100 things to do while your bar is closed

As cocktail competitions are postponed, bar events are cancelled, bars are closed, and everything in hospitality is shut down, here at cocktails for you we recommend that even those who show no sign of illness stay home during this time of the global pandemic.

That's fu*%ing right: It's advised that you self-quarantine.

Remaining inside is a good way to protect yourself and others from the coronavirus, is an important measure to help "flatten the curve" of daily cases that put pressure on our health care system.

What's there to do while stuck indoors? We've compiled 100 suggestions to help make your time quarantined as exciting and productive as possible. 

1. Watch the movie "Cocktail (1988) 

In case you haven't seen Cocktail, or haven't seen it in a while, you should know it's kind of insane. How many times you have been called "TOM CRUISE. "

2. Start a Social media account or start writing a blog. Sure, it can be about the coronavirus. Still, it could also be about a specific interest from your self, your work or things you like.

3. If it won't bother your neighbours: Dust off that old instrument or Dj equipment and start practice. We all see Nico de Soto or Ralph Malak rocking the Facebook live stream. 

4. Text some of your workmates or friends how they are doing, have a chat. We used to talk with 100 people a day. Socialise, it's essential to stay in contact.

5. Learn one life hack a day you never know when you were gonna need it. Just try it! Type in your youtube search LIFE HACKS, and you will be surprised how many things you can find.

6. Read a cocktail book or etc. you've avoided until now.

7. Go on www.cocktailsforyou.net find the article you like, read, enjoy and learn. You will be surprised at how much useful information you can see there.

8. Read Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold you will thank me for it later.

9. Meditate. Try lying down with your eyes closed, palms up and while focusing on your breath. It is like a restart button for your brain everything after works faster. Want practice yoga hit Camille Vidal she will make you busy - she is Yoga guru in our industry. ( ig: @madame_cami_vidal )

10. Start making your cocktail library, write 1 or 2 cocktails a day it can be your own Cocktail or your favourite twist. Later it can be helpful for the new cocktail menu or drinks for your guest shift.

11. Organise apps on your phone, delete ones you not using try to find useful ones.

12. Sort out your personal cloud. Upload your cocktail and profile images so can access every time you need them. ( trust me you gonna need them )

13. Improve your cooking skills. Look at the recipes online try something different now you have shit loads time to do it. Look trough Gordon Ramsay stuff you not only learn how to cook but how to fucking swear.

14. Read how to be better bartender: https://bit.ly/2QVCsO3

15. Learn the classic cocktail recipes. You might now most of them, but it is essential to know classics also that can inspire to make your own ones or make the delicious twists.

 16. Make a list of improvements for your social media accounts and see how you can do them.

 17. Filter your social media inappropriate pictures from public. You never gonna have a second chance to make the first impression. A lot of companies check their future candidates for work on social media.

 18. Think about non-alcoholic and low an abv cocktails its good to know, especially than the demand of these type drinks are growing.

 19. Recommend to a friend, colleague or ask the recommendation of a good cocktail book to read.

 20. Tidy up your bar equipment and drink shelf.  

 21. Clean your house, room or apartment its perfect time to catch up on dusting.

 22. Try to write a seminar about something you good at it. Consult with your colleagues don't be afraid to ask for help if needed. In learning, you will teach, and in teaching, you will learn.

 23. Make the bucket list for the bars you want to visit.

 24. Have you ever tried to create a pop-up bar idea? Try to look in existing pop-up's and see if you can learn from them.

 25. Try 1-day fasting. Read before : shorturl.at/fIL17

If you need advice no better man than Ian Bell ( ig : 1iainrb )

 26. Learn more about spirits and liqueurs. Find interesting facts about it, its always good to know, primarily if you work with them. Have you know History of Midori hit Danil Nevsky ( ig. @cocktailman ) or read an article about it here: shorturl.at/arEO9

27. Create a Linkedin account, LinkedIn helps you find relevant jobs that suit your skills and qualifications. You can either search for a job using the search field on the top of the LinkedIn.

