Bottle Shop Employees

Are you hiring?

 

I work at two different bottle shops. Everything said so far is right on. The pay is bad, and the work can be hard. The BEST part though, is getting first crack at shipments, and making connections with others in the craft world. I had a customer recently trade me a Pliny for a local we occasionally get that he had never had. I had a coworker give me a Heady Topper, which I am enjoying right now, and another coworker give me a Dark Lord because I worked his shift Saturday so he could go to Dark Lord Day! Another awesome perk, the sampling! We get to try new beers all the time.
I think the best employees are the ones who are good at listening and determining the customer's taste, and advising them accordingly.

 

Classy thread. Great responses. Working at a bottle shop, big or small has its own merits and pitfalls.

 

The best way to help customers is to try as much of the product that you can so you can give honest feedback. This includes things that you may not necessarily prefer but can appreciate. My bottle shop is a client of mine (insurance) so I have gotten to know them pretty well. The owner is not around very often but the guy that is usually working has probably tasted every beer in the store so he knows his stuff. I have liked just about every recommendation he has made. I've taken him a few beers here and there and he has given me some of the rare stuff they had. On the days it's busy I mind myself and do my shopping but I try to go early in the morning when it's quiet and I really enjoy talking beer with him.

Should be a fun job for you especially if you have a primary job and can work this on limited time or exchange work for beer.

 

A ton of stocking and stringing up 30 packs into 6 packs. Its a lot of boring/repetetive work but some of the people you meet are pretty cool and it's fun turning people on to new products. Also seeing the beer scene change in the past 5 years has been quite interesting. Is it just a bottle shop exclusively or a liquor store? If its the latter, expect to sell rail vodka to the same people every morning.

 

YES! You get crazy fast making 6-packs after a while...that's hilarious

 

As others have said, it is mostly stocking and ringing people up. Unless you work at a place specifically structured around craft beer, expect to handle mostly domestics.

PLUSES:
You get dibs on ALL limited releases.
You can get first-hand feedback on stuff you haven't tried from every day people
If you love beer, then the job will be satisfying in some respect

Minuses:
It's not the best paying job (though not the worst, either)
It is labor, and at some point, unavoidably, a little part of your soul will get sucked away

 

Beer knowledge isn't really needed. Having a silver tongue is enough. Most people believe whatever the fuck you say. Which is sad. Working with two Indians(not even old enough to drink) I see them talk people into buying things on a daily basis.

 

I believe we made sixers of Bud, Bud Light and Miller Light. I'm pretty sure Coors Light came already packed as sixers (as the can was slightly different in size, requiring a different holder). I can't even begin to speculate how many of those six packs I made, ha ha ha. Also, what a hilarious job to have when you're 16. I remember I'd card people and they'd get all bent out of shape because I needed to know how old they were. They'd ask, "How old are you?" To which I reply honestly. This only made them more angry. Pretty funny in retrospect. If I recall correctly (which I likely do not), I was told I could sell alcohol at a liquor store at age 16 because the packages were unopened, but to sell open alcohol as a server in a restaurant would you needed to be at least 18. Evidently it takes you two years to learn how to open a bottle.

 

Knowledge is power. seriously.

 

They're still out there - what's even more fun is that the six pack bottle holders have become popular with several mom and pops. I'm not talking about cardboard carriers, I mean these plastic things that you push down from the bottle tops. If you ever need to merch the homemade six packs, pulling them out of the cooler (especially the higher racks) is like that scene from "The Rock" where Nick Cage is pulling the VX nerve gas out of the holder to remove the guidance chip. You're scared to death the bottles will clank together and explode! What's best is when you don't completely clear the lip of the shelf and the back three (or two depending on orientation) come crashing into the controlled bottles. Good times!

 

I can't believe I not only read a reference to the movie "The Rock" but I read a completely appropriate reference to the movie "The Rock." Bravo!

 

Yeah I made up thousands of Natural Light six packs from the suitcases. I can't believe how much of that stuff we sold!

 

LIAR!!!! Admit it - you want the job so you can get first dibs on the rare beers that come in .

Just kidding. I would think the ability to casually assist people who are totally intimidated by the selection these days would be of the greatest value.

 

I work in a small one man bottle shop, I used to work high end wine sales as well. Knowledge is key, but don't be a know it all, you'd be surprised with what you'll learn and from who. The best part of it for me is that craft beer drinkers are some of the coolest people out there and being on the front lines on release day isn't so bad either.

 

Every liquor store I worked at did the same thing with 6 packs, cost effective

 

Say goodbye to your weekends and enjoying summer holidays. Unless you for some reason get to pick and choose your hours as if you owned the place.

Also if they sell liquor and wine you should know a bit about that as well. And I'll be willing to bet you'll be working the register a lot which gets tiresome especially dealing with rude customers. And when you're on the floor there's the physical work of setting up displays, tidying up the shelves, moving beer into the cooler etc. Oh and if your store is lucky enough to have a lottery machine have fun with the headaches that come with it.

So it's not like you'll be walking around the store all day just talking about beer.

I worked part time in a big liquor store a long time ago.

 

Does Vermont have bottle redemption? If so prepare to start making a list of people you hate, who you will see every day and who will never spend a penny while in the shop.

 

Edit: Just got in our Stone Ruination 2.0

 

I look for beer knowledge & work ethic. Beyond that...

You may hate Budweiser, but if that rail needs to be filled, you need to fill it and be happy doing it....beer snobs need not apply. The ability to break a sweat and lift/move cases quickly is a must. I may be posting on Beer Advocate right now, but I will still break down that pallet and have everything put away faster than anyone else. A rich vocabulary to describe to customers the flavors and nuances in beer. Attention to detail (straight lines when stocking/shelving/facing, proper grammar & spelling on signs, knowing to put signs up in the first place!) A positive attitude. Excellent customer service skills.