Who I am and What this is?

Hey folks, first real post here.

I'm a mid-20s bartender from a city in Pennsylvania. I've been behind the bar for 2 1/2 years now and am finishing up my college degree.

I came to college with plans to be a computer programmer but quickly grew tired of that field. One day, after writing code for 16 hours straight, I stood up and immediately went and withdrew from all of my computing classes and settled down with a humanities double major (utterly useless in the 'real world,' but enjoyable classes that would get me that stupid piece of paper all employers seem to love).

I started bartending one summer when my friend got me a job as a server at the place she worked. I worked as a server for the first month, but by the end of that month I was training folks who had been there for multiple seasons how to properly use the computer. My boss came to me and asked if I wanted to be a bartender. I jumped at the oppurtunity. I thought it would simply be a good job to get me through the rest of college although it became nothing short of my passion.

I spent two seasons (summer/early fall) at my first job, spent 6 months working in a shitty college bar, a year at a catering company working weddings, a day at an upscale jazz bar, 6 months at a hotel bar, and finally the past 6 months at a corporate Bar/Club combo and a locally owned Sports Bar.

Now on to what I plan for this blog. This is truthfully my fourth attempt at keeping a blog, although I think I'll be able to keep it much more faithfully. Many props go out to Waiterrant and other blogs that can update multiple times a week (and quality updates as well).

The posts on this blog will be categorized as follows:

1. News: I will occasionally post links and small snippets to bartending related news stories, whether it be new technology, new or exotic recipes, stories about bars, bartenders, or alcohol, or something I simply find interesting.

2. Stories: These will hopefully form the bulk of my posts. Simply put, they will be anecdotes about my many nights spent serving drinks.

3. Rants: Surely I will post drunk or pissed after work. I'm going to make it a point to label these so you can skip them as they will likely berate my customers or otherwise be filled with some manner of spite or malice. They should be a fun read though.

4. Bartending Tips: This should be the second most common post, unless I feel like ranting more. These will be tips and tricks (hopefully including pictures and video) on how to bartender more effectively, be more entertaining, or simply wow your customers. Flair bartending, magic tricks, and simple, yet underrated tips will be contained herein.

This won't be a personal blog. I'm not going to relate stories about my true life but only my life behind (and likely in front of) the bar. In the vein of the seemingly defunct LA Bartender blog (www.labartender.blogspot.com) I plan on including a drink recipe with each of my posts.

Tonite, enjoy a:
Blackberry Mojito
1 1/2 oz Appleton Estate VX Rum
2 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar
5 Sprigs of Mint
1 Fresh Lime
4 Fresh Blackberries
3 oz of Soda Water

Remove Mint leaves from stems and place in a highball glass with 3 blackberries. Cover with the sugar and add the juice from 1 lime. Muddle thoroughly. Add Rum and Ice. Cap with a Shaker tin and give a few solid shakes. Pour back into the highball glass and top with soda water. Garnish with a blackberry and sprig of mint.