28. Update your resume and portfolio, so the next time you see a job listing that inspires you, you can be the first to apply.

29. Use Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts or any other app to video chat with your long-distance friends.

30. Try out at-home exercise videos. Consider downloading a fitness app with curated workout playlists. Or ask the gym Guru from House of Angostura Mr. Daniel Jones ( ig @daniyelijones )

31. Making the switch to a healthy diet. Check the helpful link here: https://bit.ly/2yaseCS

32. Find Industry magazines to read online like Thirsty, Difford's Guide, Cocktail lovers, liqour.com and etc.

 33. Make a classic cocktail for your self you deserve it. 67 more to go.

 34. Try to find bartenders, brands who does educational live streams go support your favourite bartender or brand. You never know you might learn something new. Check out ( Ansis Ancovs @rooster.rojo, Diego Ferrari @diegoferrari_cocktailart, Luca Missaglia @lucamissaglia #Italicus , @Riccardo_smith @freniefrizioni and many more )

35. Take time to reflect: What have you accomplished in the last year? What goals are you setting for yourself in the next year?

36. Write a fun, short stories from the bar happened to you and share with friends and us.

37. Actually, try to reproduce something you see on Pinterest. Probably fail. Try again.

38. Go through your stuff you don't need, make some space and get rid of shit you don't need. Trust it feels good after.

39. Finally, get around to fixing that broken doorknob and loose tile or cleaning scuffed up walls.

40. Have a lazy day. Sometimes it is good to do nothing and enjoy your self.

 41. Try to make your self a plan, there you want to be in 2, 5 and 10 years and see what you need to do to make it happen. It does not mean it will happen, but it is good exercise for your self.

42. Find 10 bad habits for your self and fix at least one.

43. Create a shared playlist on Spotify and ask all the bartender you know to add a few songs.

 44. Plan your next vacation down to the very last detail. We can't know when it will happen, that's up to the fates, but we can at least envision how it will take place and what we want to see when we're there. 

 45. Go through your camera roll, pick your favourite pics from the past year and make a photo book or order framed versions online.

46. Call. All. Your. Relatives.

47. Create a Google document of shows or movies you're watching and share it among family and friends.

48. Make a list of things for which you are grateful.

49. Have your own wine, rum or whiskey tasting of whatever bottles you have at home. Try to find differences and write them down. Try to compare with existing notes. Want some advice about rum tasting hit the Alex Mouzouris from Don Q rum ( ig @alexxtherumguy ) he will also add some Jiu-Jitsu lessons

50. Work on your financial planning, check your expenditures and check if there ways to save more money. You can use finance apps like Mint or GoodBudget.

51. Perfect your favourite cocktail recipe.

52. Make coffee, but this time study how many beans you use, which types, how hot the water is, how long it brews, and whether any of that makes a difference. You can always ask for advice by dropping a message to Martin Hudak global ambassador for Mr. Black i don't think we have any better coffee guy in our industry than Martin.

 53. Buy gift cards from your favourite local businesses to help keep them in trade while we quarantine.

 54. Write an excellent positive review of your favourite bar or restaurant.

 55. Read any non Cocktail related book.

 56. Say Thank you to people helped you or supported you.

 57. If you think you have an interesting story related to our industry to share. Share with us info@cocktailsforyou.net

58. Create an online challenge its always fun to see how many people will join and support.

59. Grow moustache or beard if you didn't have before, its best time to try it out. You can take a laugh of Eddie ( @eddie_this_is_my_life growing his first moustache )

 60. Make a list of your favourite bartenders and break down what they good at. Maybe you will find something you can improve in your self.

 61. Buy something for your self on Amazon or etc. Treat your self f%ck yeah...

 62. Make a music playlist for your bar. Don't get limited just by one list.

 63. Make a list of how to improve your bar without spending money.

 64. Make a list of how you can improve your bar to get better sales.

 65. Prepare for your day the night before, you'll have a much calmer morning because you can get up and do. You'll have less to think about, you won't run around looking for things, and you won't waste precious time. 

