Hey Bar Bartenders – Why the Punt?

Not long ago I visited Bayfield, Wisconsin a charming town on the shores of Lake Superior. On the flight up I read a magazine article regarding a recent gallop poll which shared insights into the alcohol consumption patterns of Americans. Though beer is by far America’s favorite adult beverage (39% of Americans say they only drink beer), wine is now gaining popularity; 35 percent of Americans now say they prefer wine to beer.

While strolling through downtown Bayfield I came upon a small liquor store and naturally walked in. It had an extensive inventory of beverages, especially wines. Many of the wines were brands I knew, while others were foreign wines - not in the sense they were from countries overseas but they were all local wines - produced by small vintners from up in northern Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota.

Not a big wine drinker I found myself picking up many of the unfamiliar bottles and reading their labels. While holding the bottles in my hand, I noticed some bottles had deep indentations in their bases while others just had flat bottoms. When I asked the sales clerk why this was she admitted she did not know. So when I returned home I talked to several wine distributors I know personally and was surprised to learn some very interesting trivia about wine bottles which I think every bartender and wait staff member should know.

The next time you have a chance take a look at the bottom of the wine bottles in your bar’s inventory. More than likely you will see indentations in some of the bottle bottoms. 

Get ready - here comes the education.  The inward 'dimple' on the bottom of a wine bottle is officially called “The Punt” by Europeans; American sommeliers (that a fancy word for wine experts) generally refer to it as the "kick-up". From what I learned talking to sommeliers and wine distributors there is no one single reason any one agrees on for this unique feature in the bottom of a wine bottle; however I have to admit the reasons I learned were both bizarre and fascinating. Below is a list of the ten most common explanations I was provided as to why wine bottles have “punts” or "kick-ups?

1) Punts are carryovers from when wine bottles were actually hand blown. Glass blowers always to a moment to push in the bottom of the bottle before they removed their blow pipes to ensure the bottle would always sit flat and not scratch the surface of a table or counter when the bottle was sat down.

2) Punts make a wine bottle less tipsy. Its true! A flat bottom wine bottle only needs a slight nudge to become unstable - and tip over - however the punt provides the bottle with stability should the bottle be accidentally bumped by a person sitting at the dinner table.

3) Punts help consolidate any sediments in the bottom of the bottle thus it prevents sediments from being poured into a glass. {Remember years ago vintners [wine makers] had  problems with sediment, however today modern vintners use filters so there is really little sediment found in wines today}.

4) Punts increase the strength of the bottle.  The punt allows a bottle to easily hold the high pressure of sparkling wines and champagnes.  They also help control CO2 discharges when some wines continue to ferment in the bottle.

5) Punts takes up room in the bottle which allows a bottle to appear larger, yet hold a lesser amount of wine. (This to me is an idiotic reason cynical people believe. I don't).

6) Punts help prevent wine bottles from shattering should they fall off a table and onto the floor.  Its true - the punt design is actually an engineering thing.

7) My favorite.  Prior to the invention of cardboard and wooden boxes wine bottles were typically laid on their sides in the cargo holds of sailing ships. The punts allowed one bottle’s neck to fit nicely in the base of another bottle, thus they (the punts) prevented wine bottles from rolling around below deck and allowed more bottles to be stacked row upon row during a voyage.

8) Punts provide a convenient place for a Wine Steward {a fancy term for a wine server} thumb.  The punt allegedly makes allows a server to more accurately pour wine.

9) Punts make it easier for vintners to clean bottles prior to filling them with wine. When a stream of hot water is injected into a bottle it hits the punt and is deflected back throughout the entire bottle evenly and which cleans the bottles quicker.

10) Finally, the true connoisseurs of wine always insist “Punts make wine taste better”.

Whatever the reason here is what I have personally discovered.  Every time I go into a liquor store I ask the clerk where is your most expensive bottle of wine.  When they point it out I pick up the bottle and check the punt.  With very few exceptions - the more expensive the bottle of wine is - the deeper the punt or kick-up is.  Go figure.

