What Is The Difference Between An Online Bartending School, And An In-Person Bartending School?
If you are looking to start a career as a bartender, you have two ways in which you can learn the trade. You can either attend an in-person bartending course, or you can learn online.
An in-person bartending school has been the primary solution for the last few decades. Typically taught by a former bartender, this brick and mortar location is set to teach students in a simulated environment. With functioning soda guns, multiple stations, and bottles filled with dye to replicate an actual bar (without the actual bottle cost), the physical bartending school is as close to the real thing as some may get.
The pros of an in-person course:
- Hands on learning
- Replicated work environment
- Instructor leads the course
- Time for questions and answering
- Small intimate group setting
The cons of an in person course:
- Time consuming. Typically courses run 40+ hours in a one week period
- Run in a group, so learning is group paced
- Very outdated
- Difficult to attend if you work or have kids or are in school
- High price point
While it may seem like a great idea to enroll in a bartending school for the education aspect, there are definitely some things you have to consider. The brick and mortar locations are run in a group setting, which means if someone in the group is a slow learner who asks a lot of questions (typically irrelevant ones), your course is going to move at a slow pace. In addition to the group environment, the hours of most schools make it very difficult for the average person to attend. Especially true, if you work another job, have kids, attend college, etc. Nighttime bartending school is a serious commitment, and for some, it just doesn’t make sense.
The biggest problem most people find with an in-person class is the cost. Today, the typical bartending school runs you about $450-$600 for a one week class taught by an instructor. For some of you, it might be the perfect solution, but for others, it might just be a bit out of budget.
Now, there is the second option for learning to bartend, which is to do so online. Education is everywhere, and you can find some pretty good online resources if you shop around.
The pros of an online course:
- Cheaper than attending a physical school
- Ability to learn at your own pace
- Flexible schedule, if any at all
The cons of an online course:
- Biased instructors
- Not very in depth
- More about teaching individual cocktails
- Videos are very scattered about the internet
The biggest problem with most online courses is who created it. Unfortunately, bartending school online is not something that has the best interest of the student at heart. Most of the top rated resources that exist are actually hosted and taught by some of the biggest alcohol brand portfolios. Their online courses are just one big brand promotion, trying to sell their product portfolio to consumers. Rather than teach you how to bartend, they are teaching you how to make a few drinks, with their ingredients. A great solution if you want to host a party at your house, but not the most relevant knowledge if you're looking to get a job at a nightclub.
Because of the flaws in both of the existing systems, we decided to create our own course. We created “The Bartending Masterclass” to give you the best of both worlds, and eliminate the stuff that doesn’t add value.
Our bartending course gives the student the following
- Easy to follow modules in an online framework
- Ability to watch and learn on your own schedule
- Taught by a current working bartender
- Course is sold at less than HALF the price of a brick and mortar school
- Designed to teach and train a student the needed skills to do the job
- Course contains additional handbook & recipe guide
Now an online course might not be for everyone, and we totally get that. But we at least wanted there to be an option that existed that made sense if you were serious about getting a bartending job. We wanted to create a course taught by a current working bartender that understood the current market. We see all too often in the physical schools, that the bartender is teaching a curriculum of drinks that lost their popularity in the late 80’s. Most of the drinks they teach are old, outdated, and just don’t apply with today's customers.
Our Bartending Masterclass is designed to teach you what actually matters. We introduce you to the tools of the trade, the spirits, and the cocktails, but we give a much different perspective. This course, as opposed to all others that exist, is designed to make you a good employee. It’s designed to teach you how to be good at the job, and make more money at the job. The sad truth is that most people view bartending as a side gig to make extra cash. And while that may be true for some, others who have dedicated their careers to the industry have done very well for themselves. So that's the approach we took. Teach someone who knows nothing how to do the job, and how to do it in a way that they can make a career out of it.