Now ye're talking - to a country barman

acai berry

Do you have a traditional musician as a regular, who as the night wears on, will do the honours with a tune or two?

Corvo

My mother is from an area like where you describe, and something I noticed over the years in the two very isolated and rural pubs is that a lot of the customer base die off, with no younger people replacing their trade, or at least not to the same level.

Is this a danger to the pub you work in - as the years go on would staying in business become more difficult as the hardcore drinkers go?

JimboJones99

How many hours a week do you work?

notobtuse

About 15 years ago I became allergic to beer and beer based coolers.  I say it’s proof there is a god and he’s got a wicked sense of humor.  I’ve tried all sorts of beers, even gluten-free beers, to no avail.  But I’ve found I can drink two pints of Guinness on tap before my throat swells shut. But it’s not common to find Guinness on tap in bars here in the states.  Any thoughts on why Guinness from the tap (can't drink the bottled Guinness) takes longer to try and kill me than other beers?

McCrack

Stephen15 wrote: »

I suppose it depends on how often they clean out their taps and the training of the bar staff. Also in the UK it wouldn't be as popular so the correct procedures wouldn't be adhered to.

That's what I've heard anyway from people involved in the pub trade our guest might have a different explanation.

I had understood it to be the having the shortest line from the keg to the tap

For example Fallons in Dublin 8 have their Guinness kegs right under the bar and I can certainly recommend a pint there

MurraySam

What do you think of the Healy Rae situation? Do you think driving laws should be as strict in the country (your opniion as a barman)

I'm a country barman, AMA

GBX wrote: »

Are Dubs welcome in your pub ??

Yes, THere are a few Dubs that live in the area that call to the bar. There is great banter with them.

I'm a country barman, AMA

clio_16v wrote: »

Have you ever had someone **** their underpants and stuff them down behind the toilet? Think it has happened in every pub I worked in

Used to happen lot back working in the city. I still dont understand how a gorwn man can do that.

I'm a country barman, AMA

Sundew wrote: »

- Do ye have card nights.....and if so 45 or Poker?

- Has PubSpy ever visited?

- Have you ever met PubSpy?

Hope the Gran Aunt recovers quickly!

No we never have cars nights, We tried poker but it never took off. Pubspy have never visited them and I have never come across them.

THank you,

I'm a country barman, AMA

frag420 wrote: »

Having worked in a bar in the north west that had questionable clientele I want to ask the barman from here on in known as Norm about the fights he witnessed, the various nuances only seen and recognised by a barman, They say a drunk man(as I am now, lets be honest) speaks a true man!what did you see or hear that made you really think that you should intervene, be that personally or with the help of third party such as the police. Don't mean to sound cocky when I say only seen and heard by a bar person, if you worked in a bar then you know what I mean, if your credit or debit card bills reads like a list of random people but are in fact bars...you too know what I mean.

Some of the things i witnessed included...

A guy takes one of those old heavy glass ashtrays with the jagged edges and smash it into his brothers jaw because they both fancy the same pregnant woman who is already with someone else!!

People selling the meth that they get on prescription in the bar,

Hopeless alcoholics.Those that just do the rounds, bar to bar, the same short sweet drink, be it vodka lemonade, gin and orange, whiskey 7up, in and out, buy drink, bam , on to next place...

I could go on but would love to hear some stories from the op...

The bar in Limerick was a bit rought and I would have seeing a lot of fights. I never intervened in fights, I just let them at it. Most times the family would break it up anyway.

There was an auld lad that drank in the bar. He died a few years back. He would get viagra on the medical card and sell them in the pub.

THere was another alcoholic he would look at the paper for horse races with a low number of horses. He would then to to 4 to 5 different bars and give a different tip in each bar. He would call to the bar that he gave the tip for the winner to and ask for a pint for giving the tip. It worked for a short time but I thought it was genius.

THere was a lot of lads barred from TOp Shelf in Limerick as they went mad from it. THe biggest nuisance was try to spot there friends calling to the bar to get them a small one. If we missed it then chances were there would be an argument.

I'm a country barman, AMA

GLaDOS wrote: »

Is there any demand for craft beer, or do you serve the usual Diageo/Coors/Heinieken?

No demand what so ever. Guinness, Carlsberg, Heineken, Carling, Corrs light and Molson on tap.

