Bartending School: Bar Basics — Level One
About this Event
Welcome to Cocktail Collective’s Bartending School! This is Bartending School: Bar Basics — Level One, a comprehensive, six-week bartending skills program. Don’t be fooled by the name, this course packs a punch.
Whether you are preparing for your first bartending job, already working in hospitality, building a mobile bartending business, or simply ready to deepen your cocktail knowledge, this program is designed to give you a strong and practical foundation behind the bar. Over six in-person sessions, you will learn from an experienced professional in the cocktail and spirits industry while building skills through guided instruction, demonstrations, tastings, and hands-on practice. We are not simply teaching you how to memorize drink recipes. We are teaching you how cocktails work, how a professional bar operates, and how to approach service with confidence, accuracy, efficiency, and intention.
You’ll learn:
- Cocktail and bartending history
- Professional bar tools, glassware, station setup, and technique
- Accurate measuring, shaking, stirring, straining, and dilution
- Garnish theory and practical knife skills
- Classic cocktail structures and balanced drink building
- Craft cocktail development and flavor pairing
- Zero-proof cocktails and thoughtful alcohol-free service
- Five foundational spirit categories and essential liqueurs
- Hospitality, guest communication, workflow, and bar organization
- Responsible alcohol service and ServSafe preparation
Each session combines education with practical skill building. You will work directly with bar tools, spirits, cocktail ingredients, glassware, ice, garnishes, and professional techniques while receiving guidance and feedback throughout the program.
The course concludes with a final skills practicum and the included ServSafe examination. Students will also receive a course handbook, cocktail recipes, educational materials, and resources designed to support continued learning long after the final class. Your enrollment includes a 13-piece professional bar tool set that you will use throughout the course and take home after graduation.
Who is this program for?
- Aspiring bartenders preparing to enter the hospitality industry
- New bartenders who want stronger foundational training
- Servers, barbacks, event professionals, and hospitality staff
- Mobile bartenders and cocktail entrepreneurs
- Home bartenders and serious cocktail enthusiasts
- Industry professionals who want to refresh or strengthen core skills
No previous bartending experience is required. Come ready to learn, practice, ask questions, and work behind an active classroom bar.
Program Schedule
Classes are held on Fridays beginning promptly at 11:00 AM. Sessions will end between 2:00 and 3:00 PM, depending on the day’s lesson, demonstrations, and hands-on practice.
- Friday, August 28, 2026
- Friday, September 11, 2026
- Friday, September 18, 2026
- Friday, September 25, 2026
- Friday, October 2, 2026
- Friday, October 9, 2026
There will be no class on Friday, September 4.
This is a small, hands-on cohort with seating limited to 12 students, allowing time for individual instruction, guided practice, and direct feedback.
We are Cocktail Collective!
The Cocktail Collective is a small, black- and woman-owned business that offers educational cocktail and spirits classes led by industry professionals. You must be 21 years or older to attend our events.
Agenda
Day 1: Bar Foundations and Core Technique Friday | 8.28.26
Info: Introduction to professional bar setup, tools, glassware, sanitation, workflow, and basic cocktail technique. Students practice measuring, shaking, stirring, straining, handling ice, and station resets.
Day 2: Spirit Fundamentals and Cocktail Families | 9.11.26
Info: Overview of vodka, gin, and rum, including production, flavor, and common applications. Students learn tasting methods and the structure of highballs, sours, Collins-style drinks, and other foundational cocktail families.
Day 3: Whiskey, Tequila, Modifiers, and Balance | 9.18.26
Info: Introduction to whiskey, tequila, liqueurs, vermouths, and bitters. Students study balance, dilution, temperature, sweetness, acidity, bitterness, and spirit-forward cocktail construction.
Day 4: Garnish, Preparation, and Cocktail Development | 9.25.26
Info: Technical training in knife safety, citrus preparation, syrups, garnishes, and bar prep. Students apply flavor structure and technique to develop and refine an original cocktail or zero-proof drink.
Day 5: Service, Workflow, and Responsible Bartending | 10.2.26
Info: Focus on guest communication, order management, speed, accuracy, bar organization, and responsible alcohol service. Students complete a simulated service practicum using realistic bar scenarios.
Day 6: ServSafe Examination and Final Skills Practicum | 10.9.26
Info: Course review, ServSafe examination, and final practical assessment. Students demonstrate station setup, measuring, shaking, stirring, straining, garnish preparation, sanitation, workflow, and cocktail balance.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 956.72 to USD 1303.89
