Hi all,
Inaugural post here.
I’m curious if anyone is familiar with parts of books, manuals, or historical documents that touch specifically upon the role of Head Bartender as differentiated from a non-Head Bartender and Bar Manager.
Google yields a lot of job website results (indeed.com, ziprecruiter, etc), but I’m looking for stuff by professionals and operators in the trade.
Thank you in advance for any leads you are able to provide.
-Luke
Hey Luke. Welcome to the forum!
I could be wrong here, but I’m fairly sure the distinction between Head Bartender (Barman) and Manager was quite murky historically as there weren’t many “managers” but only Head Barmen.
In my experience in recent times, the “Head Bartender” is becoming a more widespread title that has almost the same responsibilities as Bar Manager but without the slightly heavier title behind it. It all depends on the business type, structure and size. Murky waters!
For specific old examples, I would check out some of Harry Johnson’s writings if I was you. He was (as far as I know…) the first to extensively write about the managing of a bar, it’s stock and also what the job roles was of the barmen at different levels.
The 1888 edition is a good place to start and can be found on EUVS: ( 1888 Harry Johnson's new and improved bartender's manual (1888) )
Hope this helps and again, welcome to the gang!
Harry Johnson was the first to really write extensively about running a bar, and he was the de facto first “bar consultant” (whether he was particularly successful at it, I don’t know). You may find that the front matter in the 1900 edition is more extensive than in the 1888 edition.
To my knowledge, the second historical treatise is the front matter in the Hoffman House Bartender’s Guide, which came in various editions in the first decades of the 20th Century—those were written by that bar’s Head Bartender, Charles Mahoney.
The third major treatise is probably Hilario Sanchez’ El Arte del Cantinero, a Cuban tome. The modern descendent of Mahoney’s book is Meehan’s Bartender Manual, which you may have already encountered. (If not, Meehan’s book is worth encountering.)
As @BookofMorten points out, none of these necessarily draw an explicit line between the head bartender and any other bartender, but cast a general net of relevance.
Thank you @martin and @BookofMorten, I’m reviewing my copies of Mahoney and Johnson, and will see what I can do about Sanchez. Grossman’s Guide, The Bar & Beverage Book (Katsigris, Porter, Thomas), and Successful Beverage Management (Plotkin) seem to have relevant info in the general direction as well.
Just speculating, but it sounds like at some point managerialism in Food & Bev took Head Bartender duties out of the bar staff’s hands and in most cases transferred it over to an Alcohol-purchasing Manager, usually a wine professional with zero to minimal bar chops, which might explain the palpable disconnect between Front of House management and bar staff that I’ve experienced for much of my career.
Head Bartender seems like a nebulous role and a bit of a soft promotion these days in the instances that I’ve encountered it, but I assume/hope that certain places are utilizing the role in a meaningful way (bar management policy implementation grounded in day-to-day experience behind that particular bar, informed by business & hospitality considerations akin to what is set forth by Johnson, Mahoney, etc. that coordinates with the larger management structure of the enterprise.)
Anyway, if anyone else has thoughts or recommendations in this direction, I’m keen to hear them. Thanks again, I’ve been learning a lot here.