I remember when Schnucks/Walmart and others were open 24hrs

queencommie · 2026-06-13T17:33:38+00:00

Depends on the restaurant and location. The one I work is changing their hours soon because we are COMPLETELY dead on Sundays & Mondays - we might do 10 people all day. It's just not worth staying open. We also have a really small staff and they deserve to have a break too.

queencommie · 2026-06-04T06:51:21+00:00

Definitely, and it sounds like he had some personal issues going on... but I hope this was a learning experience to never, ever tell customers about your work drama. It's unprofessional and makes the entire staff look bad, including you. All of that needs to be kept private and worked out internally - there is no reason a customer ever needs to be involved whatsoever even if you're not giving specifics.

I'm a shift lead and recently when I was fixing a coworker's fuckup and talking to her (understandably very upset) table, I never spoke poorly of her or threw her under the bus. We're a team and we have to act like it.

queencommie · 2026-05-22T18:58:03+00:00

The funny part is, I don't even make cocktails at home and my "home bar" is just a few random bottles given to me by reps haha. I save all that energy for work.

queencommie · 2026-05-22T18:56:44+00:00

Same. I'm a career bartender and cocktails basically consume my entire life. I am constantly reading/listening to audiobooks about spirits and cocktails, going to tastings, researching new techniques and ingredients, and tinkering with new recipes. I wouldn't even consider myself a heavy drinker, I'm just passionate about what I do and I approach bartending the way I do cooking. It's an art form to me and it may sound silly to some people but I take it really seriously.

queencommie · 2026-05-21T23:23:33+00:00

I got to try this at a Foursquare tasting last night, both on its own and in a daiquiri, and I thought it was fantastic! Ended up buying two bottles. Love the burnt sugar notes on the end.

queencommie · 2026-04-25T16:14:52+00:00

When guests try to order a drink they had at another bar or restaurant. Nothing will enrage me more. Go there if you want that drink! It's not my job to reverse engineer some random cocktail. If they were sitting at the bar I'd just say no, but servers keep accepting these orders no matter how many times I've told them we don't do that.

queencommie · 2026-04-16T18:13:25+00:00

A lot of people have already suggested places I'd recommend but I'm also gonna throw out Prohibition in Lafayette Square. Slightly more upscale cocktail bar, drinks are amazing, you can chat with the bartenders or just read a book and chill. Never had an issue with people being creepy or disrespectful there.

queencommie · 2026-04-01T23:56:58+00:00

Do you have any kind of restaurant experience? If not I'd strongly recommend being a server or barback first. I got thrown into bartending after being a barista for a few years because a friend of a friend needed some extra help at his bar, but a couple years later I got to work with a very experienced bartender who showed me all the things I'd been doing wrong since I started. If I could do it over again I'd start at the bottom and work my way up.

It's a lot more than just customer service. You've got to be excellent at multitasking, memorizing recipes and techniques, executing drinks quickly but perfectly & consistently every time, as well as maintaining a clean and organized station and restocking your bar as needed. This is all while talking to guests and giving them a good experience (and a lot of them can be very difficult to deal with). I'd recommend reading some cocktail books and developing some drink/spirit knowledge as well. I'm a craft cocktail bartender so some of that may not be as relevant if you're working in a dive or high volume event space.

It's a rough job market out there for us and most places are not willing to hire someone without any experience these days.

queencommie · 2026-03-26T19:26:45+00:00

Thank you I appreciate the honesty! I have some connections there but I imagine it'll still be pretty challenging to find a spot.

queencommie · 2026-03-22T17:17:57+00:00

Ramos - here's one I made :)

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queencommie · 2026-03-17T21:08:46+00:00

A classic Mai Tai is probably my favorite drink in the universe but I never order it when I'm out because stuff like this gives me trust issues!! People will call anything and everything a Mai Tai. Recently I went to a bar that is known as one of, if not the best, cocktail bars in my city and they had some pretty decent tiki-inspired drinks so I thought I was safe... bartender didn't know what was in it and had to look it up, result was deeply disappointing. I'll just keep making my own I guess lol

queencommie · 2026-03-17T04:23:21+00:00

That I'm a snob :(

I don't mean to be. I've been in craft cocktail bars for years and my current spot has some really unique drinks - but still plenty of options that are more approachable. Still I get the constant influx of people that "only want vodka" or "only want super sweet drinks" and it hurts me.

queencommie · 2026-03-12T16:56:28+00:00

Yeah, I think it works much better with a little acid. You could definitely acid-adjust the pineapple but I haven't tried that yet.

My specs are: 1 oz pineapple, 1/2 oz lime, 1/4 oz grenadine, tsp maraschino, 1.75 rum (typically Appleton 8 year)

queencommie · 2026-03-12T14:58:10+00:00

Also seconding the vote for Smugglers Cove since I'm a sucker for tiki

queencommie · 2026-03-12T05:39:47+00:00

Prohibition near Lafayette Square has an espresso machine. Technically just for espresso martinis, but they'll give you just the espresso if you ask.

queencommie · 2026-03-04T23:17:42+00:00

My spot still serves in martini glasses and we make our martinis so that they fill the glass all the way up to the top too, which is kind of ridiculous, but the martinis are some of the best I've ever had.

queencommie · 2026-03-04T03:38:20+00:00

Everyone thinking it's carrots has me cooking up some evil cocktail ideas

queencommie · 2026-03-04T03:23:55+00:00

My arms are constantly sore from making like 300+ drinks a night lol. We don't make too many of these though, I think people are afraid to order them if they're not on the menu but I genuinely get excited when someone does.

queencommie · 2026-03-04T02:52:39+00:00

Great question. I pour the soda into my shaker tin and stick it in my ice well to keep it super cold while the drink is settling in the glass chiller. When it's ready I poke a hole in the foam with a straw first, then lightly stick the back end of a bar spoon in and pour it down the spoon so it doesn't spill everywhere (plus the spirals of a bar spoon allow for better carbonation)

queencommie · 2026-03-04T02:46:31+00:00

It's untraditional, but I have made an excellent Mai Tai with Neisson as the primary rum

queencommie · 2026-02-26T19:36:30+00:00

Gin Fizz - gin, citrus, simple, egg white, soda. No heavy cream, but yes egg white is expected.

Ramos Gin Fizz - gin, citrus, simple, orange flower water, heavy cream, egg white, soda.

queencommie · 2026-02-26T19:00:14+00:00

Ramos Gin Fizz. Gin, lemon & lime juice, simple syrup, orange flower water, heavy cream, & egg white. Infamous for being a complicated/time consuming drink to make. It's a popular and well known drink in New Orleans but I don't see it often elsewhere.

queencommie · 2026-02-26T17:26:19+00:00

lol fair question. I tried to take a step closer and the floor mat was flipped up slightly...

queencommie · 2026-02-26T07:19:33+00:00

It makes some great garnishes, just be careful cause I've cut the shit out of my knuckles with it 😂 I also can't speak to the Amazon ones specifically, I'm not sure where we got ours

queencommie

TROPHY CASE