National Bartender Day
It's time to show our admiration and celebrate our bartenders as the first Friday in December is National Bartender Day. This year, it will be celebrated on Friday, December 1st.
It is also known as National Bartender Day and Bartender Appreciation Day. A bartender does not only serve drinks but also happiness and more often than not, they lend an ear to the customers, become their friends, and form a great bond.
Bartenders also have to keep an eye on customers to make sure everyone is safe and behaving. It is definitely not an easy job, and it takes someone special to do it, so it's no surprise that Bartenders have a special day to celebrate them.
Background
National Bartender Day was created in 2011 by the spirits brand Sailor Jerry, who thought that Bartenders in America deserved to have a glass raised in their honor. They have also been petitioning for this to be a day off for Bartenders.
Sailor Jerry's aim is to make people realize that Bartenders do much more than mix and pour drinks, their job has also evolved to be a kind of therapist.
Customers often feel safe talking to their bartender, as they feel that they have someone who cares about their problems. At the same time, bartenders often also have the job of protecting people who come up to them at the bar because they want to get away from an unsafe situation.
There are also competitions organized by Sailor Jerry for National Bartender Day where people can vote to elect the best bartender in America. The brand also visits bars across the country to give bartenders and women free food and a taxi ride home.
To be a bartender you have to have many skills. Bartenders are friendly and good and communicating, but also have to know when to be firm if a customer needs to be cut off or kicked out of the bar. They also have to have a good memory to be able to remember every cocktail recipe that someone might eat in and order.
How to Celebrate National Bartender Day
All that this day requires to be celebrated is that you show some appreciation for the bartenders in your life. You can pay your favorite bartender a visit and have a conversation with them where you're the one providing a friendly ear and listening to their frustrations instead. In the end, don't forget to leave them a very generous tip to thank them for their amazing service.
Few Fun Facts
- Bartenders often play the role of impromptu psychologists, listening to patrons' stories and offering advice.
- The first recorded cocktail party in the United States took place in 1806 in New York.
- The term "cocktail" dates back to the early 19th century, and its origin is somewhat mysterious.
- Bartenders sometimes use the term "86" to discreetly notify colleagues that an item or ingredient is running out or is no longer available.
- Some bartenders develop a unique skill known as "flair bartending," which involves entertaining patrons by juggling bottles, and shakers, and performing acrobatic tricks while preparing drinks.
- The iconic cocktail umbrella wasn't originally designed for drinks; it was created in the 1930s to prevent fruit flies from landing on beverages.
- Bartenders often have their own secret or signature drink recipes that they may share with regular patrons.
- In some cultures, there are superstitions among bartenders, such as the belief that certain drinks or toasts can bring good luck or ward off bad spirits.
