[strawberrygirl]

So I'm thinking about going to a bartending academy.. two weeks of instruction, then I can work in a real bar setting! Anyone ever went to one? What was it like? How much does it cost where you live?

[Trungy]

I went to one back in 2007 for a couple of weeks. I live in Boston, and I went to one that was right smack in the middle of the city.

It was pretty good. As with anything, the more you put in, the more you get out of it. I spent a lot of time learning drink mixes and rules of engagement as a bartender. I also spent a lot of time at the bartending school, talking to my teachers and some people who I had met there.

All in all, it was a mixed bag. On one hand, my school did offer me a lot of opportunities. I could have done weekend gigs at events/functions, but I couldn't get into it because my classes at my university were tougher than I thought it would be. I had a friend who ended up getting a job at this bar in a crummy neighborhood. You kind of had to take whatever job was available, because experience was just too necessary to get into some good places.

I also had a roommate whose sister was a bartender in New York City. She never took classes and claimed to have learned everything she needed from a book, and not from a $350 course. I think she went to NYU at the time. I'm not sure. She was too smashed at 4 pm to be going to NYU.

I would recommend some sort of course, because they do give you a lot of the basic skills to be a bartender, and they do help you try to get a foot in the door. It is really better than cold-calling bars, not unless you are a good looking girl with a chatty personality, to which I'd say skip the class and just pick up a book at a public library.

[Sophisticate]

Good luck.

I heard you don't "need" courses or certificates, but it can't hurt. I think one course in California is about $150 (roughly).

Most importantly.. be social :]. Be chatty~ GET THOSE TIPS GIRL.

[My Sweet September]

I've been looking into bartending as well, cause honestly there is some great money that can be earned, but most bartenders I have spoke to do not recommend bartending school. Most employers do not take them seriously. If you seriously have no clue about how to mix drinks and have no customer service experience, it may be a wise investment on your part. But I would read up on some mixology books first, like the first poster said you can find them at your local library.

But bartending school can't hurt....it's just, pretty expensive. Research carefully before attending a school because a lot of them are an absolute JOKE. Where do you live? I might be able to point you to some that are legit.

[strawberrygirl]

I've been looking into bartending as well, cause honestly there is some great money that can be earned, but most bartenders I have spoke to do not recommend bartending school. Most employers do not take them seriously. If you seriously have no clue about how to mix drinks and have no customer service experience, it may be a wise investment on your part. But I would read up on some mixology books first, like the first poster said you can find them at your local library.

But bartending school can't hurt....it's just, pretty expensive. Research carefully before attending a school because a lot of them are an absolute JOKE. Where do you live? I might be able to point you to some that are legit.

I live in Hawaii. There are a lot of bartending jobs to be had here, as the nightlife is pretty decent. A friend of mine has a few co-workers who went through a 2-week, 8 class program and got their certification with Hawaii Bartending Academy. They are supposed to help you find work afterward, either in a club- or restuarant-type setting. Not too sure where my friends co-workers have ended up, but from what I hear they are making some pretty good money.

I've worked in the food service industry for about 5 years now, so customer service is not an issue. Actually, I can make a lot of non-alcoholic drinks as well.. I work at Jamba Juice, lol. I'm thinking of just going with the program because of the fact that they help you find something in the end.. I have a decent knowledge of alcohol too (I like to drink it!) but I just want the security of having exact recipes and all that good stuff. Have you heard of any other places in Hawaii I should check out?

[notoriousbea]

One of my friends is a bartender right now at a sports grill and she never attended a bartending school. I was wanting to get into that as well but she was telling me that it's unnecessary to go through the classes because it's pretty expensive and a waste of time. She just borrowed books from the library and taught herself the basic techniques and mixing of alcohols and that was it. A lot of resturants/clubs/bars just ask for you to be TABC certified but that's mainly it. I think the only thing that the bartending academy guarantees is a job after you finish the course but that's it.

Good luck with that!!!

[nara jjang]

yeah i own a bar with my parents....
we usually don't look at if you went to bartending school...and it doesn't really help with the hirings...
you get maybe a slight advantage...but not alot...
we mostly look at apprerance and personality...if u have those we will just train u on the spot....
i personally think bartending school is a waste of money...
unless u are going to own a bar and be the bartender...i wouldn't take it...
what matters most is having a personality

[Nerdy]

Not sure how it works for other cities, but a lot of Chicago bars don't like people that have gone to bartending school and try to make them unlearn the things they got out of it. All the bartenders I know either started as barbacks, servers, or did bartending at smaller suburban bars before getting their big breaks in the city.

[strawberrygirl]

Hmm.. it sounds like I should try the library/on the job training aspect first. If that doesn't work then maybe I'll go for the classes. Thanks for your input everyone!

[res0nate]

Not sure how it works for other cities, but a lot of Chicago bars don't like people that have gone to bartending school and try to make them unlearn the things they got out of it. All the bartenders I know either started as barbacks, servers, or did bartending at smaller suburban bars before getting their big breaks in the city.

This is what I did, had some good times; not something I wanted to do on a daily/weekly basis though.