Bartending License and Certification
Do bartenders have to be licensed or certified?
This is a question asked by many people who want to get into bartending is “do I have to be licensed or certified work as a bartender?”
There is no bartender’s license or certification necessary from most state or city government to work as a bartender. Some cities require a bartender to have an alcohol awareness certification to work. There are employers who may require their bartenders to have this type of certification because often it will reduce the establishment’s insurance premiums and decrease liability if there is an alcohol related problem.
- Sample Bartender Certification
Alcohol certification programs are designed to teach participants how to prevent intoxication, drunk driving and underage drinking among the people to whom they sell or serve alcohol. These programs addresses important concerns specific to restaurants, hotels, bars, nightclubs, banquets and private parties where alcohol is served by the drink.
American Bartending School offers bartender certification training as part of its bartending school training class. The topics covered in the American Bartending School certification are:
- Liquor Laws – Presents the legal responsibilities for bartenders serving alcohol, explains the types of illegal sales, and provides information about checking IDs.
- Assess Your Guest: Legal – Shows bartending school students how to apply the legal information to real-life scenarios through practical application exercises using short video.
- Alcohol Information – Describes how alcohol affects people, signs of intoxication to look for, and relevant information about alcohol that the bartender can use to serve more responsibly.
- Assess Your Customer: Alcohol – Teaches the bartending student to apply the alcohol information to real-life scenarios through practical application exercises using short video.
- Intervention Information – Gives the bartending school students guidelines for providing customer-friendly, responsible alcohol service. Explain the bartender’s role in a three-step, easy-to-follow model.
- Decide and Implement – Shows bartending school students how to apply intervention information to real-life scenarios through practical application exercises using short video.
An alcohol awareness certification is always very helpful when applying for a bartending job. Some city police departments offer an alcohol awareness certification for bartenders and servers. There is usually a fee to take the program and it’s only given periodically.
Bar Tricks Contest
American Bartending School in New York City is sponsoring the first bartender bar tricks competition. The competition is open to all bartenders. First prize is $200, second prize $100 and third prize $50.
The competition will be held at American Bartending School located at 252 W 29th Street, New York, New York. Competitors must be certified bartenders who are currently employed.
Bartenders interested in competing should email American Bartending School at contest@barschool.com.
Bar tricks, stunts, pranks, scams and gags have been used by bartenders to entertain their customers and hopefully help increase their tips, make new friends (or enemies), or just have some fun! Whenever conversation fizzles, the food runs out, or boredom threatens to set in, you a good bartender can get the good times rolling. All he or she needs are items at hand like coins, glasses, and napkins.
The trick will be judged on originality, difficulty and entertainment value. The competition will be judged by instructors and staff members of all the American Bartending School in New York, New Jersey and Palm Springs.
American Bartending School is sponsoring the contest because it will soon be offering bar tricks, stunts, and gags as an optional additional part of its bartender training program Bartenders work primarily for tips and it’s important that graduates of the school know different ways to optimize their income. Since bar tricks our entertaining to customers, knowing it makes the graduate more valuable as employee. The school offers job placement assistance and has helped thousands of graduates find jobs.
American Bartending School is the nation’s oldest school and has been training bartenders for over 41 years. The school offers a two week hands on training program behind a real bar. Students learn by doing like on the job training. Everything is real at the school except the liquor.
Want to Learn Bartending?
The easiest and quickest way to become a bartender is a through a bartending school. In a short period of time, a week or two, you can be fully trained and ready to work. At a Bartending School the classroom is set up like an actual cocktail lounge classroom. Everything is real except the liquor. The instructor shows you how to mix the drink and than you go behind the bar and practice. It’s like on the job training where you learn by doing.
Some people enter into bartending roles from server or bar back positions. They primarily learn the trade on the job. This initially appears to be an inexpensive alternative to a bartending school but in reality often is not. This is time consuming and there is no guarantee that the person responsible for the training is qualified.
