Hey guys!
Since I entered this world of bartending, a few years ago one of my goals was to absorb every information that I could from every source possible: books, magazines, internet, etc..
They were good for a while, but after some time you want to dig deeper and deeper and you just want to learn more. Where can you learn more from if not from presentations, seminars, training, workshops and last but not the least: Masterclasses?
When you are at the beginning and you have a small budget to invest, you have to be careful: all your savings should be spent well, so that when you are planning to attend an event like those from above, you have to be sure: did it worth it? Is your money well spent? Did you receive any piece of information that was useful?
If not, then you have to reconsider your whole game plan and start over. But not until you’ve done some research.
A lot of young bartenders often ask me where to go for bartending lessons, so I decided that is time to shade some light over this matter.
First of all, do your homework!
Ask other veteran bartenders where they had been schooled and do a little research about those particular places or people. 
Try to find out as much information as you can and if possible gather it from various sources. Bartending is such a nice craft but sometimes it could get weird and like in other major human interaction domain, there will be always different sides of the story.
If you are doing some research regarding a bartending school, you could be surprised that some people will say that particular school it is the best in the world and others could say that it’s pretty much shit.
Remember, we are in a reactions vs. transactions industry and most of times there will be sides for each thing: try to weight them for their true value and not based on the social context.
First of all, start with a bartending school! Join one of the classes that is offered there and give it a go! See what happens! If you like it, try to identify what did you liked best: making cocktails? Making coffee or learning some new flair moves?
After you decided what suits you, then do some more research! See who is the best from that particular area and reach him/her out. Ask him/her questions regarding his/hers activity and if happens that he or she is making some training go for it! But not before you made your homework! You could have various surprises when you get to the training: lack of mentor-ship, his/hers particular style of teaching that could not meet your expectations, his/her way of treating people or worse, it could happened that he or she doesn’t know shit about what he or she is talking about.
One of the biggest surprises of this year for our industry was the interview that world renowned bar expert Jon Taffer gave for the Huffington Post. It seems that after 30 years of experience in the business he had a bit of trouble of explaining the difference between various agave spirits, a thing that you are supposed to learn with the basics. Again, do your homework!
If you are going to a presentation for a certain product, be aware that most of trainers (not everyone though) will start to say that their product is the best on the market. In 99% cases, it is not true and that is just a strategy from which the brands are trying to sell the products through bartenders. Try to take the best from it and in no way start arguing with the presenter. Even though his products are not so good, that doesn’t gives you the right to criticize it! If you don’t like the product or how the presentation goes, you are always free to go, but remember: keep it on a professional level.
If you are going to a training, before attending think it thoroughly and ask yourself these questions:
* would it do be any good whatsoever?
* does it worth my time and money?
* would this help me in any way?
* is this training different than the others on the market?
* is the trainer doing it for money or out of passion?
The last question I think it is the most important because from there you can see how it will go! When going to a training always aim for the information and not for the diploma! In Romania at least, there is a diploma craze going on. A lot of bartenders want to have that piece of paper in hand so that they could show the world their accomplishments. Nothing bad regarding this but remember: a piece of paper doesn’t make you better and cannot make your job. You have to do your job! That is the best way to improve yourself.
It is the same thing when it comes to seminars but the most important thing that I would like to discuss further with you are the Masterclasses!
Remember a few years ago that strongly debate regarding the term „mixologist”? And how some of our colleagues were clearly „abusing” it just for the sake of popularity and financial status?
Well, they are back! And now they are holding Masterclasses! 🙂
Master – noun. „lesson taught by an expert”
Expert – noun. „A person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.”
There you have it! Straight from the dictionary!
In the last couple of years, there has been an increase of Masterclasses around the world and I think that most of them are bogus for the simple fact that there are just a few *real* bar experts in the world.
If you are a bartender that won a competition, that does not make you an expert! It means that you have great bar knowledge and you had a great day, but that is pretty much it. To become an expert you need something that money cannot buy: time! You need to grow and mature just like a spirit in the barrel! Absorb everything from the world and then give it back to the people. It takes years, decades to be in that position and my question is: how the hell, someone that has roughly 3 or 4 or 5 years in the industry can be an expert and hold Masterclasses?
Could this be another trick from some bartenders to get paid more and laid more? Time will tell for sure but until that, maybe it will be best to avoid these kind of events.
One thing that some of the bartenders out there don’t understand is that when you are in a position to train others, you have a moral duty towards them. You are responsible for their education and their well being. You are the one that is leaving a mark on their lives and it frickin' better be a good one! Especially if they are paying for it! You cannot afford to guide them on a wrong patch because sooner or later it will all come against you.
Their professional development is in your hands and that is not a thing that you could take for granted. It is a very serious thing and you have to be sure about your purpose and belief. You have to transmit the information in the right way and make sure that they we will use it for their own good and possible to help others by spreading the cocktail love!
As a bartender, after a time, you will want to go abroad and see what other fellow international bartenders and trainers have to say. The main condition for this is that you know how to speak English. I think that if you want to hang out in this industry this is the nr. 1 criteria! Most of the bar terms are in English and could not be explained or translated. Could you translate „cocktail shaker” in your native language? In Romania for sure I cannot! 🙂
I remember going to Russia last year at the Moscow Bar Show and the presentations took much longer for the simple fact that there was always someone there that needed to translate to the Russian bartenders. Come on, it’s not rocket science, it’s just English! Start with that! Your own professional development depends of that!
Good luck!
Mihai Fetcu
