Good evening and welcome back. I hope you had a wonderful Easter and spent time with your families (whatever shape they may be.) ♥
For me, Easter weekend was spent working at both The WW and The BB. 38 hours in total, I think it ended up being. 38 hours between Friday evening and Sunday night - safe to say I was exhausted. Easter Monday and my parents came to visit us; My mum and Stepdad, from Kent. The day was nice; it was sunny on the whole and there was a really cute vintage market on in the High Street.
Tuesday, I gave blood. Just over a pint of my juicy red stuff to someone who needs it.
What I'm trying to say is, I over exerted myself over the Easter period and now I'm paying for it. I'm sick. Really sick. I'm sure it's just a cold but it's horrible. I don't often get sick so when I do it feels 10 x worse. Runny nose, runny eyes, puffy face... I've lost all taste/smell sensations and I sound like a backed up drain when I cough my throat raw. If what they say is true, the proverbial they that is, that it takes seven days to get over a cold, then I'm on my fifth day. Two more to go, then hopefully I'll be ready to work the weekend again. I've got a Thursday shift to get through first, too. I will not be calling in sick. I do not call in sick. Mainly because I hate it when other people do; inconsiderate, unthinking, annoying...
Still now things will start calming down again. I'm only working at the BB now, so no more WW for me (Thank God) but I'm sure I will still be waxing (not so) nostalgic about horrible customers and hypercritical hypocritical staff for a while yet. Bitter? Me? But of course not.
For now, I'll leave you with this quote that made me smile this week. Not sure where it came from, but I like it nevertheless.
"Bitter bar tenders aren't born - they're made."
Til next time, stay safe.
BarGirl. ♥
Tuesday 29 April 2014
Thursday 17 April 2014
I don't have Anger Issues, I have Honesty Issues - plus I work in a bar.
Good afternoon and welcome. I'm being far more dedicated to this blog than I ever thought I would. Win Win. Although, this weekend I WILL NOT be blogging, as from Friday evening till Sunday night, I will be working thirty one hours. Over two and a third days. Bullshit and bollocks... ♥
What was the point of this post again...?
Oh yes, the difference between an angry barmaid and an honest, frustrated barmaid. Just so we're all aware, I'm very rarely rude to customers. I will occasionally snap at them but only if they truly deserve it.
"Pint of Peroni and a smile, darlin'" - You wish, mate. Stop being such a sleaze and stop drinking before noon. "I'll have whatever nuts you have and a tenner from the till..." Dickhead. Order your drink, make polite small talk and walk away. It's all I really ask for.
I very rarely articulate my hatred for asshole customers to them, but I do rant like something crazy in my head. They just get me so frustrated. One of my biggest pet peeves, is a customer coming all the way to the pub, opening the door, walking up to the bar and saying "Oh...you know I don't know what I want. I hadn't even thought about it." That's because you're a pain in my ass. I'm not saying detail your order when you're having breakfast in the morning, but at least have an idea of the general direction you're going in. You already know if you're going to have beer or wine, or wine or spirits, or soft drinks. Help me out a little, buddy. I know this one bugs other people too, not just me, so I don't feel quite as bad moaning about it.
I'm a very honest person. I think. My boyfriend says I'm occasionally too honest - not in the sense that I'd tell someone they looked terrible in their jeans, but I'd say I prefer them in their other pair. I think honesty is a good quality to have as a person, especially in work environment where you have to work SO closely with your team of people. Being honest is easy; no games, no lies just straight up and simple. Same goes with relationships. Make things easier for yourself. Don't play games.
I like you. Let's hang out. I don't like you like that. Okay, cool.
Anyways, just a short splurge for now but I have to go and pick up my wages because one of the bars that I currently work in (last day on sunday) only pays in cash, for some unknown reason. So every thursday, I have to go into town just to pick up my wages from the boss between 1-4pm. Except he's very rarely there. It's one day that he needs to stay in the office for a four hour period. Shouldn't be that tricky but apparently it is as he has to go for his lunch break (?!) and gallivant around town.
#MoaningMyrtle - Sorry.
Til next time, stay safe.
BarGirl. ♥
What was the point of this post again...?
Oh yes, the difference between an angry barmaid and an honest, frustrated barmaid. Just so we're all aware, I'm very rarely rude to customers. I will occasionally snap at them but only if they truly deserve it.
