I'm trying to become a bartender and remembering the drinks using flash cards, is there an easier way of....

learning the drinks perhaps word association?

I'm trying to become a bartender and remembering the drinks using flash cards, is there an easier way of....
Well I don't if you have a friend that own or mang. a bar but if you do ask if you can volunteer a couple nights a week or weekend. That's what I did and you learn a lot faster with hands on. Good Luck
Reply:there is no crash test on learning drinks. it all comes from experience. you probably already know more than you think. once you start working it will come easier. most places behind your bar there will be a book or cheat guide of somekind. dont be afraid to ask your customer whats in it. sometimes the same drink will have 4 names or 5 ways to make it. just relax, it will come. also there is a book called bartending for dummies. i have it and its great. i have been bartending over 20 years and i still sometimes have to look things up. good luck and happy pouring.
Reply:Try using a tape recorder, and try to put the recipes in categories that make sense to you. Say, bourbon recipes. Study those and see what the common denominators are, and then the variations.


Hope this helps.
Reply:Practice, practice ,practice, flash cards are a good idea though.
Reply:Don't waste your time learning a ton of drinks.


Learn margaritas, which are all very similar.


highballs such as sex on the beach and white russian to name a couple.





Bartending is pretty easy and you will get the hang of it.
Reply:Break down the cocktails into categories. Sours in a group, long drinks in a group, martinis in a group.


Sours are by far the easiest to remember. E.g A margarita consists of Tequila, Cointreau/Triple Sec, Sweet %26amp; Sour/Lime Juice. Sub the tequila with vodka and you get a kamikaze. Sub Tequila with rum and you get a daiquiri etc. Easily way of association.


More complicated drinks require a lot of mixing time for you to remember. Ask your fellow bar staff to let you do all the cocktails for a week. Keep the recipes nearby and check if you are not sure. By the time you do the same cocktail for the 8th or 9th time, you should be able to remember the recipe. (provided you are already working in the bar)