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Closing the Bar

Practical guideBeginner3 min readEditorial draft

A good close is the best gift to the next shift: cleaning, inventory, storage and notes.

✦ Ask the Sommelier

Product and storage

Cover and refrigerate juices and syrups that are still good; discard what won't hold until tomorrow. Remove spouts, wash them and cap bottles to keep out insects and slow evaporation.

  • Open vermouth and wine: sealed and refrigerated.
  • Garnish: anything that won't hold goes.

Cleaning

Empty and clean the ice well, wash tools and mats, wipe the speed rail and bar top. Dry everything: overnight moisture is a friend to bacteria and bad smells.

Inventory and notes

Note what ran out or is running low, any equipment issues and what sold best. That two-minute note saves the opener half an hour.

Key terms

Bitácora
Shift log of incidents, shortages and to-dos.
Pour spout
Bottle spout removed and washed at close.

Related

Vermouth & aperitifs

Vermouth

Vermouth is a fortified wine flavored with herbs, spices and wormwood. It is a classic aperitif and a pillar of cocktails like the negroni and the manhattan.

Sources

  • BARTENDER.MX Editorial

Updated October 20, 2026