It has been on my bucket list for years, so I was extremely excited about finally taking bartender classes.   Having made drinks for friends for years and considering myself the best “amateur” bartender I know; as a liquor enthusiast, I was interested in learning more about recipes, traditional drinks, and the professional skills to take my bartending to the next level.  

The course is taught in an out of the way spot that almost looks like a seedy bar, i.e., the perfect location.  No traditional classroom here, oh and no real liquor either – which was my first and only disappointment about getting certified.  I mean who wants to learn about drinks and not test them out?  Major downer! (*Insider secret:  they use water and food coloring to mimic the colors of the liquors and mixers so that the fake drinks look just like real drinks). 

Our class was filled with about a dozen wanna-be bartenders that spanned all walks of life from an under 21 year old girl and her “gay bestie”, an older woman who already worked in service industry who wanted to make more money, to a couple of hot men and women looking to make a lot of cash by combining their good looks with an actual marketable (and on demand) skill in the high volume Miami club scene.  Our two instructors, Izzy and Jay, were experienced bartenders who were both entertaining and knowledgeable.  One of the cool parts of the class was learning funny acronyms to remember drink names.  For example, you get an orgasm on your back so it’s easy to remember that the recipe for an Orgasm is Bacardi, Amaretto, and Kahlua (B.A.K.) or that the Japanese kamikaze pilots had a very tragic life and to make a Kamikaze you use Vodka, Triple Sec, and Lime (V.T.L.).  Yep, fun times at bartending school.

So for two weeks, I immersed myself into class and learned over 125 cocktail recipes as well as how to set up a bar, run a bar, close a bar, and some boring things like liquor laws and dealing with fake IDS.  (Ok, I know this is important, but since I don’t plan to ever work in a bar it was a bit boring for me).  Every class included instruction and hands-on practice.   One definite highpoint was moving from measuring by jig to learning proper pour counts.  Even though at home I use my own “pour counts,”  I am proud to say that I can now perfectly pour 1 oz, 1 and ½ oz, and 2 oz, etc. counts.  Another highpoint was learning how to “eggshell” pour a drink from the shaker and mixer glass.  Again, another skill I had not yet perfected on my own.  Now I am certified!!! 

Overall, it was a wonderful experience.  I really enjoyed learning more about the different liquor brands and liqueurs and their history, as well as recipes for traditional drinks like Rumrunners, Tom Collins, Martinis, and Manhattans.  And what better skill than knowing exact recipes for classic, specialty shots like the Kamikaze, Blowjob, and Washington Apple.  It also gave me a great appreciation for the craft and admiration for those bartenders who really do it well.

To truly appreciate an art, sometimes you must experience the art!

-I’ll drink to that