Even if people drink during good times and bad, the odds are your customers have less money in their pockets now than they did last year. As discretionary income slowly evaporates, bars are competing for a dwindling pool of dollars.More>>

Watching Dean Serneels operate behind a bar is a graduate-level education. Serneels is one of those rare individuals who defines a bartender’s role as satisfying the wants and needs of his guests first, crafting cocktails a distant second.More>>

There increasingly are more genuinely enticing spirits on our nation’s backbars. Coupled with the resurgence of the cocktail, there has never been a better time to imbibe.More>>

Buy a new car, and they give you an owner’s manual. Get hired as a bartender or food server, though, and all you’ll likely get are a few training shifts and a printout of house policies. In today’s litigious society, that’s far from adequate. More>>

I first met Sean Ludford at the 2005 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, where his Irish wit and unfailing appreciation of everything spirituous stole the show.More>>

To be financially successful, you need to know what inventory you have, how much you paid for it and exactly where it is at any point in time. The following tips can help track every product through the inventory cycle:More>>

Want to double the volume of business you’re doing at the bar? Gimmicks and slick promotions won’t get you there. The only tried-and-true way to accomplish your goal is to convert first-time visitors into regular clientele.More>>

The ongoing cocktail renaissance has propelled pisco into the limelight and onto American backbars. Bartenders on both coasts have come to appreciate its unrivaled mixability and universally appealing character. More>>

In a perfect world, every ounce of draft beer you purchase would be dispensed and sold, but roughly 23% is lost. When it's this difficult to remain successful, how can a savvy bar operator keep beer — and profits — from swirling down the drain?More>>

Kim Haasarud knew she wanted to make a career of the food-and-beverage business, but she had no idea what a circuitous path she’d be taking. Cocktail aficionados and aspiring mixologists are glad she took the road less traveled.More>>