How to hire a mixologist

How to hire a mixologist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step mixologist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a mixologist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new mixologist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a mixologist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A mixologist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, mixologists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of mixologists.

   Type of Mixologist	Description	Hourly rate
   Mixologist	Bartenders mix drinks and serve them directly to customers or through wait staff.	$7-19
   Banquet Bartender	A banquet bartender is primarily in charge of managing bar counters and serving beverages at banquets, ensuring client satisfaction. Besides mixing, preparing, and serving drinks, they are also responsible for answering inquiries, recommending beverages, following recipes in crafting drinks, processing payments, and handling credit transactions... Show more	$8-19
   Bartender Server	Bartender servers are employees who work in the restaurant's bar area. They are responsible for assembling customers' drink orders and serving these to customers... Show more	$11-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Wine
   • Bartending
   • Excellent Guest
   • Cleanliness
   • Drink Orders
   • Fine Dining
   • Cash Handling
   • BARS
   • Craft Cocktails
   • Beverage Orders
   • Customer Service
   • POS
   • Serving Drinks
   • Drink Recipes

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Book VIP tables and provide high quality service.
   • Count down all registers in VIP sections.
   • Open new restaurants and bars across the country.
   • Cut fruit for garnishing as well as ingredients for cocktails.
   • Operate POS terminal without error totaling approximately $20k in sales on a weekly basis.
   • Keep records and enter all the items of food and beverage in the POS system.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your mixologist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A mixologist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, mixologists' average salary in mississippi is 57% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level mixologists earn 63% less than senior-level mixologists.
   • Certifications. A mixologist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a mixologist's salary.

   Average mixologist salary

   $12.10hourly

   $25,161 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level mixologist salary

   $15,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 12, 2025

4. Writing a mixologist job description

   A good mixologist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a mixologist job description:

   Mixologist job description example

   Serve and prepare alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for cocktail servers, as well as, casino guests.
   ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
   
   Includes the following:
   Follows all alcohol safety standards including checking identification to ensure the minimum drinking age requirements are met. Ensures guest are not over-served, reaching the point of intoxication. Provides excellent guest service to external and internal guests. Ensures high-quality beverages are served. Adheres to drink recipes as standardized by company. Performs financial transactions and processes guest payment for the goods and services delivered. Stocks supplies for the next shift. Cleans, washes and stocks all glassware and bar supplies. Upholds cleanliness standards for station and shared areas of responsibility. Promotes the Big Six; encourages a fun, friendly, quick, comfortable, clean, and safe environment. Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
   
   SUPERVISORY/MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY
   
   No supervisory/management authority.
   
   EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
   
   High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED) and 1 year of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
   
   OTHER REQUIREMENTS
   
   Must be at least 21 years of age. Ability to obtain a food handler's card. Ability to pass all alcohol awareness training. Ability to obtain and maintain licensing by the appropriate gaming authority. Ability to obtain a state issued alcoholic beverage license.
   
   WORK ENVIRONMENT
   
   Work may be performed in a variety of settings, including climate-controlled office settings and/or casino floors which includes exposure to second-hand smoke and crowd noise. Work requires standing for long periods of time which includes frequent bending and kneeling. Work requires lifting objects up to 50lbs. Work will require working varied shifts including, weekends and holidays, as needed.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right mixologist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your mixologist job on Zippia to find and recruit mixologist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit mixologists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new mixologist

   Once you've decided on a perfect mixologist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new mixologist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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