Bartender
A bartender is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but also occasionally at private parties. Bartenders also usually maintain the supplies and inventory for the bar. As well as serving beer and wine, a bartender can generally also mix classic cocktails such as a cosmopolitan, Manhattan, old fashioned, and negroni.
Bartenders are also responsible for confirming that customers meet the legal drinking age requirements before serving them alcoholic beverages. In certain countries, such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Sweden, bartenders are legally required to refuse more alcohol to drunk customers.
Mixology is defined as the art or skill of preparing mixed drinks. At its core, the purpose of this practice is to craft cocktails. However, the science and skills required to successfully practice mixology are more intricate than what is seen at face value. The key to mixing drinks is knowing the ideal quantity of each ingredient needed to create the flavor profile required. Mixology aims to both elevate and balance the various flavors found in a cocktail.
History
Historically, bartending was a profession with a low reputation. It was perceived through the lens of ethical issues and various legal constraints related to the serving of alcohol.The pioneers of bartending as a serious profession appeared in the 19th century. Jerry Thomas established the image of the bartender as a creative professional, credited with being the father of American mixology. He earned this title by publishing Jerry Thomas' Bartender's Guide, the first guide to making cocktails in 1862. Thomas perfected his skills by owning and manning saloons across the New York City area throughout the 1800s. Mixology started to take shape in the years following Thomas' book. Harry Johnson published Harry Johnson's New and Improved Illustrated Bartender's Manual in 1882. Both of these books shared recipes for dozens of unique drinks that combined ingredients people had never thought to combine before. Thomas and Johnson incorporated flavored spirits, liqueurs, and fortified wines to their cocktails, which was a new concept. Mixology took off after these two publications. By the late 1800s, the term mixology was common and widely used.
At the turn of the 20th century, slightly fewer than half the bartenders in London were women, such as Ada Coleman. "Barmaids", as they were called, were usually the daughters of tradesmen or mechanics or, occasionally, young women from the "better-born" classes who had been "thrown upon their own resources" and needed an income. Bartending has often been associated with the struggles of marginalized groups in the workforce, such as African-American women. However, women have sometimes been restricted from bartending. For example, Goesaert v. Cleary, 335 U.S. 464, was a United States Supreme Court case in which the court upheld a Michigan law which prohibited women from being licensed as a bartender in all cities having a population of 50,000 or more unless their father or husband owned the establishment. The decision was subsequently overruled by Craig v. Boren.
File:Kulutusosuuskuntien Keskusliiton kokoelma D1974 8758.jpg|A bartender serving customers at a bar in Jyväskylä, Finland, 1961|thumb|upright=1
After the rise of the cocktail in the early 20th century, Americans were faced with prohibition laws from the federal government. However, bartending culture remained alive throughout prohibition. Working in underground speakeasies, bartenders continued to provide their patrons with cocktails. Following the suspension of the eighteenth amendment and the release of legal alcohol back into the market, the cocktail era took a dip. People drank less and the Great Depression severely limited the ability of people to buy a drink. Cocktails started to be limited to the rich and famous. The celebrities in Los Angeles took a certain liking to the recipes of the old days. But the general population would no longer mix their drinks. Individualism was crushed, similarly to the food industry. The industry needed a renaissance, and it wasn't until the late 90s that the true re-emergence of the cocktail bar occurred.
The bartending profession was generally a second occupation, used as transitional work for students to gain customer experience or to save money for university fees. The reason for this is because bartenders in tipping countries such as Canada and the United States, can make significant money from their tips. This view of bartending as a career is changing around the world, however, and bartending has become a profession by choice rather than necessity. It includes specialized education—European Bartender School operates in 25 countries.
File:Trou à neige Terre Adélie.jpg|thumb|Bartender at a bar arranged in a snow cave.
Cocktail competitions such as World Class and Bacardi Legacy have recognized talented bartenders in the past decade and these bartenders, and others, spread the love of cocktails and hospitality throughout the world. Kathy Sullivan, owner of Sidecar Bartending, expressed the difficulties with becoming a prolific bartender, comparing the bartender to the drink they make: "In drinks you want balance. And you have to be balanced physically, emotionally and mentally."
Mixology
Mixology's purpose is to create new or unique cocktails that center around a specific flavor profile or theme. Because of this goal, flavor balance is critical, and is where science comes in. There are four main components to a cocktail: the spirit, the acid, the base and the garnish. Though in more general terms the most important elements consist of the base, a modifying, smoothing or aromatizing agent, an additional special flavouring or coloring agent.The base will always be the most dominant ingredient. It constitutes at least 50% of the entire volume of the cocktail, and always consists of spirit based liquors or wine based liquors. The type of base will determine the style of liquor, thus gin based cocktails, such as the martini, will differ from whisky based cocktails, such as the Manhattan. It is possible to mix a cocktail combining a number of bases, as long as they share essential characteristics, though it is considered "dangerous".
The modifying agent functions as a buffer for the sharp bite of the base, and adds character to its natural flavour. Modifiers can be classified into the three categories of aromatics and bitters, fruit juices, and smoothing agents. Modifiers are often used sparingly so as not to overpower the base, Embury suggested a maximum of half an egg white, one quarter of a whole egg, one tablespoon of heavy cream or one teaspoon of sugar per drink.
Special flavouring agents, including not only non-alcoholic syrups but also various liqueurs and cordials, as well as other ingredients which could also be used as modifiers. Like the modifiers, special care must be taken so that the special flavouring agent does not overpower the base. For this reason quantities are often limited to drops and dashes.
Mixologists experiment with different quantities of each component to create a desired flavor or particular drink. Spirits can include gin, whiskey, rum, tequila, mezcal, and modifying liqueurs.
Acids are sour, sharp flavors whose goal is to bring out flavor notes in spirits, add complexity and brighten drinks; they include fresh juices, such as lemon. Bases are sweeteners that aim to balance out spirits and acids; they can include simple syrup, honey, agave nectar, and liqueurs. Mixologists aim to find the ideal balance between acids and bases, so that each flavor is tasted, but not one is overpowering. The fourth component of a cocktail is a garnish. Mixologists top their creations with garnishes and can take more free rein here. Common garnishes include decorative lemon twists, smoked herbs, and edible flowers. Garnishes, finishing touches, and the presentation of drinks, allow for a mixologist's artistic side to shine through.
By country
Canada
Bartenders can be found in many establishments across Canada. They may appear in nightclubs, restaurants, bars, hotels and even airports in cities. Canada does not have a national-wide bartender certification; instead, people must apply for a new provincial certification in each province in which they want to bartend. Some provinces do not require certification, such as Saskatchewan, Labrador, Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where there is no legally mandatory certification to serve alcohol, but certain documents for serving alcoholic beverages are marked as "recommended" in the province, and employers have a right to ask their bartenders to have them.As social attitudes toward legal responsibility change, more and more provinces are requiring certification for responsible alcohol sales of bartenders, managers and even event and liquor store employees. The provinces that require bartender certification are Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia. All of these certifications come with a card or certificate. If bartender certification is required in the province where the bartender is located, health and safety inspectors may ask to see a bartender's certifications when inspecting their workplace.