Major Bar Equipments
The Beer Panel
The beer panel is the dispensing point from which beer is served or ‘pulled’. It
usually consists of three main components: (1) taps, (2) instantaneous cooler or
‘temprite’, (3) driptray. The taps are either mounted on the side face of the
panel or they are mounted on ‘fonts’ above the panel. The instantaneous beer
cooler (IBS) machine or Temprite is used to bring draught beer to the correct ‘in
glass’ temperature. Some establishments use a continuous ‘chilled water’
system in which case you may find a flat chiller plate under the bar instead of
a Temprite instantaneous cooler. The drip tray is used to catch waste beer. The
drip tray must have soluble oil or dye added so that the waste beer is not reused.
Sinks
There must be a sink with hot running water in the bar and there should also
be a basin for hand-washing either in the bar itself or in its immediate vicinity.
Sinks must be kept clear and clean. Keep a colander or strainer in the sink to
catch the bits and pieces from the garnishes used with mixed drinks.
The Post-Mix
Post-Mix or multi-mix machines are used to ‘make’ and dispense soft drinks,
especially carbonated drinks, for which there is heavy demand. They filter
water, carbonate it if necessary, and mix it with the required soft drink syrup.
The drinks are then dispensed through taps or ‘guns’ at the bar.
The Refrigerator
The contents of refrigerators or refrigerated cabinets must be kept fresh. This is
done by rotating the stock (FIFO method) and by checking to make sure that
you do not open new containers of cream, fruit juice and similar products
without first making sure that there are not opened containers already inside
the cabinet.
Refrigerators must be kept very clean – any spillage must be
wiped up immediately.
The Ice Machine
Ice machines are often not kept in the bar itself but elsewhere on the premises
as their motors can be noisy and generate heat. It is important that the ice
machine
should
be
cleaned
regularly
inside
and
out,
following
the
manufacturer’s instruction. Wipe the outside of the machine frequently, and
ensure that the air outlet is kept clear. Ice storage wells or bins and their lids
also need regular cleaning.
The Glass-washer
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Not all glass-washing machines are the same. Most importantly some of them
have a hot rise and others have a final cold rinse. Health regulations govern the
temperature at which glasses must be washed. Glasses must be washed with
great care. Use a recommended non-foaming detergent. All detergent must be
removed; therefore adequate rinsing is very important. Glass-machines with a
hot last rinse give the best results as they are less likely to leave the glasses
with streaky marks. If glasses have been used for milk, cream, sticky liqueurs
or if they have lipstick smudges on them, wash them quickly in the sink before
putting them in the glass-washer.
The Cash Register
Cash registers are important pieces of fixed equipment. There is a great variety
of models now available. The cash register or till is a tool which helps you in
one of the most important duties of the bar attendant – the careful and
accurate handling of money. Do not treat the cash register as a threat. It is
there as a protection – not only for the establishment, but for you and your
customers as well. The register is reliable; it does not make mistakes. Only the
people operating it make mistakes. Different establishments will have different
kinds of cash registers, and there will be different rules for handling of money.
There are different kinds of cash register namely: Manual Registers,
Electromechanical Registers, and Electronic Cash Registers.
Spirit Dispensers
There is a huge range of spirit dispensers, some of which are large items of
equipment. Their use depends on how frequently the spirit in question is
required. The simplest spirit dispenser is the hand held spirit dispenser, which
dispenses a standard/small/half measure of 30 ml or a double/large measure
of 60 ml. Optic measures and the Posi-pour spirit measures are examples.
Some measures are fixed to bottles permanently held upside down by the bar,
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the required measure being released when the glass is pushed up to the
dispenser from below.
In very busy bars automatic dispensing machines are used for the various
house spirits in most demand. They work on the same principle as the postmix machines, with the spirits held in bulk containers and propelled to the
dispensers from the below the bar or from the cellar through lines. Usually
there are batteries of automatic dispensers, each serving a different house
spirit. Some automatic systems have a sensor which releases a measure of
spirit automatically when a glass is placed correctly under a dispenser; it is not
necessary for the glass to be pressed against any trigger. The Barmatic spirit
dispenser is a popular automatic system of this kind.
