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Tag: Responsible Service of Alcohol

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol Update: Whisky Tasting for Dummies

     

    (Photo: zirconicusso / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

     
    Have you ever wanted to attend a whisky tasting event but can’t tell you scotch from your bourbon. Here we have included some tips to help you distinguish between the many varieties of whisky available.
     
    For connoisseur’s it may be easy to tell the difference between various whiskies. But for those less versed in whisky trivia, it may be confusing to try and choose between different types of whisky. What is the best whisky, Scotch, Bourbon, Tennessee, Irish, there is so much variety that it can be overwhelming.
     
    Whisky basically is any alcohol distilled from fermented grain mash. All whiskies are distilled at a minimum of 40% alcohol by volume. The difference between the various whiskeys relies mostly on the type of grain used for the mash.
     
    Scotch
     
    Whisky is made from fermented grain mash however scotch is made from malted Barley. Most Scotch makers use a base of barley, water and yeast to produce Scotch.  The spirit must be aged in oak casks for no less than three years. Finally, like Champagne comes only from the particular region in France with the same name, you cannot call your drink Scotch unless it was made 100% in Scotland.
     
    Bourbon
     
    Bourbon whisky must be made from a grain mixture which is at least 51% corn. The fermentation process for this mixture is often started by mixing in some mash from an older already fermenting batch, a process known as sour mash. Bourbon can only be labelled as Bourbon if it was made in the United States.
     
    The spirit must be distilled to no more than 80% alcohol (160 proof), aged in new charred oak barrels. Finally Bourbon has no minimum aging period, but to call your product Straight Bourbon it must be aged for no less than two years and contain no additives.
     
    Tennessee Whiskey
     
    This whisky is straight bourbon made in the state of Tennessee. The people who produce this spirit, such as Jack Daniels, don’t want their whisky called a Bourbon, claiming that they are the only type of whisky which puts the spirit through a charcoal filtering process.  As a result the drink is given a different name but is made the same way as Bourbon.
     
    Irish Whisky
     
    Irish whisky is Whisky aged in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland. It is made from yeast-fermented grain mash. Irish whisky is aged for a minimum in 3 years in wooden casks.
     
    So now that you know the difference give them a try and see which one you like best.

  • Ways to Become the Best at Bartending

    Let’s face it the ultimate goal of being a better bartender is to make more money, by generating more tips. In order to do this, bartenders need to be at the top of their game. Some of the measures that can be implemented include:
     
    • Always Maintaining a Good Attitude. No matter how bad a day you’re having, keep a good attitude and always smile.
     
    • Always Be Professional. Maintain a professional attitude and appearance. Being professional will make customers trust you and therefore return to your bar time and time again.
     
    • Make Suggestions. If customers are unsure of what to order Make a suggestion to show that you care. Most customers will look to you for advice as they view you as the expert and most will show their gratitude with tips.
     
    • Don’t Fixate on Tips. Although the tip may be most of your income, being obsessive about tips and counting your tips each time someone hands it to you is unprofessional.
     
    • If unsure, ask for proof. Part of responsible service is making sure the people you serve are of legal drinking age. If you doubt about a customer’s age, ask for a proof of ID.

  • Article Posts for Week Ending October 5,2012

    Here is a list of the articles posted on our blog this last week:

    Former pub boss in court – A warning to other Publicans

    Perfect Summer Mixers

    Responsible Service of Alcohol Update: How to Say No to an Intoxicated Customer

     

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol Update: Ways to Avoid too Much Holiday Drinking

    Making responsible choices concerning sensible drinking is an issue that you will most likely face especially during the holiday season. Responsible drinking may involve not drinking when a person is sick, taking medications or being the designated driver for friends or family. Responsible drinking means that you never have to feel sorry for what has happened while you were drinking and it doesn’t result in black outs or hangovers the next day. So ultimately responsible drinking involves not drinking to an extent that you become drunk.
     
    There are a few tips that you can keep in mind during the holiday season to keep you from making drinking mistakes.
     
    Know your limit and stick to it. Don’t be influenced or bullied by others to over indulge. Being drunk doesn’t mean you will have a better time.
     
    Eat before drinking and snack during drinking. This will help slow the absorption of alcohol into the blood stream.
     
    Sip on your drink, don’t gulp it. Binge drinking is problematic and can result in consequences that may cause injury. Alternate alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic ones to pace yourself and prevent you from becoming overly intoxicated.
     
    Don’t drink and drive. Arrange for a designated driver who is responsible to drive you home safely.

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol Update: How to Say No to an Intoxicated Customer

    Responsible service of alcohol involves refusing service of alcohol to customers who you believe have had too much to drink. Many incidents have occurred due to serving intoxicated patrons alcohol such as alcohol fuelled violence and other violent crimes.
     

    Although it may be difficult to refuse someone alcohol especially because customers may become offended, it is your duty to do so. Intoxicated customers are usually overly sensitive and overly confident which makes them act out.
     

