Organizing Your Drink Order

The bartender’s most important tool is speed. Everything you do behind the bar should be done with an eye toward achieving maximum efficiency. A key way to save time is learning to prioritize your drink orders.

Because drinking is often a social occasion, you will tend to get groups of people ordering widely varied drinks. A good bartender quickly learns to save time and maximize drink quality by pouring the drinks in the most efficient order possible.

Working Drinks (i.e. drinks not made in the glass in which they will be served)

1. Ice Cream Drinks

2. Frozen Drinks

3. Mixed Drinks

4. Up Drinks

5. Bottled Beer, Wine by the Bottle

Non-Working Drinks

6. Juice Drinks, Highballs

7. Wine by the Glass

8. Hot drinks (e.g. coffee drinks)

9. Draft Beer

This may sound a bit complex at first, but it will become second nature to you. The reason for this order soon becomes apparent to the practicing bartender. Start with the blended drinks (i.e. those that take the longest to make); while these are in the blender, begin work on the others. Finish with the most time-sensitive drinks (those which will get diluted, warm up or cool off rapidly, and/or go flat).