Drinking is a popular past time in the United States, one that often takes place in locations like bars and night clubs, and many people also enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine at a nice dinner, as well. Though peoples’ alcohol preferences vary, most can agree in the necessity for bartenders. Bartenders, the people who serve alcohol and prepare a large array of drinks, typically, as the name suggests, from behind a bar, are crucial to the success of the alcohol industry in the United States. But in order to become a bartender, taking a class and obtaining a license is often necessary, as there is a lot to learn before taking on the job. Aside from taking a class, obtaining a permit is often also necessary, particularly for bartenders who are over the age of eighteen, but under the age of twenty one, the legal drinking age in the United States. Additional classes may be required by establishments that serve alcohol down the line in a bartender’s career, so that they can stay on top of new popular drinks and update their skills as time goes on.
More and more people are becoming bartenders. In fact, the profession of bartending is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States with a projected jump in ten percent by the year 2024, just a few short years from now. This can be attributed, at least in part, to the fact that drinking sales have grown in the United States as well, reaching more than twenty three billion dollars by 2015. In fact, there are now more than 65,000 beers and taverns in the United States alone, and more than 20 million people visit them on a weekly basis just to order a beer. Another six million people order wine every week, as well. After taking the necessary class, many bartenders are finding employment in the food and restaurant industry as well. Employing nearly half of all bartenders in the United States, the food and restaurant industry is expected to make nearly twenty billion dollars yearly. Aside from bartenders, many servers over the age of eighteen are required to take an alcohol awareness training class, thus preparing them to serve alcohol to their future customers. By taking such a class, they are able to earn a server permit that allows them to serve alcohol, though they do not have to take this class every single time that they switch employers and start serving at a new restaurant, as these permits tend to carry over through different jobs.
If you’re interested in becoming a bartender, it is absolutely worth pursuing, as the need for bartenders is growing steadily across the United States. Though most people think of bartenders in the context of a bar, tavern, or even a club, restaurants around the country employ nearly half of all the bartenders certified to serve alcohol in the United States.
