ABC Bartending College

This was a good school it was pretty far for me but it was worth the drive. The teacher Sonny is very helpful he made the class fun and if you need help with anything he will slow it down for you.

This is my first time taking classes, they are very thorough, flexible, professional, and informative. The staff have extensive knowledge, and are always wiling to help, and answer questions. The individual to call is John, he is kind and informative and works in administration, My favorite instructor is Sonny, he is extremely talented, experienced, and professional. Larry is also another favorite instructor, knowledgeable, funny, and always willing to help and answer questions. Obviously everyone is pretty cool here, but these are the people that have really helped make my journey to becoming a bartender fun and successful. Thanks guys. I highly recommend this location to others trying to pursue bartending.

I thought the best way to get into bartending was going to a professional school that would train you. I like bartending, I would mix drinks for family when I was young, so I thought to myself «Why not get my certificate while I’m at UCD to make some cash, have some fun, meet people?» etc. It was the perfect plan, but that’s all it ever was, just a plan.
I started ABC Bartending School back in 2012 and at first it seemed exciting. ABC Bartending will teach you how to pour ounces with a speed pourer, how to identify their own glasses, you’ll get to pour colored water and garnish drinks with foam or plastic pieces, and here and there you might be given tips on bar etiquette. This is fine for anyone who goes into this without any prior knowledge, however this is a terrible deal if you watch plenty of videos on youtube. Personally I felt like I was there to just get my certificate and move on.
I don’t remember how long it took me to complete the course, I did the weekend only plan. Must have been 4 – 5 of my weekends. You take a written exam which is simple and you take a pouring exam to make sure you remembered what to ask (for martinis, margaritas, bloody marys, etc.) and how to make a drink. You have to make a total of 12 drinks in like 7 mins.
The school fails you in so many ways because everything they promise to cover on their website isn’t covered.
Liquors & liqueurs — They briefly explain what they are, it’s very vague info that you can read online.
Garnishes and cutting fruit — As I stated they have foam and plastic garnishes ready, but you don’t do any cutting there.
Profit Pouring– How to up sale expensive liquor. Look best way you can do this is if you know the product yourself and you know your customers taste. ie You can try to up sale me Johnnie Walker Blue cause it’s more expensive and blah blah blah, but you’re going to be out of luck when I tell you I only like single malts and not blends.
Wine — They didn’t talk much about wine other than show them the label and let them have a taste to see if they will buy it. Nothing about the different grapes, styles (color, dryness, sweetness, fortified), etc. was talked about.
Beer — I had to tell my instructor if he would show us how to tap a keg, to which he replied «Do you really want to know?» It’s supposed to be part of the program. They didn’t bother showing us how to pour draft beer either because the keg on site doesn’t have anything in it, it’s just there to show students how to tap it. Finally there was no info on beer, teaching us about styles would be nice.
Flair bartending — this was an extra $ 80 I believe. You probably don’t need it and I didn’t pay for it. I became friends with someone there, he continued his training because he paid for this and said it wasn’t worth it. Flair bartending is only needed in certain places.
The most disappointing part of the experience is there job placement program. I passed my written final with a 97% and poured 19 drinks tieing another student’s record (before our class). My instructor made it seem like he was going to be looking out for me, to make sure I get a job right away. However, that was not the case. In the end they give you a small piece of paper, which has a website with a login name and password. From there on you’re on your own trying to land your own job.
As someone below me has stated it is pretty much useless because every position you find require at least 2 – 3 years of experience if not 5. Rarely do you ever find a «no experience» necessary job there and when you do it’s filled up pretty quickly. You have to remember you’re competing with other people who might have applied in person and didn’t even take this course, other students you took it with, and previous «graduates».
In the end, the certificate is not worth it. This course is sad, they give you a handbook and tell you to remember it so that when they start yelling drinks you pour the right ingredients. It doesn’t go into full detail about anything. There are people who don’t do these types of courses and still get bartending jobs. I couldn’t even land a position as a bar back in any of the bars near UCD.
Do yourself a favor, save the $ 200 and just watch videos on youtube, you’ll learn a lot, more than you will here. I wish I had saved the $ 200, the gas money to go there and get back, and the lunch money from our break it could have been the extra cash I could have used to go out at the bars or more groceries. Oh, and don’t buy their take home kit, which they sell at about $ 50, you could buy that stuff for a far cheaper price at a place like Ikea.
Now for as much bad as I as it I’ve expressed there was little good. The instructors were always nice and helpful, it is a fun way to waste time, and you’ll even meet some nice people there. This is why you at least get 1 star. I hear that these courses are on special on GroupOn, I personally would still skip. I never landed a bartending job.

