How to Become a Mixologist

About Mixologist

A mixologist is a person who mixes various types of alcoholic beverages and other ingredients to make cocktails and mixed drinks. A mixologist is another term for a bartender who makes and serves cocktails. However, some people distinguish between a bartender and mixologist as they believe that bartender just tends a bar and on the other hand mixologist is the one who is involved in creating new cocktails. Some of the major tasks of a mixologist are mixing drinks, cleaning and organizing the bar, educating and entertaining customers, coming up with new drink suggestions and designing new menus for beverages. A good mixologist should be a good listener and friendly. 

Mixologists are hired by clubs, taverns, breweries, bars and distilleries. Some of the companies hire a mixologist to perform presentations at food and beverage shows as well as other marketing events. A career as a mixologist is a good choice for the candidates who are interested in working at a bar or club. Candidates can also look at it as a part-time work option. This profile provides flexibility as far as the working hours are concerned because it is not like a routine 9 to 5 job.

Mixologist Roles and Responsibility

Mixologists have various roles and responsibilities that they need to do. Some of the important job roles they need to perform are mentioned below.

• To maintain a well stocked bar that includes ingredients to prepare signature drinks for the customers and also standard drink orders.
• They also prepare mocktails and shakes  such as smoothies, coffee, tea, juice, etc. for non alcoholic customers.
• Mixologists mix ingredients such as liquor, beer, wine, juice,  to prepare alcoholic drinks etc.
• Mixologists also prepare special drinks such as daiquiris, margaritas, martinis, as per the orders given by management.
• They set up bar stations with supplies such as beers on tap, glasses, mixers, bottles of liquor, etc.
• They are responsible for maintaining a healthy, clean and organized bar area to ensure a safe and secure  environment for customers
• Conversation with customers on their drink orders to make sure that they are served properly, correctly and efficiently. Also to know the feedback of the customers.

Eligibility to become Mixologist

Candidates should satisfy the minimum eligibility requirements decided below in order to become a mixologist

Education: Companies hire mixologists who have a high school diploma or higher secondary certificate. Most of the companies prefer candidates who have a bartending licence. Candidates can obtain a certificate by attending a short term paid training course at any company. 

Experience: A lot of employers are usually on the lookout for employees who have prior experience in bartending or mixology. Candidates who have completed any kind of training or internship as a mixologist or bartending will be preferred for this profile. 

How to Become a Mixologist?

If anyone is  interested in becoming a mixologist, the first thing to consider is how educated a person needs to be. 

• Mixologist needs to complete 10+2 from a recognised board. 
• Mixologists must have a bachelor's degree if they are planning to work in a good industry .
•  In terms of higher education levels, Mixologists should  have master's degrees if they want to make a career as a Mixologist for a lifetime. After doing Masters there will be a lot of scope abroad also. 

Types of Job Roles Mixologist

Mixologists are majorly hired at bars and clubs. Their job roles will depend upon their experience and skills. Candidates can apply to any profile available for mixologist after checking the job description. 

Employment Opportunities for Mixologist

A mixologist is hired in many sectors. Some of the employment opportunities available for a mixologist are as follows:

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Club
• Tavern
• Pub
• Hotels

Top Recruiting Agencies for Mixologist

Some of the major recruiting companies hiring mixologists are

• Arbor Brewing Company
• Cocktails and Dreams, Speakeasy
• Ellipsis
• The Flying Elephant, Park Hyatt
• Hakkasan
• The Park Hotel
• Black Sheep Bistro
• Trilogy
• Kue Bar
• Lanterns Kitchen & Bar
• Story Club and Lounge
• Cape Town Cafe

Pay Scale/Salary of Mixologist

The annual pay scale for the mixologist will totally depend on the club/ restaurant/ bar at which he is working. Candidates can check the average pay scale below:

Skills Required for Mixologist 

Mixologists need the certain special skills in order to be successful in Mixologist career:

Knowledge of spirits: Mixologists must have a proper knowledge about the different types of spirits available in the market. They should be aware of the different profiles, ingredients,  flavors,  for each type of spirit. For creating unique drink recipes, they should have knowledge about the spirits. Just for  example, when tequila is mixed with lime juice, it makes a popular drink combination so this a mixologist must be aware of.

Mixing techniques: There are several techniques to mix drinks. Mixologists understand the importance of using the right way and the correct proportions of ingredients to combine different drinks with each other which is known as mixing technique. They also know how to use garnishes and other decorations to enhance the presentation of a drink.

Customer service: Mixologists need to have a very good rapo with their customers. Customer service is basically to interact with customers in a very polite and friendly manner. When one works as a  mixologist, they might have to work in a bar or restaurant and direct interaction with customers is required.  Mixologist job is to greet customers, answer the questions asked by customers about drinks and take drink orders.

Communication Skills: It is also one of the most important skills a mixologist must possess. Mixologists need to communicate very often with customers to understand their choices and preferences and to make them understand the ingredients and preparation of the drinks. So, to do this, communication skills should be very good. They need to communicate with bartenders and the hotel staff to ensure that they can make the drinks according to the  customers choice.

Creativity: Mixologists use various creativity to make new drink recipes. They also use different creativity to make new drinks and marketing campaigns for their special customers who are a drink lover.  

Books & Study Material to Become Mixologist

A career as a mixologist requires creativity and innovation. They need to keep on experimenting with new drinks by mixing new ingredients. Mixologists can refer to any of the book listed below to learn more about mixology and enhance their skills:

• How to Cocktail by America's Test Kitchen
• Cocktail Codex: Fundamentals, Formulas, Evolutions by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, Devon Tarby, and David Kaplan
• Road Soda by Kara Newman 
• Meehan's Bartender Manual by Jim Meehan
• 3-Ingredient Cocktails by Robert Simonson
• The Cocktail Club by Maureen Christian-Petrosky
• The Old-Fashioned by Robert Simonson
• The 12 Bottle Bar by David Solmonson & Lesley Jacobs Solmonson
• The Savoy Cocktail Book
• Gin & Tonic by Frédéric Du Bois and Isabel Boons
• Alchemy in a Glass by Greg Seider
• The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler
• Whiskey Cocktails 
• The Craft of the Cocktail by Dale Degroff

Pros of becoming a Mixologist

• Mixologists can make people really happy by presenting some good cocktails
• One comes across all sorts of people from varied backgrounds 
• It is a fun job because one gets to experiment a lot with the drinks to come up with some new ideas
• There is also the option of earning extra apart from the fixed salary

Cons of becoming a Mixologist

• Sometimes, it may get challenging to present something new as per the customer’s demand
• There is no fixed working schedule
• The wages are not fixed throughout the year
• It involves dealing with various kinds of people and with some people, the experience may not be good or pleasant