Top Five Ways You Know You're A Bartender

[Chase Taylor]

Hehe,
all of the above are very true. I especially find myself flairing with any number of inannimate objects.
Especially tomato sauce ( the squeezy bottle) type, great for 'cut off's', shower gel and my contact lens solution.

Glassware when empying the dishwasher, and thumb rolling tins of beans without even noticing. I've never been a big fan of shouting 'backs' unneccesarilly but have become very conscious of people around me, sidestepping and moving through a crowd with the grace of a russian ballet dancer.

There are of course the very critical way that you will continuously observe everything that a bar tender does behind the bar, from making drinks to glassware selection, the freshness of limes is always a grind for me and whether or not they use a bev nap if its available.

Some of my worst habits include, facing up everything in supermarkets, always wiping down bar top's with bev nap's and the most cardinal crime of all (usually when very drunk) rearranging bar tops, moving bar tidy's and arranging measures in descending/symetrical order. Oh and sometimes repositioning bev naps in a tidy so that they are easy to access (the fold facing out), All of which would be reason enough for murder in my book, yet i find myself uncontrolably drawn to do it.

When pouring wine at social gatherings, or cracking open any tipe of sparkling wine....all immediately done as if i'm serving actual guests...not my friends.

Tipping gratuitously is a given, but what about always stepping aside and holding doors open to people in shops and bars i don't even know.

Coffee, where can i start..... Firstly i rarely ever let anyone make me a coffee.... honestly if i'm round at a friends house and they are making coffee (even Instant) i have to give precise instructions and usually end up doing it myself.
When in the like's of costa i'm continuously measuring the time of their espresso, and get very upset if the milk is even attempted to be re-heated.....

When cooking (even when for myself) the food is arranged on the plate in a fashion not too dissimilar to that of a 5 star restaurant ( stacked high, layered, minimal, positioned with sauce usually more of a garnish than a true accomponyment)
All of these and many more, i swear are put down to my many years in the bar/rest industry....

[thebartrainer]

Welcome aboard the good ship Barbore Chase Taylor and jpt.ahys

1. We have 'lost' 2 tv remotes to the belief that I can deftly toss them over my left shoulder and pouch them effortlessly in the same hand.

2. Shaking baby mild formula as if it was a Ramos Gin Fizz was not uncommon when my kids were younger.

3. I have always used 'behind' as opposed to 'backs' and so get many disapproving looks in supermarkets from people who think I'm making a comment on their posterior.

4. Wiping the bar with bev naps when I'm on the customer side of the bar is a bad habit.

5. I fully believe that anything more solid than a sponge can be used to open a bottle of beer.

[Fraz]

Not sure if this one's been posted, but last night I caught myself peeling a potato like I was cutting a lemon twist . . .