The Hardest Days to Be a Bartender

Bartenders love what they do and are extremely passionate about giving you a great night in the form of delicious cocktails, shots or expertly poured beers. But like any job—even one you love—there are always a few hard days. Here, bartenders on the toughest days it is to be a bartender.

St. Patrick’s Day 

As you probably guessed, St. Patrick’s Day is a tough one for bartenders, especially if the holiday doesn’t align with their bar’s inventory. “We aren’t an Irish Bar, but everyone wants Irish Car Bombs and Guinness on St. Paddy’s,” says Alejandro De La Parra of the Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon. “Unfortunately, I can’t make those things, so every interaction can be a grind.” Even if a bartender does work at an Irish bar, St. Patrick’s Day can be far from a walk in the park thanks to guys like this.

Friday...Just...Friday 

The gateway to the weekend, Friday is typically a bar’s most crowded night. Bartenders need to keep up with the sheer volume of people while also cultivating a fun atmosphere—it’s a difficult balancing act. “You want to keep the regulars happy by chit-chatting with them, but you also want to make sure new people coming in have a great experience to make sure they come back,” says Roger Abifadel, bartender at Stereo Brewing Company in Placentia, California. “It’s usually pretty busy, and it’s hard to tend to everyone.”

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UFC Fight Nights 

A lot of the big UFC Fights are only available exclusively through pay-per-view, so rather than splurging to watch in their living rooms, UFC fans will go to the bar to watch fighters face off gladiator-style. And this tends to bring in a more...aggressive...crowd than usual. “Everyone who comes in during those fights seems to be a little more aggro,” says Zach Lynch, bartender at the Ice Plant Bar in St. Augustine, Florida. “But I enjoy bartending and don’t mind those crazy days.” 

A Random Tuesday in February

A slow day can be just as difficult as a busy one. “It’s hard to tend bar on slow days. Your energy level is down, morale is low from lack of sales and nobody likes busy work,” says De La Parra. “The best bartenders I’ve seen are enthusiastic, charming, and engaging, regardless of how many people show up. It’s not always easy.” On a slow, low-energy night, bartenders are forced to make up for that lack of life, which is a big ask for anyone.

The Night Before Their Best Friend’s Wedding

Unfortunately, there is no “paid time off” for bartenders—even if it’s their best friend’s wedding the next day and they’re in the wedding party. “Sometimes you have to make it to your best friend's wedding the day after a slammed Friday night shift,” says Syafiq Rahim, Bartender at 28 HongKong Street. “You have to wait until the last guest leaves and clean the mess up at the end of the night.” Not only do they have to be alert enough to make their best man or maid of honor speech, but a bartender might also find him or herself doing their buddy a favor and running the open bar. A bartender’s work is never done.

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New Year’s Eve

Everyone wants to spend New Year’s Eve in style, especially before having to follow through on resolutions for healthier living. “Bartending on New Year’s Eve is a sprint to midnight,” says Lynch. “And it only goes downhill from there.” Open bars, Champagne and confetti spells fun for drinkers, but a lot of hard service and clean-up work for bartenders.

King’s Day (for Bartenders in Amsterdam)

If you’re unfamiliar with Amsterdam’s King’s Day, prepare to be enlightened. Known as “Koningsdag” in the Netherlands, King’s Day celebrates the birth of King Willem-Alexander with concerts and special events that draw over 800,000 people to Museumplein annually—basically Dutch Mardi Gras. “It’s the hardest day here in Amsterdam to be a bartender,” says Timo Janse, bar manager and bartender at Door 74 in Amsterdam. “All of the team is hungover and the city is a mess.” There is one key difference between King’s Day and Mardi Gras: The party stops at night. “The night is very quiet as the Dutch are in bed by 8 p.m., which confuses tourists,” says Janse. “All in all a tricky night.”

Every Day

Bartending is a tough job any day of the week. “What our guests don't see behind the curtains are the long hours of prepping before the party—juicing fresh citruses, making housemade syrups, carving ice blocks,” says Rahim. “But as a Bartender, you have to be professional, present behind the bar at 6 p.m. when doors open, and SMILE!” Tip well, everyone.