Cocktail Week 2013

"I taught myself years ago, after being in this business for a while, that complaining and letting things bother you will get you nowhere and is a waste of energy. I quickly changed the way I think about everything. My number one challenge was when I asked people how they were, it would really upset me when people would answer with their drink order or how many people were in their party. I taught myself not to ask people how they were — to change my greeting to a warm and welcoming 'Hello! Welcome!' That way, when people asked me how I was, it was a happy surprise. 'What drinks are a pain to make?' is always a frequently asked question/gripe. My response for years has been, 'When your job is to make drinks, you can't pick and chose which ones you want/don't want to make.' The only complaint that I could possibly admit to has to do with life and not just this business. I've always lived under the principle of treating people the way you want to be treated. Treating people poorly, not using your manners, and remembering common courtesy is a problem in society, but is common in this business more than any other. We're all people — let's treat each other as equals, eh?" —Emma Hollander, bartender at Trina's Starlite Lounge, on industry gripes
[Photo: Shutterstock/GlebStock]