A member of the Professional Bartending Schools of America, the Bartending Institute of St. Louis offers a 40-hour program in an actual classroom bar that is fully stocked with all mixes, garnishes, glassware, equipment and "simulated" liquors. The program includes instruction and hands-on practice time, as well as assistance in job placement upon graduation. Classes are limited to 12 students and the school is certified by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education. It is located near St. Louis in Maryland Heights, Missouri.
Also certified by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education, the Kansas City Bartending School is a member of the Missouri Restaurant Association. The campus is located in Kansas City and the facility provides instruction in a nightclub atmosphere. The course includes not only mixology instruction, but bar management and customer service as well. The school offers an additional certification in alcohol awareness by the National Restaurant Association's ServSafe Program.
The Professional Server Certification Corporation does not offer a mixology course but provides certification by the State of Missouri for bartenders, servers and sellers of alcoholic beverages. Operated through the Missouri Department of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, the course gives instruction in identifying patrons who have had too much to drink and a server's responsibility for dealing with intoxication, as well as Missouri-specific liquor laws and regulations.
The Bartending College Online offers instruction via the Internet for Missouri residents who don't reside close enough to St. Louis or Kansas City to attend classes there. The course is presented in interactive format with videos and exams. It covers similar course material to other national bartending schools in a 40-hour format, but you can "attend" at your own pace and hours. Unless you have access to a bar where you can practice, however, hands-on learning is limited. The program does offer a practice kit for purchase.