Shaken, not stirred — at least, that’s what James Bond wants — is certainly one way to make your guests’ drunks. But when you want to make an impression on your guests, it’s more than just the smooth moves with the bar shaker that matter. You need to know how to make the best drink possible each and every time. Because while they might not look like they’ll remember a thing in the morning, one screw up and you might have lost that customer for good.

Get in the Know

Just having a bar shaker doesn’t make you an expert bartender. No, you need to learn about the various drinks you could make for your guests — and then you need to know them without looking through a book each time. Taking a professional bartender class and sending your staff might be the best investment of your time and of your money. While these classes are rigorous, you’re going to learn everything you would ever possibly need to know about drink making as well as how to get more tips.

Keep Things the Right Temperature

Behind the bar, you need to be making sure that things are staying cold when they need to be cold and that they’re room temperature when they’re supposed to be room temperature. Keep that vodka in the fridge or the freezer whenever you can — keep the red wine out so that it’s perfectly ready for a glass. Make sure your lemons and limes are sitting in ice as well. When everything is the right temperature, your drinks are going to mix properly and taste great every time.

Consistency is the Key

While it might be tempting to give a little more alcohol to the cutie in the front, your drinks need to stay the same no matter how attractive your customers are. Sure, if you have a regular, it doesn’t hurt to fill them up, but when you want to make sure that people are happy every time, you need to check your measurements each time until you can mix drinks with your eyes closed. The same goes for other ingredients in the drinks too.

Pretending like you’re in Cocktail might sound like a good idea, but tossing your bar shaker in the air just right doesn’t matter if the drink tastes awful. Make sure you’re learning how to be good at the drink before you try to light the bar on fire. After all, Tom Cruise wasn’t serving up real alcohol during the movie… was he?

Able Kitchen (http://www.ablekitchen.com) sells restaurant equipment, such as the bar shaker, online. They stock products that have reputable names in the culinary industry with several thousands of restaurant supplies to choose from. The author, Art Gib, is a freelance writer.