Participating in a bartending employment training program will demonstrate to prospective employers that you are committed to pursing a career in this field.
A good bartending school will not only teach you how to make the most popular drinks but will also train you in customer service, liquors, wines and alcohol safety.
This type of education will provide you with information about how to recognize intoxication, prevent drunk driving, and avoid serving liquor to minors.
You’re Bartending Career
There are always job opportunities available in the field of bartending. If you think bartending employment is right for you, the first thing you’ll need to do is consider is enrolling in a reputable state approved bartending school. Once you complete your training, be prepared to put in some time and effort in finding a job. The best bartending schools will you find a bartending job, but no school can guarantee you a job. Jobs where the potential earnings are $30 to $50 an hour are prime and it may take several weeks to get a job.
Learn More on how you can start your new successful career in bartending
If you are looking to start a new career in Bartending,then attending a qualified bartenders school is a must.
Learn how to bartend at our Bartending School NJ.
Bartending Employment Facts
If you have ever thought about working as a bartender full or part time, here is some basic information.
Want to get into bartending?
Bartending jobs can be very profitable. According to Indeed.com a national job listing web site, the average bartender can earn up to $66,000 annually. Bartenders work for a salary and tips. The tips can often be substantial. One of the great things about bartending is that in a short time you can professionally trained and ready to work.
Bartending requires public contact. The best bartenders like to deal with people. A major portion of a bartender’s income comes from the tips from customers and good customer service skills are important.
Where Bartending Jobs Are
Every establishment serving alcoholic beverages needs a bartender. Bartending job opportunities exist in many different types of businesses including:
* Bars
* Casinos
* Caters
* Convention centers
* Country Clubs
* Cruise Ships
* Golf Clubs
* Hotels
* Meeting and special event venues
* Night Clubs
* Private clubs
* Private Parties
* Pubs
* Restaurants
* Resorts
Bartending Job Qualifications
Age
In many states you have to be 21 years or older to purchase alcoholic beverages, many states allow bartenders to be 18 years old to bartender. In New York and New Jersey it’s 18.
Schedule
There are many different work schedules for bartenders. Bartenders are needed anytime an establishment is open for business, Evening and weekend schedules are the most frequent but day schedules also exist. If you’re looking for a part time job, there are many weekend opportunities.
Physical Demands
Bartending can be hard work. Bartenders stand for extended periods of time, and sitting isn’t allowed during shifts. Bartending can involve lifting and stocking cases of beer, wine, and liquor.
Learn More on how you can start your new successful career in bartending
If you are looking to start a new career in Bartending, then attending a qualified bartenders school is a must.
Learn how to bartend at our American Bartending Schools with locations in New York, New Jersey and Palm Springs.
Top 10 Cocktail Drink Recipes 2009
The most popular drink recipes change every year and 2009 was no exception. New liquors cocktail drink recipes are introduced and promoted by the distilling companies every year. At American Bartending Schools our batending course always teachs the most popular drink recipes . These are the top 10 most requested cocktail drink recipes of 2009. We have over 300 more cocktail drink recipes at bartenders guide drink recipe pages. Many of the recipes have how to videos that are available for your bartending pleasure.