Well there you have Eba G.’s reasons for punts in wine bottles. Next time you see a bottle of wine check out the punts.  Most importantly I highly recommend you share this knowledge with your customers - believe me you will sell more wine if you do. And by all means make sure to visit www.linkedin.com/in/ebagee or go to www.barprofits.blogspot.com for more great ideas on how you can improve your professionalism or increase the sales in your bar or tavern. 

Join Eba G. on face book its easy.  Just go to

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Should the Lime Go in the Coconut?

Bartender Trivia - Parcheesi

As many of you know I am a big fan of trivia.  Customers who come in to your bar or tavern when you are on duty do not want to be burdened with problems.  They want to come in, relax and have fun.  So why not entertain them with great trivia.

Parcheesi is a board game that many of use played as children.  Few people however are aware that Parcheesi is a board game that originated in India.  Parcheesi was a game played by only the ruling class of India.  

The game (Parcheesi) was played outdoors in the palace garden(s) and the pieces - get this - which were human servants -  beautiful young women who served the ruler. 

The game pieces actually walked across color tiles placed in the lawn. The goal was to get all the pieces (the young ladies) home.  Home was the center of the garden were the lord of the house sat with his friends. 

Bartender Trivia - Drive In Theaters

As many of you know I am a big fan of 'trivia'.  I think bar owners and bartenders who know good trivia - really good trivia entice their customers to come back.

Its a fact, Customers who enter your bar, tavern or pub when you are working do not want to be burdened with 'problems' - your problems, your business's problems or the communities problems - they have problems of their own. 

Customers who enter your bar come in to relax and have a good time.  In other words they want to have fun and escape from their reality.  So why not entertain them when they are in your bar? Entertain them with some really great trivia. Trivia they can enjoy and trivia they can relate to.

See if they know this one ... The first driven-in theater in the United States was opened in Camden, NJ.  It was built by Richard Hollingshead. 

To create his drive-in Mr. Hollingshead strung a sheet between two trees and mounted a project on the hood of his car. 

Here is the kicker.  Why did he create a drive in theater?  Well he said his mother was the inspiration for his idea. 

His mother was a very large woman who always felt uncomfortable sitting in the small seats found in movie theaters of the day.  By showing his movie outside his mother could sit in the front seat of his car and enjoy the movie.  

Bartender Eye Exam

How many planks do you see?

 

 

 

The Bacon Tree - A must read for all bartenders

Two bartenders are driving on a seldom used back road through an isolated stretch of the county. They are on their way to a large country estate that is hosting a big party they agreed to bartend at. As luck would have it their car breaks down. The two bartenders are somewhat familiar with the area and know a gas station is just a few miles up the road so they get out and begin to walk towards it. 

After walking a few minutes one of the bartenders says to the other: "Hey do you smell that.” “Smell what the other replies”. “Bacon! Do you smell bacon” “Yeah it sure smell like bacon??” Confused they keep on walking and there in the distance they see a small leafy tree covered in bacon. There are strips of raw bacon on it, fried bacon on it, back bacon on it, double smoked bacon on it, and every imaginable kind of cured pork bacon one can think of.

"Look” one says – “it really is a bacon tree”. “No way” says the other one – “it must be a mirage.” “Have you ever heard of a mirage that smells like bacon?” With that, one of them starts to run towards the tree. As he gets within 5 yards of the tree a couple of guys guns suddenly appear and start shooting. The bartender is hit repeatedly and drops to the ground.

 

Mortally wounded, bleeding profusely and in great pain he yells out to his bartender buddy "go back, it’s not a bacon tree!"  Confused and scared and laying on the ground to protect himself the other bartender yells back "Well if it’s not a bacon tree what is it?" Using his last few breaths the wounded bartender yells out -

"Its 

Its 

Its 

Its

Its 

Its 

Its 

Its 

Its

Its 

Its 

It’s ... a Ham bush."

