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DrinkMaster Bartending School of Boston
Category: Education Specialty Schools Specialty Schools [Edit]
41 Winter St(between Tremont St & Temple Pl)
Boston, MA 02108
Neighborhood: Downtown
(617) 482-1999
- Nearest Transit:
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Tremont St Opp Winter St (191, 192, 193, 277, 43, 55)
Park St Station - To Ashmont/braintree (Red Line)
Park St Station - To Alewife (Red Line)
About This Business:
1 week Driver Education Course, Driving Hours, Saturday Road Test. Free pick up and drop off
6 reviews for DrinkMaster Bartending School of Boston
6 reviews in English
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Review from Aditi R.
3/9/2011
4.5 stars. Really I'm being stingy and docking them 0.5 points for not having actual booze, but then if they did, I wouldn't have paid less than $200 for a 20 hour course!
Let me begin by saying that I went in very apprehensive and no idea what to expect. Granted I'd done my research, but with only 4 other yelp reviews and most people not knowing this particular bartending course, i was a little skeptical. Was I in for a surprise!!
20 hours jam packed in a week Mon-Fri seems daunting, especially after a full day's worth of work. But the instructors and ambiance make it worth it all! I looked forward to coming to class and felt incredibly at ease from the get go as the people there have a way of making you feel like you belong there. I can't say enough about the instructors - they're fun, incredibly knowledgable about the business, and provide a viewpoint about bartending you just cannot get no matter how many bars you may go to in your lifetime. For them alone, the course is worth it.
Moving on to the course material - there's a book they provide with all the information needed to learn about liquor laws, the top 40 drinks, how to pour, etiquette, yada yada yada. Very helpful. The emphasis is on getting comfortable behind the bar, pouring, and learning the top few drinks while making them fast, well, and efficiently. They give you ample time to practice before class, during class, and should you want, after class as well. And the best part is that you can come back any time and practice all you want. This seemed odd to me first, but it made complete sense afterwards because it's relatively easy to learn this stuff in a fairly condensed period of time, but when it comes to mastering it and getting better at it, one needs to practice over and over again and that is the real key to bartending.
On a more personal note, I took this class because I always wanted to learn bartending. I could not, for the life of me, even make a rum and coke (proportions were never right). Now I can make that with my eyes closed and much MUCH more. I can ramble on and on about different types of liquors and liquers, wines, and beers (the latter I could before as well). And I pay attention to the bartenders making my drink even more, studying them, and understanding what they do and how they do it - its an art form folks and this course and establishment makes you appreciate it even more. I didn't think I would want to do this as a job, but I am very tempted to apply just because I enjoyed it so much! They help you with your resume and provide an online job board that you can search through. Pretty awesome.
Love the place. Big shout outs to Doug, Tony, Christa & Jeff. They are all great and incredibly fun-loving people to be around and learn from. Everybody and anybody who has ever thought of taking/learning bartending should take this course IMMEDIATELY! -
Review from Niki M.
Boston, MA
9/7/2009
So, in all my years of sitting behind a desk and working in a fast-paced, customer-service-focused environment, I decided that it'd be great to parlay some of my people skills into a nightlife setting. Descending from a long line of bartenders and restaurant managers, I guess you could say it's been in my blood all along.
As someone who likes a little formal education before jumping in and trying something new (which is not to say that it's completely necessary - I actually do excel in a completely foreign environment and am a quick study), I decided to try a bartending course. My somewhat sudden decision/moment of clarity/inspiration coincided nicely with a Groupon deal to take the Drinkmaster course for significantly less than it normally costs. All the sweeter.
And now, having completed the course successfully, I can say that it was worth every penny and thensome. In fact, it is completely worth the course retail value.
I walked into their fantastic replica-bar setup at their Framingham location, a timid wee thing, unable to tell a jigger from jaeger (well, ok, not quite THAT clueless), and I emerged from a 20 hour intensive two-week program really feeling like I know a LOT. I mean, I've really got a spot-on one-ounce pour down, I know from martinis and manhattans, and I feel that I could do pretty well to start behind a bar, given the chance.
The instructors are exceedingly nice, patient, and imminently knowledgeable of their craft. Instruction was thorough and absolutely fun (a lot of us remarked on how quickly the time went by, and you know that age-old adage about time flying...). Our handbooks and the meticulous information within them were accompanied by drink drills behind the bar. Working in teams of two, we'd set up our stations, and get to work putting together the drinks we were learning about, making use of a fully-stocked (fake) bar.
