The best bartenders are rarely the flashiest. What sets them apart is a set of small habits they repeat every shift.
- Acknowledge every guest within ten seconds, even if you cannot serve them yet.
- Clean as you go — a tidy station is a fast station.
- Build drinks in the same order every time so mistakes are obvious.
- Taste with a straw before the drink leaves the bar.
- Restock before the rush, not during it.
We drill these rituals from the first week of every course, because they matter more than any single cocktail recipe.