As you might have gathered from poring over our website – or even if you have worked directly with us in the past – here at BrandWarriors, we know a thing or two about how important it is to hire skilled event staff. 

But when your own brand is looking to hold a promotional event that is meant to show off your organisation and its products, services and values to best effect, is there the risk that you don’t properly understand all the skills your hired staff do – and don’t – have? And more to the point, do you understand the implications that could have for your event? 

The distinction between bartenders and mixologists is a classic example of where such misunderstanding and confusion can arise. So, let’s take a closer look at the specifics of how these roles can differ. 

‘Bartender’ and ‘mixologist’ are not direct synonyms 

Look up their respective definitions in some parts of the web, and you might understandably be led to imagine that bartenders and mixologists must be essentially the same in terms of their skill sets. 

But before writing this article, we took a quick look at the Cambridge Dictionarywebsite, and we did find there was a difference, albeit a subtle one. The term “bartender”, for instance, was defined as “someone who makes and serves drinks in a bar”. Meanwhile, the same source defined “mixology” as “the activity or skill of mixing drinks such as cocktails”. 

The title “bartender”, then, can be applied to anyone who serves customers at a bar. Such a role is likely to entail beer-pulling and cleaning, and certainly could include the mixing of cocktails as well, although a given bartender might not necessarily possess the most specialised or highest-level skills in this regard. 

Contrast that with a “mixologist”, who… well, the clue’s kind-of in the name. They’re professionals who specialise in cocktail-making, frequently being highly adept in the creation of new recipes, as well as in the application of interesting “twists” to more familiar favourites. 

A mixologist, then, is someone who you can typically depend on to bring a particular “wow factor” to your event. The best of them are able to create drinks that truly captivate the attendees of a brand event like the one you might be planning right now. 

Furthermore, a capable mixologist will be able to effectively expand the range of cocktails available to guests, even if there is a relatively limited number of base ingredients at hand for the mixologist to use. 

It all means that you can count on a suitably skilled mixologist getting it right every time, which will help engage your event attendees, and contribute to the all-round memorability and success of your event. 

So… is a bartender “just” a bartender? 

Of course, we should probably emphasise at this point, that there’s nothing wrong with someone being “simply” a bartender. Competent bartenders can be highly adaptable, potentially able to cover all manner of duties in relation to the serving of drinks and snacks at a brand’s promotional event. So, they could well have a role to play in your event, alongside a mixologist or several. 

Nonetheless, it is important to appreciate that a mixologist’s role is by no means identical to that of a bartender. This, in turn, might shape some of the decisions you make as you seek to put together a promo event that offers real sparkle and impact. 

For a discussion with our own BrandWarriors about how we can help you hire skilled event staff who will embody everything you want in such personnel representing your brand in person, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via phone or email today.