"Pint of Peroni and a smile, darlin'" - You wish, mate. Stop being such a sleaze and stop drinking before noon. "I'll have whatever nuts you have and a tenner from the till..." Dickhead. Order your drink, make polite small talk and walk away. It's all I really ask for.
I very rarely articulate my hatred for asshole customers to them, but I do rant like something crazy in my head. They just get me so frustrated. One of my biggest pet peeves, is a customer coming all the way to the pub, opening the door, walking up to the bar and saying "Oh...you know I don't know what I want. I hadn't even thought about it." That's because you're a pain in my ass. I'm not saying detail your order when you're having breakfast in the morning, but at least have an idea of the general direction you're going in. You already know if you're going to have beer or wine, or wine or spirits, or soft drinks. Help me out a little, buddy. I know this one bugs other people too, not just me, so I don't feel quite as bad moaning about it.
I'm a very honest person. I think. My boyfriend says I'm occasionally too honest - not in the sense that I'd tell someone they looked terrible in their jeans, but I'd say I prefer them in their other pair. I think honesty is a good quality to have as a person, especially in work environment where you have to work SO closely with your team of people. Being honest is easy; no games, no lies just straight up and simple. Same goes with relationships. Make things easier for yourself. Don't play games.
I like you. Let's hang out. I don't like you like that. Okay, cool.
Anyways, just a short splurge for now but I have to go and pick up my wages because one of the bars that I currently work in (last day on sunday) only pays in cash, for some unknown reason. So every thursday, I have to go into town just to pick up my wages from the boss between 1-4pm. Except he's very rarely there. It's one day that he needs to stay in the office for a four hour period. Shouldn't be that tricky but apparently it is as he has to go for his lunch break (?!) and gallivant around town.
#MoaningMyrtle - Sorry.
Til next time, stay safe.
BarGirl. ♥
Tuesday 15 April 2014
My Love for Fentiman's. (Cocktail Recipes; Lynchburg Lemonade and Long Island Ice Tea.)
Good evening and welcome back. I hope your weekend was a good one - enjoying the sunshine with a beer were we? Prehaps a fruity cocktail? Who doesn't love a cocktail... ♥
That's one thing I like about being BarGirl...
We had two gentlemen in today, both mid-forties. They were very loud and had clearly already been drinking somewhere else but they weren't 'unservable' - two pints of Peroni later, they're asking for the cocktail menu. This is how I know they're drunk or if not currently, will be very shortly.
At The WW, which is one of the pubs I work in, the deal on cocktails is two for £8 or one for £6. Obviously, everyone gets two because they'd be silly not to but they're not always the same. Usually, people opt for the safer options of Mojito or Cosmopolitan. These gentlemen in particular however asked for an extended cocktail menu and because I happen to quite enjoy making cocktails - I gave it to them.
They ordered two cocktails; one Lynchburg Lemonade and one Long Island Ice Tea. Just the smell of a Long Island Ice Tea makes me gag - I can't do Tequila. No, no. Because I do enjoy making cocktails, I'm going to give you the recipes to these two. The Lynchburg Lemonade is based on the official recipe from The Official Jack Daniel's Website and the Long Island Ice Tea is a variation on the classic.
The Lynchburg Lemonade.
37.5ml Shot of Jack Daniel's Old No.7
12.5ml Shot of Triple Sec
2 Lemon Wedges
2 Lime Wedges
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cubed ice (the ice will beat the lemon and limes), strain and pour over fresh ice, into a tall glass. Top up with Lemonade (fresh if you have it, but if not post-mix from the soda gun is fine.)
12.5ml Shot of Light Rum (I use Bacardi)
12.5ml Shot of Gin (The House Gin at The WW is Greenall's currently.)
12.5ml Shot of Vodka (The House Vodka at The WW is Finlandia currently.)
12.5ml Shot of Silver Tequila
Dash of Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Pour ingredients into a tall glass over ice, no shaking required, and top with Coke. (I really like the Fentiman's Curiosity Cola but again, post-mix Coke from the soda gun is fine too.) Add a lemon wedge for garnish.
