NT: School Me on Bartending

[bijald0331]

VeryAnalytical85 wrote:
I suggest number three for several reasons. If you frequent a bar (or order a drink/bottle enough) you should know how it tastes like, the process of preparing it and how much it costs. Take for example something like a girl drink, buttery nipple, it's a third of everything in ratio, (butterscotch schnapps, mid-top shelf vodka and baileys creme, caramel preferred). You order it enough times, try a few times and use the same ingredients. When you look up (or try other drinks) do the same thing. What else uses schnapps, vodka or creme. Go through the same procedure. Eventually you'll get into wines and other spirits (liquors) that's for the more "sophisticated" and older crowd, with regards to pairing or fine dining.

Starting off with even 5-10 basic recipes in due time and practice. You can learn on your own how to make up to 20-30 drinks within a few months.  

How costly is bartending school? I only ask because this method, in which you order 20-30 drinks multiple times, is costly. I browse my local CC course catalog from time to time to check out the non-credit classes and I swear I saw it (9-5 M-F for one week) for $595.

 

[bijald0331]

VeryAnalytical85 wrote:
I suggest number three for several reasons. If you frequent a bar (or order a drink/bottle enough) you should know how it tastes like, the process of preparing it and how much it costs. Take for example something like a girl drink, buttery nipple, it's a third of everything in ratio, (butterscotch schnapps, mid-top shelf vodka and baileys creme, caramel preferred). You order it enough times, try a few times and use the same ingredients. When you look up (or try other drinks) do the same thing. What else uses schnapps, vodka or creme. Go through the same procedure. Eventually you'll get into wines and other spirits (liquors) that's for the more "sophisticated" and older crowd, with regards to pairing or fine dining.

Starting off with even 5-10 basic recipes in due time and practice. You can learn on your own how to make up to 20-30 drinks within a few months.  

How costly is bartending school? I only ask because this method, in which you order 20-30 drinks multiple times, is costly. I browse my local CC course catalog from time to time to check out the non-credit classes and I swear I saw it (9-5 M-F for one week) for $595.

 

[theswoosh]

Dont do it for that long. 4-6 years max.

 

[brettthejett]

Got my bar-tending certification.

Worked once. From 9pm-4am

Made $200

Vowed that day to never do it again.

When you're at a bar, you are able to ignore the idiots. When you work there, you are literally tending to all those same idiots.

guido muscle man in a Prada teeshirt + sunglasses paying for a $7 vodka cranberry with his visa

no tip....#%#+ that

 

[brettthejett]

Got my bar-tending certification.

Worked once. From 9pm-4am

Made $200

Vowed that day to never do it again.

When you're at a bar, you are able to ignore the idiots. When you work there, you are literally tending to all those same idiots.

guido muscle man in a Prada teeshirt + sunglasses paying for a $7 vodka cranberry with his visa

no tip....#%#+ that

 

[theswoosh]

Dont do it for that long. 4-6 years max.

 

[veryanalytical85]

Originally Posted by bijald0331

VeryAnalytical85 wrote:
I suggest number three for several reasons. If you frequent a bar (or order a drink/bottle enough) you should know how it tastes like, the process of preparing it and how much it costs. Take for example something like a girl drink, buttery nipple, it's a third of everything in ratio, (butterscotch schnapps, mid-top shelf vodka and baileys creme, caramel preferred). You order it enough times, try a few times and use the same ingredients. When you look up (or try other drinks) do the same thing. What else uses schnapps, vodka or creme. Go through the same procedure. Eventually you'll get into wines and other spirits (liquors) that's for the more "sophisticated" and older crowd, with regards to pairing or fine dining.

Starting off with even 5-10 basic recipes in due time and practice. You can learn on your own how to make up to 20-30 drinks within a few months.  

How costly is bartending school? I only ask because this method, in which you order 20-30 drinks multiple times, is costly. I browse my local CC course catalog from time to time to check out the non-credit classes and I swear I saw it (9-5 M-F for one week) for $595.


Well I wouldn't say in one week or one day you would order the same drink. But rather over time after attending your regular bars/lounges/clubs. How often you go out? Well how often do you drink those drink(s) with your friends, gf, associates etc. You can incorporate the cost by naturally ordering it while you go out and observe how bartenders make it. It balances out, if you're not an avid drinker/lush/alcoholic like I am or other NT'ers then like I said before get the Bartending for Dummies guide (4th or 5th edition I think is the most recent) and you'll save money by picking and choosing which drinks you want to master.
Also, if you're fond of pre-partying, you can have your own personal bar at a budget of about $200.00 with some mid to top of the line stuff. In my college bar I had the following liquors: Belvedere, Alize, Henessey, Jagermeister, Goldschlager, Bacardi 151, Crown Royal, Butterscotch and Peach Schnapps, Blue moon, Red Bull, 7up and other garnishes and extras. You can practice at home and make stuff for your friends and family if money can be tight. Look for sales in Costco, Walmart, Bevmo and Pharmacy stores that would have liquor on sale.

Bartending school can range between $200 to $500 + dollars depending on the establishment and the procedure of acquiring it. Some bartenders make you do x amount of drinks (usually x is about 50-100 drinks within a given time period for you to complete to program). Others break it down into sections (you learn basic mixes like Jack and coke, then to more sophisticated cocktails and then scotches etc.) with it being 100-150 dollars per section test before getting your certification. I would strongly suggest looking into your local bar owners/bartenders and recognized schools by people like Ray Foley (who is the Publisher of Bartender Magazine: 

Follow this ink here for reference: http://www.internetsiteso...schoolsScholarships.html

Hope this helps.

