ABC Bartending Schools

This place SUCKS!!! I had an Amazon Local voucher (same thing as a Groupon)…I called them several times to find out when the class would start… never heard back from them… boo…

ABC equals: A Bottoms-​up Class?!
Yes n no! You’ll toast it after you pass the tests, but it’s not really as easy as «ABC». I took this class because I like to dig into things and I’m with Santiago A. and I think Sarita T.‘s review REALLY hits the high points. I also had the Groupon and thought it was well worth the 100 bucks.
It’s true:
* The place is kind of a mess due to the rather foul smelling liquids with which you are working (they aren’t actual liquor, but colored water to approximate) & I’m not sure just what exactly accounts for the odor. However, if you’ve ever been to certain bars… there’s that «after party» aromatic effect (Yankee has yet to make this candle). If you aspire to work in such a setting… you’d be well-​prepared to get adjusted to such olfactory inputs.
* The instructors were casual, straightforward, and sometimes sarcastic, but I’d rather learn from that type than a dull stooge. Not to mention… both my instructors knew their way around a drink and had some excellent stories. Definitely was not boring!
* You have a choice of different class times & drop-​ins to practice & Sarita is right — that «test» of 12 drinks in under 8 minutes is a great exercise & I too, whizzed through it after taking the classes (never having made much more than a dirty martini in the past.) There’s also a written exam! So, you will learn your stuff.
I don’t know about:
* Job placement etc. If this is really important to you. better look into it. I think if you can make friends and connections here — that cain’t hurt!
THEY (the instructors) DID!:
* make us clean up our work station and restock the liquids just as you would have to do in a regular bar/​resto so I think that’s excellent practice, especially if you’ve never worked in an F&B setting in the past.
* treat me very respectfully and worked with me when I was initially scheduling my class time since I’m in/​out of town. I was SUPREMELY satisfied with their professionalism on that side.
I enjoyed that my class was very diverse — I met a lot of cool and interesting people and I learned how to mix-​up everything from a Rusty Screw to a Cuba Libre ;)
«You b*tch, why didn’t you just tell me it was a rum n coke!?»

I took the entire class ($ 300) a few years ago. They had an ad for ABC Bartending in newspapers. It said that you could make $ 20 – 40 per hour and job placement will be available. Well, I took the class because I thought that job placement will be really available.
THEIR JOB PLACEMENT IS A COMPLETE SCAM. What they do is send you the list of supposedly available jobs once you complete the course in e-​mail. The list is nothing more than job openings ads from Craigslist copied word for word. The ABC Bartending only deletes the experience requirement from those ads. Then, you go to those places and wonder how those places do not ask for experience. The managers at those places give you applications to fill out, and you do not hear from those places ever again. How did I figure out ABC Bartending job placement ads? I went on Craigslist and saw identical ads.
Six months after my class was over, I went for a Basset class (Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training). I saw the same people from my class. NOBODY HAS FOUND A JOB! People, you do not need any certification, especially ABC Bartending certification, to become a bartender. You become a waiter first. Then, if there is an opening and you are a good fit, the manager will train you to become a bartender. Otherwise, no restaurant manager or owner will let you play with their liquor bottles if you do not have any experience and only equipped with ABC Bartending Certification.

I purchased a Groupon for bartending classes and attempted to get enrolled in a class for nearly THREE MONTHS before Groupon finally refunded me. No matter how many voicemails I left, they would never return my phone calls. The one time I did get in touch with an actual human, they completely blew me off and told me to call back the following week. This place is the absolute worst. Avoid it at all costs!

I also had a living social voucher for this class and I’m glad I did it. I did the one week 9 – 5 which was kind of a lot to take on but you’re learning from people who have tons of experience. Luis and Rob are like good cop bad cop but they are both great. Rob, you have my number I’d love to take you out for a drink sometime!

I also did a Groupon for my ABC tuition, and it was well worth what I paid for it (around $ 100). The classes were fun, the teachers were very cool (especially Colorado Matt and GTFM Mike), and you genuinely do learn a LOT about how bars are set up, how to mix drinks, and what managers and patrons will expect of you once you get a job.
On the other hand, ABC made it clear time-​and-​time again that getting a job is up to you. If you’re looking for a bartending school that is going to hook you up with a gig, I suggest you keep looking. But you will learn how to look for a job, and with all the high turnover in this field you will probably land a decent position somewhere. Maybe.
Another negative: the school itself is a mess. Most of the mess is a necessary part of learning since you don’t use real liquor when you mix. Instead, you use a foul-​smelling food colored water that is especially gross in dark brown form (i.e. whiskey, scotch, etc), and nasty as all get out when you’re making white russians and are forced to combine it with the «cream» down in your well. Wear your play clothes to your lessons, because you’re going to get dirty.
I took the 2 week night class, and I learned a lot about alcohol and bartending during my time at ABC. Our final exam required us to make 12 drinks in under 8 minutes, and I passed with flying colors even though I’ve never worked behind a bar in my life.
Edit: because I forgot to add that GTFM Mike was kinda cute.

This place is great. I took a class here using a Groupon I had purchased. It’s the real deal. You learn all the skills you need to get a job at a bar. Can you get a job without this? Of course… especially if your initials are DD /​cough
Do you want to nail the interview and not be a screw up for the first 2 weeks of the job? Do you want to earn big tips from day one? Do you want to know how to work in a fast pace bar (read: more tips) and then clean your station quickly, so you can get out fast after a long night?
The answers to all of the questions above are, yes. Basically, this helps get you prepared… and more importantly it helps take the stress out of an otherwise extremely fun job.
All of the instructors are friendly, fun, and extremely knowledgeable. They combine for a century of bartending experience. They can do this in their sleep and can teach you how to do it, too. I recommend this place for both a fun experience and for those looking to find a job.
P. S. Always remember: GTFM!