So far so great! I just started this bartending school and let me tell you, it is a breath of fresh air! I’m learning so much thanks to the instructor, Sunny. He is very consistent and knowledgable. He is also very easy to learn from and always willing to help.
The school itself is nice. It’s very large inside and has two full bars set up so most of the time you get to practice on your own well, which is great. I’m learning all kinds of drinks and history that I’ve never been introduced to– even though I attended and became certified from another bartending school in LA back in June. I can honestly say I learned more here in two days, than I did in my 3 months at the other school.
The owner of the school is happy to talk job placement with you as soon as you start which is different from other schools that make you wait until you complete your certification. This is nice because you can worry less about the break of unemployment when you finish the course and focus more on learning. You really have the burden taken off of you here. At the previous school I attended (not affiliated with this school) they made the students do everything! Vacuum, dust scrub… everything– anything they could have students clean, they would. But this is not the case at this school. They have the instructors take more responsibility and it is nice because students have more time to practice because of this.
The parking lot is great during the day but at night, it is very dark and scary. However, the school encourages you to park right in front and never lets you walk out alone so this is a good solution. I wouldn’t say the parking lot is dangerous, it’s just that the other businesses close early so during night classes, there’s not much traffic.
Overall, my experience here has been so great this far. The owner, John is a good guy, willing to help and very genuine. The instructor, Sunny, well he is just great!
I’m excited to continue to be properly educated here and look forward to recommending this school to everyone!

I was looking for a career change, and saw a groupon for this bartending college. I was a little apprehensive at first, but the staff is extremely helpful and guide you through the entire process. The instructors are very hands on and give you priceless real life advice, while teaching you all the basics of being a successful bartender. My boyfriend enrolled in the casino college on the other side of the building, and had a lot of success over there as well. I really like that this place helps you get placed in a job once you complete the program. I am a few hours away and am looking forward to landing a job soon!

To start off I would like to say that I couldn’t have asked for better instructors. Although there were very diverse methods of teaching throughout the three of them, the end result was the same… I left confident. I left knowing that I absolutely have what it takes to work ANY bar. Having somehow constructed a method that helped me retain the copious amounts of information that comes along with the course I left enthused, inspired, and impatient to start my new career and passion as a bartender.
I have recommended, and will continue to recommend this school to anyone even remotely interested in mixology. Thanks again ABC.
PS: Don’t be cheap. Get the flashcards.

I signed up for classes at ABC to fulfill a long-​time goal of mine. The classes were fun, fast-​paced, and well worth the time and money.
The best part, for me, was the opportunity to get the basics relatively quickly (but with some required memorization homework that I was able to do while at work and the gym).
The instructor was entertaining and generous with his knowledge of the local bar scene and which places were likely to be hiring.
My motivation isn’t to get a bartending job (at least not right now) but they also have a job placement service and several of the people in my class did use it.

Great program! John and the staff are very friendly and help get you the help you need to get to work quickly! I would definitely recommend the courses to anyone looking to make a couple extra bucks!

I have nothing but good things to say about ABC Bartending School of Sacramento. I took the course a little over a year ago and I am so busy. I love the fact that the staff is very knowledgeable and personal. Any time I have a question or concern they are right there ready to help. I enjoyed my time in class and from time to time I just sit in for a refresher or ask questions. The office staff keeps me very busy to this day with gigs even after a year. I love them all at the school. Thank you for everything

I’ve always wanted to get a feel about what’s it like to be a bartender. My parents always told me that bartenders make a lot of money, but to get the skills and knowledge, bartending school is expensive. I did some research on bartending schools and I discovered that this location had a Groupon for cheap. I put my savings on it and hoped for the best.
I Unilocal’d this business RIGHT AFTER I called in through the school’s number given to me on Groupon to sign up for the class. Initially thought that it was a bad decision given the number of negative reviews… This all changed when I went in and began my first lesson.
In the beginning, I knew nothing about mixing drinks. I just know a few brand names of hard liquor because that’s what I drank at college parties. In a first hours of the first lesson, I started learning to make the ‘popular’ drinks and got their names right. I also learned stories behind the names and such that would make it interesting for any of those who are clueless to what came about the name-​calling.
The instructor was friendly, informative, and very helpful. He will teach you tricks and tips to mixing… he will even teach you a pretty cool magic trick that could even get you more tips.
Overall, I felt that this bartending school was hands down the best learning experience I could ask for.
The best thing about this location is that the offer a «lifetime membership» meaning, if I were to ever get rusty on my knowledge and bartending skills, I could still come back and practice and again for free.
⁵⁄₅ stars. FORGET THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS.

