Bartender Matthew B. lives in New Jersey but has worked all over the place. “I have worked at several different places in New Jersey and New York,” says Matthew. “But if you want to check out my all time favorite: The Hudson Hotel in NYC!”

Why did you decide to get into bartending?

I saw bartending as an amazing way to meet new people, make a ton of money,and be out without having to go out! All three have rung true in the past eleven years. I actually met the love of my life while bartending - she is a bartender too!

How did you go about getting your first bartending gig? Was it tough to land your first one?

I actually went to bartending school - I know, most bartenders say “you don’t need bartending school,” but I found it to be a great tool in helping me feel more comfortable behind the bar (which is a huge asset to have when looking for your first job. The school I attended had a job bank and I searched through and found a sports bar in a pretty busy hotel.

I went on the interview and the manager said he “liked the fact that I was inexperienced because I was trainable and had no bad habits…yet!” I was hired rather easily because they needed someone to cover three dreaded lunch shifts and they knew I would take anything. So I took the job. In the beginning it sucked because I really didn’t know exactly what the hell I was doing. But as time went by, I begin to make some good money at “Happy Hour” and eventually got two night shifts as well.

What is your favorite drink to make?

It’s a toss up between a Mojito, L.I.T., Margarita, and an Apple MATTini. (The Apple MATTini is made with 5 parts Apple Pucker, 5 parts Vodka, a splash of Midori, and a splash of Pineapple…yummmm!)

What is your least favorite drink to make?

Vodka/Cran, Gin/Tonic, Capt/Coke - all too easy and so boring (although I’ll take a Jack and Diet any day of the week and twice on Sunday!)

What is your bartender pet peeve?

Let’s see, hmmm, in no specific order:
Customers snapping at me (that’s only going to get you a longer wait for your drink); the customer not knowing what they want when the bar is packed and I finally get to them; getting three drinks for a three drink order and the customer adding another then another then another; *management that doesn’t have a clue how to run a bar/nightclub*(this may the biggest of them all!)

What’s the most interesting/scandalous thing that’s happened to you on the job?

Two things: First, at my first bartending job in the hotel sports bar, a business woman ran up a $300 tab and as she was checking out, proceeded to ask me what my tip should be. I cautiously replied, “20 percent?” She came in close and said, “Honey, if anyone ever asks you again what you should be tipped you say ‘The Bill’.” She the proceeded to ask me again what my tip should be and I in turn replied, “The Bill?” Much to my amazement, she actually tipped me $300 (The Bill)! Needless to say that’s a rarity.

Second, I had sex with two women in the Deejay booth during my shift. In one of my old establishments, my fellow bartenders and I used to take turns during our shift spinning tunes for the crowd. During one of my sessions, two young women approached me and asked if they could see the inside of the booth. Feeling a little risque at that moment, I wasted little obliging their request. The rest, they say, is history!

What’s the best line somebody has used to get a free drink from you?

A woman once told me that “buying me a drink will get you laid 101 percent of the time!” Of course I had to see if this was true. Unfortunately, she disappeared before I got a chance to take her up on the offer!

What’s the most memorable pickup line you’ve heard?

I once a guy say to a woman, “Hey, I have over a million dollars in the bank, you wanna fuck?” She actually said yes and left the bar with him!

Who would YOU want to have a drink with and why?

I would love to have a drink with David Chase. I want to pick his brain about writing a television show (which I have done, but still looking for an agent)

Tell us one thing about tending bar that we might not know.

Bartending is not “Brain Surgery,” however it does take a lot of skill (social, hand-eye coordination) discipline, focus, and a knack for being witty at the right the time (and most quiet at others)!

For more information or to contact Matthew B., check out his MySpace page.

Popularity: 2% [?]