Metropolitan Bartending School of Bc

I got my certificate here and it was great, my teacher was amazing and it was fun and easy to learn all the drinks

I have been eyeballing the website of the school for a while, and in the end decided to do the weekend bartending certification course, which was 100% fun. The class time is 6 hours, but sometimes I almost wished I got to practice a bit more, just because the atmosphere is so nice. I truly enjoyed handling shakers, glasses, bottles and everything else that constitutes a good drink, or rather making of it. I feel that I have learned a lot, both in terms of recepies and general alcohol theory. It’s great that this course gives you enough background to start working as a bartender, but it also makes you the most welcome guest to parties. The teacher was very knowledgeable and chill, he made even more boring parts (like safety procedures) entertaining, and was generally very helpful. I would definitely recommend this course to everyone. It’s time well-​spent!

I loved taking this course. Took the full masters course ($ 630) and I definitely think it’s worth it if you want to work in a bar setting. John, my instructor, was super awesome and made us feel comfortable while behind the bar.
One thing that I was a little disappointed in was the wine tasting seminar that was included in the package. I went in with the idea that I would be learning which wines would go well with which food dishes, but it was more just about learning aromas of wine.
Still good, highly recommend this place.

I dropped by for the one-​day Bar Chef seminar and was thoroughly pleased with the evening. My friend and I chose this course as an intro bartending and drink mixing, and it’s left a really positive impression on both of us! Even with no prior bartending background, the class was both accessible and enjoyable!
Initially I was worried that the class would focus too much on theory, but I was fortunately mistaken. Micah, our instructor, kept the class going at a great pace. Between the theory, jokes, and practical instruction, I never felt bored. Furthermore, we were given a lot of time to practice making actual drinks. Using fresh ingredients, we’d make a variety of cocktails that tasted pretty good! (And to clarify, yes we got to drink our creations!)
One tidbit I didn’t appreciate until later on when I was making my own drinks at home was how much Micah explained the rationale behind what we were taught. In those 3 hours, I learned a lot, but knowing the «why» is what really cemented those skills in my head.
If you’re new to bartending and want to give it a try, or want to learn some new techniques, I would definitely recommend the Bar Chef seminar.

I came here on a Friday night a few weeks ago with my sister and had a great time. We took the 3 hour wine taking seminar and had Chris as our instructor. Chris was very knowledgeable — I learned a lot of interesting facts, all while tasting wine! He was extremely engaging and it was clear he loved wine and even teaching the seminar. We tasted ⁵⁄₆ different types of wine, I felt the wine was very well picked and helped us distinguish different factors of wine. I would definitely recommend this as a date night for couples, it’s something different and fun!

As a regular wine drinker, decided that I wanted to learn a bit more about wine. What I wanted to get out of the Wine Tasting Seminar was basically just to be able to tell the difference between types of wines and which wines go better with certain types of foods.
We arrived at the Metropolitan about 30 mins early (my gf is a keener) to make sure we got good seats. Turns out the room is pretty cozy so you can hear and see everything just as clearly from any seat.
We were greeted by Chris who was also the teacher and he confirmed our names for the certificates we would later receive.
At each seat there was a coil book with some background and history on Wine accompanied with a glass of water and a large steel cup which to me looked like something a Denny’s would serve the excess of your milkshake in… But was actually a «Spittoon”(for those of you driving – taste and spit)
We started with 3 whites, a Rosé and finished with 2 Reds.
Best part about the class was Chris was open to questions throughout, matter of fact he encouraged them. Also shared his own not only professional experiences but personal opinions too. Chris backed me up about buying stainless steel wine glasses at home… yes goblet style lol though my gf is not a fan. So it was nice to have some support
I recommend this seminar for not only beginners but avid winer drinkers as well. I took away many things from this seminar that I will be using on a daily basis. From the moment I step into a winer cellar or a liquor store to the next time I go visit a winery.
Thanks Chris!
P.S– There is no such thing «cheap» Champagne

