Bartender Resume: Examples, Templates, and Must-Add Skills

sample resume for bartender

There’s more to bartending than pouring beers and refilling bowls of pretzels. Today, a bartender is expected to master dozens of cocktails, understand the ins and outs of various brews, and perhaps even concoct a few of their own signature drinks. They must also have excellent customer service skills.

Finally, most bartending jobs also require other administrative skills.  Bartenders are often responsible for dealing with food and beverage vendors, helping with carryout orders, and doing other back-of-the-house functions.

That’s a lot of duties, but there’s good news. A good part-time bartender working at a great spot can easily make a couple hundred dollars a night. Some full-time bartenders even make up to six figures per year or even more!

But to get there, you have to first land an interview. That means writing a great resume. Let’s start with a few tips. Later we’ll share great resume examples for bartenders (on the house!). 

Resume Example For A Bartender (Word Version)

resume example for bartender

Download resume example (.docx)

A Resume Example for Bartenders (text version)

Experienced bartender with more than three years of experience working in gastropubs, microbreweries, and wine bars. Current food service sanitation and alcohol servers certification issued by the California Food and Beverage authority. Have an in-depth understanding of the local craft beer scene, fine wines, single malt cocktails, including food pairing recommendations

 

Skill Set

  • Mastery of More Than 100 Traditional And Modern Cocktails
  • POS 2001
  • Inventory Management
  • BOH Back Up Availability
  • Vendor Relationships
  • Food And Wine Pairings
  • Understanding of The Southern California Wine And Microbrewery Scenes

Professional Experience

The Fallen Dove Brewery – Los Angeles, CA
June 2018 – Present
Weekend Bartender and Assistant Bar Manager

Worked as a bartender in the tasting room/restaurant at the Fallen Dove Brewery, voted the best new microbrewery in southern California in 2018. Duties include training new bartenders, working as lead bartender during the busiest shifts,  upselling, customer service, and recommending food pairings. Increased overall sales by 10%, and reduced product loss by 15%.

The Tasting Room – Burbank, CA
Aug. 2014 – June 2018
Part-Time Bartender

Served discerning customers fine, regional wines along with a variety of tapas and other food pairings. Discussed various wines with customers. Recommended bottles of wine. Increased sales per customer by nearly $ 5.

Miller’s Gastro D’Lites – Sacramento, CA
July 2012 – March 2014
Bartender

Worked as bar server, busser, and prep cook at a small gastropub serving mostly university students. Memorized an extensive cocktail menu. Assisted the chef with menu development.

Education

Bartending Academy of America, May 2012

Sample Resume for Bartender With No Experience

Amateur bartender with past work experience in the hospitality industry, seeking an entry-level position. Energetic, motivated, customer-oriented professional with strong customer service skills and wine pairing recommendations. Fluent in English, Italian, and Spanish. 

Mixologist portfolio available at instagram.com/foxydrinks

Skills

  • Food and drink service
  • Wine recommendations 
  • POS & cash handling 
  • Inventory management 
  • Dependability
  • Speed and efficiency 
  • Time management
  • Adaptability 

Professional Experience

The Wine Club – Denver, CO
Aug. 2022 – present
Wine Consultant 

Presently working at Denver’s highest-rated wine & tapas bar. My duties include welcoming and educating guests on the menu and providing personalized wine recommendations from the establishment’s wine list of 80+ positions. 

  • Deep knowledge of Californian, Chilean, French, and Italian wines 
  • Operate effectively in a popular venue, serving over 800 customers weekly 
  • Generated over $ 15,000 in takeaway wine bottle sales per month. 

Donna’s Trattoria – Boulder, CO
January 2021 – July 2022 
Part-time Server 

Worked at a family-owned Italian restaurant, specializing in modern Sicilian cuisine. Provided high standards of guest service and contributed to increasing the restaurant’s total revenue. 

