Preparing and Serving Alcoholic Beverages

1  Take customers’ orders

• Product list: bar list, wine list,
• Information: price, ingredients, measures, relative strength (ABV)
• Reporting: supervisor, line manager, problems, issues, queries
• Assist customers: providing information, making recommendations
• Maximising order: product knowledge, suggestive selling, up-selling, additional items
• Products and services: food and beverage, accompaniments

2 Pour and serve beer or cider

• Glassware: Worthington, lager or pilsner, beer – straight or dimple, branded
• Checking glassware: damage (chips, cracks, breaks), safety, customer satisfaction, hygiene
• Beer or cider:  lager, bitter, IPA (India Pale Ale), stout, porter, cider
• Service style: draught, bottled, canned
• Equipment: barrels, kegs, casks, pumps, glasses, jugs, pitchers, refrigerated units
• Temperature: lagers between 6 to 9˚C, ales between 7 to 11˚C
• Presentation: workplace standards
• Accompaniments: workplace standards
• Faults: cloudy, flat

3 Present and serve wine

• Wine types: red, white, sparkling, fortified
• Information: name, type of wine, price, characteristics, country of origin, abv%
• Customer requirements: occasion, food matching, price, customer taste and style
• Style of service:  by the glass, by the bottle, by the carafe, decanter
• Service equipment: glassware, trays, service cloths, linen, corkscrew, bottle opener, ice bucket, stands, chillers, coolers
• Glassware: flute, Paris goblet
• Checking glassware: damage (chips, cracks, breaks), safety, customer satisfaction, hygiene
• Temperature: Red wine 15.5 – 18˚C, White wine 10–12.5˚C, Dessert, champagne and other sparkling wines 4.5 – 10˚C
• Faults: oxidation, acetification, corked

4 Mix and serve cocktails

• Cocktail Equipment: blenders, shakers, mixers, pourers, stirrers, squeezers, strainers, chopping board and knife, glasses, jugs, pitchers, ice scoops, cocktail list menu
• Glassware: cocktail glasses, highball, martini, Slim Jim
• Checking glassware: damage (chips, cracks, breaks), safety, customer satisfaction, hygiene
• Cocktail base: spirit based, cream based, champagne based, fruit based
• Other ingredients:
• ~fruit e.g., limes, strawberries, raspberries, fruit juices,
• ~mixers e.g., cola, ginger ale, soda or tonic water, cream, milk, syrup, cordial, bitters
• Method: measuring, shaking, mixing, blending, stirring, blending, building, pouring, fine straining, muddling, layering, flaming, garnishing
• Accompaniments: ice, food garnish, salt, sugar, decorative items, stirrers
• Presentation: workplace standards, customer requirements

5 Present and serve spirits, liqueurs and associated beverages

• Glassware: old fashioned, brandy balloon, Slim Jim, Elgin, port, sherry, schooner
• Products: spirits, liqueurs mixers, liqueur coffees
• Accompaniments: water, ice, garnishes
• Temperature: chilled, room temperature
• Presentation: workplace standards, customer requirements
• Checking glassware: damage (chips, cracks, breaks), safety, customer satisfaction, hygiene
• Pour: workplace standards, customer requirements
• Presentation: workplace standards, customer requirements

6 Work as an effective member of the team

• Communication:
• ~spoken e.g., tone of voice, terminology
• ~written e.g., documents, forms, reports, presentations
• ~body language e.g., posture
• Situations: formal, informal, queries or requests, complaints
• Codes of conduct: workplace policies, rules and procedures
• Reporting: supervisor, line manager, challenges, issues, queries

7 Follow health and safety procedures

• Common workplace hazards: slips, trips, falls, breakages, hot surfaces, chemicals
• Health and safety procedures: following fire regulations, fire drills, evacuation, manual handling, safe use of chemicals, report accidents, first aid
• Workplace emergencies: accidents, fire, breaches of security, illness
• Emergency procedures: raising alarm, calling emergency services, firefighting equipment, evacuation procedures
• Security procedures: control of keys, electronic systems, surveillance, control of entrances and exits, staff and visitor identity badge, reporting of suspicious persons and packages to line manager

8 Follow hygiene procedures

• Personal hygiene:
• ~clean clothing, footwear and headgear
• ~hair neat and tidy
• ~wear a head covering e.g., hairnet, hat
• ~washing hands
• ~no jewellery
• ~cover cuts and grazes
• ~report illness and infections to the proper person
• Cleanliness of work areas: clean cloths for wiping and cleaning between tasks, equipment used for preparing, displaying and serving food are clean and in good condition, waste disposed of promptly, hygienically and appropriately, use of correct cleaning chemicals
• Handling and storing food:
• ~covering food, separation of raw and cooked food, contact surfaces and equipment
• ~storage temperatures e.g., fridge, freezer
• ~food labelling and dates
• ~food temperatures e.g., cooking, serving re-heating
• ~cleaning and washing-up procedures
• ~handling of food waste