I took a course here a few months ago and I thought it was okay, but not amazing. I barely learned anything about wines and beers, which is VERY important if you are going to work in a restaurant (most bars in Boston serve food also, unlike in NYC). They did a good job of teaching the common cocktails that you need to know. I think there could have been some aspects of the course to make it stronger. First, they didn't ask for feedback after the course to see what could have been improved. That is not a good sign. Second, as I mentioned, they spent way too little time on wines. Learning regions, varietals and pairing is really key in my opinion. It's not just about how to make Lemon Drops for a bunch of drunk college kids. Boston is a pretty high-end market and even sports bars take their food pretty seriously -- which means they want folks that know wines and beers. There could have also been more information about working as a bartender in a restaurant, to give students new to the industry an understanding of your overall responsibilities. Another key improvement - and I have no idea if other schools offer this - is to practice taking and completing orders using a live Point of Sale (POS) system. Lastly, I think they gave very little information on breaking into the industry. This is strategic, and let me tell you why: very few places will hire someone that has done "the course" but has not experience as a bartender. While this my sound discouraging, it is true most of the time. You're probably not going to get that first bartending job if you don't work up from a server/barback, or know an owner/manager that can hook you up. In conclusion, I would recommend two things if you are looking at bartending schools. One - research schools well and find one that takes a serious approach to more than just cocktails. Two - know before signing up for any course that you probably won't get hired to a bar just because you have the course under your belt.
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