Behind the Pool Bar

The pool bar is not the lobby bar with a better view.

Ice melts faster, guests have no pockets, kids splash the drinks, and the line can go from zero to eight people while a cloud crosses the sun. This field guide is for the bartenders, barbacks and supervisors who work resort pool, swim-up and beach bars, and for the new manager who just inherited one.

Written from a Puerto Rico and Caribbean point of view, it covers station setup for heat, ice, batching and frozen-drink models, rum programs and the real piña colada story, zero-proof drinks, ID and cutoffs at the water's edge, comps and voids, tips and service charges, guest price shock, opening and closing, and pre-shift talks.

What's inside

• 14 chapters: setting the station for heat, ice, speed (menus, batches and frozen drinks), rum and the colada question, zero-proof and low-ABV at the pool, responsible service in the sun, pours, comps, voids and tabs, tips and service charges, pricing and the price-shock moment, opening, closing and the changeover
• 10 printable checklists and cards, from opening and closing to weather, batch cards and waste logs
• Floor myths tested against public sources, with dates

Every number is checked against public sources, with dates. Legal and health points are general, with a reminder to check your local rules.

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Published by Tideline Press, Hospitality Stack’s sister imprint.