    One of the major issues that we are facing at the moment is that of alcohol fuelled violence plaguing many of the entertainment districts across the country. Some of these violent incidents have resulted in the death of innocent people. Customers can exit your establishment and cause havoc outside or down the road. Customers may also cause a scene within your establishment, bringing down the reputation of the establishment and ultimately affecting business.
     

    Tact is needed and you should always remain respectful and understanding. You may need to remove a patron from the bar if they refuse to accept your decision to stop serving them.  The best approach is to inform the customer beforehand that they will not be allowed more alcohol. One of the options available is to politely inform the customer that they will only be served one or two more in advance to prepare them for the cut off in drinks. Then you should inform other servers as well as any bouncers or security along with your manager that a particular patron is close to their limit. It is much easier for a customer to understand this news before they become too intoxicated.
     

  • Article Posts for Week Ending September 28,2012

    Here is a list of the articles posted on our blog this last week:

    Prosecutions for Underage Drinking

    New Coffee Flavoured Vodka

    Study Shows Alcohol is the Gateway Drug

    Responsible Alcohol Service Update: Learn how to recognise Signs of Intoxication

    Dangers of Drink Driving

    Should Nursing Mothers be Drinking?

    RSA Update: Beware of Binge Drinking

  • RSA Update: Beware of Binge Drinking

    Responsible Servers know that serving alcohol to an already intoxicated person is a recipe for disaster however not many understand the dangers that binge drinking can have on a person, both immediate and long term.

    One night of binge drinking has the potential to change a person’s life for ever so drinkers need to be aware of the dangers beforehand in order to overcome them. The problem of drinking too much on a single occasion not only increases the person’s risk of contracting alcohol relating sickness but can also result in a number of serious consequences for the person and possibly those around them.

    It is recommended by experts that adults drink no more than 4 standard drinks in any single occasion however most people rarely stop at 4. Alcohol is not the enemy, but people need to consume it responsibly.

    Drinkers that indulge in binge drinking can not only develop negative side effects on their health but can cause injury to others. Some of the health effects that binge drinkers can expect to experience are hangovers, nausea, vomiting, memory loss, physical injury to yourself or others, alcohol poisoning. Young people and teenagers are particularly at risk of these side effects if they binge drink because alcohol lowers their inhibitions resulting in generally riskier behaviour. Some have even been known to indulge in criminal activities while drunk which they ordinarily would never involve themselves in.

  • British Holidaymakers Indulge More when on Holiday Compared to Other Nationalities

    According to a recent survey holidaymakers from the UK drink more when on holiday than they do when at home, playing into the stereotype that Britons love to drink. The survey found that almost 60 per cent of travellers from Britain claimed that they drink more when away on a holiday than they do at home. Some even admitted to guzzling about 5 more drinks daily than they normally world. Typically Italian people tend to control their drinking more when travelling than other nationalities do but admit to overeating.
     

    This post published in The Dailymail.co.uk details the survey’s findings:
     

    Break for booze: Almost two thirds of Britons said they drank more while away on holiday

     


     

    The TripAdvisor poll showed that Britons drink more on average while away than the French, Spanish, Italian and Germans, with only a quarter of Italians drinking more on holiday than they would at home.

     

    Based on responses from more than 2,500 British travellers, the survey also revealed that 58 per cent of Britons admitted overindulging in food while on a trip.
     

    Italians – comparatively restrained in their alcoholic intake – were the champion eaters on holiday, with 68% of them admitting to overindulging.
     

    Possibly due to their eating and drinking habits, as many as 34% of Britons claimed they did not feel refreshed or re-energised following a holiday, with 11% feeling less healthy and more tired after a break.
     

    TripAdvisor spokeswoman Emma Shaw said: ‘Leading busy, stressful lives often means that a holiday is the only time Brits can really let loose and relax.
     

    ‘While recharging the batteries is a great idea, British holidaymakers need to be careful that they don’t always need another holiday to recover from the excesses of the last one.’
     

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2202481/Sixty-cent-Britons-admit-drinking-alcohol-holiday.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
     

    The idea that British people return from holiday more exhausted than when they left is interesting because it’s something Australians can also learn from. While the entire premise of a holiday is to relax and rewind, recharging ones battery depends on getting sufficient rest and sleep, something most holidaymakers miss. Especially when they choose to drink more than they are used to, it is no doubt they suffer frequent hangovers and return from holiday worse than when they left.
     

    The other risk of over-indulging is that you are in a foreign and unknown place which can be extremely risky. Holidaymakers should make sure they know the surroundings before they overindulge and make sure they have safe transport home or back to the hotel.
     

    Also tourists can be easy targets for criminals in many holiday destinations and even more so when they are not of a sober mind. There is more opportunity to be robbed, your drinks spiked and maybe worse when you are overly intoxicated. The side effects of drinking too much may also make you vulnerable when on holiday. Think of the dangers of passing out in a foreign place or to wake up next to a stranger or worse?  So maybe next time you go on holiday you would think twice before going on a drinking spree.
     