Bar Accessories/Utensils
Apart from the major pieces of machinery a work station is equipped with
smaller movable tools and equipment. The bare essentials are:
- A plastic cutting board
- An ice scoop/shovel
- Swizzle sticks
- Spirit measures (Peg Measure)
- A bottle opener
- A water jug
- A waiter’s friend
- Tongs for garnishes and ice
- Long and short bladed knives
10.
Straws
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11.
Coasters
12.
A range of suitable glasses
13.
A lime/lemon juice squeezer
14.
Ashtrays (if smoking is permitted)
15.
Monkey dish/Dip bowls for complimentary snacks (e.g. peanuts, wafers).
A better equipped bar, which regularly serves cocktails, will have a cocktail
shaker (Boston shaker), a blender, a Hawthorne strainer, a mixing jug and
muddler, cocktail napkins, bar spoons, citrus peelers and zester and melon
ballers.
Consumable Supplies
A bar is also equipped with consumable supplies. Most obviously, of course,
there are the beers, wines, spirits and liqueurs, but there are also soft drinks,
syrups, mixers (such as tonic water and dry ginger ale), nuts and wafers and
the fruit used in garnishes.
Ice is essential in the bar because it is required in most mixed drinks and
cocktails. Crushed ice is used for cocktails, frappes and also for the ice buckets
which are sometimes used to chill wine. Ice is made in an ice machine. If the
ice machine is not in the bar itself plenty of ice must be stored in a container or
storage bin in the bar, preferably a sink with a drainage hole so that the water
from the melted ice can drain away. The container must, of course, be refilled
frequently from the ice machine so that plenty of fresh ice is always available.
When taking ice from the ice-machine or from the container you must always
use an ice scoop (or tongs or a slotted spoon). Never use a glass or your fingers.
Do not leave the scoop in the ice so that it can slip down into the ice and get buried. Leave it on top of the machine or standing in the corner with the
handle up. Do not cool or store bottles by putting them in ice which is intended
for use in drinks.
GLASSWARE
It is very important that the right glass is should be used for the right drink
and that all glassware should be kept absolutely clean and sparkling. The
reasons for using particular glasses for particular drinks are partly practical
and partly psychological. To some extent the choice of glass is a simple
question of selecting a glass of the right size – you need a smaller glass for a
liqueur than for a lager – but the shape of the glass can also be important. A
champagne flute, for example, is slender and has a narrow mouth because a
glass of that shape retains the sparkle or mousse of the sparkling wine and
concentrates its bouquet. Similarly, the brandy balloon/snifter, used for
Cognac, Armagnac fits the shape of the hand so that the brandy is naturally
warmed to the right temperature and the narrow mouth concentrates its
aroma.
But, beyond these purely practical considerations, there is also the important
matter of psychology. The perfect drink should appeal to the eye as well to the
senses of smell and taste, and it should be right for the occasion. The use of
exactly the right glass adds to the enjoyment of the drink; it is part of the fine
art of serving drinks.
Types of Glasses
The different types of beer glasses commonly used include beer glasses, wine
glasses, Champagne glasses, Sherry Glasses, Cocktail glasses, Brandy glasses,
Liqueur Glasses.
Storage & Handling of Glasses
Glasses must be handled with care. Do not touch any part of the glass which
may be in contact with the customer’s lips. Hold glasses by their stems if they
had them. If a glass is chipped or cracked it must not be used, but noted and
thrown away. Glasses should be stored upside down. If they are in a cabinet
they should stand upside down on clean bar towels. Do not store them with
their rims in direct contact with the wood, metal or other minerals as their
smells can be transferred to the glasses. Glasses may also be stored upside
down in special holders above the bar within convenient reach of the
bartender.
