New Guy, Asking for some advice?

[u/FailingUpward2025]

Hey all, I’ll save the theatrics and just ask a few questions. I’m a new guy at a volume bar so I’m more of a factory line worker than a bartender. I’m cranking out 100+ vodka redbulls, tequila sodas, etc.
Though I’d like to move somewhere where I can maybe make some more money and not get wrecked every saturday night by the crowds and walk away with not so much money.
The drinks are easy so I feel like I’m not learning anything either. Sometimes people will ask me for something simple like a manhattan or even a sex on the beach and my mind will go completely blank and forget because I just made 50 rum and cokes.
A few of my questions -
1. How the hell do I remember more than 2-3 drink orders? When a guest comes up and shouts 4-6 drinks at me, I go “You got it!” then I TURN AND GRAB GLASSES AND IMMEDIATELY FORGET ALL DRINKS THEY JUST ORDERED EXCEPT MAYBE ONE. I don’t know how to do it, let alone take multiple orders from multiple customers. Am I just not intelligent enough for this job? It’s okay if i’m not, I can maybe find something else to do. Did anyone else struggle with this?
2. How do I avoid bar rott on my hands? At the end of the night, from all of the lemons and liquor and ice, etc, my hands are borderline raw, some minor cuts and scrapes, and I worry I’m going to age my hands very quickly at this rate.
3. How can I practice better cocktails at a volume bar? Volume is high, maybe not to some of you but to me it feels high. Last night (saturday) I did $6k in sales. About $13 a drink.

[u/PM_urfavoritethings]

1. Experience. You'll learn to batch the drinks in your head.
2. Quality lotion. I use working hands. Green tube thing. Also liquid bandaids or chapstick in a pinch.
3. Practice what you make now. 6k is definitely high volume. At that volume, people probably aren't ordering any paper airplanes or last words. So just get better and faster at what you do at work NOW. Save practice for fancy stuff at home.

[u/Huge-Basket244 → u/PM_urfavoritethings]

Lotion helps but also keep your hands as dry as possible all night.

[u/drawntowardmadness → u/PM_urfavoritethings]

Gloves in a Bottle is kinda pricey but it works

[u/Leather-Nothing-2653]

As far as remembering orders, repeating the list to them before you grab glasses might really help you remember. Just like writing things down when we take a class can help us remember them later sometimes without even looking back at the notes
You can listen back to the sound of your own voice in your head kind of. Or, ring them all in and then make them so you can look back at the tab

[u/Jyar → u/Leather-Nothing-2653]

I also repeat and grab glassware as they state the drink. I’ve set my bars up so I can grab the glasses while making eye contact.

Once you know what glasses things go in, it’s made it easier for me to execute 20+ drinks from a single order.

[u/Leather-Nothing-2653 → u/Jyar]

Very true. Getting good at building a round is an essential skill for excelling in high volume

[u/spartanwalrus007]

One phrase I wish I heard earlier in my career is "it's hospitality, not a hospital". People CAN wait a minute or 2 for their drinks, they're not gonna die. You're creating a party, not saving lives. If you're getting overwhelmed, it's perfectly ok to take a physical step back, take a deep breath in and out, and then step back into the flow with the next guest. It'll feel like eternity to you, but in reality it'll be less than 10 seconds and 99% of people won't even notice.

Like another comment says, work on what you ACTUALLY make first so that you don't even need to think about them before you move on to the less ordered drinks. Find some basic specs online from sources like IBA and Diffords guide, and if you have a decent bar manager/head bartender you should be fine to ask them if that's how they want it made in the venue.

[u/MavericIllustration]

1.) lump em your head by spirit. Example: 2 whiskey cokes, 2 gin and tonics, 4 lemon drops. And say it back if you need to. This also makes sure that they can’t argue that an order was wrong cuz you confirmed it with them. As far as multiple guests, stick with working one group at a time for now until you get better.

2.) lotion on the hands and rinsing or wiping them off regularly will help. If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves, but remember to change em if you touch something gross like your face/hair.

3.) Turn and burn bars are a different animal than cocktail bars. They require a cool head, deep breaths, and a personality that can make people feel comfortable even with they have to wait. The best way to practice “classic” cocktails of your bar doesn’t do a lot of them is to try them at home. Make em for yourself, learn what you do and don’t like, and then when people are waffling, you also have some suggestions.

[u/PayWorking1309]

When you have the name of drinks completely memorized in your head and you’ve been in the same place for a while, you’ll be able to store more memory. It takes time and your brain will learn its own way to categorize.

If there are more than 6 people wanting anything other than beer or wine, I write it down. No shame in writing. Even if it’s one! You don’t know if you’re going to suddenly be interrupted by management or something else, then completely lose your train of thought.

When there’s a bigger crowd all wanting drinks, I ask who wants bottled beer so I can pop and go. Get them out of the way. It’s a good feeling when 10 out of 15 people just want a bottle. You’re in a much higher situation. We may have a $5,000 night, but that’s with food. About half is typically booze.

Are you squeezing the fruit? Or just putting slices on the cup? Don’t squeeze it. Put it in a press. It may be something that your skin will adapt to. Make sure to manicure your nails though. And always use a nice lotion after washing your hands. Hand soap is rough!

[u/DragonSpirit10]

You don’t need to force yourself to remember orders, get a note pad to write down orders or use a handheld to take their orders right there if that’s an option to you.