Cocktails are highly diverse, a show of fine talent by the bartender in charge. As defined by a bartender, “mixology is the skill of combining ingredients and flavor profiles to create cocktails.” Mixology puts your creativity to the test, but with a bit of skill, your cocktails will become popular among customers. They will surely be coming back for more!
Mixologists can be found in five-star hotels and bars, but this high standard does not mean you need years of mixing experience. Finding an online mixology course will teach you the ropes of making the best cocktails and enticing your eager customers:
List of Best Online Bartending Cocktail Mixology Courses
The first four courses are conducted by The European Bartender School, known as the world’s leading bartending school and rated for offering the best international bartending courses; the school conducts 4 online courses on bartending, including:
1. The Essentials of Bartending [The European Bartender School]
The course is taught by instructor Gavin Wrigley with over 20 years of industrial experience. It focuses on reviewing the basics for learners, such as how to pour and serve with perfection. The course also delves into creating different flavor combinations as well as handling tools and equipment. The course is offered In English, Spanish, German, Italian, and French subtitles available.
Modules:
- The Perfect Serve
- The History of Cocktails
- Essential methods and techniques
- Equipment
- Cocktail Recipes
- Flavors
Duration: 3.5 hours (34 bartending lessons)
Features: 27 cocktail lessons, In-depth study notes, Certificate upon passing exam, On-the-go device accessibility, Lifelong access to lessons
2. Advanced Online Bartending Course [The European Bartender School]
This course goes beyond the basics and familiarizes learners with mixologist tricks that can amaze the crowd. The expert recipes will inspire new ideas for mixologists willing to take risks.
Modules:
- Craft homemade ingredients
- Get to grips with advanced equipment
- Upgrade your serves
- Learn secret hacks
- Create Carbonated concoctions
- Add spectacular smoke
- Master Nitro-infusion tricks
- Excel at Clarification
Duration: 18 lessons on advanced bartending techniques
Features: 19 expert-level cocktail recipes, In-depth study notes, Certificate upon passing exam, On-the-go device accessibility, Lifelong access to lessons
3. Online Tiki Cocktail Course [The European Bartender School]
This course acquaints learners with the sugar-refining process and how to create syrups with different ingredient combinations to obtain unique flavors. The course will also feature lessons on garnishing techniques and how to mix nuts while immersing the learner in tiki history and its popular names and bars.
Modules:
- Master the Sugar-refining process
- Create Homemade syrups
- Learn Ancient & Modern techniques
- Craft Iconic Garnishes
- Immerse yourself in Tiki culture
- Meet Don Beach and Trader Vic
Duration: 4 Hours (20 lessons for practical training and on tiki history)
Features: 16 tiki cocktail lessons, 8 syrup recipes, In-depth study notes, Certificate upon passing exam, On-the-go device accessibility, Lifelong access to lessons
4. Online Craft Flair Course [The European Bartender School]
Craft flair bartending allows bartenders to show off their skill and capture the crowd’s attention with their expertise. The course will give bartenders an added advantage in attracting customers for a drink and make them well-known around town.
Modules:
- Basic Moves
- Shaker Moves
- Ice Flair
- One Bottle Moves
- Two Object Moves
- Three Object Moves
- Pour Moves
Duration: 16 lessons for different flair moves
Features: 4 impressive routines, In-depth study notes, On-the-go device accessibility
5. Bar Basics/Mixology – Certification Course [A Bar Above]
1. A Bar Above Bar Basics: It is a beginner bartending school course taught by Chris Tunstall, known as a crash course to learn how to craft cocktails at home. The course is short, easy, and fit for absolute cocktail-making beginners, budding home bartenders, and craft cocktail enthusiasts.
Modules:
- Cocktails
- Components of Cocktails and Differences Between Them
- Liquor vs. Liqueur
- Put together the components into great craft drinks!
- Build your own craft cocktail bar at home
- Applying this knowledge outside your home bar
- Making eight basic cocktail recipes with detailed ingredients and instructions
Duration: 3-4 hours
Features: Access to ask the team questions, Full lifetime access to course materials, Self-paced, On-the-go access
2. A Bar Above Mixology: This is the advanced version of the bartending course, which is more extensively structured for maximum benefit to the learner. It is rated Best for Working Bartenders by liquor.com. The course consists of a 3-step process, including two in-depth courses and a two-part final exam.
Modules:
- Master Your Ingredients – Understanding Cocktail Components
- Master Balance & Flavor – Mixology 101
Duration: 3-4 weeks (Upto 6-8 weeks)
Features: Community and mentorship access for asking questions, Full lifetime access to course materials, Self-paced, On-the-go mobile-optimized access, HD Videos, Interactive quizzes, and Printable cheat sheets.
6. Bartending Mastery – Cocktail and Bartending Masterclass [Udemy]
With over 3000 students and 1000 ratings, this course holds 4.6 stars and is a bestseller. It was created by Michael Miller and is a six-module course for learning the skills to be refined in the case of beginner bartenders, as well as finding a first bar job.