Thoughts on Bartenders - Recommend Every Female Bartender Read

We all know bartenders come in all shapes, sizes, colors and ages as well as both sexes. Some of the bartenders we encounter are phenomenal while others make us wonder just how they can keep their positions with the establishments where they work because the lousy service they provide or the poor attitude they display. 

At my age I am convinced that other than knowing how to mix a good drinks and properly tend a bar - the overriding factor in a bartender's success is their attitude. A friend sent me this note below which immediately made me think of all the fantastic female bartenders I have met throughout my life. 

So for all you wonderful female bartenders - and I am sure most of you know who you are - who do such a fantastic job each day making customers happy ... this one is dedicated to you. 

Hope you enjoy.

Great Bartender Trivia - A Wake vs. a Funeral

Once again - I sincerely believe bartenders and members of a bar and wait staff need to possess lots of trivia knowledge to successfully compete in today's world.  To that end I will always try to share "quality trivia" which I hope you can use to impress your customers and garner bigger tips.

For example, some religions around the world observe a period that is referred to as a "Wake".  The wake is a designated period prior to the actual burial of a deceased loved one. 

Do you know why the Wake period is held?

The concept of the "wake" goes back to the middle ages when many individuals who were thought to have died may not have actually been died.  Many of the drinking vessels used in taverns and homes during that period were made out of un-coated pewter - a strong metal that was easy to bend, shape and engrave. 

People back then who drank ale, wine or brandy frequently came down with an illness.  The illness was actually a type of pewter illness was caused by the alcohol eroding the outer layer of the pewter and the people ingest metallic fragments. 

This pewter illness when severe slowed down their heart rate and made people sleepy - very sleepy.  Many times a person who was thought to be dead and eventually buried was actually in a type of deep sleep or what we would call today a coma.

Some times - for whatever legal reason - a casket had to be exhumed and relocated.  Often finger scratches were clearly visible on the inside of the lid of a coffin and it was obvious to everyone who looked at those marks that the person who was buried was not dead at the time of burial.

Consequently, it became a custom in many European countries to place a bell inside the casket.  Then a group of people - mainly relatives and close friends would volunteer to stay in the cemetery for two days after the burial. If at any time they heard a bell ringing they knew the person they buried was not dead and they would open the casket.  The wake comes out of this old custom.

During a modern day wake a deceased person is laid out in an open casket for at least two days so family members,  friends and business colleagues can visit the casket and personally see for themselves that the person is actually dead before they are buried in the ground.


By the way the customer of the wake is also were we get the modern day expression ... "Saved by the Bell". As many people were often saved by ringing the bell left inside the casket.

Bartender Knowledge - What is a Pilsner Beer

 Pilsner beers were first brewed in old Bohemia - now known as the Czech Republic in 1842 in an area referred to as "The Pilsen"  - similar to like we in American would refer to as  "New England" or "The Midwest"  or the "Deep South" etc.

Modern pilsner beers are not much different then those first brewed back in the 1800's.  They have a very light, clear color - generally from pale to a golden yellow - but they have a very distinct hop aroma and full flavor.

The alcohol strength of a Pilsner is typically around 4.5%-5% (by volume), if the pilsner is brewed stronger that this about, it is then usually labeled and sold as an "Export".

Definition of a Bartender

Did you ever wonder what the true definition of a Bartender is?

A Bartender = a noun. One who mixes and serves alcoholic beverages from behind a bar or counter stocked with a variety of alcoholic beverages commonly referred to as beers, wines and spirits.  Not to be confused with: a loan officer, marriage counselor, boxing referee, doctor; matchmaker; babysitter or psychiatrist.

Some Great Trivia Bartenders and Bar Staff might want to know.

With the Fourth of July Holiday tomorrow some of you in the bar and hospitality industries may have to work.

While you are working it might be a good time to ask this question Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Well here is what history tells us.
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.

Eleven were merchants,

Nine were farmers and large plantation owners;

men of means, well educated,

but they signed the Declaration of Independence

knowing full well that the penalty would be death if

they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy.

He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.

He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: The Freedom we enjoy wasn't free!