Clueless (young) bartender...

[Restaurant man]

It's called training. Only works when combined with staff retention. I don't want to gloat but...

[HP12]

Everybody starts new at some point. Make it an educational and collaborative experience. When it comes to training and putting well trained staff in positions within the service industries, well, it's not like it used to be!

[Guest]

I like the general sentiment of this thread, yeh there is a difference between not knowing and intentionally doing the wrong thing, and helping out the ones who dont know better, well its just good for everyone.

[Vietish]

I also like to think it can go both ways.

I was in a new bar the other day that had just opened. Noticed they had a pretty decent selection of bourbon for Oz and asked for GTS. The bartender gave me a bit of a look and asked how I wanted it. When I told him neat, he broke into the biggest smile and reached under the counter for a Glencairn and told me how good it was to finally serve someone that appreciates how a good whiskey should be drunk. Everyone else who he had served for the night wanted everything mixed with coke. Now maybe the the whiskey drinking is not as big in Oz as in the states, but I always like to think that while the bartenders should know how to pour what you ask, in this day and age where a lot of people do not appreciate what they are asking for, especially here in OZ where I would assume a lot of people just look at the menu and go by whats the most expensive on the list, its not going to be their fault if they dont know how get it right straight away. It just means you have to watch them like a hawk when they make the drink.

[HighInTheMtns]

Eh, just a sign of things to come. The day is coming, that when you ask for a bourbon or a whiskey, you'll be met with a quivering stare and this response..."You mean Juice, don't you?..."

Just can't get aboard the anti-"juice" train.

But bartenders should learn what a snifter is, I guess. Hell, I'm in Utah, I'm just happy they'll serve me whiskey.

[smokinjoe]

Just can't get aboard the anti-"juice" train.

But bartenders should learn what a snifter is, I guess. Hell, I'm in Utah, I'm just happy they'll serve me whiskey.

Jim, it's actually more of a very, very, remote and tiny island. There are 3 of us on it...and a goat...

[Cigar Dan]

Ok, I'm going to take issue with the responses to this thread in a pretty straight tone because they honestly upset me an awful lot.

I honestly don't know why this discussion would be upsetting to you. No one said anything which would indicate that they were rude or condescending to the bartender. Discussing clueless bartenders in this forum should be perfectly fine.

I will say that I've run into my share of inexperienced bartenders, but have always tried to be good natured in explaining what I wanted.

[ethangsmith]

I honestly don't know why this discussion would be upsetting to you. No one said anything which would indicate that they were rude or condescending to the bartender. Discussing clueless bartenders in this forum should be perfectly fine.

I will say that I've run into my share of inexperienced bartenders, but have always tried to be good natured in explaining what I wanted.

To me it's an issue of expecting someone to know a lesser known piece of information on their first night at work. If this was a whiskey bar, I wouldn't have an issue with this thread because if you're into whiskey, you know what a snifter glass it. But, again, this was Carrabba's. Now if the bartender didn't know what vodka was, that would be a real different story!

[Cigar Dan]

I agree that my expectations from a bartender are much lower at the types of bars that were mentioned above, however, I don't think that it is unreasonable to expect minimal competence.

A quick glance at the bottles behind a bar will almost always tell me whether I should just play it safe and order a beer. Just as I never order cajun or creole dishes outside of south Louisiana, I never order a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned at a bar that has less than a dozen whiskeys (and even then, I will inquire as to how they mix those drinks).

[smknjoe]

I would expect a bartender of any (legal) age to know what a brandy snifter is. Just like I would expect them to know what a tumbler or pint glass is.

Edit: ...even it they didn't have any of those glasses on hand.

Edited October 20, 2013 by smknjoe

[CL]

We have three whiskey bars in the Raleigh/Durham area. Two of them don't have whiskey glassware (Glencarin or similar). The other does, but I have to ask for it. If I am going to pay $20 for an oz of great juice, I want a glass I can nose.

I gave feed back to one of the places and they told me they wanted to have them, but due to their small place, they didn't have room for them. The other place, I didn't bother giving feedback. Their pours were 1.5 oz and I didn't feel like spending $30 for it. Fortunately, its specialty is cocktails, so I just ordered a Manhattan. It was excellent.

[nd2005]

Maybe I'm just a newb... But I have never specified the glass type when I've ordered a glass of whiskey, even at some pretty nice places. And I know I said this earlier but seriously it is Carrabbas! The bartenders there aren't bartenders. I barely trust them to get a beer and wine order right.

If you want a nice pour in a specific glass...go somewhere else.