Job Spotlight with bartender Katrine Allen

It's certainly not the easiest job in the world. The life of a bartender typically includes working plenty of hours at night, being under pressure to deliver fast and efficient service, and sometimes dealing with guests who may have had a bit too much alcohol for their own good.

But Katrine Allen literally loves everything about the profession, having started straight out of high school and quickly becoming "seasoned" at pouring tasty drinks with a dose of her own colorful personality while interacting with customers and colleagues.

She's been honing her craft at Scruffy Murphy's Irish Pub and Eatery on Broadway in Columbus since it opened in 2002. And despite taking a day job at a call center a while back, she often finds time to drop in at Scruffy's on weekends to get her fill of the fast-paced atmosphere that she dearly loves. It's also a major help for owner Breda Gleason.

Allen's bartending job is one that is in solid demand nationwide, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating 65,600 more bartenders will be needed in bars, clubs and restaurants by 2020. That's on top of the existing 551,000 or so people already working in the field.

The Ledger-Enquirer visited recently with the Columbus native, 33, at Scruffy Murphy's to discuss bartending, its challenges and its rewards, plus find out the specialty concoction she pours.

You've been tending bar here quite a while?

I started here in 2002 serving, and I wasn't even 21. So it broke me in big time, carrying pint glasses. I knew a lot of drinks, but I wasn't experienced in making a lot of them. So over the last 14 years I have picked up a huge knowledge of drinks. You can ask me just about any recipe.

What's the age limit for tending bar?

You can start at 18 serving alcohol, but to pour you have to be 21. But I got grandfather-claused in when I was 18 and was able to learn to bartend, and then they changed the law ... I didn't bartend here when I first started. I was waiting tables and it kind of brought me up to where I would be a better bartender. I'm a firm believer that the best bartenders are always servers first.

It helps develop great customer service skills?

That, and as a bartender, you really want to make sure that you're taking care of your servers, as well as your customers at the bar. That's especially in a restaurant atmosphere like here at Scruffy's. You want to make sure that your tables are getting their service because the next time (those customers) come in, they may be a bar guest. And they might go, 'Oh, the bartender didn't take care of us, so why would we want to sit at the bar?

What's life like as a bartender in an establishment like this, serving food and beverages?

It's different, especially with 20 beers on tap. And you have so many different types of people coming in here. Some of the teachers from Columbus State University come in for happy hour. And then you have the military crowd that comes in, you have the Ranger School graduates that come in and they want to tie one on. And you have the older crowd that comes in and wants to have fish and chips and Shepherd's pies and corned beef and hash and the different things that we offer.

It all kind of melds into one, because this is an Irish pub. It doesn't matter where their ancestry's from, everybody's Irish.

Is the military especially fond of Scruffy's?

Military (people are) into Scruffy's. It's all about the food and the Guinness. Some are stationed overseas and when they come home, it's a culture shock. I had one sitting at the bar last Friday and he just sat there and said, 'I just came back from Germany and this is awesome. I'm getting my Guinness on the table and I'm sitting here and watching everybody.' He was talking about the bartenders (in Germany) were so friendly and they would go over to their houses on the weekends and have barbecues and stuff like that. We have the same thing here. We have this camaraderie where people get together and have a life outside of this place together. It's like a family.

What's the art of bartending like? A lot of pressure?

It can be a lot of pressure, but the key is it's like being a hostess in your own house. You have to look at it as your house and that you're going to do whatever you can to make this experience the best experience. And, with time, your drink recipes come.

Muscle memory is the big thing, where you remember where the bottles are. Going from one bar to another, it can be difficult to figure out where things are. But you learn where the bottles are, and the drink recipes. From there, it's all about learning how to pour and knowing the right amounts to put in certain things, and tasting them as you go and making sure that you're making something exactly the way it should be made.

My secret is a whole lot of TLC (tender loving care). If I make a drink, I make it like I'm going to be the one drinking it. I don't make it too strong. I don't make it too weak. You just make a good drink with love, for lack of a better word, and people can tell the difference.

Does the pressure and intensity increase on a busy weekend?

It does, absolutely, but you just really have to keep in mind: I can only do one thing at a time, and it's all about making your steps shorter. I may start at one end of the bar with a vodka and soda, but then I have to grab a Yuengling (beer) and a Miller Lite ... It's about making your steps count instead of running back and forth, because otherwise you're just slowing yourself down.

How many bartenders are here on a busy weekend?

This past weekend we had four bartenders on the big bar. We've got the biggest, longest bar in town, and there's only one place to go in and out. So when you're walking up and down that bar and there are four of us back there, plus two bar-backs (stocking glasses, ice, etc.) and three servers, it gets very busy.

Have you ever been stumped on a drink and had to look at a recipe book?

I have never, ever consulted the book. If you can't tell me what's in it, I'm making you something else. (laughs)

You'll ask a customer what goes into a drink?