  • Recommended and marketed dish options to guests, based on their gastronomic preferences. 
  • Educated guests on the establishment’s approaches to ingredient sourcing and pairings. 
  • Recommended wine and spirit pairings to go along with the selected food options. 
  • As a full-time student, efficiently managed time while working 15-25 hours per week

Wine boutique – Aspen, CO 
August 2020 – December 2020 
Sales Associate 

Oversaw the wine sales in Aspen’s top-rated wine boutique. Handles in-person orders and helps prepare inventory for online shipping. Maintained relationships with local restaurants, and fulfilled urgent customer requests, which drove higher customer loyalty. 

Education

Denver Wine School
WSET Level 2 Certification
Obtained in May 2021 

BarSmarts Program
Completed in August 2023 

Bartender and Server Resume Example

Rufus Ross 
Bartender & Server 
Certified Food Protection Professional (CFPP)
Member of  the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG)

Friendly and attentive server/bartender with 4 years of experience in the hospitality industry. 

Vast knowledge of Southern cuisine and Texan stakes. Skilled in showcasing Southern hospitality and delivering memorable dining and bar experiences for patrons. 

Proven ability in working in high-paced environments, resolving customer issues, and managing BOH tasks. 

Skills 

  • Mixology & wine recommendations 
  • Bar equipment operations
  • Responsible alcohol service 
  • Sensory perception 
  • Food safety protocols 
  • Sanitizing procedures 
  • Knowledge of special diets 
  • Strong memory 
  • Attention to details 
  • Teamwork 

Professional Experience

Dallas Steakhouse – Full-Time
October 2021 – present 
Head Server  

Responsible for running service at a 40-table restaurant, fully booked at least a month in advance. Manage a team of 8 servers per night. Provided extensive training on the menu, customer service levels, and upselling techniques. 

  • Provide welcoming service to 6-8 tables during each shift. Work with VIP clients and venue regulars, ensuring that their personal preferences are always met. 
  • Helped develop new seasonal offerings and improve existing menu items, based on the collected guest feedback. 
  • Successfully promoted extra drinks and menu items. Increased restaurant revenue by 20% over 6 months. 
  • Recommend wine and spirit pairings. Promote the restaurants’ selection of craft spirits and custom beer brews. 
  • Handle supply restocking, negotiate with spirit vendors, and ensure timely restocking of all items. 

Hilton Hotel – Part-time
April 2022 – present 
Bartender 

Serve a variety of popular and signature cocktails to patrons, directly and through waitstaff.  Design seasonal drink menus and unique cocktails for corporate events. 

  • Responsible for the proper operation of the lobby bar, payment management, and inventory accountability.
  • Deliver orders with high speed and great attention to detail, in terms of presentation. Always account for personalized preferences. 
  • Create promotional mixology content for the hotel’s social media. Generated over 200K views on TikTok. 
  • Listed as #5 in the “Best Hotel Mixologist” list by Time Out Texas in 2021. 

Southern Belle – Part-time 
June 2020 – September 2021
Food and Drinks Server 

Provided food and beverage services to guests in a fine-dining, high-volume restaurant during lunch service. Ensured efficient, yet friendly service to over 200 guests weekly. Developed relationships with patrons to promote repeat visits. 

  • Greeted, seated, and assisted guests with lunch offer selection. Provided comprehensive information on all menu items and possible allergens. 
  • Introduced guests to the current lunch menus and seasonal drink offers. Increased the average lunch check to $ 150 per table. 
  • Ensured that all server-side jobs were completed at the end of closing lunchtime shifts. Left notes and restock instructions for the evening team.
  • Bussed tables and ensured high cleanliness and sanitation of the dining room after lunchtime service. 

Devis Jazz Barr – Part-time
Bartender 
July 2018-August 2021 

Worked as a weekend bartender at a busy performance venue, catering to both guests and performing musicians. 

