On a typical weekend night, bar patrons stand amid a crowd, desperately trying to make eye contact with the bartender, hoping to be noticed and served the next drink. As the crowd grows, each "thirsty" college student pushes toward the front, trying to get one elbow casually perched atop the bar to signal that he has made it to the front and should be served.
Now may be the time to highlight some bar etiquette to which thirsty students should adhere that is, if they want to get served before their love interest in the corner slips out of sight.
Starting a tab makes life easier for the bartender and expedites the drink-ordering process for those eager to be served. Fourth-year College student Jack Mckinstry, who bartends at O'Neill's, is quick to cite credit cards as her number one pet peeve.
"Open a tab instead of making me run your card five times," Mckinstry said, noting that it takes 45 seconds to process each time.
Fourth-year College student Drew Lawrence, who also bartends at O'Neill's, agreed. "Either pay cash or start a tab," he said.
Another bar "don't" both Mckinstry and Lawrence advised against is listening for the bartender's name and yelling it as if you two have been buddies since childhood. Nice try -- it doesn't work.
And lastly, tip well.
"If I opened a tab and made you Car Bombs all night, don't leave me a two or three dollar tip," Mckinstry said. "It doesn't need to be exorbitant, just don't embarrass me."
Mckinstry added that she remembers those who tip well, and she will single them out from the back of the crowd and serve them first.
Third-year Engineering student Dean Shannon, who has bartended at the Biltmore and O'Neill's, is also keenly aware of the good tippers, mentioning that members of the women's field hockey team and men's lacrosse team are his best tippers, along with the Greek students and other bar employees.
The prospect of great tips makes bartending a job many desire, but it's not an easy position to attain.
"A lot of people want to take the short course and then become a bartender, but really there's a waiting list," Mckinstry said.
In addition, students pursuing bartending positions must be ready to work their way up, either waiting tables or bouncing first.
The hours also are very demanding.
"The biggest thing is the time schedule," Shannon said. "You're up until three or four in the morning, and you have to readjust that for classes.
"You really have to manage your time. Weekends I sleep like 12 hours," Mckinstry said.
The constant temptation to go out at night further complicates matters.
"Once you're in that scene, everyone goes out every single night, so getting tempted to drink all the time is another pitfall of bartending," Mckinstry said.
The duties of bartending also extend into daylight hours. Lawrence said that "bar-cleans" are his least favorite aspect of bartending. This chore involves scrubbing down the whole bar every Sunday at 9 a.m., to catch any grime missed during nightly cleanups. The task is especially unpleasant for bartenders who work until 3:30 a.m. the night before.
All the scrubbing seems to pay off, however.
"We have two of the cleanest bars in town, according to the health inspector," Shannon said of The Biltmore and O'Neill's.
The general consensus among the bartenders is that the positives of bartending far outweigh the negatives.
"In the grand scheme of things, I'll deal with the bar-cleans because the job is totally worth it," Lawrence said.
Presumably, students may think that being a bartender kills the "going-out mood" on weekends. After all, most people don't want to spend any more time at their workplace than necessary.
But for bartenders, this is not the case. The bartenders interviewed said they actually prefer to frequent their workplace on their time off, as opposed to other bars.
"It doesn't kill the mood, I could go there every night," Mckinstry said. "You never have to wait in line for a drink, you get a good seat, a free drink or two, and you know almost everyone."
One of Mckinstry's favorite things about bartending is walking down the road and having someone she doesn't know start waving at her. Mckinstry said students often recognize her face after frequenting O'Neill's and instinctively think she is an acquaintance. However, once they realize that they don't know her, they sheepishly act like they are waving to someone behind her.
Another bartending plus is the freedom of creativity in concocting new drinks.
"One of my favorite things is on slow nights when we stand around and make up new drinks and get customers to try them out," Lawrence said. "Jack likes the Yankee Slut, I like the Cherry Cheesecake, and I know each bartender has their own. They might be real drinks somewhere, but not ones that we normally have around here, so that's a lot of fun."
Shannon also was very enthusiastic about his job. "It is the best job in the world -- work for all cash, none of it's claimed, never have to be awake until 4 in the afternoon, and you spend your nights around beautiful women, alcohol and cash," he said.
Shannon added that it's fun to deal with drunken people on the job and admits that he gets hit on frequently.
"Sometimes it's subtle, and sometimes it's girls flat out asking, 'What are you doing later? Can you get away from the bar?' It's just what goes along with working in an inhibition-free environment," he said.
Mckinstry agreed.
"It is the best job in Charlottesville. What other job can you hang out with your friends at a bar, make sure they have a good time, and get paid for it?" she said.
For the most part, bartending is an enjoyable experience and a fun way to pay college tuition. But the ability to balance the long hours and schoolwork is an admirable quality that deserves recognition.
Despite the money she's made, and the good experiences she's had, Mckinstry sees bartending as a starting point, not a final career choice.
"You never want to be that 45-year-old 'Dolly' or 'Donna,' you know the name -- pushing the saddle bags, hitting on the young guys. At 45, I hope to be a doctor," said Mckinstry.
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