ABC Training Center

BARTENDERS learn a great way to make money, and have fun while doing it!  You can learn all the skills you need to work in a club, restaurant, hotel, pub–anyplace that serves alcohol!  Do it as a second job, a few nights a week, or on weekends, or do it full time–bartending is your gateway to a flexible schedule and BIG earnings!  Bartenders make hundreds of dollars a shift-IN CASH!-and get to have fun and socialize at work!  You’ll meet new people, make new friends, and be able to find work ANYPLACE you live!  Bartenders are always in demand, and bartending is a great way for students, actors, dancers, painters, writers, etc, to support themselves while still being able to attend auditions, or take daytime college classes, or appear in shows.  And, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to learn bartending, AND HOW MUCH FUN THE CLASSES ARE!  Best of all, we’ll give you REAL EXPERIENCE in a REAL NYC bar as part of your training!  Our students are entitled to free lifetime refresher courses and job placement assistance.  T.I.P.S.(insurance liability) certification is also available.The program includes extensive instruction and hands-on practice with:

BAR SET-UP AND BREAKDOWN…EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, & SUPPLIES…GLASSWARE…MIXED, STIRRED, & SHAKEN DRINKS…LIQUOR BRANDS…BEER, WINE, BRANDIES, CORDIALS, & SPARKLING WINES…SHOTS & SHOOTERS…FROZEN, COFFEE, & LAYERED DRINKS…CUSTOMER SERVICE…SPEED BARTENDING & MULTIPLE DRINK PREPARATION…POURING & MEASURING ACCURACY…PROFIT POURING & SUGGESTIVE SELLING…CASH REGISTER & MONEY HANDLING…MANAGING PROBLEM DRINKERS…FOOD SERVICE…LAWS & LIABILITY…HEALTH DEPARTMENT CODES…ON-SITE PRACTICE NIGHTS…THE BUSINESS…THE JOB SEARCH

Total Tuition: $495

Down Payment: $100

Tuition Balance: $395 (payable on Monday of 2nd week)

Schedule: Monday-Friday 6:00pm-10:00pm for 2 weeks

ABC bartending graduates work in hundreds of area bars, clubs, restaurants, pubs, lounges, and hotels in the tri-state area-wherever alcohol is served!  Ask the admissions office for details!

LICENSED BY THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Behind the bar: What to consider

Instructor David Herwitz on how to make a living as a bartender.

What you should look for in a program:

David Herwitz is one of the most experienced bartending instructors in New York City. For more than 20 years, he earned a living exclusively behind the bar, everywhere from local pubs to five-star restaurants. Today, he is the director of a bartender training program at ABC Training Center in the Bronx.

What should a student look for in a training program? A lot of schools will posture and kind of insinuate that they’re selling you a license. In New York State there’s no such thing as a license to be a bartender. Bars are licensed, not bartenders. A lot of the schools are locked into a pre-approved, Department of Education curriculum. I mean, according to that, you’ve got to teach how to make a Grasshopper. Nobody orders that these days. So you should make sure you’re going to get experience in specific situations, not just recipes. The program should be flexible. I make sure to get students behind a real bar, serving real alcohol, for real money, to real customers.

How do you know if this is right for you? Having an excellent shortterm memory is helpful. You want to have a certain amount of coordination with your feet and hands. But, remember, what a lot of people think is speed is actually good preparation. The bartender got there early, made sure everything is just where he needs it. It’s preparation and repetition. But if you have a confident personality, the technical part can be learned.

Why is bartending a great skill to have? “Bartending is a job that’s always readily available, even in an economy like this one. The work force is extremely transient — a lot of actors, singers and writers. So the jobs turnover constantly. And the money’s good. For me, I made more than I did in the white-collar sector.”