Days That End in Y

I’m now a certified bartender! Even better, I already have an one-night, four-hour function lined up through the school! However, I do still need to go back in a week to attend the ServSafe Alcohol class and later in the month for CPR training. I’ll also head back next week to flip through the job book. Eventually, I should receive a photo ID for the school in the mail, too.

Today was markedly different from the previous three days. We immediately jumped into series pours, and I made 7 different orders 2-3 times each. I definitely found it difficult to keep them straight in my head and pour the correct amounts. For example, one of them was an order for a White Russian, Sombrero, and Toasted Almond. They all have varying amounts of Kahlua, so it wasn’t as simple as filling the glasses up all the same level.

After that, we went through the rest of the student manual, which consisted of things like how to manage the bar, how to open/close, ethics, how to find a job, and a brief look at other drink categories. This went by really quickly, so I’ll definitely have to read these pages in detail on my own.

Then, it was time for the one hundred question multiple choice test. It’s doubtful that I could’ve passed it without the class, but I definitely would’ve known much of it regardless. It covered every aspect of the class except for drink recipes.

After lunch, it was of course the recipe test where I was presented with around a dozen different drinks. I didn’t have to make them, but I did have to write down all the recipes. That part I definitely would never have passed without all the previous practice and studying last night.

And then, it was the end of the day, which is why I’m back early. We talked about jobs, and she made some copies of resources for me.

Anyway, here are my general impressions of the course:

• For $495, it’s a steal. In exchange, you learn a hell of a lot and get a lifetime of job placement assistance and refresher courses. If you’re already working in the industry, I bet you could even take a tax deduction for that cost. I can’t, though, since I’m transitioning from a different industry.
• You get what you put into it. Like anything in life, the class isn’t going to spoon feed you knowledge and a job. You have to expend a great deal of energy learning and practicing, which I’m sure is especially true in classes larger than one.
• The class doesn’t teach you everything. There are many things I still don’t know. For example, we didn’t pull a single pint of beer or open a single bottle of wine. We also didn’t go in detail over certain categories of drinks.
• It’d be better to take this class with a small group of people. I had the bar all to myself, which was nice in that I didn’t have to fight with other people over bottles and space, but that doesn’t really prepare me for real life.
• If you want a job, then this is the place to go. They have a job book and a lifetime of job placement assistence for graduates. There also seem to be plenty of people calling throughout the day looking for bartenders.

Overall, I had a blast and am glad I finally got around to taking this course. Note that they’re not paying me to say this. I did pay that $495 and think it was money very well spent.

I’ll post more about the school after I’ve popped my cherry, taken the ServSafe class, and taken the CPR class. Until then, try reading the previous posts:

• Bartending School: Day 3
• Bartending School: Day 2
• Bartending School: Day 1
• Off to Bartending School

Update: Read about days five and six, too!

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 27th, 2006 at 2:34 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.