Bartender / Mixologist

Runs the bar on a large yacht, creating cocktails, managing spirits and wine stock, and serving guests from sundowners to late nights. Good drinks and quiet, sharp service shape how guests remember the trip.

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Department: Interior
Reports to: Head of Service
Yacht size: 70m to 150m+
Contract: Seasonal or permanent
Starting pay: €3,200 per month

What the job is

A dedicated bartender is a role you find on larger yachts, usually 70m and up, where guests entertain every night and expect bar standards from a top hotel. You design the drinks menu with the Head of Service, make everything from a classic martini to a cocktail built around the owner's favourite fruit, and keep each bar on board stocked, clean and ready at all hours.

Behind the shaker there is a lot of admin. You run the spirits, mixers, garnish and glassware inventory, order for each trip, log usage and track breakages. You work with the chef on syrups, infusions and ice, and with the sommelier or chief stew on wine. Preference sheets matter. If a guest drinks a specific mezcal with a particular tonic, you source it before they arrive, sometimes from a supplier in another country.

You are still part of the interior team. When the bar is quiet you help with service at lunch, turndown, laundry or detailing, and you join the safety drills, watch rota and fire team like any crew member. Hours follow the guests, so late nights are normal and you need to be fresh again the next afternoon. Discretion is essential, as you hear far more than you serve.

What makes a good one

Classic and modern cocktail technique
Spirits and wine knowledge
Bar stock control and ordering
Discreet guest service
Stamina for late nights

A day in the life

A steward carrying a tray of drinks — A charter day, 78m motor yacht, Balearics

09:30Start after a late finish. Check the overnight bar was cleared properly and restock the main deck and sundeck bars from the bar store.
10:30Prep for the day: cut citrus, make fresh syrups and purees, juice fruit and check ice levels with the deck team, who run the ice machines on some boats.
12:00Join interior lunch service on the aft deck, running spritzes and soft drinks while the stews serve the table.
14:00Beach club setup. Take a portable bar kit ashore by tender with a deckhand and serve frozen drinks and cold beers on the sand.
16:30Back on board. Wash and polish glassware, update the stock sheet and note a guest request for a rare Japanese whisky to source in Palma.
17:30Break and a short rest in the cabin before the evening.
19:00Sundowners on the sundeck. Build a themed cocktail for the charterer's birthday and talk guests through the menu.
21:00Pour wine pairings with the chief stew during dinner, then move to the main saloon bar for after dinner drinks and digestifs.
23:30Keep the bar running until guests turn in, then clean down, secure bottles for the passage and hand over to the night stew.

Pay by country

Monthly salary for crew on yachts 70m and above, usually quoted in EUR or USD. Charter tips are shared across the crew and can add a large amount on busy charter yachts.

France and Monaco: €3,200 – 4,500
Spain: €3,200 – 4,500
Italy: €3,200 – 4,500
United Kingdom: £2,700 – 3,800
USA (Florida): US$3,500 – 5,000
Caribbean: US$3,500 – 5,000
UAE: AED 12,800 – 18,400
Australia: A$5,400 – 7,600
New Zealand: NZ$5,900 – 8,300

Required

STCW Basic Safety Training
ENG1 medical
PDSD
Food Safety Level 2

Visas

Schengen
US B1/B2 or C1/D
Australian MCV for Australian cruising

Where it leads