Modules:
- Service
- Equipment
- Masterclass
- Bar legends
- Cocktails
- Career
- Wisdom
Duration: 4 hours, 19 minutes (80 lessons)
Features: 30-day money-back guarantee, Full lifetime access to course materials
7. How to Be a Successful Bartender [Udemy]
Known as the highest in rating, this course is by a working bartender in NYC, and with over 1500 students, the course focuses on footage of what the instructor really does at the bar as a professional bartender. The course consists of 3 sections – Introduction, Core Section, and Drinks Section.
Modules:
- Techniques for bartending at the highest caliber
- Making the most popular drinks at the highest caliber of service
- Bartender’s mindset and duties
- Running your bar and gaining respect
- Proper techniques on how to make drinks
- Proper techniques for serving drinks and wine
- Getting a job as a bartender.
Duration: 3 hours 16 minutes (49 lectures)
Features: Full lifetime access to learning material, 30-day money-back guarantee
8. Bartending 101 – Full Guide for Bartending [Skillshare]
This course teaches how to use raw materials in optimal ways to reach a desired taste. One will also learn how to make cocktails at home and other methods of stocking your bar, as well as basic bartending techniques.
Modules:
- Bartending Gear
- Stocking Your Bar
- Garnishing Cocktails
- Bartending Slang
- Cosmopolitan
- Screwdriver
- Tom Collins
- Dark N Stormy
- Old Fashioned
- Creating Your Own Cocktail
Duration: 43 minutes (12 lessons)
Features: Full lifetime access to learning material, Hands-on project
9. How to Cocktail Series Part 1: Classic Shaken Cocktails [Skillshare]
Led by April Wachtel, this course navigates the waters concerning the quality and visual appearance of drinks, including pouring cocktails and maintaining the aesthetic freshness of the mint over a shift, essentially basic but key tips that go a long way in the eyes of a customer.
Modules:
- Tools and Ingredients
- Cocktail #1: The Daiquiri
- Cocktail #2: The Margarita
- Cocktail #3: The Tom Collins
- Cocktail #4: The Whiskey Sour
- The Assignment
Duration: 25 minutes (7 lessons)
Features: Full lifetime access to learning material, 30-day money-back guarantee, Hands-on project, On-the-go access to lessons
10. Bartending for Beginners [Typsy]
Taught by world-class bartender Charlie Ainsbury, this course brings together creativity and innovation into a learning experience created to master cocktail making.
Modules:
- How to be a successful professional bartender
- Where you can go if you choose to bartend as a career
- How to use essential bartending tools
- How to measure cocktails
- Essential cocktail-making techniques
- How to garnish cocktails
- How to pick the right ice for cocktails
- Classic cocktail recipes
- How to properly clean a bar
Duration: 30 minutes, 5 seconds
Features: Self-paced
11. BarSmarts [Pernod Ricard USA]
Rated Best Overall by liquor.com, BarSmarts is a course created by the world’s second-largest wine and spirits distillery as a training program that includes the history of cocktails, best practices, and mixology taught by David Wondrich. The course is of a more high standard in such a way that although modules are fit for both novices and professionals, students must complete the course within 60 days and only have 2 chances to pass the DrinkBuilder exam, which involves bartenders making 4 different classic cocktails from previous modules with 2 chances per module. Graduates receive a certificate and level up to the advanced course.
Modules:
- Profiles of every spirits category
- History of the Spirit
- Cocktail applications
- Guided video tastings
- Compendium of cocktail recipes
- Serving techniques
- Important moments in the history of cocktails
Duration: 60 days
Features: Certificate, expert instruction with industrial value
12. Get Behind the Bar [MasterClass]
Known for being the Best Expert instructors, this course is taught by Lynnette Marrero and Ryan Chetiyawardana, showing an expert level of cocktail variety. They go through everything from cocktail mixing basics to building a home bar, and learners will understand how to mix a perfectly balanced drink for different settings.
Modules:
- Getting Behind the Bar and Exploring the Palate of Flavors at Your Disposal
- An Assortment of Drinks and Cocktails – Starters, Classics, Shared Sours, Silky Egg White Sours
- Dinner Party Classics
- Party Starters & Celebratory Drinks
- Pairing Cocktails with Food
- Showing Creativity and Craft
Duration: 4 hours 29 minutes (17 sessions)
Features: Certificate, Expert instruction with industrial value, Class sample available
Conclusion
Bartending courses come in all shapes and sizes tailored to suit the individual needs of each learner. When deciding on an online bartending course, consider how far you want to learn and the goal for your course; will you be starting a new career or using mixing drinks for leisure?
If you are looking toward an expert standing in a new career, go for the certifications, as the industrial experience that will be endowed will be most helpful when you are starting afresh.
