Becoming a Master Bartender

I signed up for a week long master bartending class. I had visions of me walking out with my bartending degree (okay, certificate, but I’m still getting it framed) and the ability to create glamorous cocktails that are prepared by throwing bottles in the air and catching them behind my back, a la Tom Cruise in Cocktail.

After the first day, my perception has changed. Surprising for me, I didn’t drop anything. Maybe because the first lesson was “don’t drop it, spill it, lose it, or give it away” and I was scared to death. (Even though all the waters are filled with water, colored to mimic the liquor or mixer they represent.)

By the end of the week, I should possess the skills needed to make drinks quickly, be a good partner in bartending (because your fellow bartender is as important to you as your customer), and hopefully able to remember some popular drink recipes. There is a test, and there is a lot to remember. I’m a little overwhelmed after just the first day. It’s been a long time since I had to study for a test. Time for flash cards!

So what motivated me to sign up for bartending school? Initially, I just thought it would be fun. It was something I always wanted to do, but it was difficult to find the time when I had a demanding full time job. Enter early retirement and suddenly my calendar is wide open! And I have visions of a really cool bar in the house that B and I eventually buy, with all the different glassware, even a signature cocktail that we’ll always have available to serve our guests. B already signed off on a wine fridge and a keg-o-rater, but I have some work to do on getting the soda gun installed. He thinks it’ll be a little too much trouble for a home bar. (He won’t say that when he has perfectly carbonated tonic water on hand 24-7. My B likes his gin and tonics.)

Plus, I’ve always been a huge fan of bartenders and their work. And after only one day, I’m even more impressed with what they have to know and do in order to be successful. I doubt I’ll ever be able to live up to the abilities of my favorites in the industry, but I can still tip my hat to them by trying to better understand their trade. Right?

And how cool will my bartending school diploma look framed hanging over my bar?

Hopefully I’ll be a better bartender (or drink maker, more realistically) by the end of the week. One thing is for sure, I’ll be a much more critical customer.