NC II Bartending in the Philippines ---is it necessary??

If one will go to Google.com and search, ”What do I need to be a certified bartender?,” there is a link that would say that one must be at least 18 years of age since it is the legal age of drinking. There are some states that would say 21. It really depends on the law of each state. I also read that to get a certificate you must attend classes, in this case “bartending classes,” that go thru 8 sessions for 4 hours each, after which, you take a final exam and get a certificate.

Here in the Philippines, “Bartending” is part of the course Hotel and Restaurant Management. It is divided into lecture and lab parts and is better known as beverage or bar management which is usually taken by students in their 2nd or 3rd year in college. In this regard, we can say that we are following what other countries are doing in terms of following the legal age for drinking. If one finishes the course, one gets a diploma since a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management is good for 4 years.

Although now, since I believe there is an Associate course which lets the student finish the course in 2 years, it is here they get a certificate.Another thing I know is that there are really “bartending schools” in some countries, not just short courses but schools. And the more credible schools do placements in establishments.

So after reading these I would say that so far I am a certified bartender based on the information I got. I searched another website and I would say that I need this training to be really certified:

(Taken from the link http://www.certifiedbartender.com)

Bartending Licenses

As a general rule most states do not require specialized training, certification or licensing for Bartenders, however, some localities (counties and cities) require Bartenders apply for a license to Bartend. It is strongly encouraged that you check with your local city hall to determine if one is required where you plan on working. The licensing fee varies but generally it it costs between $25 and $50 and takes less than 1 month to receive -- usually it can be processed in a couple of days. Most do require Bartenders to go through some sort of Certification program such as the B.A.I.'s Certified Bartender course.

What Is T.I.P.S.? Training for Intervention Procedures by Servers of Alcohol.

If you serve alcohol or employ people who do, more and more of our courts have a message for you. You've got to do more to stop intoxicated customers from driving drunk. To help you avoid that risk, and help save lives, there is a proven training program called TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures by Servers of Alcohol). Generally your employer will provide this training to you either as an ethical choice or potentially to receive a reduction in liability insurance rates.

What Is L.E.A.D.S.?

The L.E.A.D.S. (Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs Alcohol Seller/Server Training Program) is a free, voluntary prevention and education program for retail licensees, their employees, bartenders and applicants. It began on January 1, 1991 with a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Since February 1995, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has funded the program. Since 1991, the L.E.A.D.S. Program has trained over 100,000 people.

The curriculum is designed for licensees, managers, bartenders, and employees. There is no separate management curriculum. Program length is 3-1/2 hours, except for Fairs/Special Events Training, which is 2 hours.

Benefits Of L.E.A.D.S Training

Reduces risk of liability, including criminal (court action), civil (lawsuit) and administrative (ABC accusation).

1. L.E.A.D.S. Training can help reduce the risk of license revocation.
2. Possible reduced insurance premiums.
3. Provides ways to deal with difficult situations.

So you see, these 2 training programs are very important. I have asked this question before, how come we aren’t really strict in serving alcohol to minors? The answer I got from one mentor is because of our economic situation. This I believe shouldn’t be an excuse because we shouldn’t limit our learning based on what we have in our country.

When I worked on ships, serving alcohol to minors was strictly monitored and followed. One could lose a job right away when found out. I being in a situation where I was with a mother and daughter. The mom ordered a bottle of champagne from me and asked me to give her 2 glasses and pour champagne in them. Based on dramshop law, L.E.A.D.S. and T.I.P.S., what would you do?

I have been in the bartending profession for about 11 years now and I have been connected in the academe for about 5 years. When I arrived here n the country supposedly for my vacation, I was fortunate enough to have been invited as a judge in one in-school bartending competition. Upon conversing with some people from the academe I found out that it is now required for educators to take competency exams so they could teach aside from taking up a masteral course eventually. Wow! Actually, it is a good idea to be “certified” but at the back of my head, is it worth taking the exam? One will pay a fee and for what, to get a piece of paper which states that you are qualified to teach Bartending which here in the country, I believe there is really a need to certify educators into teaching bartending since not anybody can really teach this profession . And I have been in both academe and industry for what, more than what is necessary?

I had second thoughts but I figured since I wanted to go back to the academe again, then "let us do what the Romans do." After 2 weeks of delay I finally came to the assessment center with my picture, resume, and P900. I didn't study deliberately to see if I will pass or not based on mere stored knowledge.