In the two above recipes, I've included the link to both Fentiman's Website and the Official Jack Daniel's website. The website for JD has a really awesome section for Official Recipes, so if Tennessee Whiskey is your thing - go for it. The Fentiman's brand is amazing, if you guys haven't heard of it. Any bar that doesn't have Fentiman's soft drinks in their fridges need a quick kick up their backsides.
My favourite being Fentiman's Rose Lemonade - for anyone who likes a slightly perfumed light taste of Roses or Violets. It would be quite nice with Gin, or as I prefer it - straight and simple.
Their Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger is awesome too, as well as the Victorian Lemonade )which would actually be good for the Lynchburg Lemonade.)
Recently a new cafe has opened in Winchester called Nicola's, and for anyone who knows Winchester it's where Cafe Central used to be. Tea Shop meets Cheesecake Cafe meets Quick-Bite-For-Lunch. It's really cute and their design element is super strong. We have a friend at the moment helping them to get their kitchen up and running properly. After that, it's going to be good. I can feel it. Anyway, my point is - they stock Fentiman's; the full range I think.
So there's my reccomendation for this post. Nicola's Tea Shop in Winchester (there's also one in Romsey and I think one opening up in Hyde too!)
Til next time, stay safe.
BarGirl. ♥
That's one thing I like about being BarGirl...
We had two gentlemen in today, both mid-forties. They were very loud and had clearly already been drinking somewhere else but they weren't 'unservable' - two pints of Peroni later, they're asking for the cocktail menu. This is how I know they're drunk or if not currently, will be very shortly.
At The WW, which is one of the pubs I work in, the deal on cocktails is two for £8 or one for £6. Obviously, everyone gets two because they'd be silly not to but they're not always the same. Usually, people opt for the safer options of Mojito or Cosmopolitan. These gentlemen in particular however asked for an extended cocktail menu and because I happen to quite enjoy making cocktails - I gave it to them.
They ordered two cocktails; one Lynchburg Lemonade and one Long Island Ice Tea. Just the smell of a Long Island Ice Tea makes me gag - I can't do Tequila. No, no. Because I do enjoy making cocktails, I'm going to give you the recipes to these two. The Lynchburg Lemonade is based on the official recipe from The Official Jack Daniel's Website and the Long Island Ice Tea is a variation on the classic.
The Lynchburg Lemonade.
37.5ml Shot of Jack Daniel's Old No.712.5ml Shot of Triple Sec
2 Lemon Wedges
2 Lime Wedges
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cubed ice (the ice will beat the lemon and limes), strain and pour over fresh ice, into a tall glass. Top up with Lemonade (fresh if you have it, but if not post-mix from the soda gun is fine.)
The Long Island Ice Tea.
12.5ml Shot of Triple Sex12.5ml Shot of Light Rum (I use Bacardi)
12.5ml Shot of Gin (The House Gin at The WW is Greenall's currently.)
12.5ml Shot of Vodka (The House Vodka at The WW is Finlandia currently.)
12.5ml Shot of Silver Tequila
Dash of Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Pour ingredients into a tall glass over ice, no shaking required, and top with Coke. (I really like the Fentiman's Curiosity Cola but again, post-mix Coke from the soda gun is fine too.) Add a lemon wedge for garnish.
In the two above recipes, I've included the link to both Fentiman's Website and the Official Jack Daniel's website. The website for JD has a really awesome section for Official Recipes, so if Tennessee Whiskey is your thing - go for it. The Fentiman's brand is amazing, if you guys haven't heard of it. Any bar that doesn't have Fentiman's soft drinks in their fridges need a quick kick up their backsides.
My favourite being Fentiman's Rose Lemonade - for anyone who likes a slightly perfumed light taste of Roses or Violets. It would be quite nice with Gin, or as I prefer it - straight and simple.
Their Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger is awesome too, as well as the Victorian Lemonade )which would actually be good for the Lynchburg Lemonade.)
Recently a new cafe has opened in Winchester called Nicola's, and for anyone who knows Winchester it's where Cafe Central used to be. Tea Shop meets Cheesecake Cafe meets Quick-Bite-For-Lunch. It's really cute and their design element is super strong. We have a friend at the moment helping them to get their kitchen up and running properly. After that, it's going to be good. I can feel it. Anyway, my point is - they stock Fentiman's; the full range I think.