I'm a country barman, AMA

flatty wrote: »

My question is about Guinness. In some places its lovely, in others undrinkable. Why is this?
Also, in the UK, why is it usually worse, and why is it nearly always nice in some pubs and nearly always rotten in others (as a rule of thumb, when I go into a bar, if a good few people aren't drinking Guinness already, then I drink lager)

It can be a number of reason but if you have a

Good Glass Washer
Good Stock rotation
Proper cold storage room
Lines cleaned reguarly
A good flow

You will be ok. THe glass washer really does make a huge difference. Pubs often skimp on this.

I'm a country barman, AMA

Jennehy wrote: »

Do you get old Shielas wrote off on wine looking for more than a ride home regularly?

Not where I work. But it does happen in other pubs. THe older the berry and all that

I'm a country barman, AMA

the_syco wrote: »

Quite often, the kegs may not be changed correctly. When I was a loungeboy 20 or so years ago, there'd be one way to change the all kegs, and another way to change the Guinnes kegs. This would be because the gas in post pints would not be in Guinness. Doing this badly would mean a bad pint.

Added to this, most barmen will pull all pints from the one tap, as that tap would be most used, and thus would be chilled. Next time you're getting a Gunness, feel the base of the tap; if it's not cold, ask them to use one that is, or goto another pub.

=-=

My question would be about the smokers; when the ban came in, was there much of a reduction in people smoking, or indeed people coming to the pub? Or did you just work around it?

In the local down where my grandfather used to live in Scartaglin, Lyons, there'd be a section out back on the way to the toilets that you could smoke in, or over in the Brown Flesk Inn in Currow there'd be what can only be described as a possible outhouse due to the size where'd have to cram into to smoke.

I didnt see any reduction in the amount of people smoking. ALthough it did ruin a good game of 45. Most bars worked around it. Others still allowed some smoking.

I dont think there was a reduction on the amount of people coming to the pubs either when it came in. Generally speaking people are either pub drinkers or home drinkers in local bars. Id say well over 90% of the people I serve would only ever drink at home on Christmas Day.

I'm a country barman, AMA

allthedoyles wrote: »

Do you charge for a dash or do you thrown the large bottle on the counter ?

Do you mind the customers that ask for an orange cordial and spend an hour sipping it watching a Premier League match. ?
Do you charge for cordials ?

We dont charge for dashes or for cordial. Not an awful lot would ask for a cordial and watch a premier league match.

But in recent years it has become common to ask for the Wifi password and a cordial. Some people even try to bring there laptops and tablets. We point black refuse to give it out to them and change the password regularly to stop this happening

I'm a country barman, AMA

allthedoyles wrote: »

Does your pub water down the vodka especially for the ones that have had one too many ?

Have you ever caught anyone reaching in to top up their pint ?

We dont water down anything and the customers in the bar dont really drink so much that we have to stop them.

In the city bar I came across people trying to top up their pint. They got barred on the spot.

I'm a country barman, AMA

deco nate wrote: »

Any answer for this one op?

Time is running out for the meet up, about 10 weeks from now, plus rooms! (but we are thinking of sharing just the one room)

Haha its in the pipeline.

I'm a country barman, AMA

NinetyTwoTeam wrote: »

there were 3 pub break-ins around my neck of the woods recently and they seem to be on the rise. do you ever worry about that happening with a pub, shop and post office connected and it being so rural?

I do, Its always on the back of my mind. If it does happen we just hand over the money. No point being a dead or maimed hero.

I'm a country barman, AMA

John_Rambo wrote: »

I don't have any questions, just on observation, I'd say your experience as a country barman (and probably bouncer) understanding and dealing with seasoned alcoholics, various members of ethnic communities, teenagers, chancers, thieves, unseasoned drinkers being drunk, bad parents, drunk drivers etc... would be very very handy as part of a paramedic crew.


I'm good friends with one of the countries most senior paramedics and the majority of problems are to do with booze. More than drugs. (and that's Dublin city).


Best of luck with the paramedic ambition.

Thank you.

I'm a country barman, AMA

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

- In an average month, how many people do you get coming in asking for donations for whatever charity event or fundraiser they are doing?


(I overheard a pub owner who was well used to them, turn down a fairly annoying woman
with the fantastic offer of no cash donations, but she can have free use of the lounge for a quiz night)


- Do ye leave the till open at night with a small sum of cash inside?