After taking the exam which I would say lasted for about 2 hours since it contained written and practical exams, I would say I passed. As I write this blog I did pass! But here's the catch, I felt that I was shortchanged. I was expecting more since I paid P900, I didn't get what I paid for. I could have been happier if I found the exam hard and it would be easier for me to accept if I failed having known I didn't prepare. If there would be readers from TESDA, let this blog be an appeal, I am not mocking this exam but please make it more worth its fee. There were some instances that kind of affected my ego.

I took the same exam with a fourth year college student and we paid the same fee. I am not being arrogant or something but can't there be a level so there would be an appropriate exam for a certain bracket or group? I used to teach in TESDA Women's Center and I would think that the things that I have been teaching them to pass the NC s the same questions I answered. I only look up to a handful of people that I consider mentors in the area of Bartending, and none of those are connected with TESDA.

I paid for an exam which was photocopied poorly. with some misspelled and missing words, and some poor grammatically constructed questions. I believe that nobody's perfect. I have nothing against the assessor for he was just tasked to assess. I have nothing against the assessment center for the questionnaires I would think is centralized. TESDA is supposed to be highly regarded as the center of skills development. But where is the skill in developing a well thought of, well-produced exam?

We are talking about economic crunch, so why charge so much for something of low value? If I may I can help suggest making the exam a more dignified one and as I have mentioned a separate exam for the students and instructors. I think this goes back to what I have observed that the bartending profession here is very much taken for granted. I cannot blame them for there are really very few qualified and credible individuals who can teach the profession. It is not just flipping of bottles. Again, I call to all educators, with the COHREP's theme of MOVING FORWARD AND BEYOND, let us indeed do this in every little thing we do so we can teach our students to be globally competitive.

Jigger vs. Free-Pour

When I was in college, I joined this yearly skills competition of sorts for colleges and universities.I participated in the cocktail mixing category. During those times, we used the jigger: a double-headed stainless bar tool used to measure accurately the liquid poured out from the bottle to the glass.

Then there was Tom Cruise’s movie. In all of the bar scenes, I cannot recall ever seeing this bar tool used whenever he made a drink. And then there was a time that I had a short stint at TGIFriday’s. I wanted to learn how to flip a bottle like the bartenders did. That was the first time I was introduced to flair. At this bar, they don’t use the jigger but instead used “free pouring.”

Free-pouring is pouring the liquid from the bottle directly into a glass without the use of a jigger but by mental counting. If mastered, this is a very accurate and fast method. At the tip of their bottles were chrome plated spouts called pourspouts/speed pourers, specifically Spill Stop # 285-50.

And so, as I became a bartender myself, I was again oriented by my Bar Supervisor on how to use the jigger and how to pour properly. At that time, I would still practice free-pour knowing that it will be an advantage someday.

In some bar operations, the use of the jigger and the pour spout were combined. The bottles had pour spouts and all the bartender has to do is pour it to the jigger and transfer it to the glass.

I then became a supervisor myself, and I taught my staff how to free-pour once in a while but I followed the strict use of the jigger to monitor my costs.

Time has passed and I entered the academe. I did some readings, interviews, net surfing and observations. I found out that technically, “free-pouring” which TGI bartenders practice religiously is a lot faster if mastered and done correctly. Although I get to see some bartenders from other bars attempt to do free-pour, they actually "over pour" in the process because they seem to have not been taught how to do a proper free-pour.

When I did this article, it was 2002 and there are still bars which use the jigger. With this observation, I began to wonder ... which one is really better? The jigger or the pourspout? I asked even the bartenders abroad and they don’t use the jigger anymore because it just delays service. Another thing they say is that it doesn’t look professional especially when you are facing your guests, they would think that you are limiting them to shots. But when looking at the point of view of the managers, they would say that the jigger makes them control there cost accurately because they know exactly how many shots were used from the bottle. Will it? On the other hand, with free pouring, there is a bigger probability of over pouring and /or under pouring simply because it is just an estimate. Is it? Doesn’t the use of a jigger have its own probability of over and/or under-pouring especially when they bartender has shaky hands?

Having worked on ships, there would be managers who require to use the jigger and there would be some who would let us free-pour as long as we knew how to do it.

So which is better? Jigger or Free-pour? Probability of over pour and under pour can occur in both methods. Although if you "practice" probability of accuracy in both methods are great as well. With all being equal, who has the edge? In terms of service, I think "free-pour" has an edge. One would be one to two steps ahead if he does free-pour.

Cost is not the issue. I think what we should really look at is the essence of the operation and the F&B industry which is SERVICE. Service which is fast, accurate and of the highest quality. Service that will allow the bartender make a lot of drinks in the shortest period of time. Regardless of what tool we use, this should always be the primary concern. As a manager, between the two equipment, which one will make your guests come back? Which do you think will make your bartenders look professional? It is your choice.