How to Choose a Bartending School in San Francisco
Thinking about bartending school in San Francisco? Maybe you want a new career, or maybe you just want to make the best drinks at every party you throw. Either way, the school you pick makes a big difference. Here are eight questions worth asking any school before you book, and how we answer them at The Cocktail Camp.
1. Where will you actually train?
What to look for: classes held in a real, working bar, not a classroom or an office with a folding table. You learn faster when the wells, speed rails and ice bins are right where they'd be on a real shift.
At The Cocktail Camp: you train at Blackbird, a real, busy bar on Market St in San Francisco.
2. How will you practice, and will you taste?
What to look for: lots of hands-on reps behind the bar, plus real tastings so you know what a great drink is supposed to taste like.
At The Cocktail Camp: train behind a real, working bar, and taste real spirits and cocktails to train your palate.
3. Who is teaching you?
What to look for: instructors who still work behind the bar. Ask where they've worked. Good instructors will tell you right away.
At The Cocktail Camp: you're taught by working bartenders who still do the craft every week. Our founder, Rohini Moradi, spent ten years behind San Francisco bars and later served as Corporate Director of Bars for Shula's.
4. How big are the classes?
What to look for: small groups, so an instructor can actually watch your technique and fix it in the moment.
At The Cocktail Camp: classes are kept small, so everyone gets personal coaching.
5. Will you learn more than recipes?
What to look for: speed, clean technique, guest service, and how a bar runs on a packed night. Memorizing a list of 100 drinks won't get you there.
At The Cocktail Camp: you learn the classics and the building blocks behind them, so you can make almost anything. Online homework and a final exam earn your certification.
6. What happens after you graduate?
What to look for: a school with real connections to local bars and restaurants.
At The Cocktail Camp: 90% of our graduates who look for bar work get hired, and we share job leads with our grads. Since 2015, more than 1,000 people have graduated from our course.
7. Does it fit your schedule?
What to look for: a course you can finish quickly, with times that work around your job.
At The Cocktail Camp: the course takes four days, with weekday and weekend classes every month.
8. Can you pay without stress?
What to look for: clear pricing and flexible ways to pay.
At The Cocktail Camp: you can pay over time with Klarna at checkout.
Good to know before you book
You don't need a certificate to bartend in California, but most bar jobs require an RBS (Responsible Beverage Service) certification within 60 days of hire. Students also need to be 21 or older, since classes take place in a real bar.
Not planning to bartend? Perfect.
Plenty of our students just love cocktails. You'll leave knowing how to make the classics, how to taste like a pro, and how to run the bar at your own parties.