Our top-tips for perfecting your pouring skills
Jun 13, 2022
One of the most essential bar skills is pouring. Not only does a good pouring technique improve speed of service for the crazy weekends, but it also ensures your customer gets a consistent quality (and delicious) serve every time. Plus It also reduces wastage and keeps you on the good side of your bar manager! Here’s everything you need to know on how to perfect your pouring skills.
Knowing the tools
Pour Spouts: Used to control the pouring of drinks. You’ll find pour spouts on your most commonly used bottles at the start of service.
Jiggers: Used to pour accurate amounts of spirit and helps ensure the legal amount of each pour complies with legal standards. Needs to be rinsed between serves to ensure liquids are not mixed.
Top tips when pouring
- Ensure all pour spouts face the same direction
- When pouring in front of a customer, make sure the bottle label is always facing them
- Taste the drink before serving (using a straw) to ensure the consistency and quality of the beverage you are serving
- Avoid over-pouring spirits as this can ruin the taste and will cost your venue money
Find your preferred grip
Every bartender has their own preference of how to grip a liquor bottle for their pour. Keeping in mind each grip will be done by the neck, to secure the bottle well - try out a couple different techniques (we suggest filling an empty bottle with water and pop a pour spout on) till you find the one that works best for you!
Option 1 = Standard Grip
This is the most commonly used grip, commonly found as feeling the most natural
1. You take the bottle by the neck (as you would when you’re drinking directly from it.)
2. Spread out your fingers with the index and thumb surrounding the neck, while the rest extends to the bottle’s body.
3. A variation would be to tuck the neck in between the ring finger and middle finger. In other words, the ring finger and pinky will support the bottle’s weight and are on the other side of the bottle.
Option 2 = Reverse Grip
Similar to the standard, but you switch the direction when turning the bottle down to pour. This group is preferred by some as it helps you to release the pressure from your hand when doing the same motion as the standard grip every time.
1. Hold the bottle by the neck just like with the standard pour.
2. As you turn the bottle upside down, roll your arm the other way.
Option 3 = Milking Grip
Named for the feeling like you’re milking a cow when holding the bottle, this grip is again nice to transition to every once in while to help your wrist cope with a busy shift.
1. Get your palm to face down.
2. Then turn counterclockwise until the palm faces the right side of the table with the bottle beside it.
3. Grip the bottle by the neck then get ready to pour liquor.
Now you should be ready to go! Have a quick practice at home and see all current bartender jobs here. Remember to update your profile and apply!
Looking for a different role? For more hospo jobs available near you, see here.
