half, or quarter shots to taste correctly. As your skill level developes and your drink repertoire grows, pay close attention to not only the types of booze to use but also the appropriate amounts to be measured.
mastering THE PERFECT POUR
Three steps to the proper shot.
The grip…the tip…and the measurement.
Perfect pouring technique:
The proper grip, the angled tip, and always accurate measurement.
Grab the bottle.
The standard liquor bottle is shaped to include a tapered neck which fits a pourer to control the flow and direction of the booze as it is poured. Proper technique starts with always grabbing the neck of the bottle.
Grasp the bottle (as if you are shaking hands) with thumb on one side and all four fingers on the other. The hand should be center on the neck of the bottle. Do not put your finger or thumb on the pourer. Do not choke up on the opening. The angled top of the pourer and the opening should be facing left.
Of course not all bottles are shaped the same or allow for this standard grip but I always judge a bartender’s skill level with this basic technique and move up from there. In short – if they can’t pour a shot of well vodka; hands off the single malt scotch!
Tilt at a 45 degree angle.
Swing the bottle upwards with a counter clockwise twist of the wrist. Halfway between horizontal and completely vertical lies the perfect position. This 45 degree angle provides for consistent flow and allows the bartender to predict exactly how much booze is coming out.
Holding the bottle at about chest height lets you direct the flow of booze with enough clearance to see the opening of the glass.
I realize that there are bartenders who flip their bottles completely upside down and use a vertical motion to stop the flow. These pouring techniques are not for beginners because they block the view of the glass or jigger and require advanced techniques to insure accuracy. Mastering a standard and consistent pour count is the first step to take before moving towards more difficult techniques.
Count it out.
We already know that 1.5 ounces is our target measurement so we get out our shot glass, grab the bottle, tilt it up and when the liquor hits the bottom of the shot glass we begin our count. Like a metronome rocking back and forth the tempo must be consistent. Some bartenders count 1 and 2 and 3…up to six with each number corresponding to quarter an ounce. I was taught to say ‘one thousand’ (as in one..one thousand…two…two thousand…three…three thousand with each count corresponding to a half ounce). Once you have filled the shot glass, twist the bottle towards you while lowering the end to stop the flow. If you establish a consistent count, using either method, without rushing or pausing, you should find a full shot glass. Any consistent count works but breaking it into three equal measures allows you to move from single shot pours to other measurements by 1/2 ounce increments as each number accounts for one third of the total 1.5 measurement.
Over time the motion of the arm combined with an accurate internal count will develop and then become automatic. There will be no need to count out loud or use a jigger or shot glass. Although it is no longer apparent to the observer, a protender knows that each shot is measured and accurate because this technique makes it so.
Wannabe(s) – Here’s your spot –
Wannabe at Home
Pouring a perfect measured shot at home may not be necessary but knowing how many bottles of booze you need for any number of people might. For simple purposes, a single liter bottle of booze contains about twenty single shot drinks. The actual math is that a single liter contains 33.82 ounces but if you round down to thirty and then divide by the standard pour of 1.5 ounces you will arrive at twenty (with a little extra for over pour, mistakes, or the bartender).
A single bottle of vodka provides for five mixed drinks for four people which should get it done…party on!
A Tip For My Homies
Some of us homies will hire others to do the bartending. In addition to saving themselves from the preplanning anxiety of deciding what kind of liquor and how much of each kind to have on hand, tending bar for any amount of people over four significantly limits the ablity of the host to interact with guests. Although it seems to be fun, bartending is very labor intensive and comes with a whole host of responsibility and certain liablity. Now that you know how many drinks there are in a bottle, work with your professional bartender to insure a variety of choices with sufficient depth and quality but enjoy having your own cocktail and letting others do the work … and take the responsiblity.
Wannabe Pro
All professional bartenders are responsible for the liquor that they pour in a myriad of ways. Of course the most important responsibility pretains to appropriate consumption but next in line involves accurate pricing and collection of revenue. All retail bars measure their liquor very carefully and overpouring can be seen as stealing so careful measurement is necessary for protender success. If I pour twice as much liquor in any given drink and only charge and collect for one, my time behind the bar is limited as any proper accounting will show the discrepancy.
Liquor inventory is managed with the specific amount of each kind of spirit that should be kept on hand for any given period of time. This accounting is called PAR and is maintained on an inventory stock sheet. For each shift or event, an opening and closing measurement can easily tell management how much corresponding revenue is to be expected.
All accurate liquor management should include drinks made in error. Cocktails that are not poured correctly must be accounted for in the inventory. These mistakes should be allocated and included for an accurate picture of what is going on back there. I tell my newbies that making a drink mistake won’t get them in trouble but failing to accurately record it for inventory might!
Protender Points
Professional bartending success depends on a mixture of skill and speed. Skill has many different components – memory, personality, organization, experience – but speed has very few.
Using both hands makes you twice as fast as using one, but it is essential for a protender to have a third gear. You must be able to push your body to move quickly and consistantly for long periods of time. The pace of a successful bar can be almost maddening and a protender is chief cheetah in charge. There are times when you will be overwhelmed and feel pushed beyond your limits. The industry term for this experience is ‘in the weeds’ and the only way out is to move faster and push harder until you have managed to dig yourself out…then come back in for more!
If you do not have this essential third gear and cannot push yourself to move quickly and efficiently that doesn’t make you bad but you certainly won’t be badass at least when it comes to bartending of course.
Bartending requires speed of movement.
