:: anchor's educational drinking tour's advice for bartenders ::

Yesterday, Anchor Distilling held its Boston date for the Educational Drinking Tour, and the first half of the day was directed at providing bartenders with advice on life. This ranged on how to best present oneself to media to the value of cocktail competitions with the overall take home theme of professionalism. Bartending is no longer a job that one does as a temporary or purely monetary option, and it is quickly returning to the pre-Prohibition days when bartending was a well-respected profession.

How to Present Yourself to Media:
• Have a bio and a photo online if not on hand. (LB)
• Buying your name as an URL for your own website. (AK) Make sure your LinkedIn is updated. (LB)
• Consider paying a photographer for photos and give them time to do their craft. A high res headshot, pics of of the bar space, and photos of you in your bar space are all important. (AK)
• Be prompt with dealing with media requests such as in a few hours -- often their deadline is short and 24 hours later can completely miss the opportunity to use your quote or recipe. (LB/NL)
• Be as thorough as possible in communications. Do not assume that recipe directions are obvious without explanation. The writers and editors are not bartenders. (LB)
• The more professional you are and easier you are to work with, the more likely that you will be asked back. (LB)

General Advice to Bartenders:
• Patience. It takes time to get good at your craft. And it will take 6 months to a year to figure out if you will be good at the job and will enjoy it. Even the wrong job will open up opportunities and provide learning experiences. (KP)
• Work hard and say 'yes' especially if that pushes you into things outside your comfort zone. These moments may open up opportunities. Keeping your head down and working hard focused will not allow you to progress. (NL)
• Competitions are a fast track to the media but not the only way. (NL)
• Use social media to build your personal brand. Video or audio podcasts, magazine, website, or blog writing, and the like all help. (AK)
• Get to know your bar/restaurant's PR. Let them help you develop your bio, and get to know them for they are connected with the writers and their pitches. Consider taking them out to lunch. (NL/AK)

Also, go see AK's conversion of Abraham Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs from the 1943 classic to what pertains to bartenders today via my Twitter post's pic: https://twitter.com/cocktailvirgin/status/593083584220700672

Name Codes:
• AK: Alan Kropf -- Director of Education at Anchor Distilling
• LB: Liz Brusca -- Director of PR & Events at Anchor Distilling
• KP: Kate Palmer -- Sales Director of Origin Beverage (part of Horizon)
• NL: Naomi Levy -- Bar Manager of Eastern Standard