I rarely ever write reviews, but the customer service of this place is very frustrating. If I could give zero stars, I would as well. I called the manager, initially interested in enrolling in bar tending school. He was very rude and would not let things go when I misspoke. I was no longer interested in enrolling, especially here, in bar tending school. He was very persistent with his calls even though I didn’t pick up all seven of his calls. He used different numbers. I picked up his eighth call by accident and told him I was really busy at the time. He said «I’m confused, are you still interested in enrolling in classes with us?» The moment I said no he hung up.
Initially he began with a $ 300 offer for a two weekend class. That price kept dropping after every message I got to below $ 100. The instability in price was a huge indicator in their attempt to rip people off.
The customer service that I experienced here is very unprofessional. I am glad I did not do any business with this company and do not ever intend to.

If I can give 0 stars I would! I didn’t sign up go the course ans glad didn’t! I got a phone call from the manager at this school and I knew right off the bat that this is not a school k want to go to.
He was very rude and ask about my current job and kept saying that I would make more money bartending. I kept telling him that bartending would be a secondary job and he said in a very rude tone «You already said that.» He was also very pushy saying, «When are you going to call me back? I am writing it down.» He also DARED call me sweetly and kiddo! Not a professional way to communicate with a prospective customer. If the manager is presenting himself in this kind of manner, I wonder what kind of school this really is. I highly do not reccomend this unprofessional, pushy, and plain rude school!

One of my dream jobs is to be a professional bartender. So when I saw a Groupon for this school, my eyes lit up and I immediately scheduled myself for classes!
Going into this class, I knew nothing about bartending and had very little knowledge about drinks. After a couple of hours in class, I learned about the history of certain drinks and how they got their respective names. Very interesting facts to know and you can impress your friends at the bar by telling them what you’ve learned (lol).
The class itself is very fun and hands on. Although you will get tested at the end (written and bartending drill), there’s really no stress plus it’s tons of fun having your own bar and making drinks! You have full access to all the equipment as you’re sitting behind the bar. All the bottles don’t have alcohol in it but colored water. The provided textbook also has the steps to make each drink and useful to have when at home.
John was our instructor. He made the class fun and was very helpful. If you’re looking for jobs, he will tell you about some openings around your area. He gave a great vibe and was enthusiastic about bartending.
Unfortunately, I did not finish bartending school. However, I talked with the director and you can reschedule yourself for classes anytime you want as long as it’s in the same location you started at. I will put an updated review when I (finally) finish.
This is a great for training if you want to become a bartender. Even if you’re not looking to be a professional bartender, it’s fun to be behind the bar and learning how to make drinks!
No stress + having your own bar = 5 stars!

Waste of money. Don’t waste your time. Restaurants don’t care for «bartending school» they want to train you themselves. I’ve been waiting for months to get my money back and the guy keeps avoiding my calls. He even said it’ll take 30 days to get back into my account and still nothing.

ABC’s Bartending College was a great experience for me. I was able to familiarize myself with recipes and techniques, all at my own pace. The day-​time instructor was awesome and always willing to help.

This is a friendly atmosphere for leaning skill of bartending
it just like you are working at a bar station in the reality
different instructors has different teaching style and different working experiences to share with us
the test is fair
program was very fun, time is flexible
and instructors are very helpful and friendly

Bartending school was an excellent choice for me. Teachers are great and it gives the experience of being in a bar working with all the equipment. 100% recommended for those who are looking for a different experience.

Alright i would first like to say how awesome the teachers were in this place, they helped me every step of the way and when it came to the test i breezed right through it. This school covers everything i honestly didnt think i was going to be able to memorize everything! The good thing about it though is its set up like a real bar so the class is experience. I would recommend anyone wanting to learn how to bartend to take this class.

I signed up for for this using a groupon deal and it actually turned out to be a lot of fun! By the end of two weekends back to back I actually was not only pouring drinks like a pro… with the exception of a few spills here and there, I also expanded my knowledge of flavors and drinks to recommend when I am out with friends. I also started applying shortly after my certificate came in and have had a few phone calls back, so interestingly enough what I thought was going to be a weekend of fun is landing me a new part time job most likely! =) I am very happy with their staff and service, this place is definitely worth the it! Afterall I came from all the way from the SF Bay! Keep up the good work ABC…

Like most people, I was looking for something new to help supplement my income, and of course bartending came into mind. I did some research and selected ABC bartending school. The school was pretty easy to find and very well organized. I loved the fact that we each got our own bar station and there was no sitting around watching others and waiting for my turn. It was mostly hands on with just enough writing and lessons. The teachers were very down to earth and informative. You could tell you were learning from some very experienced bartenders. You get the opportunity to come in early or stay late for all the practice you could want or even some one on one tutoring. The teachers actually want you to succeed and give you all the help they can. They let you know exactly what information you need to be successful in the job hunt and when you finally get a job. I recommend this school to anyone i know considering entering bartending.