40 Hour Complete Bartending Course Breakdown

Want to know what your time in class will be like? Read on to learn more about what you’ll do, what you’ll learn, and how you’ll spend your time in class. 

At American Bartenders School, you’ll hit the ground running on Day 1. You’ll start by learning the basics of how a proper bar is set up, then move on to the hands-on portion of the course. You’ll learn how to make all the popular cocktails, the basics of beer and wine, and even a bit about the history and production of popular drinks. You’ll also learn about liquor laws and liquor safety, how to provide excellent customer service, and (most importantly) how to rack up the tips! 

Remember, after completing the course, you’ll not only have access to our graduates-only premium job board, but you’ll also work with the Jobs Placement Specialist to help set up and nail interviews at the hottest bars in the area. After graduation, feel free to come back and refresh your skills in person at any time. Completely for free. 

Learn more about our professional bartender training now. Call or text us directly: (917) 746-0411

40 HOUR COURSE OUTLINE

Mixology Lectures: 8 hours

Liquor & Wine Lectures: 2 hours

Customer Service Lecture: 2 hours

ABC Laws & Sanitation Regulations: 1 hour

Lab (Mixology Practice): 27 hours

Total Hours: 40 hours

Mixology: Drinks and Cocktails

Mixology is one of the hottest trends in the hospitality industry. Mixologists are challenged by bar owners and customers alike to create delicious cocktails for discerning customers. And at American Bartenders School, you’ll learn not only how to make over XXX of the most popular drinks, you’ll also learn the foundations of cocktails. This knowledge will give you the skills and confidence to create unique beverages from day one. 

Good bartenders know that there are six major classifications. You’ll learn about each of these in class. 

Liquor & Mixed Drinks- Classic cocktails like the Manhattan

Juice Drinks- Bar favorites like the Screwdriver, Madras, and the Seabreeze

Martini-style Cocktails- Classy, timeless concoctions including Gin Martinis

Two-Liquor Drinks- All mixed drinks where more than one type of alcohol are required

Shooters- Any drink served in a shot glass

Sours- Popular sours include the Sidecar and the Margarita 

By the end of your time in class, you’ll successfully be able to spin up multiple drinks, from multiple classifications… all at the same time. This ability to quickly make in-demand drinks will make you a great bartender. Bars hire great bartenders, and great bartenders can make a ton of money.  

Beer and Wine Basics

Beyond knowing that Budwiesers come in cans and bottles, or that there’s red and white wine, how much do you know about beer and wine? 

Don’t worry- you’ll learn all about the basics of beer in wine at American Bartenders School. You’ll learn about the different varietals of wine- chardonnay, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, rose, pinot noir, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel and more. You’ll learn where they grow, about the characteristic tastes of each, and what goes into wine making. 

In addition to wine, you’ll also learn about beers. You’ll learn terms like ale, pilsner, lager, IPA, hops, fermentation, and IBU. You’ll learn about the big beer producers (Bud, Miller, Coors, etc) and craft beer and breweries. 

Craft beer is booming in the USA. There are over 400 craft breweries in New York alone. We talk about the different types of beers and how to distinguish the flavor and color. Each brewery makes their beer slightly different, using different ingredients or techniques.

The more knowledgeable you are about what you’re serving, the more the customer will enjoy his/her experience. And remember, happy customers leave bigger tips

Customer Service and Maximizing Tips

At American Bartenders School, you’ll learn how to make something just as important as making drinks… making money! A good, friendly bartender can make up to $250-300 per night in tips at a normal bar. And it’s not unheard of for a bartender to pull in over $1,000 in tips at a great place on a big night. Just imagine making that much money in a single night?!

It’s no surprise that bartenders who work the best shifts- weekend nights- make the best tips. But how do you get those shifts? You maximize the earnings for the bar or restaurant owner. In class, you’ll learn how to “upsell” a customer. Upselling a customer means you’ll suggest a great food pairing, or a higher shelf brand of liquor. The idea is to increase the profit of the bar. When the bar earns more, you earn more, too.

In class, you’ll also learn how to develop regular customers. “Regulars” are a bartender’s best friend, as these customers come in consistently, are predictable, and tip well (if they didn’t like you and the place, they wouldn’t keep coming back!) You’ll learn how to interact with customers in a professional, friendly manner. We even have some scientific ways of increasing tips while bartending.

Beer, Liquor and Wine History & Production

Being a knowledgeable bartender is a great way to earn more in tips. Customers like learning about what they’re drinking, and happy customers tip more. 

In class, you’ll learn about production processes of beer, liquors, and wines from across the globe. You’ll learn about the distilling process for vodka, what goes into tequila, and the differences in rums. 

Something as simple as knowing the difference between a bourbon and a whiskey may set you apart from someone else being considered for the job. All of these things go a long way towards enhancing your career in the industry.

The Laws

Like the rest of the United States, New York has a set of strict alcohol laws designed to maintain order and keep people safe. In NY, the Alcohol Beverage Control Laws are a set of state mandated laws, and MUST be known by every bartender. 

After Prohibition was repealed in 1933, New York enacted the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. This created the State Liquor Authority and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. We’ll teach you these laws in class, so you’ll be prepared for your first bartending job. 

You will also learn important NYC Sanitation laws that will help keep your bar up to code and out of legal trouble.

Interview and Resume Skills

One of the most important benefits our graduates have access to is our job placement assistance program. This means that our job placement team works with you to perfect your resume and prepare you for your upcoming job interviews. 

For instance, our experts know that having the right keywords on your resume can make all the difference to a potential employer. We’ll also guide you on what to wear, what to bring, and how to act.

The job placement team helps you present your skills to an employer in the best way possible.

Graduates-Only Premium Job Board & Lifetime Refresher Class

Upon successfully completing American Bartenders School, our graduates will receive an official Certificate of Completion. This documents that the recipient has not only taken the 40 hour course, but also satisfactorily demonstrated that they can make drinks, work the register, serve customers, and knows the laws to keep the bar out of trouble. In short, the certificate tells a bar owner that you have professional training and are prepared for the bartending job. 

Additionally, all graduates earn access to our premium, password-protected job board. It’s available to graduates at any time, and is constantly updated with fresh job leads.

With contacts at over 1000 bars and restaurants nationwide, American Bartenders School’s network is vast and provides graduates with excellent opportunities right out of school.

Finally, American Bartenders School graduates also get lifetime access to the facility for practicing bartending skills. If, for instance, a graduate comes back to bartending after a few years doing something else, he/she can come into the school and refresh their skills at

Getting the Most Out of Your Job

By the end of the course, you will know everything there is to get started in the industry. You will learn how to have fun at work, meet tons of interesting people, and forge lasting friendships with coworkers and customers. Bartending builds leadership and character, as well as these other 13 life skills that you will learn as a bartender.