Cheers to the bartenders of the world today, for it is World Bartender Day, a February 24 holiday. Today is a day to celebrate the bartending craft, and to give recognition and appreciation to the men and women behind the counters at bars, pubs, breweries, and wineries that we frequent.

Tending bar is among the world’s oldest professions and a very important one at that. You trust your local barkeep to fix your drink to your liking, and in a timely manner. In addition to perfectly preparing and serving drinks, a bartender is often a part-time psychologist of sorts. Bartenders are excellent listeners. Many a patron has unloaded their problems or sought advice, while cozied up to the bar with a drink in hand. Patrons have confessed things they wouldn’t tell their spouse, closet friend, doctor, and even perhaps their church priest.

There are all types of bartenders. A bartender can be a professional or non-professional. Tending bar is a skill position. The real professionals attend Bartender’s school for formal education. They know by heart, how to mix hundreds of drinks. You may have been a casual type of bartender without even knowing it. If you’ve ever mixed and served drinks behind a counter at a church or club function, at small parties, or even in your own home, you’ve been a bartender.

Famous Bartenders: Perhaps the most memorable bartenders were Sam (Ted Danson) and the lovable “Coach” (Nicholas Colasanto) on the television sitcom “Cheers”.

Did You Know? According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, there are over 745,000 bartenders in the United States.