  • Served classic cocktails, wines, spirits, and craft beers. Politely denied service to intoxicated guests without any conflicts. 
  • Introduced “Beer of the Month” promotion to the drinks menu, which increased monthly sales by 15%. 
  • Maintained accurate inventory of bar products, including alcohol, soft drinks, and ingredients for garnishing. 
  • Awarded “Employee of the Month” in  October 2018, January 2019, and March 2019. 

Education 

Ace Bartending Academy
Las Vegas, Nevada 
March 2018-June 2018 

Certifications 

  • The Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals: Certified Food Protection Professional (CFPP)
  • National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe Alcohol Certification
  • Advanced Mixology Certification by United States Bartenders Guild (USBG)

What to Put on a Bartender Resume?

A compelling bartender resume provides a snapshot of your professional skills and abilities. 

The must-put information includes:

  • Your mixology skills (and portfolio)
  • Wine, spirits, and beer knowledge 
  • Soft and customer service skills 
  • Back-of-the-house abilities  
  • Certifications and training 

Most hiring managers want to know your levels of experience and the type of establishments you’ve previously worked in. Moreover, they’d want to understand your personality (i.e., if you’re reliable and customer-oriented) and your ability to meet the venue’s standards in customer service. 

All of the above information should be organized across the key resume sections — a resume header, work experience, and education section. 

Below, we further explain what to put in each of these sections. 

Bartender Resume Objective

A resume objective is a short statement about the type of position you’re after. It’s a common option for entry-level bartenders who lack practical experience and seek mentorship. 

Sample bartender resume objective:

2023 graduate of the LA Bartending Academy, looking for a trainee position with a wine bar. Practical experience with drink presentation and serving. Strong knowledge of Californian wines and spirits.

If you’ve handled drink services before, opt for a resume summary instead. 

Bartender Resume Summary

A resume summary is a catchy preview of your most marketable qualifications and skills. Its goal: capture the employers’ attention by introducing your core strengths as a candidate and make them interested in reading your entire resume. 

Things to include in a bartender resume summary: 

  • Current job title
  • Key qualifications 
  • Achievements
  • Specializations
  • Number of years in the industry
  • Degree, certifications, professional memberships 
  • Personality and work ethic describers 

Sample resume summary for bartender: 

Trained sommelier and mixologist with 8+ years of experience. Worked in hotel lobby bars, banquet venues, and wine restaurants. Member of United States Bartenders Guild

Bartender Resume Skills

Each open bartending position comes with a list of job-specific skills, better known as hard and soft skills. For example, knowledge of specific cuisines, food service experience, high self-management abilities, and so on. 

Your bartending resume must clearly communicate your areas of experience when it comes to: 

  • Drink preparation and presentation 
  • Customer service and selling 
  • Front-of-the-house duties
  • Back-of-the-house duties 

Before you sit down to write your resume, take a moment to list all your key abilities in the four above areas. Next, think about other soft competencies you have like strong conflict resolution skills, great memory, personal adaptability, exceptional time management, and so on. Once you’re done, add some of these keywords into a featured Skills section and sprinkle them throughout your work experience section too. 

Stuck on ideas? Here’s a list of sample bartender skills for resume:

Bartending skills 

  • Mixing techniques 
  • Sensory perception 
  • Spirit knowledge 
  • Order management 
  • Bar equipment handling 
  • Garnish artistry
  • Slicing techniques 
  • Custom cocktail creation 
  • Preparation of individual drink components
  • Responsible alcohol service 
  • Cash handling 
  • Food and drink pairings
  • Flair bartending 
  • Cocktail presentation
  • Drink layering 
  • Molecular mixology
  • Alcohol consumption monitoring
  • Food safety protocols

Customer service skills 

  • Menu presentation 
  • Ingredient knowledge 
  • Customer issue resolution
  • Upselling/cross-selling 
  • Personalized service 
  • Waiting tables 
  • Hosting 
  • Bussing tables 