We came here last night as a small group, my boyfriend and two other girlfriends for the wine tasting seminar. I figured since I’m getting too old to indulge in hard liquor (higher puking probability) it would be fun to learn more about wine — and who doesn’t have aspirations to become a certified wine snob? lol
First let’s start with location: it’s located in the heart of Kitsilano, super friendly neighbourhood and two pubs nearby so if you’re doing the class in a group then you can definitely head downstairs after and test out your newly acquired wine knowledge ;)
Facility: It’s a cute little space upstairs in a low rise building so you can see out to the street through the windows, I hate stuffy classrooms — if I“m learning there has GOT to be windows it just makes it easier not to feel like you’re in prison
Teacher: We had Chris as an instructor, but I would probably call him a Subject Matter Expert. He was so knowledgeable and you could tell he was an industry guy — not just some dude who read a lot of books about wine. I appreciated the fact that in his introduction to the class he was really open about his career and his experience in the service industry and what he was doing now. He also got everyone in the class to introduce themselves and give a little tidbit about what brought us to the class and what our favourite wines were. We had a small class of 9 people so it was really comfortable and we had good conversation between all of us throughout the whole class. Chris was great at facilitating discussion and answering any questions anyone had. We all seemed to be at different «levels» of wine knowledge but he really created an open forum for all of us to feel comfortable asking what might be «dumb» questions hhaha
Wines: We had a total of six wines to taste — there was a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose, Sparkling Wine, Pinot Noir, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. I’d guess the price ranges on the wines varied from $ 25-​$ 35 at the store. Because it was such a small class we all received generous amounts and still had leftover wine in the bottles!
Material: Chris went through the basics of wine, some history of wine’s origins, gave us a good foundation about body, acidity, dryness, and a bunch of other «did you know» information. He taught us what to look for when we order bottles of wine at restaurants, he taught etiquette for serving and pouring wine.
The best part about this class is that there is no final exam!!! LOL It’s funny because I’ve never seen my boyfriend put in so much effort to learn before, this is probably because when I get him to go pick up a bottle at BC Liquor store he ends up calling me and asking which wine to buy and he usually gets yelled at for not knowing so this class was probably more beneficial for him.
The class is about 3 hours long give or take, there is free parking at the back or you can street park in front. I would recommend this class to anyone who is looking for something fun to do on a Friday night, either couples or a group of friends. I definitely felt this was a valuable experience and went home with a good buzz! I’m also thinking of doing the bartending class just for fun, so when we have people over for summer BBQs or parties we can offer more than just a rum and coke

I took the «Fully Certified» program spring of 2013.
It cost me $ 495 as I was lulled by their fabulous site and promises of «If you dont get it right you can retake it!
To be fair, I did not ask. I now owe some good friends $ 495 I dont have, since my pie in the sky idea of getting a bartending job, that dream of millions of hand-​to-​mouth workers the world over, has died. As it should. As it should.
I knew going to a class and taking a test wouldn’t get me a job, but hoped that memorizing drinks & using my sense memory to pick up technique would only come from working in a «Bar».
After years of seeing ads for «experienced bartenders», I decided a school was the only way to practice.
I got there to check out the school and saw a «class» of 2 and one teacher in a cool looking bar.
When I started I was put in a different class of 2 (me and a bouncer guy who had the idea bartending would make his fortune) becuase I was told the other one was «Almost full and I would get more practice time»
SO the dude & I were regaled w/​stories and used colored and clear water to make pretend drinks, which was fine except often they were the wrong color or things were misplaced or dirty/​dusty or mislabeled or in a say, scotch bottle that said it was something else. Hmm. Sense memory. The instructor would let out early since «It was such a small group».uhhh…DUDE I’m paying for this.
Could go on but it’s already to long.

Teachers here are all knowledgeable working professionals. Once you’ve taken the course one time, they let you come back for practice as many times as you want (at no cost). The location is great too with restaurants all around for your lunch break and you get to practice pouring beer and mixing drinks in the bar downstairs.