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School for Bartending
Glamorized by movies like Cocktail (starring Tom Cruise) and Coyote Ugly, the bartender dispenses drinks, entertains and converses with customers and in many cases, is essential to the vibe of the hottest nightclubs and restaurants. Of course, working as a bartender these days means you’ll be expected to do more than simply pour a few common drinks and serve draught beer.
Thanks largely to The Food Network and many of the shows it features; the appreciation for good food and drink is at an all time high. Thus, there’s a growing need for bartenders who are fully fledged mixologists, as well as for those who are schooled and knowledgeable about the various types of wine and what foods with which they pair properly.
While mixologists and bartenders share many of the same tasks, a mixologist is a “cocktail” specialist, expected to be able to “whip up” hundreds of popular cocktails on demand… and even create a few of his or her own! However, being a bartender is not all fun and games. The increasing amount of legal liability that every establishment faces when it opts to serve alcohol means that being a good bartender also means knowing when not to serve people. This point emphasizes the importance of proper training at the right school for bartending. How would you feel if someone you served hopped into a vehicle and caused a horrific accident as a result of consuming too much alcohol? Yes… working as a bartender means you assume an awesome responsibility, and one not to be taken lightly.
It is this need for responsible individuals that has caused many US states to require an alcohol seller or server certification in order for an individual to obtain employment serving alcohol. This certification ensures all individuals employed in this industry are trained to serve alcohol responsibly, as well as have knowledge of that state’s liquor laws.
Working as a bartender is an extremely popular option among students or anyone looking for a second job to subsidize the earnings of a day job since this is often an evening position. Official salary numbers as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics are not huge (anywhere from $17,000-$30,000) depending on where you are employed (physical location makes a huge difference, believe it or not). However, much of a bartender’s income comes from tips, which may or may not be fully reported as taxable income, so it likely the “true” numbers are significantly higher.
Considering that the typical “base” bartender course requires about 40 hours of instruction on average, this is a pretty quick and easy way to earn a salary that can be quite lucrative (again, the salary opportunities depend on a number of factors). Courses can be found locally – sometimes at community colleges or vocational schools, and there are even options for online schools for bartending! Whatever option you choose, know that you’re embarking on a fun and entertaining employment journey!
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