There’s a strange thing that happens when you’ve spent enough time working in hospitality. You stop being a normal guest. You walk into a bar, café, or restaurant and before you’ve even sat down, your brain is already at work. You notice the lighting. You hear the playlist. You clock the flow of the room, the staff movement, where the side station is, how the space feels. You are consciously not trying to judge. You are just wired this way now. And that is usually where the p

It's hard to ignore the rise of nonalcoholic drinks popping up at bars. But these days, the term 'nonalcoholic' is evolving, or diversifying, if you will. Gone are the days when 'nonalcoholic' at a bar simply meant just juices or soda or some mocktail. These days, you may hear terms N/A, or nonalc, or spirit-free, and here are other terms that are redefining this whole category of beverages. Alcohol-free: A product that contains no detectable alcohol, which means it's 0.0% AB

Being in the bar, you see, hear, and experience all kinds of things. It exposes you to countless moments, conversations, and experiences. Some moments are funny, while others may be uncomfortable. I found it beautiful because it is very unpredictable and not repeated every day. The following anecdotes are drawn from observation and being present, not just in the bar I work in, but across other bars I’ve been to. Before engaging in a conversation, I’ve learned to understand th

The festive season has a way of stretching drinking habits. Office parties blur into family gatherings, and “just for the holidays” quietly becomes daily alcohol intake. While most people worry about hangovers or weight gain, the liver is dealing with something more immediate: fat build-up caused by alcohol. Alcohol-related fatty liver disease is often silent. There’s no pain, no obvious warning signs — just fat accumulating in liver cells as alcohol metabolism blocks fat bur

I don’t have exact statistics, but I’d say 6 out of 10 Flaming Lamborghini orders ended in some kind of mishap — either someone or something getting burned, or something getting broken. The most common accidents involved burning hair — especially women’s hair if they’d used a lot of hair products. I also saw several pairs of (fake?) eyelashes get scorched, many eyebrows, and in one case, a wig . One guest also seared their lips. I’d just served the drink to a group and while

"Yeah, I like whiskies. Hennessy is one of my favorite brands," said the guest to my colleague. Though taken aback, he later informed the guest that the brand was a cognac.

Every bar visit is a chance to learn something new, and to walk away not just with a great drink, but with a story worth telling.