| Many people have considered a career as a | | | | Ask to see the classrooms, any text materials, |
| bartender at some point, and the job is especially | | | | and ask any questions you feel you need to ask. |
| popular with the younger socialite crowd. The job | | | | When you see the classrooms, they should |
| is appealing because of the social setting and the | | | | appear just like you'd expect a professional bar to |
| appearance of working a never ending party - | | | | appear: bar top, steel three compartment sink, |
| especially for bartenders in the club scene. | | | | speed racks, professional glassware and real liquor |
| Another reason the job is so alluring it the money. | | | | bottles. Texts should be in a good state of repair |
| It's possible to make $150 easily in a night, and up | | | | and fairly recently published. |
| to $300 isn't rare either for a short but busy night | | | | As for the actual training you'll receive once |
| behind a bar. | | | | you've chosen your bar school, you can expect |
| Most jobs allow for on the job training, and some | | | | to learn all the basics and universals you'll need to |
| places will allow a new bartender to train on the | | | | step behind a bar with a good head start, and the |
| job, but most of them require some form of | | | | confidence to mix some drinks and make some |
| experience or education. If you're going the | | | | money while learning the ropes. Every venue you |
| on-the-job route, the best way to get the | | | | work at will be different, so you can't expect to |
| experience you're looking for is to apply as a | | | | learn everything in the classes, but with a solid |
| server at a restaurant and get in good with the | | | | foundation in the universal aspects of bartending, |
| bartender so they teach you, or get a job as a | | | | you'll be off to a good start and not be constantly |
| barback at a bar. Bartenders tend to return the | | | | trying to play catch up. |
| favor to those who help them, servers and | | | | The basics of bartending which you will learn |
| barbacks alike, by showing them the ropes of | | | | include: how to mix around 100 of the most |
| bartending. | | | | popular drinks, properly pouring a draft beer, how |
| However, that can take quite a while, especially in | | | | to pour a glass of wine, customer service and |
| a busy venue, because time to "train" is limited to | | | | responsible alcohol service. Bartender's school is |
| when the bartender and you both have some | | | | designed to teach you the basics and give you |
| time away from actually working. The alternative, | | | | the confidence to step behind the bar with a solid |
| if you've got a little extra money, would be to | | | | foundation that you can build on with actual job |
| attend bartender's school. These schools train you | | | | experience. Don't expect to learn everything in |
| in the basics of working in most professional bar | | | | the school, there are thousands of drink recipes |
| environments, as well as customer service and | | | | out there and the short course simply doesn't |
| responsible alcohol service. | | | | have the time to teach you every single one. |
| When choosing a bartender's school, do your | | | | You will have a strong foundation to build from |
| research. A good place to start is online, searching | | | | once you've graduated the class, and you'll be able |
| for the school's website and reviews from | | | | to focus your learning on the finer points of the |
| previous graduates. You'll want to be sure the | | | | venue you're employed at without having to learn |
| school is professional, tuition is reasonable, | | | | the basics in a fast environment. Instead, you'll be |
| materials (and the classrooms) are in good | | | | focusing your learning on things like the venue's |
| condition and that the students found their | | | | POS system, signature drinks and venue specific |
| experiences helpful in actual bartending jobs. As | | | | requirements that you can only learn on the job. |
| many of the schools also now offer job | | | | Once you've graduated bartender's school, you'll |
| placement assistance, you may want to look into | | | | have a solid foundation of bartending basics and |
| your options and see which ones also offer this. | | | | confidence to build your career on. The |
| Once you've compiled a list of schools you'd like | | | | knowledge you have before your first shift will |
| to check out, go to their physical locations and | | | | give you a huge advantage over most new |
| speak to the administration, instructors or staff. | | | | bartenders, and you'll be able to get right into it. |