Are you thinking about becoming a bartender? Employment within this profession is expected to increase 10% up through 2024. It’s important to note that this is a faster-than-average increase when compared with all other occupations. Approximately 43% of bartenders work in a restaurant of other type of eating establishment.
A Few Basic Requirements
While most states will require that you be at least 18 in order to serve alcoholic beverages, bartenders tend to be 25 years or older. A normal shift for bartenders is usually 10 to 12 hours. While it does depend on a restaurant or bar’s level of business, it isn’t unusual for bartenders to work their entire shift without a break.
Once hired, bartenders and servers have a single 61-day grace period to attend a TABC alcohol awareness training class. After completing the ABC class, a test needs to be passed in order to obtain an ABC permit.
Favorite Beverages and Alcohol Content
Vodka continues to be one of the most popular types of alcohol, and it accounts for 33.7% of all sales. This is more than any other category, which is important to note. In addition to all of the cocktails that use vodka as a base, many customers like to drink it plain and chilled.
Beer, wine, and wine coolers continue to be popular alcoholic beverages as well. Wine is particularly popular with Millennials, who made 36% of all wine purchases within the past year.
When taking alcohol content into consideration, these beverages have the same percentages:
- A 12-ounce beer
- A 5 ounce glass of wine
- A 1.5 ounce shot of liquor
While wine coolers do vary, most of them have the same amount of alcohol content.
The Rising Popularity of Local Breweries
Beer lovers like the “local feeling” of purchasing from local breweries. In 2014 alone, craft beer represented 11% of the beer industry’s overall volume. Just a year later, in 2015, regional breweries produced 77.8% of the industry’s total volume.
Whether you want to be a bartender or server at a local restaurant, bar, or brewery, one of the first steps you need to take is enrolling in an ABC class. During the course of this class, you will learn about the importance of being a responsible server and other vital information.