Apple Martini or Appletine
• 2 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Apple Schnapps
• Cherry garnish
Long Island Ice Tea
• 1/2 oz Vodka
• 1/2 oz Gin,
• 1/2 oz Rum
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec
• Fill with sweet/sour and coke
• Garnish with a lemon wedge
Mai Tai
• 1/2 oz Rum
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz Crème de almond
• 1/2 oz Dark Rum floated on top
• 1 oz each sweet/sour, pineapple and orange juice
• Garnish with cherry
Cosmopolitan
• 1oz Vodka
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz Roses Lime Juice
• Splash cranberry juice
Jolly Rancher
• 1 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. Midori or melon liquor
• Splash of cranberry juice
Chocolate Martini
• Rim cocktail glass with coco power
• Coat inside of cocktail glass with chocolate syrup
• 2 oz Vodka
• 1/2 oz Chocolate Liqueur
Amaretto Sour
• 1½ oz. Amaretto
• 2 oz. Sour mix
Sex on the Beach
• 1 oz Vodka
• 1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
• Fill 1 oz each of orange juice and cranberry juice
Zombie
• 1/2 Rum
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz Crème de almond
• 1/2 oz Dark Rum floated on top
• 1 oz each of sweet/sour, orange juice and pineapple juice
• Garnish with a cherry
Vodka Martini
• 2 oz vodka
• dash dry vermouth
• olive garnish
New Drinking Trends
Go to your local club and you’ll see the recent shot craze, the bomb shot. This is the hottest craze of cocktail alcoholic mixed drinks since prohibition. This new cocktail drink trend offers a variety of enticing options for shot lovers. Try out these new and old recipes to find your favorite. Although Red Bull is the most mentioned energy drink in recipes, any energy drink will work.
Warning, these drinks are powerful and drinking and driving after a few of these can be dangerous. Best to be sampled when you’re not driving.
Bombs. The energy drink, shot of liquor combination that will keep you up all night and never let you down. Which one is your favorite? The Irish Car Bomb? The Jager Bomb? The Obama? No matter what you like, there’s bound to be a shot out there for you. The concept of the bomb shot is a no brainer. Take a shot of liquor, and drop it into a cup filled about half 
- Bomb Shot Glasses Photo
way with a “wash.” Shots can be taken either “clean,” dropping the shot into a cup, or “dirty,” pouring the shot directly into the wash.
New glassware has been invented to make the shots easier for bartenders to make and more fun for you to drink. Plastic bomb cups, or bombers, are as cheap as other plastic cups, and now there are companies that sell a plastic bomb shot glass that separates the two main ingredients by pouring one on top of the other. This type of glassware is easier to use but more expensive to purchase.
The Jager Bomb
The grand daddy of bomb shots is the Jager Bomb. It gets its name from the German liquor Jagermeister which is made from 56 different ingredients. Many describe as tasting like cough medicine. You decide.
The recipe is simple. A shot of Jagermeister dropped in half a glass of Red Bull, this shot is famous worldwide.
• Can of Red Bull
• 1 shot of Jagermeister
Pour Red Bull into a glass. Drop shot of Jagermeister into glass.
The Obama
Named for the president of the United States. Smother and better tasting than the Jagermeister.
• Can of Red Bull
• 1 oz of Bacardi O
• Splash of Orange Juice
Combine Red Bull and splash of orange juice into glass. Drop shot of Bacardi O into glass.
Irish Car Bomb
A hearty bomb that is guaranteed to give you that good feeling. Especially popular on St. Paddy’s Day or at Irish funerals.
• 3/4 pint Guinness Stout
• 1/2 oz Irish Creme
• 1/2 oz Jameson Irish whiskey
Pour the Irish Creme into the shot glass first and then slowly add the Jameson Irish Whisky. Fill a pint glass ¾ with Guinness. Drop the shot glass into the Guinness.
Fruit Flavored Bombs
Fruit flavored bombs come in a wide variety of flavors. Pick your favorite fruit flavor and there’s probably a liquor flavor. Cherry seems to be the most popular, but any flavored liquor will work.
Cherry Bomb
• 1 oz Cherry vodka
• Can of Red Bull
Pour Red Bull into a glass. Drop shot of cherry vodka into glass.
How To Pour a Good Draft
Pouring Beer Basics
Draft beer is a big seller in bars and it’s important that bartenders pour correctly. Bartending is not only about mixing
How to draw a draft beer
drinks because beer sales are a substantial part of customers request. Draft beer drinkers are typically aware of how their drink is poured because it affects the total draft beer drinking experience. If you like draft beer, pay attention to the presentation and how the bartender pours it. To the uneducated eye, pouring a draft beer appears simple. Place a glass or pitcher up to the tap and pull the handle. Although it appears simple, these are a few things be aware of.