So there's my reccomendation for this post. Nicola's Tea Shop in Winchester (there's also one in Romsey and I think one opening up in Hyde too!)
Til next time, stay safe.
BarGirl. ♥
Thursday 10 April 2014
'Ello, Bar Girl here. Here's 10 Things.
Good evening and welcome, to the first post of the Adventures of Bar Girl blog. Here, you can read all kinds of shenanigans that I get up to in and around my favorite and not so favorite bars. Working in Winchester means you might see some of your favorite haunts popping in and out of my life, so feel free to tell me what you think; what you like and don't. I should probably let you know from the get go that I can be pretty opinionated. ♥
Just to break you in...
Here's my, current, 10 Bar Girl hates:
1. "What do you have on?" (...in reference to beers.)
What do I have on? You mean, aside from the fourteen pumps you can see in front of your face? Well... Would you like me to list every spirit and soft drink that we sell? That's going to take me a minute you self-centered ass.
2. "Is this all you have?" (...Nope. I keep a secret stash under the bar.)
People ask me this all the time, as if I'm going to let them in on a super secret sleuth stash of beers under the bar that are only available for super special customers who ask.
3. Please stop moving all my furniture to rearrange for abnormally large group.
So there are twenty of you - that really doesn't impress me. Especially at five minutes to closing time. What would you like me to say? But of course, Sir. You drag all my chairs to one corner of the bar and huddle there with all your loud, drunken friends. (See point 6.)
4. "I can't make it in today, I'm sick." (Nothing to do with the fantastic sunshine today?)
When my staff call in sick when they're not, it really bugs me. They don't seem to realize what they've done to the rest of us. You're just dropping out of a busy shift leaving the rest of us to pick up your slack. Don't bother coming back. Don't let me see you out drinking tonight either.
5. "HOW MUCH?!" (Don't bitch at me, I don't set the prices.)
This one really has nothing to do with me. Please don't moan at me that your pint of Peroni only gives you 40p change from £5. You were the one to order one of the most expensive beers.
6. "What time do you close?" (In five minutes) "Great. There's 12 of us."
Inconsiderate...GRUMBLE...I want to go home...pain in my ass... grumble grumble.
7. "Okay, I'll take a burger. No bun. Hold the relish. But can I get extra mayo? And is your salad washed before it's served?"
That's all well and good, but you clearly don't have dietry requirements. You're just being a tosser. I'm the one who has to face the almighty wrath of a Chef with the temper of a dragon. And of course the salad is washed!?
8. "I'll take a lager." (Fantastic. Am I meant to psychically know which one of six?)
Becks. Peroni. Carling. Fosters. Red Stripe. Pilsner. Grolsh. Staropramen. Same goes for ordering simply "Stella" when there's four different types of Stella on sale. Cidre. Stella 4. Stella Black. STELLA ARTOIS.
9. You dragging your kids to a bar. (It's inappropriate and annoying.)
Okay, I understand you guys want your family to spend quality time together but I'd much rather that wasn't in the middle of a football game when there's thirty louts at the bar and your precious little girl is screaming louder than them all.
10. No hesitation, deviation or repetition. (Please)
Don't repeat your orders or I'll make them twice, I can retain them the first time. Don't deviate from your original order, again... I will have retained the first order. Don't come to the bar if you don't know what you want, and once you have what you want GO AWAY. There are other people who need serving.
So, maybe that's enough for now. I'm sure more will come to me - they usually do. To anyone who thinks I'm being too harsh - you have clearly never worked in a bar. Any bar. Being in charge of Champagne at your great aunt Hildy's 60th birthday doesn't count.
Til next time, stay safe.
BarGirl. ♥
Just to break you in...
Here's my, current, 10 Bar Girl hates:
1. "What do you have on?" (...in reference to beers.)
What do I have on? You mean, aside from the fourteen pumps you can see in front of your face? Well... Would you like me to list every spirit and soft drink that we sell? That's going to take me a minute you self-centered ass.
2. "Is this all you have?" (...Nope. I keep a secret stash under the bar.)
People ask me this all the time, as if I'm going to let them in on a super secret sleuth stash of beers under the bar that are only available for super special customers who ask.