  • Drinking Myths Debunked

    While drinking is a way of loosening up and chilling out after a long day’s work, there are some myths about alcohol that people tend to believe as true.
     

    Part of drinking is doing so responsibly and by knowing the effects of alcohol and drinking within the limits you can avoid many of the nasty consequences that over indulging can cause.
     

    • Getting drunk will cheer me up

     

    While drinking is a way of relaxing, it numbs your senses and helps you forget about your problems. However once you are sober again the problems are still there and over indulging in the long run may cause you to become more depressed. Developing an alcohol addiction can cause even more problems such as illnesses and financial problems.
     

    • Drinking coffee will sober me up

     

    Because the caffeine in coffee is a stimulant, you might feel more alert but it does not make you sober. Your blood alcohol level will remain the same.
     

    • I’ll be fine in the morning

     

    Your liver takes about an hour to process one unit of alcohol, regardless of whether you sleep or not.Therefore you can still be over the legal drink-driving limit the next morning.
     

    • I’ll be fine if I drink plenty of water before I go to bed

    Drinking water can reduce the painful symptoms of a hangover by preventing dehydration but you will still be drunk and the harmful effects on your organs will be the same.
     

  • Best Hangover Cures

    So you got that promotion you’ve been working so hard towards or finally get engaged and it’s a life changing event that warrants some serious celebration. So you head out with your friends to celebrate and let your hair down.
     

    Well we seldom think of the suffering we will most likely have to endure the next day when inevitably the dreaded hangover kicks in.
     

    It’s most likely that you will wake up the next morning with a pounding headache, dizziness, aching muscles, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound and an overall feeling of irritability. The smell of food or alcohol is enough to make you vomit.
     

    Although we don’t like to admit it, especially when we’re having such a good time, alcohol is a drug. It’s a depressant, and when it is taken in excess, it fills the body with toxins.
     

    Your body reacts as it would to any drug overdose which is trying to metabolize and get rid of the toxins.
     

    We all know the best way to prevent a hangover is to drink in moderation or abstaining from alcohol but where’s the fun in that? So keeping well-hydrated and well-nourished when you’re drinking is your best way of reducing hangover symptoms.
     

    Here are few cures that according to doctors may help:
     

    1.       Bananas
     

    Intoxication and the dehydration that it causes means that your body has been drained of potassium. Eat a banana to give your body the potassium boost that it needs.
     

    2.       Ginger
     

    In the East they have been using ginger to cure nausea. If you are really hung over drink a ginger ale or brew some ginger tea by boiling ginger in hot water. Add orange juice and lemon and honey for a super cure to that nauseous feeling.  
     

    3.       Honey and Lemon
     

    A hot toddy made by combining honey, lemon and hot water is an excellent way of  replenishing lost fluids and sugars to the body.  The fructose in the honey competes for the metabolism of alcohol which prevents the rapid change in alcohol levels that results in headaches.
     

    4.       Eat Food
     

    Although you may be too nauseous to even think of food you need the energy. Stay away from clear liquids until you can tolerate something solid. Then start off slowly with mild, easy-to-digest foods such as plain toast, rice or clear soup.
     

    5.       Consume Sport Drinks
     

    Sports drinks are composed of electrolytes and glucose which are used by athletes to replace lost fluids, it can work for hangovers too.
     

    6.       Use Ice
     

    An ice compress can help the headache. So place it on your forehead or where your head hurts the most.
     

    7.       Drink Juice
     

    Fresh orange juice especially can raise your blood sugar level and ease the symptoms of the hangover.
     

    8.       Drink Water
     

     
     

    Water is undeniably the best cure for a night of overindulgence. Dehydration is the biggest side effect of drinking and causes most of the discomfort you feel during the hangover period, so drink water to replenish the liquid you’ve lost.  
     

    Tips to Remember:
     

    • Always drink plenty of water. Even before you go to sleep have a full glass of water and the next morning the symptoms won’t be as bad. If you can remember one thing while intoxicated, remember this: Consume enough water before going to bed. It will help stop dehydration before it starts and you’ll feel much better in the morning.
     

    • Drink only one alcohol beverage or less every hour and do so slowly. One hour is approximately the time it takes for the average adult body to process an alcoholic beverage.
     

    • Get plenty of Rest. Draw the curtains and the blinds, unplug the telephone and go to sleep.
     

    • Never, ever under any circumstances drink and drive. Before overindulging make sure you have a safe way of getting home. A designated driver, a taxi cab, a friend or family member to pick you up…arrange this beforehand.
     

    • Try antacid to relieve queasiness and settle your stomach, this will especially help with that nauseated feeling that is so synonymous with hangovers.
     

    • Take a multivitamin with B vitamins to replace those lost during your night of drinking. Drink more than eight glasses of water a day while recovering from the hangover, most should only last a day.
     

    Posted by Peter Cutforth