I went to another bartending school to try it out and it was a lot more expensive and the manager was trying to hustle me and a friend to pay more than this deal he told us. So we took our business to ABC Bartending School because it had a really good price. I learned a lot, and overall with enthusiasm, you can learn how to be a quality bartender. Kenny and Natasia are great instructors, they'll find creative ways to teach drink mixes and are very knowledgeable. read more

Want to amaze your friends by mixing up a apple martini or Long Island Ice tea, or better yet, find a job you really like? ABC Bartending school is the answer. The instructors are knowledgeable and working bartenders so you know you are getting the latest advice. Kenny is hilarious and takes the time the answer every little question you can think of. Natasia is super sweet and gives great tips for remembering drink recipes. I signed up for the two week course. They have very flexible class scheduling to fit around your lifestyle. They offer job placement and great tips to help you land your first gig. Plus you can take BART to classes. Get your PhD in Mixology at ABC! read more

Where do I start? The experience was amazing & the amount of knowledge I got truly can not be put into words. Grateful for this school & their amazing team! Eric was my instructor & he was amazing!!!! Not only did he have a lot of experience but he was so informative about everything. The whole team rocks. Thank you Eric, Keith & Sean. read more

Great classs... Erik is one of the best instructors they have. Very funny guy. He make the class very fun and interesting.

I just finished taking their course and it was so much fun!! Shawn was an awesome teacher: he was patient, broke things down so it was easy to follow and had his students learn recipes by repetition. I would highly recommends his school and Shawn as an instructor. read more

I'm taking bartending classes with a friend and the best deal was to go to the ABC Bartending School in San Leandro. A bit far but whatever. When we found the place, I was surprised by how small it was. It's definitely not high end. It's cozy and the room gets filled up with students fast. Our instructor told us that it's usually pretty empty on weekends but it was packed last weekend. He claimed that it got as packed as it usually is during weekday lessons. The instructors that taught us that weekend were pretty good. They helped us a lot and gave us tips for future careers. They're also pretty laid back but they definitely know their stuff. The quality of the stations leaves much to be desired but I can't complain too much about that. What I CAN complain about it how difficult it is to share stations when the class gets packed. If you're taking classes, I suggest the weekend ones ONLY because you'll have more room to work. The school is across the street from the mall and a donut shop so if you're on lunch break, you do have options that are close range. Just so you know. Good school. read more

Shawn and Kenny are amazing teachers! I've had so much fun while learning how to bartend. They make you feel like it's very simple and easy to learn all the recipes and techniques. Plus they're very encouraging and open to helping out me and my cousin. Even on Thursday's when it's just practice day, Kenny takes his time to give me and my cousin a lecture of our choice so we can catch up on the days we missed. It's a great place to learn for a great price! read more

ABC Bartending School is a great experience. In two weeks I learned how to make several drinks including: Manhattan's, Old Fashions, etc., you name it. The real world experience I received from here I will take with me into the work force. I appreciate all the the knowledge, wisdom, and anecdotes each instructor gives during each class. read more

I really enjoyed taking the Bartending course at ABC in San Leandro. I recommended it to alot of my friends who also took the course. Back when I took the course Asher was my instructor and he is super funny and cool as hell. I appreciate how quick they get back to you when first call to inquire about their program. I did the two weekend course. Now I would only recommend doing it all in 4 days if you can retain alot of information because there are alot of recipes you have to remember and take the practical and written exam on the fourth day but they also have other schedules you can choose that better fits your own busy schedule. Jamie gave us our exam and he is also really cool. The thing I admire the most about this school is that you can always come back to take a refresher course or drop in to practice for free without having to re-pay for the course. As far as job placement goes, Natasia is really helpful and informative with job leads and advice. read more

This was the first school that popped up when I googled "bar tending schools". Not only did they have an exceptional price (my timing was super lucky!) But they also had awsome reviews. I attended and graduated in 2 weeks, coming from knowing darn near nothing, to learning how to make drinks in my sleep! My instructor was AMAZING. I would highly recommend this school to anyone wanting to get in the field!! Ask for Shawn!! Best instructor ever read more

