I want to become a part time bartender in either New York City or Brooklyn.?

Question

How would I be able to become a bartender? Would I need certain requirements?

Answer 1

You need to know how to mix drinks and interact with customers. There is no license required to be a bartender, but you need to have some common sense. New York has what they call Dram Shop laws - meaning, if you as a bartender or bar owner or even a private citizen throwing a house party, overserve a person and they go out and have a car accident and kill someone, you can be held civilly and crimally liable. A good bartender will know when to cut someone off and know not to serve someone underage. Liquor licenses cost tens of thousands of dollars a year to have, and if a place has enough violations, they can lose that license. It's not worth it as a bartender to be paid a hundred bucks by some kid to serve him, if you can lose your job and get sued for it.

Know this - you will not start in one of the top-notch places as a beginner. They only take the best of the best. Start as a bar back or cocktail waitress in a small neighborhood place and work your way up.

Answer 2

I swear to you- Bartenders really do not need liscences in BK or NY. It would be a waste of time and money! You can check Craigslist for tons of leads for bartending gigs. Many people are willing to train the right person. But you may want to start with bar-backing or cocktail waiting, or with day shifts to get your foot in the door.
ps. To/About the person above- Its true that all 5 boroughs are considered NYC, but Jeez!....you cant just say "the city" (like we call it) on Yahoo Answers, and nobody who lives here really says Manhattan! Chill out dude!