Speed Rack Bartending



  1. Speed Rack Bartending
  2. Speed Rack Bartending
Hello everyone! Welcome back to Free Online Bartending Lessons.

Speed Rack is an all-female high-speed bartending competition designed to highlight up-and-coming women in the cocktail industry and give back to those impacted by breast cancer. As always the competition in Speed Rack Season 9 promises to be fierce, but so does the fundraising. To date, Speed Rack has raised $1,000,000 to date for charities. Speed Rack taps top female bartenders across the globe and puts them head to head in timed challenges. Regional competitions whittle down the applicant pool, with 20 mixologists in each market vying for one of sixteen slots that will make it to the nationals. Speed Rack Alum turned Financial Advisor, Makeda Gebre will host IG Lives sessions discussing finances. 3/5 at 2:30pm EST - Financial Literacy 101. 3/12 at 2:30pm EST - The Rule of 72. 3/19 at 2:30pm EST - The Power of Interest. 3/26 at 2:30pm EST - Continued Education. Join us at @speedrack. Speed Rack is an exclusively woman high-speed bartending competition designed to highlight up-and-coming self-identifying females in the cocktail industry and give back to those impacted by breast cancer. As always, the competition in Speed Rack Season 9 promises to be fierce, but so does the fundraising.

Lesson 5 is about the speed rack. This is a very important fundamental knowledge, so be sure to understand the concept of it.
The Speed Rack = The Well

So what the heck is a speed rack?
Speed rack, often called the well, is the first line of offense for a bartender when it comes to making drinks. The speed rack contains the most often used bottles of liquors, for you to be able to make a drink fast.

The speed rack consists of the liquors listed below, and in this order. (Don't reference the picture above. That is just there to understand what a speed rack looks like.)
I've learned mine as:
'Very Sexy Girl Bartenders with Tight Trousers make Radical Bartender.'
Kind of corny, but helps a bit to remember the order of drinks:
  • Vodka
  • Scotch
  • Gin
  • Bourbon
  • Tequila
  • Triple Sec
  • Rum
  • Brandy
  • Dry Vermouth
  • Sweet Vermouth
The point of putting your liquors in order is for speed. You want to be able to pick up a bottle of liquor without having to check its label. This will save you a few seconds per each drink. And as a bartender, speed is one of the most important qualities to have.
As a bartender, I did notice that the order above is not universally accepted. My colleagues liked to setup their speed rack (well) in a different order. This will be okay as long as each one of you have your own well, but it does become a problem when you have to share the well with others.
If you have a fellow bartender working with you, be sure to communicate with them to see how they setup their well, and agree on a common order.
Anyway, that being said, it is recommended that you memorize the mnemonics since it will help you remember what order to put your liquor in. This is an extremely important point, so be sure that you have this fundamental concept down.
'Very Sexy Girl Bartenders with Tight Trousers make Radical Bartender.'
Just imagine a busy bar with a bunch of customers and waitresses waiting for you. They'll ask for two gin tonics, one whiskey water, three rum cokes, a martini, and a vodka tonic with lime. You'll need to be able to make all that drink within a minute.
It really helps to know where all of your booze is located.
Speed Rack Bartending
*Note: Bartenders initially shoot for making 6 drinks in a minute. 10 seconds per drink.
Another point to mention is that if your speed rack is small like the one pictured at the top of this lesson, be sure to have the following in it.
  • Vodka
  • Scotch/Whiskey
  • Gin
  • Tequila
  • Triple Sec
  • Rum
These are usually the most common liquors you will use.
The Ice Bin
Now, I would like to talk about the Ice Bin.
The ice bin is a place where bars will place their juices and mixes in. Generally, you will find your popular juices and mixes here that you will be using a lot of.
Here is a pretty full list of the drinks and mixes you will find:
  • Orange Juice
  • Pineapple Juice
  • Cranberry Juice
  • Grapefruit Juice
  • Sweet and Sour Mix
  • Pina Colada Mix
  • Bloody Mary Mix
  • Rose's Lime Juice
  • Grenadine
  • Cream
These are basically, mixes that you tend to use very often. It's handy to have them right in front of you, along with your liquor in the speed rack. Remember, you will be shooting to make 6 drinks per minute.

Speed Rack Bartending

At the bar that I've worked at, the ice bin was relatively small, and I only had four slots. So I had to choose which mixes to place where.
I chose Orange Juice, Sweet and Sour Mix, Bloody Mary Mix, and Cranberry Juice since it seemed like I used them the most. This should be different at each bar since you'll have different clientèle who like to order different drinks. Ask around, or get a feel of your bar after a few days of work to see which mixes to place in the ice bin if you have limited slots in your ice bin.

