Is there an "correct" way of setting up the speed rack in a bar?!
Is there an "correct" way of setting up the speed rack in a bar?
i've been a bartender for about half as many years as this other bartender at work and he insists that i set up the speed racks a certain way because he says that there is a "correct" way to set it up. i set mine up (from right to left) vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, whiskey, scotch, brandy, swt vermouth, dry vermouth - the last 4 because we use those a lot.... but vodka through trip sec in that order. he wanted me to set up (right to left) scotch first then whiskey then.... blah blah blah....
Answers:
Okay, your partner is a very anal person and he sounds like the kind of guy that organises stuff because he thinks it needs to be. Either that or he's just grown comfortable with the well bottles being in a certain configuration and doesn't want to change.
You should set your speed rail up the way that it's more comfortable for you to do. That's the way I did it when I tended bar and I had no issue with it. When there was a shift change if the bartender there wanted to rearrange the bottles, he or she was more than capable of doing so. That didn't happen very often however.
i went to a bartending school and this is how they said was a good way to set up speed rail to be fast and efficient. also group according to your establishement,or clientele as well.
staring at ur left, dark rum,scotch,canadian whiskey,vodka*,white rum,dry gin,triple sec,and extra acc.to clientele. the vodka bottle should be exactly at ur right hand when u reach for it. and then the juices, starting from the dark rum bottle\left side. orange*,bar mix (lemon sour) pineapple,cranberry,grapefruit... The orange juice should be right at ur lef hands reach because its the most used juice.
and then on ice, u got ur peach schnapps,tequila,goldshlagger,... for shots,grappa,etc etc
i dont know if its the best way to have ur bar set, but this is how i learned to do it, so good luck with ur speed rail.
and remember.... its called "speed" rail..... its used to have most used bottles right at ur finger tips to increase efficiency and service...so whatever works better for you is best.
CHEERS
all the bars ive ran and worked at we have whats called a standard. from left to right we ran Vodka, gin , rum tequila, triple sec whiskey then scotch. Now this was just the main rail.. We did it this way because when we bartended there were usually other bartenders working together. This way one could bartend from any well and know without looking where the jack or absolut was. I've seen it done a little different at other bars. But most in my area follow suite.
What you have to take into account is what you use the most and whose working with you. We have secondary wells for our higher end stuff and another well for our corduails.
From what you are telling me though i would say he is right ( as much as im sure you hate to hear it.)