The IBG code
Values and the Bartenders' Commandments
Every CPB® charter holder commits to the guild's professional code. It is examined in the written paper, observed in the practical assessment and reviewed annually as part of your Professional Conduct review.
Guild values
Responsibility
Responsible alcohol service, legal compliance and the safety of every guest come before any sale.
Hospitality
Bartending is hospitality first and craft second. The guest's experience is the product.
Craft
Measurable technique, accurate specifications and continuous learning — examined, not assumed.
Integrity
Honest pours, honest costing, honest conduct. A charter holder's word is part of the credential.
Conduct
The twelve commandments
Respect and honour those around you
Every guest, every colleague, every supplier and every kitchen porter is part of the same service. Respect is shown in how you greet, how you hand over a shift and how you speak when nobody senior is listening.
Speak and act in a respectful manner
Language behind the bar is part of the guest experience. Keep tone even under pressure, avoid profanity within earshot of guests, and never argue with a colleague on the floor — take it to the back of house.
Never gossip
Gossip about guests, staff or management corrodes a team faster than any bad shift. What you hear across the bar stays across the bar; discretion is a professional duty, not a courtesy.
Learn the names and recipes of drinks
A professional knows the IBA Official Cocktails by name, build, glass, garnish and specification — without a cheat sheet. Recipe accuracy is the difference between a bar and a bartender.
Never drink on the job
Tasting for quality control is technique; drinking on shift is not. Your judgement, pour accuracy and duty of care to intoxicated guests all depend on being completely sober.
Never touch the rim of a glass
Hold glassware at the base or stem, and carry on a tray where possible. The top half of the glass belongs to the guest — always.
Honour the guests; work to make them happy
Read the table before you take the order. Anticipate, don't react. A recovered mistake handled with grace earns more loyalty than a flawless drink served indifferently.
Offer the cocktail menu
Guiding a guest through the menu is hospitality and commerce at once. Suggest, describe and never assume what somebody can or cannot afford.
Use proper drink-making techniques
Shake, stir, build, throw, blend and layer — each for a reason. Correct dilution, temperature and texture are measurable, examinable standards, not preferences.
Keep a clean workstation
Wipe as you go. A clean bar top, dry rail, ordered speed rack and empty bin at all times signal competence before the first drink is poured.
Use fresh ingredients and efficient mise en place
Fresh juice, fresh garnish, prepared syrups labelled and dated. Mise en place is what allows speed without shortcuts.
Learn a tactful way to cut someone off
Refusing further service is a legal duty and a hospitality skill. Do it privately, calmly, without judgement, and arrange safe transport where you can.
Standards
Food and safety
- Preparation of garnishes should be done with clean hands. In some jurisdictions the health department requires the bartender to wear latex or nitrile gloves.
- Always clean the cutting board, knife and other utensils prior to use — and again between different ingredients.
- Always wash fruit before cutting, including fruit that will only be used for zest or wheels.
- Always wash all containers before placing fruit in them. Store cherries, olives and onions in their own juice.
- Never store fruit cut on different days in the same storage container. Record the date the fruit was cut directly on the container so it is used in the order it was cut.
- Always record the date on juice and other containers holding perishable ingredients.
- Garnishes should be wrapped at the end of every shift. Some will not last more than a few hours after cutting — if lemons and limes do not look good, throw them away. Never use ingredients that are not fresh.
- Rotate stock on a first-in, first-out basis and discard anything past its recorded date without debate.
Standards
Health and safety behind the bar
- Avoid direct contact between your hands and the ice used in drink preparation. Where a bar runs an "ice programme" handling large-format ice, use dedicated tongs and clean hands.
- Always use ice scoops that have handles. Never scoop ice with a glass or with your hands — a broken glass in the ice bin means the whole bin is condemned.
- Use a separate ice bin to chill glasses, wine bottles, juices and syrups, and never serve that ice in drinks.
- As damp bar towels dry, bacteria remain. Those towels should never touch pour spouts or anything that comes into direct or indirect contact with the guest.
- Launder bar towels with bleach and soap. When cleaning the bar or bar items, always use a disinfectant agent — not just water.
- Clean ice bins daily to prevent the growth of bacteria: remove the ice and wash the bin.
- Never put your fingers inside clean or dirty glasses. Hold them at the base or use a tray.
- When serving drinks, never touch the lip of the glass. The top half of the glass belongs to the guest.
- Keep floors dry and spills cleared immediately; report broken glass, faulty equipment and gas leaks before service continues.
Study the full manual — free
The IBG study material is open to everyone, member or not. Read it online or download it.