A TikTok user, who appears to go by the name “nicolemakescocktails” and uses the handle @nicolemakescocktails, has shared advice for aspiring bartenders transitioning from dive bars to more upscale restaurant environments. In a video, the creator, identified by blonde hair in a ponytail and wearing a black zip-up jacket over a white shirt, explained that there are specific cocktails that are essential to know before stepping into a restaurant bartending role. The video features on-screen text that reads, “Just some friendly advice based off my own personal experience. According to the video’s creator, no need for bullying.”
The bartender shared that her own experience was primarily in dive bars and venues like American Legions or VFW halls, where the drink orders were typically simple, such as “Jack and Cokes and beer.” She stated that she had never previously made “a real cocktail with a Boston shaker” or prepared drinks like martinis or Old Fashioneds. This lack of experience, she suggested, made her initial transition into a restaurant job more challenging than it needed to be.
She advised that for anyone finding themselves in a similar situation, there are several cocktails that should be learned beforehand. The creator specifically listed the Old Fashioned and the Martini, emphasizing the importance of knowing “all the variations of a Martini: a dry, extra dry, dirty, skating.” She noted that customers often order martinis with “very specific ways,” and understanding the associated terminology is crucial.
Cocktails for the restaurant bar
The creator also recommended learning to make a French 75, a Gimlet, a Negroni, a Bay Breeze, and a Daiquiri. She mentioned that while she has observed other bartenders studying the Daiquiri, she personally has not yet had a customer order one, but still believes it is important to “know it, have it on the list.”
Regarding Margaritas, the bartender stressed the importance of knowing how to make one, and specifically distinguishing between a “Tommy’s Margarita versus a regular Margarita.” She strongly advised against the use of sour mix, stating, “please, for the love of God, only use sour mix in your margarita if you have to and you don’t have your own lime juice, agave, or simple syrup. But if you do, do not use sour mix. Just don’t do it.”
Further into the video, the creator added the Aperol Spritz to her list, along with a whiskey sour and an Aperol sour. She reiterated that these are common drinks that a bartender coming from a background of serving simpler drinks might not be familiar with, because they “didn’t have to” make them.
The bartender shared her personal account of being “very unprepared” and how her “first few shifts were very difficult” because she “didn’t study enough.” She urged viewers to “get those drinks under your belt, have them memorized, know how to make them confidently.” She believes this preparation will lead to feeling more competent and less lost behind the bar, stating that the feeling of not knowing what to do is “the worst feeling behind the bar.”
The video’s public caption included the hashtags #bartender, #bartending, #bartendingtips, #bartenderlife, and #howtobartend. Drink-order knowledge keeps coming up in bartender TikToks, as an Austin bartender found patrons ordering tequila soda and lime after he suggests a ranch water.
Comments on the video reflected similar experiences and advice. One user wrote, “yes, I’m in this position right now, it’s a totally different ball game bar tending at a restaurant than what I was use too.” Another commenter expressed a preference for their current bartending situation, stating, “Nah girl I’ll stick with my tiny hours at the legion making my bag and be home in time for jeopardy.”
Additional drink suggestions were offered by viewers. One comment read, “Not only those drinks but the menu. Many want to enjoy a meal with a drink or two or three.” Another user listed “Espresso Martini. Cosmo. Manhattan. Moscow Mule.” A more extensive list included, “Cosmo, martini, old fashion, margarita, mule, sex on the beach, French 75 , gimlet, any sour, Manhattan, so many ppl order White Russians, bramble.”
One commenter shared their perspective on the difference in drink orders, saying, “if you ever work at a dive bar you already know the kind of drinks you’re serving but if you go to a nice casual restaurant find any restaurant or even a country club the drinks are going to be a little different you’re not serving Margarita you’re not serving Jager Bomb you’re serving pretty much anything on the rocks anything in the martini glass or wine and that’s about it it’s not really hard.”
