Cocktail

For a short stint, I was bartending (sans license) at an establishment in the less gentrified part of Carroll Gardens. Somehow the owner took a liking to me and she put me on some Wednesday and Thursday nights last winter. I would receive no base pay but could imbibe in as many beverages as I wished and collect tips.

Well, aside from a few patrons that were respectful and normal, tips were not something to expect in large quantities. Not to stereotype or anything, but certain types of people simply do not believe in the concept of tipping.* Even after I made a triple Long Island Iced Tea with Grey Goose, Patron, Bacardi and Sapphire and only charged $5. No tip. In fact, the person ordering kept telling me I was being stingy with the Grey Goose. If you can't afford a premium drink, don't order one. And if you can't afford to tip your bartender, stay the fuck home.

What about the guy sipping Hennessy all night and telling me how much to pour in his snifter each time? Apparently I was being "cheap" again. Did he leave an extra nickel for my efforts? Nope.

And the guys playing pool that I provided quarters for all night long ordering six Heinekens at a time, which were delivered immediately and with a smile. All night long, at least five rounds. Surely they would leave a dollar at the end of the night, right? Absolutely not.

Then there was Puerto Rican Beavis and Butthead. These two talked all night, but no human could understand what they were saying except for "Budweiser." They were the most annoying men I've ever dealt with in any situation in life.

It's not just the fact that they didn't tip, it was their overall demeanor and lack of politeness that drove me to quit. For people who had no money and were negotiating drink prices, they sure were demanding. "I said I wanted a lemon, not a lime! Make me a new one!" "Yo, bartender, get me another Couvessier and fill it up to da top this time!" "Yo, you ain't give me nothin' on the house yet tonight? I been drinkin' all night."

Now I've never had any formal bartending training nor have I ever even worked in a restaurant or in any service capacity, but I do not think that it is customary for a server to give you a free drink if you haven't tipped once (or even paid full price for a drink for that matter). And it's ridiculous to think that I'm going to wash your glass every time you need a refill of Hennessy if you do not tip.

And I don't care how well you know the owner - if she's not here, I'm in charge and you're not drinking for free all night. And stop smoking in the bar. I know she allows it, but Mayor Bloomberg would be disappointed if he knew what was going on in here.

I put up with a lot at that place and on my best night (working from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m.), I made $17. What is that per hour if you deduct the three Stellas I drank? I don't really want to know.


*And these people, as far as I know, ain't from Europe.