Drinking bartenders

This is one of those times when you should probably mind your own business.

 

There's a local sushi place I've been going to for years. Most of the time when I am there I see the sushi chefs drinking beer. It doesn't impact their service, the food is great, so why would I care?

 

I was cited one Tuesday at 2:01 AM.."for allowing the consumption of malt beverages between 2 and 7 AM". I held the ticket in my hand, transfixed, just having had a huge night, and there was one can of beer still on the bar, and it wasn't mine. The guy liked a girl that didn't like him and he thought no one knew who he was. Just a plain old-fashioned ass. Anyway, I go to court and the judge looks at all the legal business, throws down the papers, and literally says out loud, "this court has no time for this crap, case dismissed." Those were the days!

 

Where is it specified that you pay for "sober service?" Did you sign a contract promising as much?

A bartender is not a doctor or a school bus driver. A bartender serves alcohol to people. There's no decent reason to expect sobriety out of that person other than some vague, entitled mewling about how dare these service industry workers not comport themselves to my very high standards of fanciness.

You're paying for a bartender to serve you drinks and not treat you with overt hostility. That's it. Any other expectations you bring to the table are you own problem.

 

Section 493(28) of the Liquor Code [47 P.S. § 4-493(28)] provides that it is unlawful for any licensee, his servants, agents or employees, to consume liquor or malt or brewed beverages while tending bar or otherwise serving alcohol.

Illegal in PA. I have seen it happen countless times and never had an issue with it but it is definitely putting the bar at risk.

 

My jimmies are not rustled by this.

I think it's a perk of the job for some folks. As long as they can do their job, I don't see how I can even begin to have a care.

 

I'm good with sampling and being social, it sells the products and makes it a "comfortable" environment. Drinking should be social. A bar tender taking A shot.. not five, with a big group if the group buys them a shot is ok. Pulling pints for yourself is not ok. Anyone remember when bars used to trust bartenders and treat their regulars right and not like the corporate crap on the walls places do now when the establishment would BUY YOU A SHOT OR A BEER after spending untold amounts of money there??

Ahh the good old days. Now I've lived and worked in states or places that have the liquor weighed every month and forbid you from even buying a shot or a beer for a regular client..

 

People seem to be citing legality. It's not legal to ship beer round the country from individual to individual via FedEx / UPS. That one doesn't seem to bother people on here.

 

Everyone bothered by this are probably a ton of fun at parties.

 

Until you have worked that job I wouldn't judge too harshly, I work at a restaurant with a bar and the unwritten rule is make sure you can handle yourself. If at a bar the bartender is drinking openly near closing time I am sure he/she deserves too.

 

20 years ago it was considered de rigueur to buy the sushi chef a beer or two while eating at a sushi bar. The times they are a changing...

 

shhh...

 

reminds me of the feed where the guy was upset the bartender poured someone else's Guinness improperly

 

Drinking steadily, no. If they're trying the product, I think that's good. If you're working at a beer bar, its best that you have tried a lot of the stuff you're serving so its easier to talk to the customers about it.

 

I've been to (and worked in) several places where the bartenders are given a certain amount of "comp drinks" that they can give away each shift, and as long as they're rung in properly there's no issue. Giving a away a free drink now and then is a small price to pay to keep your regulars happy and keep them coming back. Example: one of our regulars stops in 4 days per week, has a couple pints, and heads home. If you figure an average of $5/pint, that customer is spending over $2,000/year in the bar. Giving him a free pint week or so is a drop in the bucket compared to the revenue we'd lose if he stopped coming in and became a regular somewhere else.

Pretty much every bar I've worked in has given bartenders a free shift drink (or $x credit for beverages) and/or meal credit.

The difference is that if a bartender is caught performing ther job while intoxicated they could be fined hundreds of dollars, cited for various misdemeanors, and possibly lose their servers license. Also, depending on the offense, the business itself can be fined hundreds or thousands of dollars, and in some cases it can result in a temporary suspension of the bar's liquor license.

The worst thing that'll happen if FedEx catches you shipping beer is that you're out the beer and the shipping charges, so these two scenarios aren't the least bit comparable.

 

Drinking on the job is irresponsible. Mistakes happen and the chance for hurting someone is greatly increased.

 

I tend bar at two craft beer bars. I get a shift drink at both (which I comp in the system). I won't drink during a busy time, I usually wait until I am closing up and only regulars (or no one) is left. We also have a few regulars who like to buy big bottles to split amongst the patrons at the bar, and most will give me a small glass to sip while we talk. Again, I would refrain if this was a busy time. At my cocktail focused bar, it is also standard to make a cocktail out of the dregs of a bottle (when there is less than a full pour left). This is when we come up with new drinks and hone our mixology skills. Again, this is done at or after close.

I've never been inebriated behind the bar. Any bartender worth their salt can responsibly drink during a shift without stealing (assuming the owner approves) and without getting drunk. By knowing your customer (one of the most important skills behind the bar), you can make a more comfortable environment for regulars or beer enthusiasts by sharing something with them.

 

I like to see a bartender drinking on the job. The bars I tend to frequent these days are more selective as I prefer to choose places with good beer selections. I know some great establishments that have a great selection and cicerone bartenders who really know their stuff. When I'm at these places, I enjoy watching them sample and analyze different brews. This way, if I ask them to recomend something from the menu, they have actually tried it and know what they are talking about.

 

Mostly everything that needs to be said has been said, but.. Im not sure if you know this but even if the bartender is drinking they still reserve the right not to serve you. Never mess with the person who handles your food or drinks, especially if they are being reasonable and generally nice to you. Have you seen the movie waiting? Yeah don't fuck with us or we will fuck with you. Some people will just never know what its like to be on the other side of the bar..