emerit Bartender cheat sheet

Bartending Skills, Knowledge and Practices (National Occupational Standards)

• Standard measure in the UK is 25 ml for spirits (a single) and 50 ml for a double; 35 ml may be used where the premises licence authorises it, so spirit counts per serve must be verified against the licence.

• ABV to units formula: units = volume in ml × ABV% ÷ 1000. A 175 ml glass of 13% ABV wine = 175 × 13 ÷ 1000 = 2.3 units.

• Draught beer yield check: a 50-litre keg at a 95% yield gives 47.5 L = 47,500 ml; at a 284 ml (half-pint) serve this is about 167 servings, so variance beyond roughly 3-5% signals waste, over-pour or line losses.

• Dilution rule of thumb: a standard 25 ml spirit serve with ice and mixer typically rises to 60-80 ml final volume; recipe costing must include mixer and ice loss, not just the spirit.

• Responsible service decision rule: refuse service where the customer is already intoxicated or under 18; where age is uncertain, Challenge 25 applies and photo ID (passport, photocard driving licence, PASS hologram card) must be checked before service.

• Cocktail families and build logic: built (ingredients assembled in the serving glass), stirred (spirit-forward, clear, chilled without aeration), shaken (citrus, dairy, egg or syrup to emulsify and aerate), blended (ice and fruit), and thrown (rolling between vessels for aeration).

• Balance formula for sour-style drinks: 50 ml spirit : 25 ml citrus : 25 ml sweetener (2:1:1) is the reference ratio; adjust citrus ±5 ml for acidity of the fruit and strength of the syrup.

• Cellar and stock control: FIFO rotation, cask ale served at 11-13 °C, lager at 4-8 °C, white wine 8-12 °C, red wine 16-18 °C; beer line cleaning at least weekly and records kept for inspection.

• Licensing and legal duties: no service to under-18s, no proxy sales, no service to intoxicated persons, and refusal must be logged; premises licence conditions (measures, hours, CCTV, Challenge 25) override house preference.