1. Always use a beer clean glass
When a glass hasn’t been cleaned properly leftover residue can leave an off-taste and ruin the beer drinkers experience. A dirty glass not only can affect the taste but also affects the carbonation.
2. Hold the glass at a 45 degree angle
When pouring a beer, from the tap, bottle or can, hold the glass at an 45 degree angle. When pouring from a the tap, pull the tap quickly and fully and allow the beer to flow freely. The beer will hit the middle of the glass and this method will allow the beer to flow down to the bottom of the glass. This method guarantees the proper head. When the glass is 2/3 full of beer, straighten the glass out and hold it upright.
3. Look for the right amount of foam
A good head on the beer helps a beer drinker notice the flavors and aroma. Aim for a half inch of head in a glass. Create more of a foamy head. by adding distance between the tap and the glass,
4. Take your time
Some beers require more time for the perfect pour. Guinness is an example. Guinness experts suggest using the two-part pour or double-pour method for this thick and nitrogenous stout. Pour the beer about 2/3 of the way up the glass and wait 30 seconds. this helps the nitrogen bubbles in the beer settle.
American Bartending School’s bartending class teaches these important points on beer. Keep these things in mind the next time you want a great tasting draft beer. If you’re interested in what’s happening in the bar industry, check out creative bartending.
Bomb Shots
Go to your local club and you’ll see the recent shot craze, the bomb shot. This is the hottest craze of alcoholic mixed drinks since prohibition. Here at American Bartending School we have added a special mixology lessons on these hot new drink recipes. We are also adding many new bomb shot recipes to our bartenders recipe site.
This new cocktail drink trend offers a variety of enticing options for shot lovers. Try out these new and old recipes to find your favorite. Although Red Bull is the most mentioned energy drink in recipes, any energy drink will work. Energy drinks are now a three billion dollar market and bomb shots have definitely added to this new pick me up.
Warning, these drinks are powerful and drinking and driving after a few of these can be dangerous. Best to be sampled when you’re not driving.
Bombs consist of energy drink, shot of liquor combination that will keep you up all night and never let you down. Which one is your favorite? The Irish Car Bomb? The Jager Bomb? The Obama? No matter what you like, there’s bound to be a shot out there for you.
The concept of the bomb shot is a no brainer. Take a shot of liquor, and drop it into a cup filled about half way with a “wash.” Shots can be taken either “clean,” dropping the shot into a cup, or “dirty,” pouring the shot directly into the wash.
New glassware has been invented to make the shots easier for bartenders to make and more fun for you to drink. Plastic bomb cups, or bombers, are as cheap as other plastic cups, and now there are companies that sell a plastic bomb shot glass that separates the two main ingredients by pouring one on top of the other. This type of glassware is easier to use but more expensive to purchase.
The Jager Bomb
The grand daddy of bomb shots is the Jager Bomb. It gets its name from the German liquor Jagermeister which is made from 56 different ingredients. Many describe as tasting like cough medicine. You decide.
The recipe is simple. A shot of Jagermeister dropped in half a glass of Red Bull, this shot is famous worldwide.
• Can of energy drink
• 1 shot of Jagermeister
Pour Red Bull into a glass. Drop shot of Jagermeister into glass.
The Obama
Named for the president of the United States. Smother and better tasting than the Jagermeister.
• Can of energy drink
• 1 oz of Bacardi O
• Splash of Orange Juice
Combine Red Bull and splash of orange juice into glass. Drop shot of Bacardi O into glass.
Irish Car Bomb
A hearty bomb that is guaranteed to give you that good feeling. Especially popular on St. Paddy’s Day or at Irish funerals.
• 3/4 pint Guinness Stout
• 1/2 oz Irish Creme
• 1/2 oz Jameson Irish whiskey
Pour the Irish Creme into the shot glass first and then slowly add the Jameson Irish Whisky. Fill a pint glass ¾ with Guinness. Drop the shot glass into the Guinness.
