STUDY BAR SERVICE BY DISTANT LEARNING
- Develop a knowledge of products and services provides by a bar
- Learn about both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks
- Enhance your work prospects in hospitality and related industries
Bar staff are employed in restaurants, and bars to primarily service customers with drinks, and secondarily, food (occasionally other things such as cigarettes and cigars).
In some situations, bar staff may only dispense drinks and snacks such as nuts and potato crisps. In other situations (eg. at a pub), bar staff may be required to take orders for "counter meals", and dispense the meals after they have been prepared by the cook.
General duties for bar staff at all times will be:
- Providing Service to customers
- Cleaning (including the bar, tables & glass ware)
- Customer Relations
Bar staff often have duties segregated from food service staff; although in many restaurants, the same person might perform both duties. Essentially food service staff are responsible for meals and bar staff for drinks and light snacks. Menus can vary significantly depending on the type of establishment. In today’s ever changing world, there is increasing innovation, and the rules of traditional bar service are increasingly broken. As such, bar staff may very often find themselves performing various food service duties.
Course Aim This course provides basic knowledge for attending a bar or working as a drinks waiter or waitress.
Duration: 100 hours
LESSON CONTENT
This course has 7 lessons as follows:
Lesson 1 – Introduction, industry orientation, presentation, bar equipment, layout, creating a menu, the law, staff qualities, hygiene and cleaning, dealing with staff, beverage dispensing equipment, glasses.
Lesson 2 – Alcoholic Products – Beer, brewing process, lager, beer mixes, wines, types of wine, storing wines, spirits, liqueurs, aperitifs.
Lesson 3 – Non-Alcoholic Beverages – Coffee, coffee blend, coffee grinding, coffee variations, tea, speciality tea, herbal tea, spiced teas, storing teas, brewing tea, water.
Lesson 4 – Service Procedures – Dealing with customers, addressing customers, during service, recording, waiting, carrying plates, using a service plate, carrying glasses, carrying trays, handling food, guidelines for maintaining hygiene, money issues, using a cash register, accounts, tipping, refusing service, understanding substance abuse disorders, alcohol abuse.
Lesson 5 – Mixing Drinks – Cocktails, mixing cocktails, bar flairing, terminology, general hints, measures, liqueur coffees.
Lesson 6 – Wine – Wine selection, wine presentation, opening wine, serving wine, wine grapes, grape varieties, beverage list, serving temperatures.
Lesson 7 – Bar Service and Problem Based Learning Project – In this lesson, students are required to carry out a project to develop a new and innovative bar service.
Do you have an outgoing personality? Are you enthusiastic, committed and flexible? Bar service can offer you the opportunity to work anywhere in the world.
This course provides general knowledge for anyone who wants to work behind a bar or as a drinks waiter. In this course you will develop a broad understanding of the industry. Through this you will:
- become familiar with alcoholic drinks such as wine, spirits, beers and cocktails
- learn how to make non-alcoholic drinks including cappucinos, chai lattes and other speciality teas
- learn how to provide quality service to bar customers
- mix a range of cocktails and other drinks and
- learn the fundamentals of wine appreciation.
Lesson Structure
There are 7 lessons in this course:
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Introduction -industry orientation, presentation, bar equipment and layout, etc.
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Alcoholic Product orientation
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Non Alcoholic Drinks
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Service Procedures -dealing with customers, food handling, tray service, accounts, etc
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Mixing Drinks
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Wine Appreciation
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Establishing a bar service
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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Develop a broad understanding of the industry
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To be familiar with the range of alcoholic products found commonly in a bar.
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To be familiar with the range of non alcoholic drinks available at bars.
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Develop an understanding how to provide improved service to bar customers.
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Develop an ability to mix a range of drinks
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Develop an understanding and appreciation of different wines.
Tips for Working at a Bar
Research has shown that many consumers are ignorant of the information on a wine label. Being afraid to display their ignorance, they often choose wines that are familiar with generic names.
A good wine list will have a range which satisfies all needs, with some generic wines, and some others, for connoisseurs. There should be variety in the price range and type. Be sure to include dry, medium & sweet wines, reds, whites, and sparkling. You may also offer Rosé.
When choosing wines for a wine list, it is wise to have a few tried and true labels that are familiar to a majority of people as many people may feel safe with them. It is also good to add some interesting flavours to the list by including some quality drops from exotic places such as a Pinotage from South Africa, or a Pinot Gris from Alsace. This may work to stimulate some discussion during the wine selection process and can help to establish a good rapport between a learned staff member and their customers.
Other drinks, where appropriate, should also be offered. Always include some non alcoholic drinks including cold drinks such as fruit juice or cola, as well as coffees and teas.
You should also consider offering drinks to complement the menu or style of restaurant. In a Greek restaurant, customers may expect to find "Ouzo", in an Italian restaurant they may expect "Lambrusco" and in a Spanish restaurant they may expect to find “Sangria”. Fruit cocktails may be more appropriate in a "tropical resort style" restaurant.