Yeah, I'll ask, 'Do you know how to make it?' If they do, I'll take their recipe and I'll make it. But they won't have to tell me twice. I'll remember it.

What's the toughest aspect of bartending?

The hardest part about being a good bartender is paying attention when you're trying to entertain the guest -- when you're trying to talk to them -- and also paying attention all the way down the bar to see if someone needs something. It's easy enough to do if someone's flagging you down to go serve them. But if they've got a quarter of a beer left, go ahead and ask them if they need something if you're not doing anything. That's one of the hardest things to get new bartenders and old bartenders to realize. They may be used to people just flagging them down.

So it's being proactive?

Absolutely. I'm all about: Would you like another drink? Would you like another shot? Or how about this?

We're in the holiday season and folks want to have a good time and be merry? But you don't want them drinking too much, I presume?

They want to have a good time. But there's a certain point when it's no longer a good time for anybody involved. And we've got to look out for our guests' safety, because if they go out here and get in a taxi and they can't sit up in the taxi, the driver won't take them home.

So you have to recognize if someone has had too much to drink, or are even close to the edge?

That's right. If they're getting close to it, offer them a water. Or sometimes, if they look like they may be borderline ... and they get all hyped up about it, just sit a water in front of them and walk away. I know they may feel like they're being ignored, but if they're pretty intoxicated they're most likely not going to remember it tomorrow. But they will appreciate it in the long run that you didn't over-serve them to the point where they were sick or they were hung over and couldn't get out of bed the next day.

Is it inevitable as a bartender that you will run across a situation that could escalate, and how often does that happen?

Oh, yeah. It really depends on the person. Sometimes people, when they drink, if they're in a bad mood or they're sad to begin with, it amplifies their feelings with alcohol. If you're in a happy mood, you drink and laugh. If you're sad and depressed, you're going to cry and be upset about it. It doesn't too often.

It's all about going back to that over-serving issue. There was one person a couple of weeks ago, one guy, I think he hit on somebody's wife or something of that nature. And people, when they've had too much to drink, they don't take no for answer and they make bad decisions because alcohol is an inebriant.

There are so many places down here. You have to think: What if they went out and had drinks before they came here? Or what if they have a bottle in their pocket? You don't know that.

You try to verbally disarm an agitated customer?

Yeah, you say, 'Look, there's no reason to act this way. We can just settle down and hang out and be cool. There are no issues. Drink some of this water and we'll talk about you having another beer, (even if you're not going to talk about it.) And if you're not going to be nice and cordial, you're going to have to leave.' At that point, the cops might need to become involved ... because people do react differently to someone in uniform.

How are the holidays for a bartender with Christmas and the big party event, New Year's Eve?

You'll have everybody in town. Their families are here. So they're all coming in. Christmas Eve is a good time to work. Christmas night is always a good night to work ... The day before Thanksgiving is a big money night for bartenders and servers. A couple of places down here, they'll be slam packed.

So on New Year's everything gets much busier, and I take it the football bowl games bring folks in here and elsewhere?

Everything gets amped up, and then New Year's will be kind of like that break-loose time, where everybody comes out and they want to be pretty and they want to have a good time and have champagne toasts. A lot of people are off New Year's Day, so why not come out and have some fun and stay out a little bit.

Is that the craziest time of the year or are there other major events, like St. Patrick's Day?

St. Patrick's Day for Scruffy's is absolutely insane, because it's an Irish pub ... It's not like that Ireland; they don't celebrate St. Paddy's Day like we do. But here, it's an excuse to drink green beer and wear green hats and put shamrocks all over our faces. Come to the Irish bar and we're all Irish and have our Guinness.

What do you guys serve the most? Beer is big here, obviously?

Beer is huge. We do serve quite a few cocktails, but beer is a big thing because we've got 20 beers on tap. We've got Yuengling and Guinness and Boddingtons and Fat Tire and some brews from Georgia. We've got Terrapin Hopsacutioner. We've got Smithwick's, which is an Irish beer and Strongbow, which is an Irish cider, and Murphy's. So we've got quite a few Irish beers on tap that you can't get anywhere else down here, and not poured the way we pour it.

Do you serve a lot of cocktails or well drinks?

It really depends. People like the Long Island (Iced Tea), because it's got five different liquors in it and it's in a pint glass and it looks like tea and it has a little kick. People like shots. They love Jager Bombs and Vegas Bombs and a lot of things with Red Bull, Vodka Red Bull, stuff like that. We do have quite a few Scotch drinkers and Irish whiskey drinkers because we have huge selections.

What's an Irish Car Bomb drink?

An Irish Car Bomb is half a pint of Guinness, and a little shot glass with Bailey's (Irish cream) and Jameson (Irish whiskey) mixed in it, and you take the glass and drop it in the half-pint. You have to drink it as fast as you can because once the Bailey's hits the Guinness, it starts to thicken up. It's almost as if you don't drink it fast enough, you have to chew it. But it is so delicious.

