About Me: January 2010 Archives
Friends and Family
Binary Nomad
Hexadamsel Design
Kristal and Erik's Wedding
Touch of Radiance
Yellowness
Places I Love to Relax
McGrath's Irish Pub
Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge
The Hobnob
Speisekammer
La Pinata #3
Thanks for Everything
Northern California Renaissance Faire
San Francisco School of Bartending
4-H
Great Sites I Visit Daily
Pandora Music
Full Tilt Poker
Wikipedia
Gutenberg
Internet Archive
I'm sure I've overlooked a few friends, so if you'd like me to list your site on this page, just send me an email!
By Telephone at (510) 205-5378: Use this telephone number to call me, or leave me a voice mail. Also, I tend to use text messages a lot, so if you prefer, I invite you to use that option as well.
By Email at erik@erikbehindthebar.com: This is my email address, and I do my best to check it multiple times per day. Please send word on any opportunities, or any feedback you have about my website. All your comments are appreciated!
I am planning to make a career of tending bar, eventually owning and running my own tavern. To that end, I am looking for every opportunity to hone my skills. Here are a few ideas:
Private Parties
Rate: $20 per hour
I charge a minimum number of hours loosely based on the distance from my home (Alameda), as well as what tools and appliances I'll need to bring. If you need me to purchase alcohol, we can talk about what your expectations are, and I'll be happy to purchase and transport it to your party. For this convenience, I'll add an extra hour to my fee, along with the total of the receipts, which I will provide for your inspection. I'm looking forward to making your party memorable and enjoyable for you and your guests!
Catered Events
If you are a caterer in need of a bartender, or a catering company specializing in beverage, I want to be part of your team. I can accommodate a wide range of dress codes, and I'm comfortable working with massive crowds while maintaining a positive and professional demeanor. Let me know where to be and when, and I won't let you down!
Charity Events
At the risk of sounding mercenary, I love to get paid. But cash is not always the best reward! For charity events I'm happy to contribute my effort and hours in exchange for the chance to meet people and make connections. Don't be shy! If I have the time, I'll happily come and help you in any way I can!
Tending Your Bar
If you own or manage a bar in or near Alameda, I want to be your employee! Whether you need an on-call employee to cover the occasional shift, or a new full-time employee to devote himself to your establishment, I'm your man! As I've said, my ultimate goal is to own and run my own place, so this kind of experience is my top priority. Any wisdom you care to share will be remembered and appreciated!
If any of the above fit your needs, let me encourage you to contact me at your earliest convenience.
Erik Jacobson
(510) 205-5378
erik@erikbehindthebar.com
When I decided, at long last, that tending bar was how I wanted to spend my life, I knew that I would need a website. Mostly, I needed one to get a job. Business cards get lost a lot less than resumés, and a URL fits nicely on a business card. Plus, business cards get passed around! So my first stab at a site read like this: "Please Hire Me"! There were about five articles, selling myself as a good person and eager employee, and a page of contact information. That was it, and I got tired of it pretty fast.
Being a blogger (though somewhat sporadic about updates), I realized that a bartender's blog might not be a bad way to keep my website fresh. If you can believe it, I had not actually read ANY cocktail blogs up to that point. I was sure they had to exist so a quick google search later, I ploughed headlong into the world of bartender blogs. Thus, I hit the wall.
With so many cocktail blogs out there, written by such incredible bartenders, I was discouraged. These guys (and girls) had years of experience in the industry, a great command of the language, and some attracted so much readership that companies paid them to put ads on their sites! Discouraged is a bit of an understatement. I had just recently discovered what RSS was. How was I going to compete, or even be noticed, among these giants?! Was there anything that these guys hadn't already covered? I was tempted to just trim my site down to a literal online resume, and call it good.
Then I had the revelation that should have inspired my website from the beginning: my website is for me. If others decide to read it, that's a bonus. I started thinking about what I wanted, and from then on it became pretty clear. My website would become my dumping ground for all the knowledge and experience I would gather as a bartender. It will collect all the cocktails I discover. It will record all the tricks of the trade I pick up. It will document the lessons I learn. In short, it will chronicle the road from brand new, fresh-off-the-street bartender to tavern owner.
Armed with that decision, things started falling into place. My fiancé found movable type and set me up with it. As a former programmer, I took to it like a duck to water. I've spent the last several days getting my site to look the way I first envisioned it. There are still a few bugs I have to work out, but over all I'm pretty happy. My next step is to build a habit of posting regularly. I do plan to jump in the pool with the rest of those cocktail bloggers eventually, but for now I'm going to focus on building up some decent content, and getting enough work as a bartender to quit my day job. If you, dear reader, insist on coming along for the ride, then welcome aboard, and thanks!
As long as the bartender is prompt, friendly, and doesn't pour too short, most customers don't care about his past. An employer, however, might want to know more, so I've written out this little bit on why I got into bartending.
My grandfather owned a bar in Deadwood, South Dakota. My father continues to tell me stories of how horrible owning a bar can be, but I've always been fascinated. Apparently, my grandfather owned the very building in which Wild Bill Hickok played his last hand of poker. Growing up, my favorite characters from movies and fiction always spent time in some kind of tavern. Who can forget lines like "You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?" and "In all the gin joints, in all the world, she has to walk into mine"? Excitement and intrigue always started with a round of drinks.
Upon reaching adulthood, my friends and I had all the usual adventures. We sampled the good life seeing local bands, playing darts, learning dice games, and being pleasantly surprised when the jukebox played a beloved classic. I started collecting recipes and trivia almost immediately. I learned about scotch, and vodka, the best ways to make martinis, and where to find exotic rum. I began mixing the drinks for the parties we threw. I accompanied my parents on their annual tour of Sonoma's vineyards and wineries. Learning about the craftsmanship that goes into good wine made me curious about the other beverages I'd come to enjoy. I eagerly read about the artistry and tradition behind good whiskey, tequila and all the rest.
Through all this, I dabbled in writing, juggling, acting, martial arts, cooking and a host of other hobbies and pursuits. I've held a variety of jobs, but I worked most of them out of necessity rather than inspiration. When I turned 30, I began to wonder if I'd ever figure out what I wanted to do "when I grew up". One day, while reading about sour mash on the Internet, it hit me: I should own a bar! My research turned to business plans, local laws, and liquor licensing. I know it'll be a long road, but I've got passion, plenty of skill, and the support of my beautiful fiance'. For now I'm gathering experience and knowledge, but in a few years, you'll be able to come to Erik's for live music, great cocktails, and a healthy helping of the good life.
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About a Bartender
As long as the bartender is prompt, friendly, and doesn't pour too short, most customers don't care about his... read more