A bartender that doesn't drink, is it such unusual (sp) creature

So I'm talking to a bartending school and thinking seriously about going into bartending professionally. And while the school didn't seem surprised to hear of a bartender that doesnt' drink-- they say some bar owners prefer it. Yet, I got a lot of surprised reactions from people when tell that I don't drink.

As for the why I can't drink it's simple: It's a diabetic, ulcer, and medication issue and a family
history ripe with the bad side of the liquor. Still I don't paint the community with the bad side of the brush and just cause I can't inbibe (sic) doesn't mean I can't service those that do; think of it as a diabetic working in a candy factory and not being able to eat candy.

I just wonder why some people assume automatically that someone who bartends must, by extension, drink.

 

how could you not try your own creations? it would be torture!

 

One way I heard from a bartender I spoke with is smell. Cause, as he pointed out, what tastes good and right to me may taste like crap to the customer. He said smell the aroma off the liquor wa s good way to tell a blend.

 

Well, I think, from what you said, you SHOULD be a bartender. The best bartenders are always the most straight. Although I would think that by them requiring you to be a drinker, they're thinking you would need a working knowledge of the ins & outs of people drinking. Contrary to popular belief, there's an ugly side to alcoholism. Perhaps they want someone who can empathise and use discretion when needed? I dunno.

 

Well, it's kind of like when my Grandpa worked in a Drug Store in college. Now the drugstore had an ice cream fountain and the people who worked there got all the ice cream they could eat during the day. Thing is that everyone got sick of ice cream.

Anyway, I think the real issue here is that if you owned a bar would you really want to hire someone you knew would drink on the job? I certainly wouldn't.

 

It doesn't seem unusual to me. Serving the drinks and actually consuming them are two different things.

 

Doesn't sound too strange to me. I know people in the burger business who don't eat meat.

*downs a glass of water*

 

Well, I'm a certified bartender and I don't drink at all. All my friends think it's unusual, but it kinda makes since to me.

 

My Dad's a bartender and he drinks, but I know quite a few people he's worked with that didn't. It's not quite as uncommon as people think.

Good luck with school, anyway. Bartending is fuuun.

 

I'm a bartender, and I don't drink alcohol.

 

Just drink it, it won't kill you.


Man, if I was a bartender......

 

There's Sam Malone!

 

In my case, yes it may kill me LOL

And thanks from all the bartenders and supporters in the thread. I was starting to feel like the odd man out for wnating to bartend but not being able/wanting to drink liqour. Nice to see it's not such a odd thing in the industry

 

Just drink it, it won't kill you.

...Oh no? Ever heard of alcahol poisoning? Ever heard of drunk driving? Ever heard of ineptness? Ever heard of ODing?

Yes alcahol can kill. I get many laughs from you bloom.

 

I think it's one of those situations in which you deal with something other people see as desirable so much for so long, that you want no part of it recreationally.

Quick story:

About five years ago, I worked as a lifeguard at a local theme park. Prior to that, this theme park was my absolute favorite place to spend a day; so to me, this job was a godsend. It turned out that being a lifeguard (especially at this place) was not all it was cracked up to be, and I have old horror stories to prove it. I loathed being there (for various reasons), and I grew tired of all the attractions. Consequently, after I quit, I preferred to keep away from the park (even when my friends paid a visit), and I haven't been back since.

In your case, you wouldn't be a prior drinker in the event you get a bartending job, so you will probably have an even stronger resistance to alcohol after dealing with it all the time.

To be honest, I think non-drinking bartenders are ideal. They are supposed to have a sense of responsibility (not to be confused with "babysitting"), and they can't exercise that responsibility if they are getting caught up with drinking as well (at least as much as the patrons).

Just drink it, it won't kill you.


Man, if I was a bartender......

That's why you would make a terrible bartender.

 

Just drink it, it won't kill you.

I don't drink for three reasons.

1) Pretty much every male on my fathers' side of the family that has ever touched alcohol is an alcoholic, and so are a good number of the women. Given that my family has shown a strong predisposition towards alcoholism, it makes sense for me to stay away.
2) Drinking is an expensive habit. For the price of a couple of beer, I could go see a movie or buy a book. The only thing that beer and other forms of alcohol have going for them that non-alcoholic drinks don?t have is alcohol, and I don?t find it particularly entertaining to be anything except completely sober and aware of what?s going on around me.
3) I hate the taste of alcohol.

 

I don't drink for three reasons.

1) Pretty much every male on my fathers' side of the family that has ever touched alcohol is an alcoholic, and so are a good number of the women. Given that my family has shown a strong predisposition towards alcoholism, it makes sense for me to stay away.
2) Drinking is an expensive habit. For the price of a couple of beer, I could go see a movie or buy a book. The only thing that beer and other forms of alcohol have going for them that non-alcoholic drinks don?t have is alcohol, and I don?t find it particularly entertaining to be anything except completely sober and aware of what?s going on around me.
3) I hate the taste of alcohol.

We agree completely.

 

There's Sam Malone!

Not only didn't Sam drink...But he was a recovering Alcoholic and working in a bar ?!?!?!

 

The best part of going to bartending school is getting to try your own creations!

My good buddy went to bartending school and I got to be his guinea pig! It was great!

 

Usually when people work with something they lose a taste for it.

I find it more unusual that when we were at a steak house for dinner the waitress claimed to be a vegetarian.

 

JangoMike - He must have been doing it off the clock, so to speak. All the bartending schools I've spoken with use colored water iin the classes. They actually want people that don't drink. IN fact the schooll I'll be goig to-- once the money frees up-- requires that all students attend a 90 minute preregistration interview/orientation about the law, liability, ethics, and responsinlity that goes with being a bartender. In fact the gentleman told me they'll deny admission if they think that you aren't going to adhere to good legal and ethical practices.

amhlair - I've know na a couple of people who were vegans who went into being butchers. Go figure.

I was talking ot the JTPA the other day and they said they may pay for bartending school if I take college course in food/beverage management with cooking course on the side; which ai win win cause being a chef is like my is second right offer bartender for me in terms of dream job and it would expand out my job oppourtinies.