Most bartenders are prioritize a few things: speed, charm, and hustle. Almost none learn systems, margins, or leverage. That is why so many talented people burn out, stall, or leave the industry broken. This episode dismantles the idea that bartending is a dead end.

Chris Tunstall breaks down how structure beats talent, why most bar programs leak profit through invisible gaps (and visible jiggers), and how the same methods used to build great cocktails can build great careers. If your current approach feels reactive, exhausting, or capped, this conversation contains the corrective insight you did not know you needed.And if you’re an budding mixologist or avid amateur drink builder, check out A Bar Aboves equipment and courses. You will not be sorry.

Expect to learn

• Why most bartenders underestimate how much their tools distort drink quality and profit
• How to think about cocktail ingredients in a more in depth way
• How cocktail structure mirrors decision making under pressure
• The hidden leverage inside distributor portfolios and vendor relationships
• Why non-alcoholic cocktails are becoming a serious profit center
• How to transition from bartender thinking to operator thinking without burning out

Links:

• A Bar Above courses and barware
• Instagram @abarabove
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Service starts now.

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I talk mostly to people in and around the service industry space. I'm looking to hear from the people I wish I could have talked to when I was coming up in restaurants. Said another way: I am trying to make sense of this wild, beautiful mess of a life, and help others that are feeling similarly confused and/or lost. Check out the Podcast Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get in touch with me!

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As always, I’m just here taking notes, trying to figure out what it all means.

Cheers