Frequently Asked Questions about Bartending and our Free Online Bartending Course

1. Is your bartending course really free? I've seen other sites make the same
offer, but there is always something you have to buy before you can take the
course. What's the catch?
With a name like "TotallyFreeBartending.com", it would be hard to try and sell our
students a bartending course. Yes, this site is guaranteed, 100 percent, completely,
truly, and totally free. There is no fine print, no hidden fees, no BS. The only thing we
ask is that you sign up for the course. All it takes is your first name and email
address. Anything for sale on our site is completely optional, so you need not worry
about making any purchases in order to take the course.

2. How does your course work? What do I get after signing up?
You are receiving the best quality bartender-training manual from a group of people
who have over 26 years experience in the industry. We have been bartenders,
corporate bar trainers, bar managers, TIPS Trainers, and even owned a bartending
school. The information you will receive is updated, easy to understand, and created
specifically for people who have no experience in the industry and want to work as
bartenders in the future.
After signing up for the course, you will receive an introductory email from us and a
link to your first lesson. Each day you will be sent a new email with a link to your next
lesson. There are seventeen lessons to the course, and if you can't do one lesson
each day, don't worry. Simply revisit the lesson link anytime you want to review the
information. Each lesson includes skills training, bartending terms and definitions,
advice, scenarios, drink recipes, and practice questions. After you have done all
seventeen lessons, an email will be sent containing a link to answers for all the
practice questions so you can check your progress. You will also be sent links for
job hunting tips and interview advice, as well as a list of TIPS Trainers by state (see
question 6 below). Please make sure your email system
allows our email, or you may not get our lessons. Just add us to your address book
and everything should be fine.

3. Do you provide certification? Most sites and schools say you need a certificate
to get a job as a bartender.
While only some states require bartenders to be "bartending school certified", most
employers will want to see that you actually have evidence of training. Also, most
states are now requiring some form of alcohol server education. Keep in mind that
bartending course certificates and alcohol server education certificates are two
separate things. Is it worth $500-$1500 from a bartending school? You be the judge.
When it comes to bartending, most information is universal, meaning most schools
and academies use the same information to teach their students the skill of
bartending. With bartending, your job opportunities stem from one thing: either you
know your stuff or you don't. Either you have it, or you don't. It's that simple. The
certificate is meaningless if you don't study. An owner or manager wants to know
you can perform behind the bar, not that you can recite 50 drink recipes and tell him
about the history behind a martini. Show them your skills, not your certificate.
However, we do offer optional certification for a fraction of what bartending schools
charge, in case you want proof of your hard work. And at only $27 for lifetime
certification, it's nearly a steal. Highly recommended.

4. Why do I need a bartending kit?
The practice kit is one of the most important parts of this bartending course. To be a
bartender requires hands on practice with bottles and the tools you will use in a bar.
That is why bartending schools are set up like real bars. It allows the students to
practice their drinks. We have created a page where you can put together your own
bartending kits in order to practice at home! Click here to check out all of our bar
tools, including some great bartending kits! It's your money! We just allow you to
keep more of it!

5. What about job placement? So many schools say they help you find a job for
life.
Job placement assistance is one of the biggest scams around. Bartending schools
often employ this technique as the "difference maker" in getting a student to pay
them for training. However, the students are often disappointed when they realize
the job placement program is little more than a list of available jobs in their area.
You can get the same information from the "Jobs" section of your local paper or by
thumbing through the yellow pages. Again, is that worth hundreds of dollars to you?
Pay attention to the word "assistance", too. It means they don't have to guarantee you
a job, only that they will "assist" you in your search.

6. What is alcohol server education? Is it necessary?
Alcohol server education is a class or series of classes designed to help potential
servers, bartenders, managers, or anyone else who deals with the service of
alcohol prevent intoxication, drunk driving, and the over-service of patrons. While we
feel bartender certification is absolutely unnecessary, we believe that certification in
alcohol awareness and service responsibility is a MUST in today's industry. Liquor
laws are becoming more stringent, and now bartenders and servers can personally
be sued if they are deemed responsible of over-serving a guest. We recommend the
Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) program, as it is a wonderful class and
is accepted across all 50 states. There is a minimal cost for the course, but the
certification lasts three years and may be the difference between being taken
seriously or not as a potential bartender. Click here to go to the TIPS Trainers list
and browse by state. COMING SOON!

7. How old do I have to be in order to become a bartender?
In most states, you must be at least 18 years of age. In some states you must be 21.
Please check with your state's liquor control authority for more information. As far as
taking our course, there is no age minimum. If you're 16 or younger and want to
learn about bartending, go for it. Just know that it won't come in handy for a few more
years.

8. What kind of person makes the best bartender?
Anyone can become a good bartender, provided you learn your trade well, are good
with people, and you are honest and friendly. There are as many bar themes out
there as there are personalities, and so there are plenty of jobs available to fit your
comfort level. There are nightclubs, sports bars, college bars, pubs and taverns, fine
dining, country clubs, cruise ships, catering companies, hotels and restaurants, and
even a freelance market for selling yourself for parties and weddings. We suggest
trying them all until you find a god fit for your personality. And there is no age
limitation on bartending. The industry currently employs bartenders from 18-65.

9. How much money can I expect to make as a bartender?
The average wage with tips for a beginning bartender is about $20 an hour, and
rises steadily with experience and type of bar. You can expect to make from a low of
$80 a day to upwards of $1000 a night, depending on the type of bar, location, size of
city, etc. It's good money, no matter how you look at it.

10. Why should I take your course over anyone else's?
For starters, it's TOTALLY FREE. Even if you want a certificate later, you can get free
training here first and use it as a way of filtering out a good school from a bad one.
Second, all bartending schools use the same information to teach you the skill.
Third, we have over 26 years experience in the industry and have worked every
aspect of it. From bartending to managing, corporate training to owning a bartending
school, we have covered it all. And now we're passing it on to you for free! Take
advantage now! If you haven't already, go back to our home page and sign up! We've
also given you extras that other schools make you pay for; links to TIPS trainers,
insider information on how to land a great job and nail that first interview, as well as
where to find bartending equipment cheap! Wait...did we also mention it's free?!

While we do not offer free certification, as it costs us large quantities of time and
money to do so, we do offer optional certification for a small fee! For only $27 we
will hand correct a bartender certification exam (which will be sent to you by email
once you sign up for the certification process), and upon successful completion
of the exam, we will send you a Certificate of Achievement in Mixology! This option
will be given to you during the last lesson of the course.

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