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INTRODUCTION TO MI XED DRINKS.
valuable man in this line of busin ess. Every man can
educate himself and acquire all the knowl edge nec es–
sary for tending bar, provided h e takes enoug h inte rest
and wants to make it a business. Practical knowledge
cannot be acquired except by actual work and experi–
ence.
An inexpert cook never will become an artist nor a
cftef de cuz"sz"ne
by simply r eading a book on cookery,
no matter by whom or how intelligently written, and
no man can ever become an a rti st behind the bar by
simply looking into this book or possessing it. A great
deal of ingenuity and taste is required on the part of a
cftef
in an important position, and the same is r equired
on the part of a man in the capacity of a bartender.
He, having a position of responsibility, must be a man
of original ideas, a man who is proud of his work and
who tri es to di scharge his duti es with credit to himse lf,
his employer, and the g uest he waits on. Orig inality
is the key to success. Therefore, always try to work
accordingly; make a chang:e in the old system, if you
see it needs improvement; introduce it to your guests
instead of being t aught by them wh at to do. A bar–
t ender ought to be leading and not to be led. An actor
must und erstand for himself how t o amuse his a ud ience
and how to gain a reputati on : h e never would succeed
by simply following another man's guidanc e.
The situation of a barkeeper g ives the h older the
chance of studying human nature. A man fit for the
pqsition, and consequently a keen vbserver-for one