Drink Rum

Tis the season for lots and lots of weddings. We've already been to two so far and have at least two more on the horizon.

Before I get to far into my rant... I want to thank everyone who has invited Kerie and myself to their weddings as guests. We enjoyed it. Greatly.

I put "guests" in that sentence intentionally (it wasn't put there by the blog fairy... who by the way looks like Jeff Bridges but smells like Lloyd Bridges). I have actually been invited to several weddings to serve as the bartender. And that drives me up the wall.

Firstly... I am good at mixing drinks. Especially at weddings. The crowds tend to want drinks that I've heard of. If I'm at wedding that has a pile bar (meaning the bar if a pile of bottles, ice, cups, and a help yourself sign) I've been known to mix drinks out of boredom. Especially if it's a wedding for a friend of my wife's and I know no one. A few years ago I attended a good friend's wedding and was asked to be the bartender. The rest of the the circle of friends were in the wedding party... oh well. I did it and considered it my wedding gift to the happy couple. At least they asked ahead of time.

I've also been invited to a wedding for no other reason than to bartend... and didn't know that until after I arrived and was wondering why there was no one else attending that I knew or had even heard of. I was they only person from that circle of friends that had skills I guess. I declined to do that job.

I like making drinks. I really do. I don't like being someone's personal bartender. If I'm at my house... and I feel like mixing... chances are, I'll make you a drink without you asking or I'll ask. If I look like I'm just making myself something... chances are... I'm not looking to wait on people. I have a great amount of liquor... and several books on cocktails. All of which are fairly self-serve.

I was at a New Years Eve party a few years ago being hosted by the father of one of Kerie's co-worker's. I knew no one and wasn't interested in meeting new people. My reputation as a bartender had preceded me and the plan (unknown to me at the time) was that I'd be the bartender at the party. I found out and got a bit pissed. But (BUT!) when I saw the bar I'd be tending I was impressed. A huge stock in a great homemade tiki style wet bar. I also talked to the guy whose party it was and who built the bar... he was very cool. I also realized that if I didn't tend bar, he was going to be stuck back there all night making drinks for the 100 or so guests and would be missing his own shindig. So I said I'd do it. Initially he said we'd swap out every hour but after he started having fun I told him to forget it. I slung drinks for 6 hours. I also learned all the new bar drinks the kids were into... like Snot Goblins. Mountain Dew/AMP Energy Drink and Vodka... I made over 100 of those. I was also fun to do speed-tending. I hadn't tending a party that large and that thirsty (everyone went ugly) in years and I was happy to know that I still had it. I ended up meeting people (sorta) cause everyone loves the bartender. It was fun. More fun that standing around. I only hit one person with a bottle and that was because they were standing next to my bottle trash can 10 feet away that I'd put a sign on saying "Do Not Stand Near This Can. Bottles Will Explode In Face".

Anyway... I do like bartending. At my grandfather's funeral people were offering me money to do their parties. In Florida. But I like to do bartending on my own terms. That's the great thing about a hobby vs. a job. Because no one is paying me to do it... I can blow it off and relax.