(Odd question, but I know a former bar manager who used to do this in case of a break-in
that could cost a few thousand in damage from someone trying to force open the empty tills)

About 3 a week. ANything local would be sponsored. Anything not local but trusted and worthwhile would also be sponsored. But there are some ridiculous requests. Donkey sanctuary's in other countries are popular at the moment.

Every bar I have ever worked in left the drawer of the till open at night for that reason. Usually only coins left in the till.

I'm a country barman, AMA

sligojoek wrote: »

Hi OP.

Do you consider barwork easier these days than years ago? I did it for years from the early 80s till the mid 90s. There was always a chancer on the go.

I fine it much easier now as its not as busy as it used to be. In the 90s the pubs would be packed for the Eurovision. Thats not the case anymore.

Back in the 80s and the early 90s people would go to their local and have plush carpets, Huge tvs, Decent speakers and bar staff in shirts and ties as well as lounge boys/girls collecting glasses. Thats all gone now. Most people have bigger tvs and sound sytems now. The glamour of the local bar is gone.

I'm a country barman, AMA

Yester wrote: »

Is a baby soda water just sparkling water trying to be classy and expensive?

More or less yes. Soda water has added minerals that I do not think are noticeable.

Ygritte

I'm a country barman, AMA wrote: »

We had a famous guy in on his way to Dingle. I can't think of his name though. But he spend a lot of time in Dingle and was in a move with Will Ferrel where they are step brothers. No one batted an eyelid. Now if the gooch had came in it would be a different story.

John C Reilly? He loves Ireland and especially Kerry since he filmed The Lobster there!

Do you get propositioned regularly since you claim to be the biggest roide in the village? How do you deal with the older randy ladies?

slavetothegrind

Do you watch for a guiness to get to 1/4 full and nod to stick on another?
A lost art in most bars....

John_Rambo

I have a question. It's been mentioned already and I may have missed they answer, sorry if so... but...


Do you know something nobody else knows? Do you share a dark secret. Surely... as a sober barman in a drinking pub, you've seen things that have raised your eyebrow? An affair, an illicit getting together that only you'd have noticed or seen?


I've been put in a position where I've seen two people intimately together that are both "happily" married with kids. I'll be doing or saying nothing!!

I'm a country barman, AMA

Ygritte wrote: »

John C Reilly? He loves Ireland and especially Kerry since he filmed The Lobster there!

Do you get propositioned regularly since you claim to be the biggest roide in the village? How do you deal with the older randy ladies?

Only 1 young one who used to. The rest would be happily married. It happens a lot more it city bars.

I'm a country barman, AMA

slavetothegrind wrote: »

Do you watch for a guiness to get to 1/4 full and nod to stick on another?
A lost art in most bars....

It still happens in Country pubs. I'd say when a lad turns 40ish he starts to give the nod as well.

I'm a country barman, AMA

John_Rambo wrote: »

I have a question. It's been mentioned already and I may have missed they answer, sorry if so... but...


Do you know something nobody else knows? Do you share a dark secret. Surely... as a sober barman in a drinking pub, you've seen things that have raised your eyebrow? An affair, an illicit getting together that only you'd have noticed or seen?


I've been put in a position where I've seen two people intimately together that are both "happily" married with kids. I'll be doing or saying nothing!!

We always know who is knocking who lol. Doesn't happen where I work now but I have seeing it in the past. They think they are discrete but it's fairly obvious to a sober person.

In a previous bar I knew a happily married man that was sleeping with a gay friend of mine

I'm a country barman, AMA

acai berry wrote: »

Do you have a traditional musician as a regular, who as the night wears on, will do the honours with a tune or two?

Nope we do have musicians come in every few weeks but they just sit in a corner and play their own tunes.

I'm a country barman, AMA

Corvo wrote: »

My mother is from an area like where you describe, and something I noticed over the years in the two very isolated and rural pubs is that a lot of the customer base die off, with no younger people replacing their trade, or at least not to the same level.

Is this a danger to the pub you work in - as the years go on would staying in business become more difficult as the hardcore drinkers go?

There are few young people that drink in the bar. Luckily we have a lot of middle aged people and older men to hold us over while we wait for that generation to settle down with a family and go to their local instead of heading to bigger towns and drinking at home.

There are other bars that have closed because they have not had the younger generation calling to the bar and the older generation dying off. There are pubs in Kerry that are relying on the older generation and when they die off the bar will close.