 66. Take the breaks than you need them.

 67. Build a Bond on Social Media. Engage with your followers on social media. Check how you can increase engagement online. 

68. Rearrange your furniture to make it seem like your home is a totally different space.

 69. Write an email to your future self.

 70. Choose at least five people that you haven't heard from in over a month on WhatsApp and write them a message to find out how they're doing.

 71. Rearrange your underwear drawers. Especially the one with all the mismatched socks. ( except Danil Nevsky @cocktailman mismatched long socks that's his thing )

 72. Open a second, themed IG account. Now is the time to get creative. Practice, play, study. Use lessons from Cocktails for You seminar - power of social media.

 73. If you haven't already done so, download TikTok and start exploring.

74. Google your name in quotation marks and see what comes up. It might be time to delete the old account you'd forgotten about.

 75. Apply for a new job. You have remote work experience now.

 76. Karaoke is always a great idea, especially if you want to get to know your neighbours:DD

You can always facetime and sing some songs with our Patron Ambassador Sarah Södersten ( ig : @sarahbellesouth )

 77. Learn how to make SEXY PINA COLADA with Danielle Dala Pola (ig : @danielledalapola form Esotico Miami )

 78. Give yourself a manicure, pedicure, do a face mask, or anything else you can think of that can be plausibly passed off as "self-care".

 79. Start vlogging your quarantine. It's up to you whether you want to publish them or not, it will still make for entertaining personal viewing in the future. Also, good practice and experience.

 80. Watch your favourite TV series from start to finish again. There's nothing wrong with that. 

 81. Want to learn or find out about Rotovap ( this is your guys : Remy Savage IG : @bar__savage , Andrey Bolshakov @andreybolshakov__ , Evgeny Shashin @shashin.evgeniy )

 82. Try to quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption.

 83. Make a Pizza. You can always drop a message to Mario Farulla, and he will share a recipe on how to make perfect pineapple pizza. ( ig : @mariofarulla )

83. Teach how to edit videos 

Use programs like iMovie or YouTube to teach kids how to edit videos. It's a meaningful skill to have in the real world! Who knows? Maybe you gonna start your own youtube channel.

 84. Listen to podcasts

There are tons of bar podcasts out there. Do some research and find which one is best for you.

 85. Practice ice carving. ( can you beat Spaniard Bernabeu ig: @spaniard_bernabeu he carves ice ball like nobody else )

 86. Try to improve your phone photography skills, watch youtube tutorials, use filters and editing apps. Need advice hit ( @eddie_this_is_my_life)

87. Have a drink with friends on a conference call or Instagram live :) it kind of fun.

 88. Try to grow avocado: it will die in a few weeks, but at least you can say you tried or ask advice Chloé Merz ( ig: @chloemerz ) we seen she just planted one.

 89. Unsubscribe from all the newsletters clogging your inbox that you never, ever open. Unsubscribe 1 spam a day keeps shit from your inbox away.

 90. Practice, or try to learn a different language, phrases, quotes or fun words. ( lasos, zherebez, ) Want learn Ukrainian- Russian words with the strongest accent in the world Artem Skapenko is your man. (ig @artem_skapenko )

 91. Think about the new you.

 92. Find 5 Instagram channel's there you can promote your self or work you do. (the Cocktail of the day, the bar of the day, bartender of the day, you are model, shit cool tattoos )

 93. Practice your free pour.

 94. Practice your work technique.

 95. Make clear ice at home

 96. Sustainability at home?

 97. Trash tiki cocktails, or cocktails from your fridge... check Georgi Radev from Laki Kane how to make drinks at home. ( ig : @tikibigdaddyg )

 98. Check Instagram @fuckcocktailsanddie . Sometimes it is too harsh but if you cant handle true look for sweet lies somewhere else.

99. 99 problems and bitching one. Find that problem and get rid off.

100. say nothing, do nothing, nothing happens.