Behind the Bar

The Business of the Bar

Grow your bartending career and bar business—the right way. We have the tips and methods to keep you on the right path.
The Good and Bad of Cocktail Competitions
The Rules of Engagement for Dealing with Bar Regulars
The Right Way to Do Last Call
How to Run a Productive R&D; Session as a Bar Owner or Bartender
The 13 Best Gifts for a Bartender You Love
6 Simple Steps for Bartenders to Make Bigger Tips
Are Dehydrated Citrus Peels the Dumbest Garnish Ever?
How to Make the Most of Your Time When the Bar Is Slow
Why Do Companies Trademark Cocktails? The Truth Behind the Copyrights.
Batch Cocktails Are Not Evil. Despite What You Might Have Heard.
It’s Time to Take Your Bar’s Water Service Seriously
Guests Steal Everything from Bars. Including, Yes, Bottles.
The 3 Holiday Cocktail Books Every Bartender Needs to Read This Month
Bartenders Reveal Their Worst Nightmare Shifts. Plus How They Handled Those Disasters.
Staff Turnover Is a Bar Owner’s Nightmare. Solve for It with This Handy Advice.
How to Source Spirits in a Time of Small Allocation
Should Your Bar Hire an Artist-in-Residence?
Crush the Rush: 5 Bartender Tips for Surviving the Weeds
Repurpose Your Citrus with This Waste-Reducing Hack
5 Handy Tips to Help Bartenders Deal with a Pissed Off Guest
The Right Way to Build Your Social Media Following as a Bar Professional
4 Useful Ways to Help Reduce Staff Turnover
Sexism in the Bartending World Is Real. Here Are Some Ways to Handle It.
The Subtle Art of the Bar Uniform
4 Helpful Ways to Rethink How You Organize Your Bar Space
The Oddball Tool Bartenders Love to Use: Beakers
How Your Bar’s Music Can Make or Break Your Business Model
What Winning a Bartending Competition Can Mean to a Career
Bartenders Reveal the Secrets of a Successful No-Menu Cocktail Program
Is There Still Value in Listing Cocktail Classics on a Menu?
5 Extremely Useful Tips for Training New Bartenders
Is It OK for Bartenders to Take a Political Stance at Work?
Where Are All the Female Barbacks?
What Happens When Bartenders Steal Recipes? The Sad Truth: Nothing.
Bartenders: 8 Great Ways to Master Your Media Presence. With or Without Training.
The Wrong and Right Way to Deal with Your Bar’s Negative Yelp Reviews
The Renegade Solution to Not Using Cocktail Napkins or Coasters
Sober Bartenders Say They Feel Great. But Does Not Drinking Hurt Their Business?
The Weird, Drunken History of SantaCon. And How Bartenders Deal with It. Or Don’t.
A More Diverse Bar Staff Is a Better Bar Staff. Just Don’t Tokenize.
The Bad, the Ugly and the Good About Cocktail Influencers
Your Pastry Chef Can Help Your Bar Program in Unexpected Ways
Mastering the Art of Tableside Cocktail Service