I've always seen this school but I had no idea how awesome it was! My spur of the moment decision to get my bartending license was one of the best decisions I've had in awhile. KENNY IS A GEM! i LOVE HIM!!!!!!! You can tell he is very knowledgeable about bartending and he wants all his students to learn. The hands on learning approach made it easier to learn all the concepts. Passing the final test was such a bittersweet moment, I didnt want it to end!! The 3 things I loved the most: 1) The flexibility of the schedule made it easy for me to complete the course. 2) Guest bartending at Bar 21 is a great way to put what we learned to the test and you cant beat those happy hour prices. 3) KENNY! read more

This school is awesome and so is the instructor! I learned how to make an AMF, Long Island Ice tea, Black Superman and etc., in one session! I'd definitely recommend this school if you want to get detailed learning session on making drinks! read more

I received my bartender's certification from ABC Bartending School in San Leandro on August 16, 2012! Yaaay me! :) This was by far the most fun I've ever had in a classroom setting. The instructors Natasia and Kenny are so knowledgeable, fun, and passionate about bartending and sharing all they know! All the students really helped and supported each other. It felt like we were coworkers, in a bar! So fun!! I took the 2 weeks course which I highly recommend (unless you have no other obligations). It's A LOT of information to absorb. For me one week would have been a cramming session vs actually Learning the information. Attending ABC really gives you a great foundation for starting your career as a bartender. They cover the basics for cocktail making and they cover a large portion of popular cocktail recipes. I couldn't imagine trying to bartend without first going to school. ABC is a great school to get that start! It didn't hurt that I found a great deal on Living Social also ;). Since graduating I've done some guest bartending, made cocktails for friends and family, and lined up a wedding and Christmas gig. It's only been 3 weeks!! I see a bright future for myself in this field and I owe a ton of that to the great folks over at ABC Bartending School in San Leandro. :D Cheers!! read more

Chill staff, totally flexible schedule, hilarious faux wood paneling and cheesy neon signs. What's not to love? The staff all genuinely want their students to succeed and give out great advice. I'm not so sure how playing with dyed water for 40 hours will play out in the real world, but I guess that's what guest bartending with Kenny at Club 21 is for. Overall, great intro to the basics of the industry. It's nothing you couldn't look up on the internet or find out from your alcoholic grandpa, but I think the staff's insights and connections are the real value here. read more

Great way to learn how to bartend and to impress your friends at parties the instructors are great! You learn history of the alcohols as well as how to make over 30 different drinks!! read more

I recently had the opportunity to complete my bartending certification at ABC. Being from the Bay Area, I drove past it plenty of times to and from Bayfair but never paid it any real attention. When I actually getting ready to take the course, I didn't know what to expect. The "classroom" is multiple bar stations, which I thought was really cool. Although the "drinks" are made with water, I thought that an amazing way to get a handle on being in bar setting. The instructors were very knowledgeable about bartending and for the most part pretty friendly.. Like most things, you get out of this what you put into it. If you read your manual, study and practice (including taking advantage of the guest bartending opportunities at Club 21), you will definitely have the tools to apply for a bartending position. Plus Natasia and Kenny are extremely helpful when looking for bartending jobs. If you're looking for a new skill, plus a way to make money and impress your friends, go to ABC and get your bartending certification. It'll be a great investment in you! Good luck and Cheers! read more

Fun,Enjoyable, informative, and not alot of pressure. This class was awesome as we're the instructors they give u chances at getting Real life experience and they even go as far as helping with job placement. It's reasonably priced and u can come bk any time u want to Bruh up on skills read more

A friend.of mine had her birthday party here. When I first got here I thought it was the wrong place. Considering my friend having a actual party at a bartending school. But the teacher showed us how to make drinks and he gave really good pointers. We brought music that he let us play and we had an actual party, once he was finish teaching of course. read more

This place is awesome they're very hands-on and all the teachers are great they all have their different teaching methods which is very beneficial because you learn all types of bartending skills I recommend anybody looking into bartending school to go to ABC bartending in San Leandro these guys are amazing. read more

