As the American restaurant has evolved in recent years, we`ve seen the chef come front and center along with his cooks, the status of the server
(”wait staff” in the jargon of the trade) upgraded and the customer regarded with new-found respect if not deference.
So who`s missing from this cozy group photograph? The bartender, that`s who.
Not so long ago, the bartender was something of a folk hero. Master mixologist, encyclopedic conversationalist, confessor, friend in need, judge and-when necessary-guardian of the fair sex, he played a vital supporting role in many movies and many real-life restaurant success stories.
Now, with the rare exception of the movie ”Cocktail” and television re- runs, the bartender is more often a bit player.
The most obvious reason for this diminution is the reduced consumption of alcohol in bars and restaurants and the sharp turn away from spotlighting anything that romances drinking.
On the other side of the bar, less sales equal less tips. Insiders say bartenders are discouraged and some of the best have moved on to other work.
”There`s not a much skill involved as their used to be,” says Joe McClure of Rosebud on Rush, who has been practicing his craft for 43 years.
”Make a vodka (on the) rocks and pour some wine. That`s the name of the game in a lot of places.”
Nonetheless, bartending can still be a glamorous job and at least one expert feels the bartender still lends a good deal to a restaurant`s bottom line.
Gary Regan, a New York City bartender for almost 20 years and author of the definitive ”Bartender`s Bible” (Harper Collins, $12.95), says ”gone are days when a place could make do with a cheap pouring wine and a handful of beers. Bartenders have to become part of the information society. In the face of declining liquor sales and faced with a more informed customer, the best way to sell is through a more knowledgeable staff. You have a chance to upgrade the customer if you know the answers.”
Another element that hurts business when it`s missing, he says, is the
”ritual” of drinking.
”They say people are drinking less but ordering better quality. It`s true. The bartender should engage the customer in that ritual by encouraging the clink of glass, toasting an occasion. He should chill glasses, establish a rhythm with his cocktail shaker.
”The reason the martini cocktail has survived is because it is so ritualized and personalized. Most drinkers know the way they want it, but the bartender can suggest a super-premium gin or suggest different touches.”
For those who haven`t thought about it, there`s a good deal of skill and planning involved in running a first-rate bar.
Beyond preparing garnishes and making sure glasses are spotless, the bartender has to serve (and sometimes placate) the wait staff as well as customers at the bar, anticipate needs, keep an eye out for pickpockets and undesirables, beware of people who run tabs and then try to disappear, handle cash that can easily disappear as well.
Then there`s a need to practice congeniality.
”I teach the young ones who work with me how to talk to people,” says McClure. ”A lot of them are intimidated by the customers, but anybody can pour someone a VO and water. You gotta personalize your place, treat `em like guests in your house. I always say hello to people when they arrive, even if they`re on their way to the dining room. You`d be surprised how many will stop and have their drink at the bar instead of the table.”
The added burden of the moment is alcohol awareness and the possibility of negligence lawsuits. ”The guy behind the bar always had a guardian function,” Regan says, ”but now human judgment isn`t enough. It`s tough. You have to be more acutely aware.”
Last but far from least, the bartender has to know how to make cocktails. ”For starters, a good bartender will know the classic cocktails-martini, manhattan, old fashioned, etc.-by heart, plus maybe 5 to 10 house specialities,” Regan says. ”In a classic bar, he will freepour (not use a jigger). Everyone has a personal count that equals the time it takes to pour an ounce or 2 ounces. Trainees have to practice with a bottle filled with water until they can reproduce exact proportions.”
Regan claims the classic cocktail most abused is the manhattan, from which bitters often are omitted. His other pet peeve is a singapore sling made with grenadine instead of cherry brandy. Benedictine is another original sling ingredient that`s often missing.
He is dismissive of a breed he calls the ”post-teen yuppie bartenders,” who to him ”look wonderful, but haven`t trained properly and don`t do a good job.” On the other hand, he applaudes ”the guys who throw shakers, pour drinks behind their backs. As long as they are knowledgeable and take the other aspects of the job seriously, they add fun and a touch of show business to a place.”
Most bartenders, however, he places in one of three categories.
First, the ”shot and beer bartender,” usually in his/her late 40s or 50s, who fits perfectly into a simple place with a lot of transient customers. The regulars are remembered but a conversation is rarely started and this type wouldn`t think of tossing a shaker or using outsize glasses.
Second, the ”neighborhood bartender” is the one you leave your keys with when you go on vacation, who will take messages and make sure you get them, who knows the local gossip yet is as tight-lipped with secrets as a parish priest. You call one another by first names.
Third is the growing category of ”specialty bartender.” This type knows everything there is to know about beer or single malt scotch or cognac. If this bartender can convince management to feature his/her specialty, he/she will build sales of high-priced items and bring in new customers.
The most important sub-species of this last group is the ”cocktail specialist.” This type has delved into the history of cocktails and knows not only the recipe but the proper glass to use and the appropriate garnish.
”Cocktails are making their way back,” Regan says, ”and if the bartender can invoke nostalgia and make his bar an entertainment center, he can make a good living.”
Another way to fatten the bottom line, Regan suggests, is to begin to cater more aggressively to the non-drinker.
”A good cocktail bar today should stock a selection of non-sweet drinks such as root and ginger beer, San Pelligrino`s `Bitter` line of fruit drinks, plus a genuine choice of non-alcoholic wine and non-alcoholic beer.
”The trade cries that no one drinks liquor anymore. Well, I believe they should stop moaning and think about what they can sell. These products can appeal to people who would go elsewhere and help the bar regain its place as a gathering place and social center.”
Chicago never has had a shortage of superb bartenders. Among watering holes and restaurants where outstanding craftsmen ply their trade consider:
Rosebud on Rush (55 E. Superior St.) where the incomparable McClure is in residence most evenings; Riccardo`s (437 N. Rush) for the legendary shaker technique of Jose; the Red Lion Pub (2446 N. Lincoln Ave.) for conversation with Colin; Oz (2917 N. Sheffield Ave.) for a quick course in Cognac appreciation from Ozzie; Buckingham`s in the Chicago Hilton and Towers (720 S. Michigan Ave.) for single malt scotch; Frontera Grill (445 N. Clark) for tequila and classy margaritas; Bice (158 E. Ontario St.) for grappa; Big in the Hyatt Regency (151 E. Wacker Drive) for anything that pours; Toulouse (49 W. Division St.) or the Pump Room (1301 N. State Pkwy.) for after-dinner drinks with music. Also, The Italian Village (71 W. Monroe St.); Nick`s Fishmarket (1 First National Bank Plaza); Harry Caray`s (33 W. Kinzie St.);
The Palm (181 E. Lake Shore Drive); Catch 35 (35 W. Wacker Drive).