Back-of-the-house skills 

  • Inventory management 
  • Supply restocking 
  • Shift management 
  • Sanitizing procedures
  • Employee training 
  • Waste management 
  • Cocktail ingredient prep
  • Labeling and dating 
  • Supplier and vendor management 
  • Bar equipment care 

Soft skills 

  • Multitasking
  • Adaptability 
  • Reliability 
  • Strong memory 
  • Attentiveness 
  • Active listening 
  • Teamwork
  • Responsiveness 
  • Dependability 
  • Self-management
  • Problem-solving 
  • Friendliness 
  • Helpfulness  
  • Positivity 

Pro tip: Always refer back to the original bartender job description and be sure to include mentions of the abilities, listed in the Duties / Responsibilities section. 

Recommended Bartender Resume Templates

The fastest way to make a bartender resume is by starting with a template. It gives you the general structure for presenting all the key information. What’s left is – filling in each resume section with your professional details. 

You can download a free modern or creative resume template in Word format to edit on your device. Or use our online resume builder for free to generate a copy in your browser. 

Here are our recommended resume templates for bartenders: 

Discover 180+ more free resume templates in our collection. 

How To Make a Killer Bartender Resume 

Start with writing a short, snappy resume summary. Then add your most marketable skills in a featured section. List your work experience in reverse chronological order and add all the educational credentials and professional certifications you hold — and you’re almost done with your bartender resume.

To make it truly shine, apply the following final touches: 

Customize Your Resume According To The Bar’s Needs

Every bartending job is different.  Your key to getting in the door is proving that you can meet the needs of the specific position that interests you. For example, one job may need someone with fine dining experience, and weekend availability. Another bar may be in search of a daytime bartender who also has plenty of experience dealing with food and beverage suppliers, placing orders, and maintaining inventory. Use the job description, then modify your resume accordingly.

Use Relevant Action Words To Highlight Your Experience

Whether your resume is first viewed by a hiring manager or applicant tracking software, some keywords will really help your resume get a second look. 

These power words and phrases show that you either have bartending experience or that you have skills that can make you a great bartender trainee. See if any of the following apply to you:

  • Upsell
  • Inventory
  • Greet
  • Converse
  • Handle
  • Memorize
  • Mix
  • Prepare
  • Advertise
  • Order
  • Allocate
  • Schedule
  • Coordinate
  • Create

If you specialize in any specific drinks, styles, or products, mention these as well. This might include ales, ciders, single malt scotches, ryes, and martinis.

Share Your Certifications

Depending on the regulations where you live, you may need to have a special certification that allows you to serve alcohol and accompanying food. This may be an alcohol server certification, food service worker certification, or something else. You may even have a certification from a bartending school or hospitality program. In any case, if a certification is mandatory, put yours at or near the top of your resume. Emphasize it in bold print as well. That certification may be the thing that gets your resume noticed.

Emphasize The Right Skills In Your Non-Related Work Experience

While many people do pursue bartending as a full-time career, others use the work as income as they attend school or to supplement other jobs. It’s pretty common for bartending applications to have little or no experience. If this is your situation, you’ll want to mine your past job experience for elements that contribute to your potential as a bartender in training. 

These skills include:

  • Making and adhering to schedules
  • Customer service
  • Negotiating and conflict management
  • Flexibility
  • Problem-solving
  • Creativity

Show Your Food Service Skills If You Have Them

In the food service industry, turnover is rampant. Some of the most valued employees are the ones who are flexible in terms of schedule and skills. If you’re a versatile bartender who can jump behind the line to do some food prep, bus tables, or help with some managerial duties, that’s a real winning combination. Add both your FOH and BOH skills to your resume.

Conclusions

Don’t forget that apart from using keywords that match the job description and establishment, you should choose a resume style that goes with that too. Are you applying for a job at a trendy nightclub? Then a creative resume format is perfect. If you want a job at a country club, perhaps something a bit more buttoned down will suit you better. In any case, we have over a hundred of free downloadable resume templates for you to pick and choose!

sample bartender resume

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