Bartending 101: Common Terms and Drinks

As a working yacht stewardess, you'll be asked to constantly make drinks. It's part of the job. The various names and terminology can become very confusing, especially while you're having to remember other things. To help those of you without an extensive bartending experience with the process, we've come up with a few things to keep in mind. Here's a simple guide on the basics of bartending:

Terminology

• On the rocks: with ice

• Neat: no ice

• With a twist: a twist of a small piece of rind of citrus

• Straight up: shaken or stirred with ice, then poured through a strainer

• Double: exactly what it sounds like…double the amount

• Chaser: a mild drink to take after a shot

• Top shelf: a fine liquor (typically on the top shelf of the bar)

• Floater: a shot or pour of liquor you "float" on top of the drink

Glasses

Graphic by Primer Magazine

As you can see above, each drink as a very specific glass. Wine glasses are only for wine, champagne flutes are only for champagne, and so on. But when it comes to cocktails, there are several different drinks you could put inside different glasses, like the collins and old fashioned glasses.

Bar Tools

Make sure your bar is stocked with the correct tools!

1. Zester

2. Handheld strainer

3. Bar spoon (stir drinks)

4. Cocktail shaker

5. Jigger (measures shots)

6. Wine bottle opener

7. Citrus rind twister

8. Muddler

9. Reamer (citrus juicer)

10. Ice cube tray

Classic Cocktails

Graphic by Daily Mail

While shots are self-explanatory, it's hard to keep track of some of the classic cocktails. The chart above is a great guide, showing how much of each item should make up the glass.

Beach Cocktails

Graphic by SeaSide Mexico

Guests will likely want a beach cocktail, as they are on the water! The chart above shows some common beach cocktails, how to make them, and how to serve them.

If you're a steward/ess in training, we recommend getting familiar with the common cocktail recipes. Having cocktail and wine knowledge from day 1 is sure to impress your chief steward/ess!

Looking for a yacht job? Create a free CREW account and start receiving job offers.

Looking for crew? Join Meridian and easily search over 40,000 qualified crew profiles to find your next great hire!