Course Learning Outcomes
Explain the fundamentals of mixing cocktails and the importance of standard recipes and standard
measurements.
1. Successfully calculate pour costs using a beverage recipe and calculate beverage pricing using
various percentage cost formulas.
2. Identify the primary legal concerns and various employment laws that influence internal
operations with regard to alcohol service, and describe the nature and growth of third-party
liability laws and the effect of these laws on bar and beverage operators.
3. Define the appropriate classifications of alcoholic beverages, differentiating between distillation
and fermentation as well as basic wine classifications.
Performance Objectives:
1. Explain the changing drinking patterns of the U.S. public.
2. Explain the “people skills” required of a bartender, the functions performed by an effective
bartender, and how an effective bartender can increase sales without necessarily pouring
more drinks.
3. Understand the importance of the guest profile in bar and beverage marketing, and describe the
variables that affect a guest profile.
4. Ascertain and define aesthetic and functional considerations to space allocation in bar and
beverage operations.
5. Identify and discuss the three primary legal concerns with regard to alcohol service, and describe
the nature and growth of third-party liability laws and the effect of these laws on bar and
beverage operators today.
6. Apply techniques of server intervention and monitoring alcohol consumption.
7. Discuss the various standards that should be established to enhance product control, and explain
how to determine product cost and ensure sales accountability.
8. Understand the basics of mixing cocktails and the importance of standard recipes and standard
measurements.
9. Explain and calculate pour costs using a beverage recipe.
10. Calculate beverage pricing using various percentage cost formulas.
11. Describe criteria that should and should not be used during the employee selection process.
12. Discuss the prevalence of internal theft and how to develop policies and procedures to control theft.
13. Describe considerations affecting the choice of purveyors, explain the role of purchasing controls in
an overall control system, and identify general practices of good storeroom management.
14. Identify various employment laws that influence internal operations, and describe the general nature
of state licenses and permits as well as the basic provisions of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act of
1935.
15. Define the three specific classifications of alcoholic beverages and differentiate between distillation
and fermentation.
16. Understand the importance of wine knowledge to bar and beverage managers, and briefly describe
the basic wine classifications.
Outline:
I. History of the Beverage Industry
A. The earliest wines
B. Wine and religion
C. A brief history of beer
D. Distilled spirits in brief
E. Alcohol and health in history
F. The Tavern: pleasures and politics
G. Prohibition and its effects
H. Today’s beverage-service industry
II. The Role of the Customer in a Bar-Service Operation
A. Human physiology of alcohol
B. Targeting your clientele
III. The Planning the Bar
A. Planning and research
B. Location and market feasibility
C. Atmosphere and décor
D. Décor requirements
E. Layout and design
F. The Bar itself
G. Working with a designer or consultant
IV. Bar and Beverage Equipment
A. Under-bar and back-bar equipment
B. Refrigeration needs
C. Bar tools and small equipment
D. Glassware
E. Cash registers
F. General equipment guidelines
V. Alcoholic Beverage Production
A. Sanitation
B. Liquor supplies
C. Mixes
D. Garnishes and condiments
E. Ice
F. Service accessories
G. Opening the cash register
H. Behind-the-bar behavior
I. Closing the bar
VI. Spirits and Cordials
A. Types of alcoholic beverages
B. Selecting spirits for the bar
C. How spirits are made
D. Brown goods: whiskey and scotch
E. White goods: vodka, gin, rum, and tequila
F. After-dinner drinks
G. Liqueurs, cordials and more
VII. Wine Fundamentals
A. Creating a wine list
B. Role of the server
C. Serving wines
D. Wine storage
E. Wine-list follow-up
VIII. Beer
A. Brief history of beer
B. Beer-making basics
C. Types of beer
D. Selling beer
E. Storing beer
F. Serving beer
IX. Mixology and the Bartender
A. Mixed drinks
B. Drink families
C. Coffee drinks and hot libations
X. Staffing Concerns
A. Staff positions
B. Hiring and scheduling
C. Training the staff
D. Labor and employment laws
E. Compensation and benefits
F. Payroll taxes, benefits, and prerequisites
XI. Promoting Responsible Drinking and Alcohol Awareness
A. Alcohol’s impact on human health
B. Alcohol and nutrition
C. Alcoholism and other drinking problems
D. Legal considerations
XII. Legal Factors in Beverage Service
A. Regulations: an overview
B. Getting ready to open
C. What, when, and to whom you may sell
D. Regulations that affect purchasing
E. Regulations that affect operations
XIII. Costing, Pricing, and Control
A. Bar costs
B. Standards
C. Recipe standards
D. Bar cost formula
E. Beverage pricing
XIV. Purchasing, Receiving, Storing, and Issuing
A. Planning the purchasing
B. Placing the liquor order
C. Receiving the liquor order
D. Storage
E. Issuing liquor
F. Inventory
G. Purchasing bar supplies
XV. Controlling Internal Theft
A. The control phase
B. Establishing product controls
C. Establishing cash controls
D. Technology at the bar