The bar, you see, is setup exactly like your typical bar; the shelves in the back are stocked with real bottles, filled with colored water (thus the look and feel of the real deal, without the liability). A kind of brilliant way to get people to learn the mechanics, the look and feel of pouring without demolishing a real full bar (imagine the tragedy of spilled maker's mark, jack daniels', etc...).
Our sinks, filled with ice, and our glasses ready to fill, we were walked through drink making from highballs/one-liquor drinks, to two-liquors, multi-liquors, martinis, shots (including layered), etc. Wines and beer, customer service, lingo, and tips of the trade were all covered as well. For someone completely green (i.e. me), this was really invaluable.
While some places may not really blink at mention of bartending school, I at least feel instilled with a good measure of confidence. The instructors also share so many resources about getting jobs in the business and are willing to take the time to help you with resumes/hear about your progress. Plus, after graduating, the door is always open to us; if I ever want to drop by and refresh some of my skills, I'm welcome to at no extra cost. That is really amazing and shows just how dedicated the organizers of the school are to the students.
Check out their website! I was more than impressed by the entire experience! (And mad props especially to Dr. Fitz and his barside manner, as well as his DJing skills).
Full marks, DrinkMaster. -
Review from Tanya S.
Cambridge, MA
1/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
I took the mixology class for fun - and to be honest I didn't learn that much! We practiced free pouring and we each got to go behind the counter as a bartender about 3-4x in the 2.5 hours (there were 3 groups that rotated).
But I didn't feel like I learned any fun tricks or got to learn too much new things that I couldn't have googled. The only thing is we got to practice pouring and counting, but even that we didn't have enough time to really get good at, since we quickly moved onto making drinks where he taught us in what proportion each drink should be.
The instructors are nice and people were in a good mood, so that made it fun. We also learned what kind of things garnish what and what needs to be shaken or not, but overall I feel like I could have learned this on my own just as well.
Sounds like the official bartending classes are much better! -
Review from Thomas J.
Pelham, NH
9/30/2011
I bought a groupon from here last year. I was going to wait until this past summer. I managed to leave several voicemails since May to 1 800 bartend to attend there class and actually had one successful pickup and ended up having to call back because the manager wasn't in. The voicemails were unreturned. To this day I never had anyone get back to me about attending the course! I am still waiting!
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Review from Jamie S.
2/22/2010
Just got my certificate in bartending. I already have my PhD in boozing, so why not turn it around eh?
Since my company is prolly gonna lay all us fools off, I figured I should go get some vocational training.
Drinkmasters does a great job in a relatively short amount of time (5 nights straight of 4 hour classes) and they offer lots of class times so anyone can fit it into their schedule. It's set up like a real bar only you're pouring water (died water if applicable). Will you be ready to tend bar on a busy Friday at some hooch hall downtown after completing the course? No, but at least you'll know what you're talking about at an interview and if nothing else can impress your friends by pouring a quality manhattan.
The real value in signing up is that after you complete the class, you have unlimited access to the facility so you can come in and practice during off times, as well as their network of faculty to help you with your resume and interview skills.
Now sit down, friend, take a load off and let me make you an Old Fashioned. -
Review from Lisa S.
8/2/2010
Bartending school is one of those things I've always wanted to do, but never got around to actually doing. A few weeks ago, I decided I was bored with my life and broke, and decided to take the jump and sign up for bartending school. I am planning on getting a part-time bartending or catering job. After doing a bit of research online and on Yelp, I decided to go with DrinkMaster. It cost me $295 for a 20-hour course, that met 6-10 Mon-Fri for one week.
I was pretty excited but not sure what to expect. The Boston location is right near the Park Street T, which was convenient. It has a full authentic bar that holds about 7 or 8 bartenders, plus bar stools on the other side for 'customers'. The alcohol and mixers consist of water and dyed water- so everything looks like it should, but unfortunately you can't drink your creations. The instructors all had TONS of experience, and were all knowledgeable and fun. I actually looked forward to class every day. The class was a mix of people- some younger people, some older people, students, people who worked full-time (me) and people who wanted bartending to be their next full-time job.
The amazing part was how little I actually knew about bartending before this class, even though I go out to bars all the time... and how it is about 500x harder than I expected. We learned speed pouring, liquor brands, liqueurs and their flavors, drink recipes, and a bit about beer and wine. On the last day we had a written test and a practical test. I passed- not everyone in the class did- and now I'm a certified bartender! Super badass.
As a graduate, you can take free refresher courses for life, and you can come in and practice any day from 3-6. DrinkMaster will also help you with your bartending resume, and has a database of open bartending jobs. They also offer other courses- I'm planning on taking their Mixology 101 and Catering 101 classes as well.
I would definitely recommend DrinkMaster to anyone interested in learning about bartending either for fun or because they want to become a bartender!
