This book is dedicated to the just starting apprentice,
to the professional bartender, to the cocktail enthusiast and anyone who enjoys a good drink.

A modern day bar book

Barkeep is a modern-day bar manual with a focus on hospitality, service, bartending, making and serving drinks, wine, coffee, and cigars.

Barkeep provides a huge amount of practical and more importantly very necessary information in a logical and organic way so that the novice bartender, as well as the seasoned veteran, can easily find what they are looking for.

“To be good at any profession, I truly believe that a focused, determined, and positive approach is the best way. Barkeep is composed of advice, experience, unique philosophy, cocktail recipes, knowledge, and theory.

The barkeep was written in a very specific way, throughout years of experience, with the purpose of sharing knowledge to future and present bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts”.

Danilo Božovic,
Author of Barkeep

Barkeep - The Art of Mixology, Bar & Cocktails
Danilo Dacha Bozovic

About the Author

Danilo “Dacha” Bozovic began his bartending career at the prime age of 20, in his hometown of Belgrade, Serbia. He found it was hard for a young bartender to easily learn what they were doing behind the bar, so he founded his own bar school called Belgrade Bartending Academy. During this time he was discovered by Dushan Zaric, one of the partners at New York’s famed Employees Only, and was offered a job with the company.

In 2011, he moved to New York to work at Employees Only until being offered the position of bar manager at EO’s sister concept, Macao Trading Co. While in this position, he penned his first book Barkeep: A Guide To Becoming A Professional Bartender in 2016.

After a few years, Bozovic was given a partner position that leads him to Miami where he opened Employees Only Miami and its neighboring bar, Swizzle, a tropical hideaway focused on rums from around the world. Bozovic has also consulted on various projects including revamping Faena Miami’s multiple outlets. Bozovic’s latest cocktail placemats include Faena Hotel, Miami Beach, and East Hotel, Brickell.

Currently, Bozovic is the owner of Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery on South Beach. The concept is much like the previous Swizzle, with less of a focus on tropical and tiki and more of an overall spirits haven featuring cocktails inspired by his travels around the world. Bozovic released his second book Barkeep 2nd Edition: The Art of Mixology, Bar & Cocktails on November 24th, 2021.

He has been voted the top 10 best bartenders by Miami Times and has won the gold medal for the USA in the prestigious world cocktail competition in France.

Bartender, a professional host

The role of the bartender is much more than just making drinks or cocktails, pouring beer or making coffee.

As a professional host, the bartender is responsible for the whole experience and, at the same time, the well-being of the guest and the establishment. This is accomplished with sincere hospitality and professional service. Although our craft experience different periods the significance of the bartender as a good host remains of the greatest importance till this day.

The professional bartender should strive to reach the highest possible personal and professional standards. The best way to learn is from different situations while tending a bar where one should always analyze his performance and work.

Realize where the mistakes have been made, correct them and move forward. Nobody can know everything, but what the bartender does not know today, he should know tomorrow.

Bartenders, who read books written by greats such as Jerry Thomas or Harry Johnson, recognize the importance of a satisfied guest.

For some people, the role of host is more natural because they either grew up next to a person of such behavior and attitude or they innately have the character attributes which allow them to communicate more successfully with people. In order for a bartender to be a good host he needs to understand his guest well enough, to anticipate and satisfy his needs from the moment he enters the bar. For this to be possible it is crucial for a bartender to know and understand his bar (history, drinks, menu, philosophy, etc) if he intends to be a good host to his guest. The tools of our trade can easily be learnt, but to become a good host requires a lot more than that.

A bartender’s job is to make sure his shift goes smoothly. This is why he should be aware of everything that goes on at the bar. He is the one with control and that is how it should stay until the end of the shift. He should never lose control nor be unpleasant or repulsive towards a guest. All issues that occur during the bartender’s shift are his responsibility and up to him to resolve.

Testimonials

“Barkeep has really touched on all elements of proper education of bartenders”

Dushan Zaric
Employees Only NYC
Macao Trading Company NYC

“Barkeep will equip you with knowledge of the skills needed to become a good basic bartender, but it will also inspire you to be a great host. Danilo’s honesty, humility, and humor infuse these pages, and this fine book both invites, and rewards, reading, and frequent re-reading”

Philip Duff
Director of Education
(Tales of the Cocktail)

“The passion for the craft of bartending is displayed on every page of Barkeep. Danilo Božović have given young bartenders a treasure trove of inspiration and knowledge. I stepped behind the bar in 1974, with my smile a natural simpatico that I relied on to get me over the bumps and not much else; oh how I could have used Barkeep!”

Dale DeGroff
Bartender and Author

“Barkeep harkens tradition and classic aesthetic with an eye toward modern hospitality and mixology”

Allen Katz
New York Distilling Company

Barkeep Book - A Modern Bartending Guide © 2024 All rights reserved.