3. Please stop moving all my furniture to rearrange for abnormally large group.
So there are twenty of you - that really doesn't impress me. Especially at five minutes to closing time. What would you like me to say? But of course, Sir. You drag all my chairs to one corner of the bar and huddle there with all your loud, drunken friends. (See point 6.)
4. "I can't make it in today, I'm sick." (Nothing to do with the fantastic sunshine today?)
When my staff call in sick when they're not, it really bugs me. They don't seem to realize what they've done to the rest of us. You're just dropping out of a busy shift leaving the rest of us to pick up your slack. Don't bother coming back. Don't let me see you out drinking tonight either.
5. "HOW MUCH?!" (Don't bitch at me, I don't set the prices.)
This one really has nothing to do with me. Please don't moan at me that your pint of Peroni only gives you 40p change from £5. You were the one to order one of the most expensive beers.
6. "What time do you close?" (In five minutes) "Great. There's 12 of us."
Inconsiderate...GRUMBLE...I want to go home...pain in my ass... grumble grumble.
7. "Okay, I'll take a burger. No bun. Hold the relish. But can I get extra mayo? And is your salad washed before it's served?"
That's all well and good, but you clearly don't have dietry requirements. You're just being a tosser. I'm the one who has to face the almighty wrath of a Chef with the temper of a dragon. And of course the salad is washed!?
8. "I'll take a lager." (Fantastic. Am I meant to psychically know which one of six?)
Becks. Peroni. Carling. Fosters. Red Stripe. Pilsner. Grolsh. Staropramen. Same goes for ordering simply "Stella" when there's four different types of Stella on sale. Cidre. Stella 4. Stella Black. STELLA ARTOIS.
9. You dragging your kids to a bar. (It's inappropriate and annoying.)
Okay, I understand you guys want your family to spend quality time together but I'd much rather that wasn't in the middle of a football game when there's thirty louts at the bar and your precious little girl is screaming louder than them all.
10. No hesitation, deviation or repetition. (Please)
Don't repeat your orders or I'll make them twice, I can retain them the first time. Don't deviate from your original order, again... I will have retained the first order. Don't come to the bar if you don't know what you want, and once you have what you want GO AWAY. There are other people who need serving.
So, maybe that's enough for now. I'm sure more will come to me - they usually do. To anyone who thinks I'm being too harsh - you have clearly never worked in a bar. Any bar. Being in charge of Champagne at your great aunt Hildy's 60th birthday doesn't count.
Til next time, stay safe.
BarGirl. ♥
Wednesday 9 April 2014
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
— Kirkus, starred review
“A funny and tender coming-of-age story that’s also the story of a writer finding her voice.”
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Rowell manages to capture both the wildly popular universe of fanfic and the inside of an 18-year-old’s head. Consider me a fangirl of this charming coming-of-age tale.”
— Entertainment Weekly
“As funny as it is embarrassing, and as charming as it is true-to-geek-life … Fangirl is a cute and poignant read for fangirls and fanboys of all ages.”
— Tor.com
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, published first in the US in 2013, is flying off the bookshelves. So much so, that after hearing about it for weeks from my course mates, I had to go to my two different local Waterstones twice before I managed to arrive on a day when they had one left in stock. Even the clerk in the shop loved it, she told me that her other half had taken her away for a romantic getaway weekend and she ignored him for half the trip just so she could finish the young adult book.
I wrote fan fiction avidly, my whole way through secondary school, usually surrounding me and my favourite bands so when I read Rowell's book of a nerdy girl at University avidly writing her own fan fiction, on a series that sound stone loosely based on Harry Potter, I felt cool. My inner nerd shrivelled down a little and I felt cool; the nerdiness of fan fiction in Fangirl is turned into passion, talent and the unwillingness to let some of or favourite characters go.
I enjoyed it immensely and even though my copy has gorgeous drawings by Noelle Stevenson, I couldn't help but imagine the main character Cather as the girl who first told me about the book. Her name is Grace and she reminds me entirely of Cather. In a wonderful way.
The plot moved on quick enough so I didn't get bored and the characters are almost more loveable than my real life friends. Makes me wish I had a twin sister of my own, even if it was just to bounce ideas off.
Next up, Paper Towns by John Green. I enjoyed The Fault In Or Stars, so I have high hopes for this one.
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