Bartenders debate level of responsible service
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The best bartenders
get a kick out of knowing they're helping people have a good time - but what if
it goes too far? Should bartenders be to blame if someone drinks themselves
into injury or illness?
Bartending is a
profession dedicated to the art of hospitality, but working with alcohol is not
a position of power that should ever be taken lightly.
While the cocktail
sector is exploding with boundary-pushing innovation, it is imperative the
industry does not become detached from the dangers associated with what is,
after all, an intoxicating drug. In numerous countries including the UK, the US
and Australia, legislation has been put in place making it illegal to sell
alcohol to a person who is obviously drunk, and similarly, to buy an alcoholic
drink for someone you know to be drunk.
However, despite the
foundation of such laws, questions abound over who is responsible for ensuring
the industry is not plagued with a problem of over-consumption. During recent
months the media has been awash with a string of high profile tragedies
involving the apparent "over-serving" of alcohol, a handful of which
have had calamitous consequences.
In April, Martell's
Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach, Jersey Shore, US, was fined US$500,000 and
had its licence revoked for a month after allegedly over-serving alcohol to a
woman who later died in a car crash.
Tragic incident
The incident unfolded
in 2013 after Ashley Chieco, 26, left Martell's in another person's car, which
collided into an on-coming vehicle killing herself and injuring the other
driver, Dana Corrar. The survivor suffered two broken legs, broken ribs and
will "never work again, never walk again normally and never be pain
free," according to her lawyer, Paul Edelstein, a personal injury specialist.
Martell's pleaded "no contest" to the charge of serving alcohol to an
intoxicated person in exchange for the fine.
"Businesses that
profit from the sale of alcohol are well aware of its dangers, particularly
when combined with people who then get into vehicles," Edelstein says.
"It is akin to a shop selling bullets and then allowing its customers
access to a gun when they leave. Hopefully the attention alone will make a
bartender think twice before continuing to serve someone and inquire as to how
they are leaving a location that does not provide access to mass transit."
So when it comes to
alcohol consumption where does the responsibility of the bartender start and
that of the consumer end? For some, all persons involved - the consumer,
bartender and management - have a collective duty for the wellbeing of both
patrons and staff.
Know your limits
"It's everyone's
job to make sure the guests are happy and safe at the same time," comments
Kate Gerwin, general manager of HSL Hospitality and winner of the Bols Around
the World Bartending Championships 2014. "First and foremost obviously the
customer should know their own limits, however we all know that is not always
the case. Bartenders should make safe service of alcohol a huge priority in
day-to-day business and the owner of the bar should take a vested interest in
the education of the staff about over-serving and the dangers and
consequences."
But for others, the
responsibility rests with those in a managerial position who need to step up to
their line of duties. "Inevitably, the responsibility lies with the
management chain - they are the licensees," says British bartender and
entrepreneur JJ Goodman, co-founder of the London Cocktail Club. "In the
UK we have an inherent history of binge drinking, so customers aren't very
perceptive to being told they're not allowed another drink. When that sort of
situation occurs, someone more senior and experienced needs to come in to
handle it and command control as quickly as possible."
Diffusing the
situation
Similar snippets of
advice surrounding this irrefutably sensitive subject are echoed throughout the
industry. Accusing guests of being drunk is deemed as the biggest faux pas, and
a sure fire way to escalate an already testing episode. Avoiding embarrassment,
ascertaining a first name basis and gaining the aid and trust of any peers who
may be present are all recommended methods when it comes to diffusing any drama
involved with this task.
Various initiatives
have been instigated to curtail irresponsible service and consumption. At the
end of 2014, the British Beer and Pub Association launched a poster campaign in
the UK to drive awareness among consumers and on-trade establishments of the
law surrounding serving people who are obviously drunk.
"It's not about
getting more prosecutions; it's about raising awareness," advises Brigid
Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association. "It's
important we don't turn pubs and bars into fortresses - we want to encourage
people to go to these socially responsible places. But we need to find a
balance between staff responsibility and personal responsibility."
Source: The Spirits Business
by Melita Kiely
5th February, 2016
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