What is your specialty drink?

One of my favorite drinks that I like to make is called an Agent Orange. I perfected it a few years ago. It's Southern Comfort, peach schnapps, apple schnapps, orange juice, and a splash of cranberry. It's really good. A lot of the boys like it because it kicks it up a notch and tastes like kool-aid, but it's not kool-aid at all. (laughs)

What does it take to be a good bartender? The government says many more will be needed in the coming years.

They are hiring; they're always hiring. You're making your own money. You're a private contractor, in essence. You get paid $2 an hour; most of your checks are zero dollars. Everything you make (in tips) is according to how you play the game.

Can you make real money in bartending?

Me personally -- I don't know about anybody else -- but I make more money as a bartender than I do at my real job ... To be honest, I made more money as a bartender than I did as a manager of a bar or as a customer-service rep in a call center.

Because if you're good at it, you bring in plenty of tips for good service?

Yeah, and you have your clientele who follow you as well. I was born and raised here in Columbus, so I've had people follow me ... I've also worked at The Loft.

I always tend to come back here because it was a very big experience for me. It was the first place I worked that wasn't owned by somebody I knew. When they first opened this place, they came in with three or four Irish guys. There were four or five Irish girls who were students and came over and worked. It was all Irish people and I was one of the only Americans except for the kitchen staff, and it was this huge enlightening experience.

So I've been back and forth here. Anytime (Breda) needs help, she can call me and I love working here. It's one of my favorite spots to hang out and work, because of the energy here. It's busy. It's fast-paced.

What's the most rewarding aspect of this job?

I love it; I enjoy it so much because of the different interaction that you can have with people. It's like you can feel somebody's energy and just give them some kind of sarcastic comment, or say this or that, and they love it and they light up, and they feel the energy off of you. I enjoy doing that ... The money's really good, but if I can come in and have a good time, and not make a lot of money, I'm still happy coming in here.

Bottom line, if you're a good bartender in this town you should find work anywhere you want?

Absolutely. But you have to be honest, and you have to want to be there. There are so many that want to be there just for the money ... And it's about anticipating what your guests want and not worrying about how much money is in your pocket. Yes, that matters, but you will make the money if you give them the time and put the effort in.

It's almost like you're in the service, plus entertainment, business?

Absolutely. I guess it's changed, and for me it's different, because people say, 'Oh, when you go to the bar, the bartender's supposed to listen to your problems.' No, no, no, sorry, we're going to have a good time. And if you want to talk about (troubles), that's fine. But then we're going to cut you off and talk about something different because it's going to make you happy.

You need good energy. People want that. They don't want to sit at a bar and someone's sitting over there looking all sad, and the bartender's looking sad. I don't want to sit at a bar where someone's looking all depressed and they don't want to be there. I want to be somewhere where people want to be, and that's why I always try to portray that, to bring that.

I can tell that you really get into this?

I love it, it's a lot of fun. I really enjoy bartending. It's one of those things ... I can be nice and I can be really thoughtful, and then I can be kind of sassy and they like it. There's a line there, and if you cross that line it's very hard to come back over that line. But I do enjoy it a lot.

Anything else about bartending you would like to add?

All of the bartenders that I've trained over the years, I've been very vocal to say: If you want to learn something, then I'll teach you everything I know. A lot of bartenders want to be stingy with their information. If you're scared to lose your job, then get better.

But if I'm bartending with a good bartender, we only stand to make more money. If I'm bartending with a mediocre bartender, we're making less money because they don't want to step their game up and get better. I'm willing to teach anyone who wants to learn from me how to bartend.

In the end, making those around you better benefits everyone?

Absolutely. Bring them up to your level. The team at work makes the dream work. But I always tell the girls when they get all flustered and they drop things and try to be (fast), I tell them the speed will come, just learn the drink recipes and learn where your bottles are and, before you know it, you'll be making drinks faster than you ever thought you would.

And become entertaining?

And then the entertainment. I used to have people sit at the bar and they just liked to watch me work, because I would just be all over it.

BioName: Katrine Allen

Age: 33

Hometown: Born and raised in Columbus

Current residence: Columbus

Education: 2000 graduate of Jordan High School; earned associate's degree in applied technology from Columbus Technical College; has a diploma in cosmetology, although she doesn't practice any longer

Previous jobs: Always a bartender; now also works fulltime at a call center

Family: Engaged to fiancé Francis Palkoska, who she will marry in March

Leisure time: Planning her wedding right now, but enjoys reading, watching television (loves "Big Bang Theory" and other comedies), and spending time with her fiancé, taking walks with him and being out and about

Of note: Lived in Ireland for a year more than a decade ago

This story was originally published December 28, 2014 at 12:23 AM with the headline "Job Spotlight with bartender Katrine Allen."