It is not about making drinks…
IT’S ABOUT MAKING DRINKS FAST!
Barbacks & Tenderonis
You may have gotten behind the bar because you look good or have muscles (or both) but you can determine your potential to succeed by assessing your ability to hustle. Bartending at any level (yes you are now entry level bartenders) requires a third gear. If you can’t MOVE you must LEAVE. Unlike other jobs (say accounting or doctoring) quick pace is not necessary. This is not the case with bartending.
There will be times when you are moving as fast as you can and it still won’t be enough. People will be yelling or screaming, waving money and jumping up and down. Of course this isn’t the case in every bar but allow me to assure you: the faster you move the more money you will make and if that doesn’t motivate your hustle then this may not be the job for you.
A Badass Basic
The third basic behind the bar brings these elements together. Using what we have learned so far, movement behind the bar is not only fast paced but careful. Timing and coordination are essential when several people are moving quickly with their own priorities independent of one another. If this action were taking place behind the scenes that would be one thing but being behind the bar is also like being on stage. Not only do you have an audience, but you also may have some hecklers – buzzed up bozos waiting for the opporunity to poke fun at any collision or incident that occurs like grammar students in a cafeteria waiting for the drop of a tray.
Things will be dropped and broken and depsite everyone calling ‘behind me’ a little bump and rub will occur just because of the pace. Be as considerate as possible!
The third badass basic to master is
MOVE AS FAST AS YOU CAN BUT STAY IN YOUR LANE AND OUT OF THE BARTENDER’S WAY.
So you teach me all about perfect pouring technique and I get behind the bar and see a bartender almost lay the bottle flat and pour over a spoon…
WTF?
All bartenders must start somewhere which is why we begin with the standard pour but there’s aways more than one way to skin a cat.
Here is the inside secret to custom pour for a floating shot …
After you master the standard pour and develop the skill and agility of handling bottles to insure consistent flow and perfect measurement there are also other techniques to try. Layering and floating shots are poured with a different technique as well as an understanding that liquors have different densities which will cause some to sink and stay at the bottom and others to float on top.
A B52 is a layered shot using equal thirds Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and Gran Marnier. The secret of the presentation is in the build. The Kahlua, which is the most dense, goes in first and settles at the bottom. Baileys is next, but lower the standard tilt of your bottle by about half and turn the pour spot towards you instead of down to lesson the flow and allow you more control over the placement. Slowly pour the Bailey’s at the inside wall of the glass so it flows down and spreads across the Kahlua without breaking the surface tension in the way a direct pour into the center would. Executed correctly the Bailey’s will set up and form a distinct layer above the Kahlua.
Use the same slow pour technique but add a long bar spoon for the Gran Marnier. Position your upside down spoon so that it touches the interior wall of the glass at the top edge of the Bailey’s. When you pour slowly over the back side of the spoon, the liquor will spread out leaving a clear orange flavor layer at the top.
Layering looks cool but it is really all about the finish. Drinking these layered concoctions provides a clear journey through all of the wonderful flavors ending with the sublime Bailey’s. This shot packs a punch but is so tasty you might underestimate it’s potency….lightweight drinkers beware!
So you may be thinking, okay Bitterella, you know something about drinks but…
Can you flip bottles?
No friends, I do not flip bottles. I am not a flair bartender. I am also not a master mixologist. I do however make exquisite drinks at an unbelievable speed which results in making the most important thing that there is to make behind the bar…MONEY.
Yes some people are fascinated with tricks or enjoy a long winded bar joke but I am a hustler whose focus is on the customer not the other way around.
Do not fall under the impression that bartending is all about the show – it’s more about the GO.
Unlike other jobs, a bartender is on stage. When you are behind the bar there is nowhere to hide. Every mistake is noted and your average night’s work can be filled with people waving, screaming, and jumping up and down pushing you to work faster. Some bartenders use this opportunity to draw attention to themselves – shaking their drinks like madmen or flairing their way through two drink orders while I do ten. Tricks slow you down and my drinkers are more interested in their buzz than my ego and I am more interested in their money than their adoration.
I have worked with incredible bartenders – spending over a decade with the BBE (Best Bartender Ever) aka ‘The Flower’. Everybody loves The Flower. Her skill level is the highest, she is faster than a cheetah, tough, beautiful, friendly, petite, and perfectly put together. Like me, she has grown up behind the bar and spent most of her life on one side or the other. I can trust her with cases of booze, thousands of dollars, or a room full of assholes – she can handle it all.
The badass bartenders that I know whether Moms, marathon runners, battle rope masters or all three are pros at making sure that their guests know that THEY are the star of the show. Of course we will flip a shaker cup or sink a bottle cap from across the bar but we are MOVING…sometimes as fast as we can for as long as we can to make sure they their experience is the best they’ve ever had. If you think bartending is about flipping bottles, let me clue you in:
The badass crew of bartenders that I run with don’t flip bottles – we flip buckets. Tip buckets full of dollar….dollar bills…yo!
Knowing every drink (or pretending you do) is part of being a badass bartender … but even at the classic bar CHEERS you have to watch out for screaming vikings!
A bitter opinion on …
Double and Single Barrel Jiggers
All jiggers are not created equal.
Jiggers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. My instruction involves a double sided jigger with a standard 1.5 ounce (called a jigger shot) on one end and a 1 ounce measure (called a pony shot) on the other.
Lucky enough to have this particular jigger? It’s called a Japanese jigger. The slim design makes it easier to maneuver and the shape lets you know which end has the smaller shot. Fabulous!
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