The Speed Gun
I want to end Lesson 5 with a brief discussion about the Speed Gun. (Also called the cobra or snake at times.)
You've probably seen a bartender use one at a bar or a club that you frequent. This is basically a drink gun that will allow you to shoot up 6-10 kinds of drinks. You usually find these drinks on your Speed Gun at your bar.
  • Coke
  • Diet Coke
  • 7 Up/Sprite
  • Club Soda
  • Water
  • Tonic Water
  • Gingerale
  • Whatever other soft drink that your bar decides to put on
They are usually nice and labeled so that you know which drink will come out.

The speed gun is a very cool device since it basically mixes concentrate with carbonated water to shoot up soft drinks very conveniently. It is one of those things that will be super cool to have at your home.
The speed gun has a buttons where you push for the drinks to flow out. The actual order in which buttons pour what soft drinks is probably different at each bar. So just remember to check it out when you get to work to see which soft drinks go where.

Okay, so this concludes Lesson 5 on Speed Rack, Ice Bin, and Speed Gun.
Be sure to get familiar with the Speed Rack since that is the most important point of this lesson. As long as you understand the concept of the speed rack, the other two should come pretty naturally to you as you're on the job.
Good luck studying, and cheers!
*************
Lesson 4: Garnishes
Lesson 6: Base Liquor - Part 1

Before the first-ever Asian edition of Speed Rack, we speak to Ivy Mix (photo, left) and Lynnette Marrero (right) on how the competition came to town. Interview by Natasha Hong.

How did you guys meet, and how did Speed Rack happen?
Lynnette: Ivy worked at Mayahuel, which is owned by Phil Ward – he’s one of my oldest friends in the industry after we met at the Flatiron Lounge. One night, he needed a favour and asked if I would fill in cocktail waitressing – which I did at Flatiron before Phil and Toby Maloney encouraged me to ask Julie [Reiner] to get behind the bar. So, I put my apron back on, grabbed a tray and worked the night with Ivy. It was actually a really busy night. Ivy and I had a pretty similar work ethic – we got things done, helped run each other’s drinks and pretty much worked as a team. It was a great night and then we went out to some dive bars after and had fun!

Ivy: I only had a notion of what Speed Rack would be before I talked to Lynnette. I knew I wanted to create a bartending competition that promoted awesome women in the industry, and I knew that I wanted it to have a charity aspect to it. It was over chicken wings and cheap beers during the Super Bowl that I sat next to Lynnette – the president of LUPEC NYC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails) and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t come to her before with the idea. Her philanthropic efforts and girl power notions were exactly in line with what I had in mind. Together, we built what is now the nationally successful Speed Rack.

L: When Ivy approached me with the initial idea, we decided to create a competition that tests bartenders in real life situations. Instead of testing their ability to create one drink, we wanted to challenge them to showcase what they do every day in a bar – create quality cocktails with speed and service in mind. Speed Rack, the tour that it is now, is the result of an intense year. I am honoured that Ivy reached out to me to help create what Speed Rack is today.

You’ve run six seasons of the competition in the US so far. What keeps you going?
I: Speed Rack keeps growing. We have more women applying than ever, we’re raising more money than ever, and the level of skill keeps getting higher. There’s no stopping now! The fact that we’re expanding to places like Asia reinvigorates our drive to grow the competition. Going to these new markets and meeting these new women and seeing what’s possible gives me drive.

L: I think what is most surprising and fascinating is the level of talent we keep seeing. After six years, we’re seeing a new generation of women bartenders who are incredibly driven, talented and dedicated to this industry.

How did the Asian edition of Speed Rack come about?
I: Hannah Waters told us that there was an incredible and strong female force in Asia, and that we needed to go over there. I have to say that without her, we wouldn’t have gotten over there. Speed Rack is an intense event to put on. You have to gather sponsors, venues, volunteers, competitors and more. Hannah and the women she brought in tow with her – Denise Khan Tan and Gina Marie Kent – have really made this possible. We have women from Seoul, Singapore and more. I’m so excited to see what’s going to happen!

How will the Asian leg will differ from the US?
I: I don’t know! I’m hoping we’ll see a bunch of different styles. Even across the US, there are different styles for both recipes of making drinks, as well as physically working at the bar. I don’t know what to expect but from what I’ve heard about the Singapore cocktail scene, it’s going to be very impressive.

Speed Rack Bartending

L: So far, from the emails from the ladies, there seems to be a new way they’re preparing for the competition. It should be very exciting. The questions being asked are very technical so that is interesting.

Let’s talk strategy. Do you have any tips for the girls taking part?
I: Speed Rack is about making good drinks quickly, not bad drinks lightning fast. Be calm, calculated and clean, and you will move on!

L: Don’t reinvent the wheel. Work clean and accurately but work like it’s the busiest shift of your life.

Catch Ivy and Lynnette at their guest shift at Anti:dote from 7 to 10pm on March 11.

DRiNK Magazine is the official media partner for Speed Rack Asia.

Tags :competitionsdenise khan tanflatiron loungegina marie kenthannah watersivy mixjulie reinerlupeclynnette marreromayahuelphil wardspeed rackspeed rack asiaswomen in bartending