Please take a minute and read very carefully what I have to say. In recent months, all kinds of online bartending schools and courses are popping up. As director of several established bartending schools and with 33 years of bartending and beverage hospitality experience, I have trained and placed thousands of bartenders because my graduates have actual “HANDS ON TRAINING”.  They are hired and make great money because they can do the job. Let’s say you want to become a auto mechanic or technician - can you learn that on line? NO! You need to get your hands on the equipment to learn and to the job.

.Reasons for not taking an online course:

NO LEGITIMATE CERTIFICATION:

My schools are licensed and regulated by state education agencies, so my certificate has credibility when you apply for bartending work. Licensed schools adhere to State guidelines from proper facilities for training: instructors that have the experience to teach, job placement guidelines, bonded to assure you that we will be hear when you need us.

NO LOCAL JOB PLACEMENT:

I pay a full time job placement director who places my graduates, sets up appointments and interviews, and provides private party and event work on a weekly basis (my grads get paid $20 per hour for these jobs).  No matter what they say, you are on your own with an online course.  Once they have your money and have sent you some drink recipes that is it - they may as well just say, "Good luck and thanks for your money."

NO HANDS ON TRAINING BUILDING DRINKS OR POURING SKILLS:

So, you know what is in a Margarita from reading the recipe.  Okay, now get behind a real bar and make a Margarita for me - what do you do first? On the rocks or straight up? Frozen or blended? Which tequila do you use? Triple Sec or Cointreau?  If you do not know the answer,  that tells you licensed schools will provide you with the education and skills to really become a professional bartender and make some money. And that is only one drink out of 150 that you learn at my schools.

NO POURING SKILLS:

How do you to hold a liquor bottle so you pour the right amounts? How do you hold 2 or 4 bottles at one time? How do you pour 1oz, 1 1/4 oz, 1 1/2 oz or 2 oz accurately? Can you learn these skills online? I don't think so.

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE:

What is Dewar’s? What is Grand Marnier? What does the bottle and label look like? In my schools, you work with the actual bottles, so when you go to work in a real bar you recognize your product and feel experienced right away. This will not happen online. I could go on and on but you get the point.  Licensed brick and mortar bartending schools have been around for 40 years and there is a good reason for that. Our programs work. You are trained to be a professional bartender and you are able to work and make money as one. You get what you pay for. If you are thinking of bartending, do it right. Visit our schools and make an intelligent decision based on facts.  What have you got to lose? Tuition for most schools is very reasonable. Graduates usually make their money back in 1-2 weeks of work. Try to think of any other skill that you can learn and make your tuition back in a few weeks.

Cheers,

Jack McKim, Director