Cocktail Bartender Extensive course

Introduction

• Introduction - To the school and our ethos, course outline, textbooks, reading list. The Professional Bartender – skill set required to be successful, the approach to efficient and effective bartending.
• Overview of course outline, reading list
• What makes a great bartender
• Tools & techniques glossary
• Glassware - benefits of all shapes and sizes, which glasses are specific to each drink, handling glassware.
• Pouring
• The Bar & Your Tools – Bar orientation. Equipment descriptions and demonstrations – when and how to use. Composing yourself behind the bar – always putting your best foot forward.
• Bargonomics
• Ice
• Basic Techniques & Practice. Work from basic preparation and building drinks all the way to fine straining and shaking. Students will spend time mastering pouring correctly and accurately (this can have the largest impact on profits and overall drink execution).
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• Spirits
• Introduction and overview of spirits. Distillation to production to history and use. Students will taste a range of qualities to help develop their palates and to have an understanding of the steps that help to differentiate each type of spirit. The factors that influence the flavours and qualities of products will explained as well as recommendations for tasting and tips for selling and serving.
• Relevant classic cocktails will be shown and tasted. Students will then be asked to create the drinks themselves. Students will be sent home with recipes to start memorizing.
• Students will be versed in key brands and will learn and taste other comparable brands so that they can confidently make recommendations.
• Vodka
• Gin
• Tequila / Mezcal
• Rum / Cachaca
• Whiskey
• Brandy
• Wine
• Fortifieds
• Eau de Vie
• Liqueur
• Bitters
• Beer/Cider

Cocktails

• Introduction to cocktails
• Cocktail families and classic cocktail structure. Garnishes. We will cover the similarities between drink families so that students understand the ratios and balance each ingredient plays in a drink.
• Classics & Contemporaries
• Cocktail Timeline – History of drinks. Students will be shown the foundation that has built our craft.  Influential bartenders will be covered as well as important authors.
• Modern Cocktail Evolution. Overview of global cocktail trends. Activities designed to push students to ‘think outside the box’.  Molecular mixology. From here they will have a better understanding of how to create drinks using formulas and ideas they’ve seen used in the classics section.

Tools & Techniques:

• Building, muddling, shaking, stirring, rolling.
• Handling multiple drink orders
• How to best serve your guests. How to up-sell, maximize average guest check while increasing your tips. How to manage your time to allow for as much time with guests as possible.
• Practicing multiple drink orders and how to work as a team – knowing when to ask for help, how to help your fellow bartenders.

Presentations on spirits and cocktails. This will help students with public speaking, confidence and knowledge – also will contribute to overall score.