ABC has trained bartenders since 1977 at a chain of 34 schools that span from Florida to Hawaii. The Marietta chapter has been operated for 14 years and has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Instructors provide individual attention from enrollment to graduation and specialize in "hands-on" training. Facilities simulate an actual bar with ice machines, soda guns, glassware, and blenders. The training program is 40 hours total and can be done full-time or part-time nights, days, and weekends. Tuition usually can be paid off within a few weeks of bartending.
Action is a state-certified bartending school in Norcross with close affiliations to the National Restaurant Association, the Flair Bartenders Association, and the TIPS training program. The school offers training for newbie's as well as veterans who want to improve their skills. Facilities include individual bar stations for students to learn the actual practice of bartending. Class size is limited to six so you can expect a lot of personal instruction. Subjects covered include bar tools, garnish preparation, glassware, cordials, liquors and customer service skills. Action works with its partnering placement company Action Hospitality Solutions to get students work at top hotels in the Atlanta area.
Atlanta Bartending School has trained students since 1978. Class schedules are flexible with morning, afternoon, evening and weekend sessions. The course consists of 40 class hours. Subject matter includes the fundamentals of mixology as well as bartending duties, alcohol awareness and customer service. The school has placed thousands of graduates in jobs over the past 30 years and has a full-time in-house job placement director to help you with finding employment.
If you do not want to leave Gainesville, consider an online bartending course. The Professional Bartending School has run an online school since 1998 and provides an alternative to higher-priced traditional schools. To learn the craft, the school provides you with a practice kit that has all the tools you will need such as bottles, glassware, and store 'n pour containers. You then undertake an online program with interactive lessons, video instruction, online quizzes, printable flash cards and a computerized bar simulator. The "i-bar" is set up like an actual bar and allows you to perform steps similar to a real bar.