Fruit Flavored Bombs
Fruit flavored bombs come in a wide variety of flavors. Pick your favorite fruit flavor and there’s probably a liquor flavor. Cherry seems to be the most popular, but any flavored liquor will work.
Try a Cherry Bomb
• 1 shot Cherry vodka
• Can of Red Bull
Energy drink into a glass. Drop shot of cherry vodka into glass.
Thanksgiving Holiday Cocktail Drink Recipes
Thanksgiving is coming and if you are having a dinner party try some special cocktails to please your guest. Our master bartenders at American Bartenders School have worked over time to come with these taste tempting mixed drinks recipes. Do something different and offer these delicious drinks that will complement your Thanksgiving or other holiday feasts. Try them as an after dinner dessert drink at any of your holiday or winter gatherings. 100′s of other cocktail drink recipes and bartending videos at our bar guide and drink recipe sections of our website.
Pumpkin Delight
- ½ oz vanilla vodka
- ½ part Kahlua
- ½ part Irish Crème
- A dash of pumpkin pie spice
- Shake with ice and serve in stemmed Martini glass
Turkey Trot
- 1 oz Grand Marnier
- Splash of Cherry Sprite
- Fill with cranberry juice
- Serve in tall glass with ice
Turkey Shooter
- ¾ oz Wild Turkey
- ¾ oz Peppermint Schnapps
Cranberry Surprise
- 2 oz cranberry juice
- ¾ oz Chambord
- ¾ oz light rum
- 2 oz canned cranberries
- Blend ingredients and garnish with mint leave
Baked Apple Treat
- ¾ oz whisky
- ¾ oz apple schnapps
- 3 oz warm apple cider
- Garnish with a Cinnamon stick
- Warm the apple cider in a cup or glass mug.
Hot Apple Pie
- 1 oz light rum
- ½ Chambord or raspberry schnapps
- 2 oz cranberry juice
- 2 oz apple juice
- Slice of a piece of apple and hang it on the side of the glass. Mix all ingredients, except for the sliced apple in a tall glass and heat in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds, or until warm.
Thanksgiving Punch
- ½ oz apple schnapps
- ½ oz ginger schnapps
- ½ oz dark run spiced rum
- 2 oz eggnog
- Shake with ice and strain into stemmed cocktail glass
Hundreds of cocktail drink recipes and drink recipe videos are available for you at our website American Bartending School Bartending Guide
How Much Money Can I Make Bartending?
This is a question that most people who are thinking about becoming a bartender ask.
Bartenders work for a salary and tips. The salary is between $8 and$10 per hour plus tips in most areas. The hourly salary may be higher or lower depending minimum wage laws. One
Tips
of the most attractive things about bartending is the potential for tips. According to the “CNN Summer Tipping Guide “2009, a patron should tip $1 a drink or 15%-20% of bar bill before tax. Some customers may tip more or less depending on the level of service and the demeanor of the bartender. On a busy shift a bartender can serve several hundred drinks. A good night’s salary for a busy bartender may be between $300 and 400 in tips and their hourly salary. This is one of the primary reasons bartending is attractive to people who like night life and don’t mind hard work.
What each bartender earns depends on numerous factors. The most important is good customer service skills. Other important things are
• How busy the establishment is.
• What shift they work.
• What days they work.
• Do the servers tip out the bartenders at the end of the shift and share 15% of their total beverage tips with the bartender. This is a practice where the bartender works the service bar and primarily makes drinks for customers sitting at tables and not at the bar.
• How good is their customer service skills
• Do they acknowledge customers when they arrive or want another drink?
• Do they greet customers with a smile and a friendly hello?
• Do they ask how there drink is after the customer has had a chance to taste it.
• Do they say good bye and thank them for coming in
Customers want to have an enjoyable experience. A friendly, polite bartender that takes care of customers is an important part of the success of every establishment. This is why at American Bartenders School the dos and don’ts of customer service are important parts of our bartender training. Good customer service skill can’t be over emphasized. Especially, if the bartender want to rake in the tips.
