You are a computer science student. You have no real hobbies besides playing video games - you are avoiding to socialize at all costs and prefer to watch the occasional sci-fi series on Netflix, alone. You are stuck at home.
You just entered my all-too-exciting life before all of this you are about to read.
As of writing this post, I have worked at Café Viggo's for 1 year. One whole year, which for me, has been a valuable learning experience. I am not talking about how to pour draft beer or make drinks, no. What I
am talking about is the social values this kind of job gives you. Let's embark on the journey that took me from the dark roams of isolation to becoming an outgoing bartender.
The social skills I earned at Viggo's helped me move forward
On some points, I feel that my social values have taken much longer to develop than they should have, which is something that became more apparent for me in recent years, as I started going out more. I didn't touch alcohol before the age of 21, which in Danish culture, is both odd and rare. That is not to say you need to consume alcohol to have fun, but let me use a quote here you have probably heard before; it sure does help (at least for me it did).
Socializing, one beer at a time
In the first month working at Viggo's, I really got pushed out of my comfort zone. I suddenly had to handle a lot of different people and situations, while being flexible and able to keep my mind clear when things got busy. It was a whole new environment to get used to.
A newcomer to the bar environment, I would only stay for one beer after my shift was over. But as I started getting to know the people I was serving beers - and my coworkers, I would occasionally stay for a second, third or fourth beer. In fact, most people drink at least 10 beers at Viggo's, but more on that later.
I was adapting to this new environment and I loved it. I started to crave talking to people and I developed a passion for beer and late evenings. I began to relax a lot more as I felt accepted - something which meant a lot to me back then.
Through socializing and beers, I became better at talking, more confident in having conversations and started to build what was to become friendships.
Working at Viggo's is about the social environment
The social environment at Viggo's is one of the most "dense" I have experienced. Let me elaborate on that.
You feel connected to everyone who works there. Everyone knows everyone - we have such a strong bond with each other. I can always talk with my co-workers, or ask them for help if I need something and we all have a big thing in common: we like beer.
Working at Viggo's I have learned both the positives and negatives about myself which gave me the tools I needed to overcome the barriers that I felt I had a difficult time to overcome. So for me, an anti-social dingo from the deserts of Australia, it has been a much needed dose of fresh meat.
Viggo's is a fun place to work. You get to experience it all and get some amazing stories to share. You would be surprised to see how people develop a second character, when they start to chug through beer after beer. I'll drink to that, so cheers!
The secret of Viggo's is the people who come to visit it. They are all a part of the recipe to create this social environment which I just can't seem to find anywhere else. Even the guy I found with no pants on in the basement of Viggo's, belongs there.
Did you spot me in that picture above? Grab a drink if you did - you deserve it.
The "drinking a dato" concept
Remember I mentioned that most people at Viggo's prefer to have their beers in the 10s? Of course you do. I think it's time to talk a little about Viggo's and what's so special about it. Let me introduce you to the "dato" concept. To drink a dato you simply put, have to drink 10 beers.
I have to drink a-what? And did you just say how-many beers!?
Unlike other bars, at Viggo's you get your game face on and sign up for drinking a dato. You are signing up to prove that you are man enough (or girl-enough?) to drink 10 draft beers or ciders, each 0.5 liters (that's 16oz per beer - for my American readers). That's a total of 5 liters, which you have to drink on the same day, before the bar closes.
It's a challenging task as it's just about the limit of alcohol tolerance for most people, so not everyone completes it.
In order to keep track of all this, everyone who is drinking a dato have one of those tough and near unbreakable paper bracelets around their wrist or - if they are a seasoned dato-drinker, on their glass. We, the bartenders, make sure to scan their bracelets (it has a barcode on it) and the computer keeps track of everyone's progress that way.
There are a few rules to follow when doing a dato, which is:
- You are not allowed to puke
- You may not have others drink your beer
- You may not bring it to the toilet
- You may not fall a sleep during the dato
- You are allowed to leave for a maximum of 2 hours to get something to eat
If you somehow manage to break those rules, you will be disqualified and cannot continue on your dato anymore. You can always start a new one, just not on the day you got disqualified. Did I mention you can also eat here?
Yep that's right. Bring your food and eat it while doing your dato, it sure helps to get some solid food when you have to drink so much beer.
Great times lie ahead
The journey of self-development I have been on at Viggo's, has rewarded me with invaluable social experience. When I reflect back at the situation when I just started working as a bartender, I can confidently tell that I have improved. But that is not to say I didn't have a great time during my teenage years, I was happy and felt that I got value from my life at the time - but times change, and so does the things that I value.
Here are some tips which I have grown accustomed to:
- Allow yourself to be spontaneous, more often than not it turns out to be a good time
- When you are invited to a beer (which is almost never just one) - say yes
- It's OK to sacrifice sleep every now and then
I'm looking forward to more great memories at Viggo's! It has changed me for the better - I have become a new, more social André, much more than past André. Make sure to come by one day if you haven't already, I guarantee you will have a good time while drinking your dato. Cheers!!