FAQs
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Washington state number 12 liquor license, tips training, CPR, First aid.
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
I started out as a waitress while in college. After I graduated I was disillusioned about becoming a teacher. I felt I needed more real world experience and age to be a more effective teacher and be able to stand up for my beliefs. I had hardly ever been outside of Washington state. So, I set out on my journey to waitress and bar tend all over the country starting in Palo Alto, California working in a wine restaurant that featured 256 varieties of wine, ports, sparkling wine including wines from France, California, Washington, Italy, Australia, Germany and others. Off to Bernardsville, New Jersey where I learned to bar tend in the only night club in the area and was also a server in a very upscale Inn and restaurant called The Bernard's Inn. I then had an opportunity to move to New York City and with me being 25 years old and single with no children this was an exciting no brainer. I started off in New York bartending in a little hole in the wall jazz club that featured many great musicians hoping to be noticed. The bar was kind of a dive, but I used to serve Phil Spector, Paul Schafer, and Madonna there, just to name a few. While I lived in New York I was a bartender at several little bars and I also cock tailed and bar tended in a large nightclub Called TRAMPS which featured bigger names like Dr. John, Little Richard, Etta James, Carla Thomas, Jr. Walker and the All-stars along with many others. I loved being a bartender in Manhattan and I had quite a following of customers that would follow me from bar to bar. I learned to be an extremely fast bartender there and perfected the art of making all the old timer drinks that people still enjoy back east like Manhattans (perfect, dry, and sweet), Rob Roy, Old Fashioned, Gibson, Martini (mostly very dry and with vodka now instead of traditional gin), Long Island Ice Tea, etc. I can still make a straight up martini that fits perfectly in the chilled glass I prepare. Most of all had a great deal of fun and learned some valuable lessons about life and bar tending in New York from some people I looked up to and respected.
- What types of customers have you worked with?
I have done all types of bartending; night clubs, sports bars, neighborhood bars, fine dining, casual dining, off track betting pub, and catering bartending including wearing a tuxedo, which I still have. Whatever the customer wants, I am game.