 

[veryanalytical85]

Originally Posted by bijald0331

VeryAnalytical85 wrote:
I suggest number three for several reasons. If you frequent a bar (or order a drink/bottle enough) you should know how it tastes like, the process of preparing it and how much it costs. Take for example something like a girl drink, buttery nipple, it's a third of everything in ratio, (butterscotch schnapps, mid-top shelf vodka and baileys creme, caramel preferred). You order it enough times, try a few times and use the same ingredients. When you look up (or try other drinks) do the same thing. What else uses schnapps, vodka or creme. Go through the same procedure. Eventually you'll get into wines and other spirits (liquors) that's for the more "sophisticated" and older crowd, with regards to pairing or fine dining.

Starting off with even 5-10 basic recipes in due time and practice. You can learn on your own how to make up to 20-30 drinks within a few months.  

How costly is bartending school? I only ask because this method, in which you order 20-30 drinks multiple times, is costly. I browse my local CC course catalog from time to time to check out the non-credit classes and I swear I saw it (9-5 M-F for one week) for $595.


Well I wouldn't say in one week or one day you would order the same drink. But rather over time after attending your regular bars/lounges/clubs. How often you go out? Well how often do you drink those drink(s) with your friends, gf, associates etc. You can incorporate the cost by naturally ordering it while you go out and observe how bartenders make it. It balances out, if you're not an avid drinker/lush/alcoholic like I am or other NT'ers then like I said before get the Bartending for Dummies guide (4th or 5th edition I think is the most recent) and you'll save money by picking and choosing which drinks you want to master.
Also, if you're fond of pre-partying, you can have your own personal bar at a budget of about $200.00 with some mid to top of the line stuff. In my college bar I had the following liquors: Belvedere, Alize, Henessey, Jagermeister, Goldschlager, Bacardi 151, Crown Royal, Butterscotch and Peach Schnapps, Blue moon, Red Bull, 7up and other garnishes and extras. You can practice at home and make stuff for your friends and family if money can be tight. Look for sales in Costco, Walmart, Bevmo and Pharmacy stores that would have liquor on sale.

Bartending school can range between $200 to $500 + dollars depending on the establishment and the procedure of acquiring it. Some bartenders make you do x amount of drinks (usually x is about 50-100 drinks within a given time period for you to complete to program). Others break it down into sections (you learn basic mixes like Jack and coke, then to more sophisticated cocktails and then scotches etc.) with it being 100-150 dollars per section test before getting your certification. I would strongly suggest looking into your local bar owners/bartenders and recognized schools by people like Ray Foley (who is the Publisher of Bartender Magazine: 

Follow this ink here for reference: http://www.internetsiteso...schoolsScholarships.html

Hope this helps.

 

[sneakerreaper]

I say go the Bartending School route.  I did a 1-week course for $500 and made all of that back my first night.  My teacher had plenty connections in the DC/PG area so whenever I wanted a gig, I could get one fairly easily.  Ended up doing mostly parties/weddings though in my short career as a bartender.  Way more work than I initially expected and I feel that the amount of a-holes and people who walk out on their bill overshadow the good nights that you will have.  A couple facts to help your decision:

1) Females will get hired before you regardless of experience
2) Females make more money than males (the bigger the boobs the more they make)(one chick literally stuffed her bra with toilet tissue when she got to work.

)(bathrooms at a bar.

)
3) Seniority is the rule. It is a pay-your-dues type of industry
4) Some people will not tip... get over it
5) High turnover rate and in the winter months you'll be lucky if you make any real money outside of holiday parties

 

[sneakerreaper]

I say go the Bartending School route.  I did a 1-week course for $500 and made all of that back my first night.  My teacher had plenty connections in the DC/PG area so whenever I wanted a gig, I could get one fairly easily.  Ended up doing mostly parties/weddings though in my short career as a bartender.  Way more work than I initially expected and I feel that the amount of a-holes and people who walk out on their bill overshadow the good nights that you will have.  A couple facts to help your decision:

1) Females will get hired before you regardless of experience
2) Females make more money than males (the bigger the boobs the more they make)(one chick literally stuffed her bra with toilet tissue when she got to work.

)(bathrooms at a bar.

)
3) Seniority is the rule. It is a pay-your-dues type of industry
4) Some people will not tip... get over it
5) High turnover rate and in the winter months you'll be lucky if you make any real money outside of holiday parties

 

[volkswaggin chedda]

VeryAnalytical, Brett, Sneaker Reaper & everybody else that gave advice- 

Much appreciated. LOTS of insight for me to think about.


Surprised at how much negativity I'm hearing tho. My boy had me feelin like I couldn't lose 

 

[volkswaggin chedda]

VeryAnalytical, Brett, Sneaker Reaper & everybody else that gave advice- 

Much appreciated. LOTS of insight for me to think about.


Surprised at how much negativity I'm hearing tho. My boy had me feelin like I couldn't lose 

 

[oneforall]

Only advise i have is always serve the hotties first.

 

[oneforall]

Only advise i have is always serve the hotties first.

 

[black chiney]

How bout going to bartending school?

 

[black chiney]

How bout going to bartending school?