Bartender Appreciation Day >> A day in the life

A good bartender is the making of a cracking time on the mountains: a welcoming smile behind the bar, a warming tipple placed in front of you, and wonderful local advice when it comes to who’s who and what’s what in resort. It just so happens to be Bartender Appreciation Day – so we’re raising our glasses to the greatest barmen and women in the skiing world.

And to see what life’s like for your trusty mountain publican, we asked the lovely Oli from Jack’s Bar in Meribel to give us ‘a day in the life of a ski resort bartender’:

Meet Oli Wright – assistant Bar Manager at Jack’s Bar in Meribel

Behind the bar at Jack’s

Morning

So, 9.30-10am is usually the time I climb out of my windowless bedroom to check the weather. Whether the snow’s looking good or bad you’ll find me dressed and ready to go by 10.30am. I hurry on down to Evolution to grab a coffee and breakfast baguette and then make my way onto the hill. Park, powder and piste are all on offer and a mixture of the three is a great way to spend a day on the mountain.

Enjoying the awesome 3 Valleys

Lunchtime

After a few hours on the hill, hunger and fatigue sets in, so back to Jack’s to grab my lunch and have a demi whilst catching up with others on their days accomplishments. Back up the Hill for the last couple of runs of the day before the sun steadily disappears.
Off to work!

Afternoon

I usually make my way to work for around 4pm. As the day starts drawing in, so do the masses. With live music and happy hours, as 5pm hits, most of our tables inside and out are fully occupied with families, groups of friends, couples and seasonaires enjoying their much anticipated day off (for most Meribel seasonaires Wednesday’s their day off).

As the music starts, so do I. The atmosphere grows and jugs of beer flow. Pizzas and nachos are flying out the kitchen on to the tables. By the time the last song is announced, most of the tables are scattered with half-filled glasses and bottles of toffee vodka! Everyone screams “Encore” while they’re either dancing around or on top of the tables.

Back to the bar for work!

After Apres

After the bands, I start preparing for the evening – bagging up ice and prepping fruit for cocktails. We have all sorts of different events like DJ nights and fancy dress do’s. But whatever’s happening, the pace always picks up around 8-9pm (might have something to do with the free pool table and cocktail happy hour!).

Time for drinks and dancing

Closing Time.

We stop serving at 1.30am and customers tend to leave around 2am. Close down can range from an hour to two or even three, depending on the state of the bar… We completely clean the bar and surrounding area, mop and clean floors and tackle the toilets! The day is usually finished off with a well-deserved after-work drink, then either out to one of the late night bars or home, usually the latter after a long day. Bed and repeat.
If you see Oli in resort this season, be sure to say hello (and order one of his famously good Espresso Martini’s).

Genius

Do you know an outstanding bar tender or saisonniere who deserves a mention?

At SNO we try to support all local business in the mountains, by advertising them Free on SNO.co.uk – so ping us if your favourite bar, restaurant, ski school, rental, childcare or anyone else should be added – SNO trouble at all!