Hospitality Industry Lingo – Lesson 1

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing essential bar and hospitality terms from RockStar Class Notes Lesson 1.

86

Indicates an item is unavailable or a guest must be removed.

POS (Point of Sale)

Device/system used to enter orders and process payments.

Front of House (FOH)

Guest-facing employees such as servers, bartenders, and hosts.

Back of House (BOH)

Non-guest-facing staff such as kitchen or delivery personnel.

Bank

Cash given to a bartender at shift start to make change.

Drawer

Cash register where the bank is stored.

Drawer Drop

Cash owed to the restaurant at shift end (sales minus bank).

Well

Least-expensive “house” spirits; kept in the speed rack.

Call

Mid-priced, popular spirits guests usually request by name.

Premium / Top-Shelf

Most expensive spirits, often stored on the highest shelf.

Shot

1-oz measure or the small glass used to serve it.

Neat

1.5–2 oz spirit poured straight into a glass, no ice.

On the Rocks

Spirit or cocktail served over ice.

Straight Up

Shaken/stirred with ice, then strained into a glass without ice.

Double

Twice the standard pour of base spirit; usually double price.

Double Short

Twice the liquor, less mixer, served in the usual glass.

Double Tall

Twice the liquor and mixer, served in a larger glass.

Liquor

Distilled spirit with little or no added sugar; cocktail base.

Liqueur

Sweetened flavored spirit (≥2.5 % sugar), often lower ABV.

Proof

Alcohol content measure; twice the % alcohol by volume.

Marry

Illegally combine contents of like spirits into one bottle.

Back

Non-alcoholic chaser served alongside a drink.

Barback

FOH assistant who cleans, restocks, and supports bartender.

Buyback

Complimentary drink after a guest buys 3–4 full-priced drinks.

Comp

Item served and rung in but not charged (manager approval).

Void

Item entered in error and not made; removed from POS record.

On the House

Complimentary item for a guest; must be rung in and comped.

Shift Drink/Meal

Employee perk after a shift; must be rung in and comped.