We asked Harriet Leigh, from Sydney’s Archie Rose, to rally a few others for a conversation on women in the industry (and some drinks). Joining us (and rallying the troops herself) was Rachelle Hair, from The Baxter Inn; Neira Fetahovic from Riley St Garage; Jane McNamara from Pocket Bar; and Mary White, from The Lobo Plantation.
We had a wide-ranging conversation — here’s some edited highlights.
On the same old questions — namely, that bartending isn’t a career.
HL: Men face those same questions too. I’m bored of the question. I’m bored of the whole question.
On the sexism thing
NF: “I’m bored of being asked — oh, the keg needs changing, can you do that Neira?” Um, only for the last nine years. Are you fucking kidding me?
MW: It doesn’t even seem to be an issue, I think.
NF: I think girls are our worst enemy.
On being the first female employed to work the bar at The Baxter Inn
RH: It is both scary and amazing.
HL: Have you seen all of their dicks?
RH: Yes. Not in a good way. I’ve had my head farted on. I’ve seen them choreograph dances to Madonna at close — I’ve seen way too much. In a way they probably are at a different level, in that they probably treat me too equal — to take all of this and do the same job as everyone and no one expects any less. Sometimes the expectation is that women will do less in other bars, they won’t be expected to do everything. But I’m expected to do absolutely everything. No matter who you are, you come in and you’ll be given shit! And now I’m head of hazing.
The last time we were hiring at Baxter we offered it to three girls before any guys and they all turned it down. It’s a tough gig, you’ve got to be 100 percent committed to it.
On the shit you cop
HL: “I think it’s worse when you start out — once you’ve got your skill set down, people give you less shit. When I started out, boys would be wankers to you because they could see you were green.
NR: They stop sympathising when the elbow you in the boob — “you’re right, yeah?” Yeah OK, cool. It’s kind of nice, but it’s also like — oops, I kicked you in the nuts. Are you alright? So it goes both ways.
HL: One of the worst I had was actually a woman.She waited in the venue til the end of the night, I said she could stay and finish her drink while we were closing. She grabbed me, tried to get my clothes off — I’m a very scrappy fighter, so I threw her over my shoulder and carried her out on to the street. Anyone can be capable of being a real arse — it’s not gender-specific.
RH: The worst I had was at Frankie’s, in the fun room by myself. A guy I cut off, who instead of responding, like a person, he pulls out his dick and pissed all over the bar while staring me in the eye. Wipes his hands on his dick, then tries to shake hands.
NF: I feel like it’s often men. I’ve worked in sports bars where you go into the toilets and there in the urinals there’s a pint glass with shit in it.
JM: Two of the bartenders the other night got into a 45 minute fight [at close] — it was all about ego. So I’m like, well I’m just going to clean this all by myself while you sort out your macho stuff.
I never really had a problem working with men. Maybe in the beginning, when I was shit? Once they see you can do your job you get a lot of respect.
RH: You’re definitely under a spotlight a bit more, as a woman.
On Tash Conte, of the Black Pearl
HL: You can’t really say it’s difficult to be a female bartender when there’s a woman who’s had the most successful bar in Australia, that she’s owned for 15 years. She’s amazing.
On what you’d change in the industry
NF: I actually don’t mind the industry the way that it is.
RH: I just wish that there’d be more appeal to chicks [entering the industry].
HL: There’s not many people who see the industry as worth sticking around in, because what are you going to do after 20 years? Are you still going to be able to do 3am closes?
RH: I see a lot of girls going into ambassador roles, which I think takes away something.
On cocktail comps
RH: Serving you a cocktail on a bed of moss while steam comes out of your ears is not real bartending. It’s a different skill set — you know your comp bartenders from you every day get in and get it done bartender. Even chat and social skills I think are lacking in those comps. If you can’t relate to people on a social level, how do you entertain people?
On the blokey mentality in some bar teams
HL: There’s a different style where you can do things with respect. Still be funny, but not make the humour at someone else’s expense, because you don’t who’s going to go home and cry themselves to sleep because they can’t deal with it. I hate bullies. It’s an Australian culture thing, though, not the bar culture.