Is it okay for bartenders to drink on the job?

Amid conflicting views on customer service, we ask an esteemed panel to ponder the question: Is it acceptable for bartenders to drink on the job, or should they stay dry?

Drinking on the job: Just good old fun, or a slippery, unprofessional slope?

Views on the issue differ widely between countries, establishments, and bartending generations.

While many claim drinking on the job is simply a perk of a profession where a sacrificial personal life is almost an imperative, others claim that this could taint the newly established status of bartending as a serious career.

Debating the contentious issue is William Cassin, general manager of London’s Trailer Happiness, and Katarina Mazaniova, bartender at London bar 34.

Do you have a different opinion on the matter? If so, let us know by leaving a comment below.

William Cassin, general manager, Trailer Happiness

For me, there is clearly an argument for both sides of this question, each depending on individual circumstances and venues. But, ultimately, I am happy for my crew at Trailer Happiness to have a few drinks behind the bar if they see fit.

I have been in situations where it is completely inappropriate to drink behind the bar, which is why I made a decision not to work in five star hotels anymore. Career bartenders (including those who have worked in high-end hotel bars, nightclubs, pubs and cocktail bars) are generally very responsible and mature. They are capable of deciding when to turn down a shot and they understand when they have had enough to drink.

I am be no means suggesting that it is appropriate to get drunk during every shift and for bartenders to neglect their professional responsibilities. I believe that if you have made that decision to be a career bartender and give every Friday and Saturday to your craft, thus relinquishing your social life and day-walker friends, then you are responsible enough to have a few drinks and still be able to close your station and be attentive to your guests.

I was recently in a situation were I deemed it inappropriate to drink on shift. There was a guest who was clearly intoxicated and quickly became aggressive to myself, my crew and other partygoers. I made an on-the-spot decision to stay sober and control the situation. This is an example when using your initiative as a professional bartender comes into play.

After being in this industry for 10 years, working in a variety of venues, from five star hotels in Belfast to a basement tiki bar in west London, I believe I have earned the right to be able to make that decision. I have given up my social life and my relationships to stand behind a bar serving people who often become drunk, rude and, at times, uncontrollable.

My job is my social life and if I think I would like to have a drink on shift, then so be it. If you do not believe you are mature enough to hold your own while drinking or take great care of you customers, then you shouldn’t have a drink. Also, if your establishment doesn’t allow you to drink on the job, don’t do it. If you have to take in your own bottle to have shots from because the venue is concerned about losing money, then do that.

My final point will be this. If your customers choose your venue to spend their expendable income, make sure they leave happy. If that means having a drink with them, then so be it. If it means staying dry because that is what they expect, then that is what you should do. Your guests should always be your priority. Always.

Katarina Mazaniova, bartender, 34

Bartending is a profession which, just like any other, has various responsibilities, duties and pleasures. One might mistakenly believe that a pleasure derived from being a bartender could be to have a tipple whenever one desires it, but I take a very dim view of this.

You wouldn’t want to be served by a drunk person in a bank, treated by a slurring doctor, or get onto a bus when the driver had swift pint or two before his shift, so why should customers have to deal with a tipsy or drunk bartender. Many bartenders complain that our profession is not taken seriously enough, or regarded with respect, and I think one of the main reasons for this is that often some bartenders don’t treat it as such themselves.

As bartenders, we assume the role of host – we guide customers through their evening and our goal is to provide them with the best experience imaginable. To do so, we need to be tuned into our customers and be aware of any little details that could affect their experience. I would find it genuinely difficult to do this if my senses and judgement were clouded by alcohol. The other thing I believe strongly is that should an accident occur at work and one were under the influence, there could well be legal repercussions. One can never be too careful.

It’s crucial for bartenders to be observant, intuitive, calm and friendly – to keep an eye on what’s going on and to ward off any potential issues. This would be much more difficult to achieve if alcohol has been consumed by the bartender; a bartender’s who has had alcohol himself can hardly deal calmly with someone who’s had too much on the other side of the bar. Not to mention the fact that drinking your bar’s stock could be considered theft.

However, I should stress that tasting is a necessary part of the cocktail making process – it would be remiss of me not to know what our drinks taste like and this does not constitute drinking on the job. At 34, our group manager would also allow exceptions when staff attend an industry event, or during our bi-monthly in-house Caprice group cocktail competitions.

There are some venues where a customer himself expects the bartender to have a shot with him to get into the “party mood”. Even in this case, I wouldn’t capitulate – it’s still important that the bartender is more coherent than the customer. I honestly don’t think that the ability to enjoy work is contingent upon being able to have a drink or not and perhaps a bartender who thinks that this is the only way to function might be better off choosing a different career.