Customer Reviews

The Responsible Serving of Alcoholic Beverages: A Complete Staff Training Course for Bars, Restaurants and Caterers: With Companion CD-ROM

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College-level collections with schools strong in culinary and food management courses will want to keep THE RESPONSIBLE SERVING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: A COMPLETE STAFF TRAINING COURSE FOR BARS, RESTAURANTS, AND CATERERS in the collection both as a reference and as a circulating item. Two years have gone into the making of this comprehensive manual which blends the legal issues with the ethical issues involved in serving alcohol professionally: management and liquor service staff receive all the knowledge allowing them to responsibly serve alcohol in licensed premises, from understanding BAC levels and the law to checking ID, handling difficult customers, and more. While the price tag may be hefty for a standard-sized paperback, its specific, well-detailed information is priceless for any serious food industry holding.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

Stop, Look, and Listen! should be the subtitle of this excellent resource guide. Beth Dugan starts with a chapter called What is Alcohol?, and does not let up until she concludes with a creative section of "modules." These training modules contain the most valuable information this guide provides. From calculating drinking ages, checking ID's, understanding state laws, identifying intoxication and understanding a customer's rate of consumption, she offers a resource guide that can assist new as well as experienced bar owners. Serving alcoholic beverages at your establishment can increase revenues and turn into an enjoyable experience; but can also open you up to a myriad of legal issues. This invaluable book walks you through the steps on how to responsibly serve alcohol, how to train a competent and responsible staff and how to handle emergencies. Although included in the book, the accompanying CD-ROM presents handy details such as state law information, easy to read charts on calculating alcohol content, and the previously mentioned modules. As an extra, the CD-ROM also offers printable versions of the posters included in the book that promote responsible drinking. Overall, this book is a must-have tool for any bar owner, restaurant operator or caterer; a resource that has the information to prepare you for the many challenges faced when serving alcoholic beverages in your food service business, and one that encourages you to responsibly embrace the opportunity.

This book is an excellent read for anyone that will be serving alcohol in a professional capacity. I didn't know what to expect when I picked it up, but I was happy to find tips on detecting whether someone is drunk, suggestions on how to keep up profits while limiting the amount of alcohol a customer consumes, and much more.

There is a guide for training staff members on how to recognize fake IDs, pouring drinks properly and just about anything else you can think of that would help keep patrons from becoming too inebriated.

I like that the author makes a point to say how things differ in various states and then has an appendix which shows each state and what categories they fall in. I also liked the CD-ROM that came with the book. It has charts in it that were used in the book - such as the alcohol absorption rate diagram. It's really great stuff. There are also worksheets on the CD-ROM that can be used in combination with the suggested training.

The only thing that I didn't love about the book was that in the beginning the author provides some information that isn't entirely relevant - such as what alcohol is, what it means to be drunk vs. alcoholism. Things like this are common sense to most people. But all in all, this is a very helpful book that anyone looking to start up a restaurant, bar or catering service should look into.

Owning a business where alcohol is served, while profitable, has never been more dangerous than it is today. From under-age drinkers to inebriated customers and everything that falls in between, a business must be proactive in protecting their assets. All it takes is one honest mistake to land yourself on a "watch list" or even worse - fines and license suspension.

This book is a wealth of information and resources for everyone from a small pub to a concessionaire at a major baseball stadium. Dugan provides a step-by-step training manual that is easy to follow and simple to implement. There is even a CD included that contains every chart and form in the book so that you can print it out and put it to use in your daily routine.

Dugan gives us a comprehensive training program covering issues such as management responsibilities, types of customers, training and staff concerns, legal matters, and assessing customer. Following the policies and procedures outlined in this book is a solid step towards protecting your future, growing your business, and avoiding litigation. This book is a must-read for anyone who serves alcohol as a business. People who host private parties would do well to read this book also, especially during this holiday season!

Restaurants that sell alcohol work with a double edge sword. The alcohol sales are beneficial because it ups the revenue for these businesses but there are also many laws which govern the industry which can cause headaches if these laws are not followed. The authors of this book do a fabulous job of how to serve alcohol properly to protect not only the restaurant but the individual who is selling the alcohol as well.

The book is easy to follow and to understand. It begins by having simple definitions which everyone who serves alcohol must know such as what alcohol is, what the effects are on the body, what BAC stands for and what it is important. It also goes into detail about the different things that can affect the BAC in an individual; how many drinks, if they have eaten food, amount of alcohol in a drink, and the size of the person. It also goes into complete detail on the types of alcohol regulations that are out there.

The second section of the book goes into how the managing of the alcohol should occur and how to deal with those issues which are bound to come up such as minors, how to hire good bartenders, what type of licenses are needed, and how to cut someone off when need be. It also has a section on what to do when a legal issue comes up, such as hiring a good lawyer, and keeping documentation.

Section three is how to train the employees which are going to handle the alcohol. It goes into detail about the many parts of the training process from checking identification to watching the client for signs of having too much drink. The authors also suggest that each of the employees also have refresher courses every so often when needed. The book will likely benefit many in the restaurant industry and show that with responsible service of alcohol, everyone wins.