Bartender’s Union Local 165 Bar Apprentice Training Program Curriculum

Objectives: To educate Apprentice Bartenders, Bartenders and Beverage Managers in all aspects of the Craft including:

• Various laws and health regulations as they pertain to bartending in Las Vegas, as well as the relevance of policies and procedures to our craft.
• Customer service skills.
• Proper handling, storage, and serving techniques, with practice in pouring various measures of the product.
• Memorizing approximately 300 drink recipes from the Union Drink Book.
• Product knowledge including the “ground-to-glass” history and production methods of beverage alcohol.
• History of and current trends/issues related to our Craft.
• Understanding the equipment and procedures utilized in the Craft.
• Instilling and nurturing the passion for and understanding of the mastery of the Craft, which is a lifetime endeavor.

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Course Structure:

Trainees register for a specific class session, which meets two consecutive days per week, for a total of twenty weeks. Each class is three hours, for a total of six hours per week. Upon completion of the course, a Written Final Craft Examination will be administered. The Written Final Craft Exam must be passed, or the Trainee is required to repeat the entire course.

Methods: Each class consists of a combination of lectures, reading, practice drills, demonstrations, films, and discussions. In addition, visits to a local brewery, distillery, and wine school are included.

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The course is divided into four Units:
1. Bartending and Cocktails – 5 weeks
2. Spirits/Product Knowledge – 5 weeks
3. Beer – 4 weeks
4. Wine – 6 weeks

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Each Unit is followed by a Unit Practice Test.

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Materials:

Course Manual: includes course regulations, schedule, and various informational packets augmented during the course.

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