It is generally illegal to serve alcoholic drinks in any way without a licence. You must check out and comply with appropriate laws for the state or country you operate in.
It is also useful to be able to offer low alcohol content drinks. There are many vineyards now producing low alcohol and low sugar sparkling and white wines.
If you have a personal interest or would like to extend your knowledge about wine and its accompaniments it is a good idea to undertake a wine tasting course. This will help you to understand the labels, the different flavours and aromas as well as how they complement certain foods. The following are considered to be complementary. This list is in not exhaustive and the complementary wines can vary depending on the vineyard and the age of the wine.
• Hors d'oeuvre Dry White Burgundy, Riesling, Alsace
• Antipasto Light or dry sherry
• Oysters Sparking Wine, Premier Grand Cru, Verdelho
• Soup Dry Sherry
• Lobster Hock, Pinotage
• Seafood Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling
• Fish Chenin Blanc, Late Harvest (Sweet), Riesling
• Grills Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Red, Merlot
• Beef Burgundy, Vino Rood, Vin Rouge
• Pork Chianti, Merlot, Chardonnay
• Lamb Grenache, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon
• Chicken Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese, Pinot Gris
• Oriental Shiraz, Muscat
• Game Birds Claret, Shiraz
• Game (furred) Burgundy, Shiraz
• Salad Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris
• Sweets Champagne
• Dessert Sweet Wine, Sweet Sherry, Port, Muscat
• Cheese platter* Red Wine, Port
* the choice of wine to complement cheese will depend on the type of cheese.
Many people will, of course, eat and drink in combinations other than these, perhaps because of their different tastes, or perhaps through a lack of experience and having become accustomed to these traditional combinations.
ENROL AND LEARN MORE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. What will these studies lead to?
A. When you understand a subject, you have an improved capacity to understand, solve problems, communicate, and function at any level within that industry.
People who have studied this subject are better equipped to succeed, and that is an advantage in any situation, either as an employee, or employer in this or related industries.
Q. Can I get a credit toward a Certificate or Diploma if I wish to continue further studies after this?
A. Yes; both with our schools in Australia and the UK and with a number of affiliated colleges across the world
Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (e.g. Get sick, go on holidays, have a baby).
A. Apply for an extension. It's OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.
Q. What level is this course?
A. We designed this course with adults in mind, and with the flexibility to allow students to work to a level that they are comfortable with. People who have a university level education can approach their work in greater depth, and will have the support of an expert to guide and support them. People who have far less experience and education, may work to a lower academic level, and may take longer to complete studies; but with persistence, they will (with help from tutors) still achieve the minimum goals set for the course. This course should not be seen as rigidly being a degree, diploma or certificate level; rather you should simply see it as an opportunity to extend your skills and knowledge in this discipline, starting wherever you currently are, and finishing with a heightened understanding and capacity to work in this field.
Q. What do I get as a student?
A. First, understand a good course is quite different to a book or a web site
- A course should be something that changes you; making things stick in your mind, improving your capacity to do thing, remember things, solve problems and understand the subject
- A book on this subject is a reference that can be read, but might not be understood as the author intended, and most of which probably will not be remembered unless a lot of time is devoted to studying it.
- A web site is like a book; except there is a stronger likelihood that it could contain biased and even incorrect information.
An ACS course differs to books, seminars, web sites and other sources of "information" in several key ways.
- It is a constructed learning pathway that is designed with the purpose of bringing about a change in the student
- It is constructed by a team of experts, credible in their field, from across the world (it reflects input from many people, from different countries and climates. (A book more commonly reflects only one).
- Every student is guided as an individual through the learning experience. The learning pathway and the precise information encountered is commonly different for every single student.
- You are monitored; motivated and where necessary your path is corrected as you move through the course. A book is a one way communication (a monologue), whereas a course is two way communication.
- A course filters out and organizes information; serving you up a quantity of resources that is "digestible" in a way that is designed to help you digest it.
ACS provides all essential learning resources (eg. notes or books), and all the tutor support that is needed to successfully complete a course. Some students may choose to buy extra books -but this really is not necessary.
Q. Will I have problems with practical tasks, because I cannot travel or attend workshops?
A. Our college has developed lots of ways of providing for practical learning, that can be done by anyone, anywhere and anytime. Students come from over 150 countries, and the practicals have never been a factor that has stopped someone completing their studies in this course.
All courses include set tasks that add a practical element to the learning experience, but we often give options.
Courses are as far as possible written to cope with the widest range of situations, from people living in Antarctica to someone confined to their home due to illness.
Example -We may ask you to visit a workplace and observe something; but also say or if you have restricted mobility make a virtual visit, on the internet, if possible, or if not, by reviewing a place through an article in a magazine. If you can't find reference material, ask us and we will send you what you need.
If the course does not provide an option that is achievable, you contact us, and we will give you other options.
