Is Bartending School Worth the Money?
Cross-town blogger Mike tried to find out as he enrolled in Boston Bartending School last week. Go read his experience. It sounds like he was pleased in balance.
I actually attended bartending school early in my graduate school days when I thought it might be a good part time means of employment. I ended up disappointed. Bartending in Boston is pretty much a closed shop, and, what’s more, most bartenders seem to come up from other avenues within the food and hospitality industry, not from bartending school. It makes sense, and I was naïve to think I’d waltz in from the street into a bartending job… still, I think a lot of people are similarly naïve and the bartending schools play on that, promising “job placement” and listings that amount to little more than catering gigs with their in-house service. Unlike a true professional school that limits the credentials, bartending school multiplies the number of people with them.
At best the schools serve as preparation for seasonal employment and nightclub bartending (though in Boston, that’s presumably a closed shop, too). With the exception of the martini, none of the drinks were presented with the idea that quality matters, or that some combinations of liquor are more fortuitous than others. We were taught sour mix margaritas (my bete noire). And lots of shooters. And we used only colored water, which makes sense economically, but frankly doesn’t give you a sense of how ingredients mix, much less taste.
The good things about bartending school, or at least my experience of it: learning how to free pour, and learning drink recipes beyond what one normally drinks. And I’m sure others had much more positive experiences and outcomes. And I’m aware that more intensive mixology programs have popped up. I’d be curious to see what they teach.
Bartending schools, for the most part, aren’t worth the value of the paper the “diploma” is printed on. If I see that someone has bartending school on their resume, I count it as a strike against, not for, them, unless, of course, they’ve had significant experience since their course. I find bartending schools teach bad habits and bad recipes, and for the most part, are run by current or ex-nightclub bartenders who realize that there is a lot of money to be made churning out new students every couple of weeks.
If you ever hear of a more intense mixology program in Boston, do let me know.
I think the problem in general is finding a way into bartending without any experience or connections. I’m unsurprised by Jamie’s response, but there’s not much else someone with no experience can do. Some school (even a crappy one) is better than nothing. Regardless, it seems necessary to pay your dues as a bar back or caterer before being able to find a full-time gig.
Mke- It seems like you tried to get the most out of your program. This in itself is a step that I find most bartending school “grads” don’t achieve. I find that most who go to these schools go through the paces, counting the seconds until they’re done, get their “degree”, and can start making the big bucks. I agree with your statement that paying dues as a bar-back seems necessary, and this is what I tell any people I know who want in the biz: save your money and apprentice as a bar-back. Now having said all that, I have no way of knowing about the program that you went through, I can just speak about the bartending programs that they have in British Columbia.
I wish you all the best.