I got a job a week later from receiving my bartender certificate, it took me 4 weeks to complete after commuting from San Jose and taking about 1-2 classes a week. The place is in a sketch area and the inside is pretty dirty, however the instructors were great, almost all of them were very knowledgeable and gave good tips. They focused more on mixed drinks and didn't give too much detailing on wines/beers. Employers were impressed that I had a certificate so thumbs up for this place. read more

Just completed my one week course . PASSED !! My final and I will still come in on my free time to master my craft . MOLLY,SHAWN AND ERIC are awesome instructors very thorough and made it very easy to obtain the necessary knowledge I needed to successfully pass!!! I highly recommend ABC BARTENDING SCHOOL !!!!! All the instructors are very personable and make it easy to communicate with!! They are there to really help you learn!!! Eric has an excellent teaching method!!! SHAWN as well !!! Molly is the BEST!!!!! read more

This was some of the most fun I've ever had! The Abc San Leandro Manager, Kenny, is the Yoda of bartending. Ive recently got in the film industry, which limits my availability in the conventional workforce. That being said, Kenny and his faculty have went to the ends of the universe and back again to assist me in getting my bartending certificate. I also commuted from Sacramento because of Kenny's expansive knowledge base. This is, without a doubt, the best money I've ever spent! read more

This place is so much fun! All the instructors are fun and create a fun and easy way to learn. Jon, the owner was also very nice and gave me a great deal!What I like about this school is that you can go back as many times as you want after you are done w/ the 2-week course. I went back a few times just to practice and ask questions. A couple of things that I didn't really like is that there is no AC!!!and it got pretty hot during the summer. Also, they provide you with a book, but unfortunately a few of the recipes have typos, so it's kind of hard to learn the correct recipes. It would be nice if they could get revised! We had to manually revise them ourselves and it became kind of confusing when i triet to study at home because they also gave us handouts and sometimes the recipes on the handouts didn't match the recipes in the book. But overall, this school is great!!! read more

ABC Bartending Schools in San Leandro is a great School. I leaned so much there from book and a lot of practice. With a promising carer in front of me now, i feel ready to hit the world from behind the bar. A big thank you to Kenny, May and KC for been there days and nights for teaching and showing me so many cool tricks and great manners. You guys rock and you deserve a big raise! read more

This program is awesome. I work full-time at an accounting firm and have wanted to learn to bartend for a long time. I'm not looking for a career change, I just wanted something fun to do on the weeknights or weekends. Plus, I'm not a big drinker so I never know what drinks are made of; at 28 it's kind of embarrassing. I bought this on an impulse from livingsocial and I am so glad I did! My life is pretty busy between work and school and it took a couple of reschedules but I finally set aside two whole weekends (the equivalent of a year in my life!) and committed to going. Even the morning of I was like "ugggh, I don't want to roll out of bed" but I did, and it was worth it. Kenny was my instructor. He is super high energy and clearly passionate about bartending. I'm kind of a snob but he managed to impress me with his advanced knowledge and fast wit. He clearly outlined everything, demonstrated everything and answered all of my tedious questions without complaint. He didn't yammer on endlessly or needlessly - he gave the pertinent, need-to-know information and then let us experiment hands-on. I learn by doing so the fact that I didn't have to listen to lectures all day was a huge plus for me. I've never been behind a bar before and I found the setup at ABC incredibly helpful. It is a real bar for all intents and purposes- it just needs liquor ;) Learning well vs call and the general setup was really cool. I took advantage of Kenny's generous offer to let us students guest bartend at the club he manages and it was awesome. I did two nights and invited my friends and boyfriend. I got to make real drinks, use the POS (cash register) system and hang out in between. I felt guest bartending really solidified the in-class learning as well as taught me skills I couldn't learn in the class. Alcohol binds differently to ice than water so pouring real alcohol vs. dyed water gave very different (in a good way) results. Overall it was a wonderful experience and I am super happy I went. I plan on stopping by Kenny's bar to guest bartend in a few weeks and then possibly pursue something part-time. I can't remember the last activity I dedicated over 40 hours to but this class was well worth it. My only wish was that I'd brought a friend along. I think it would be really fun to do with a friend. Luckily I met some cool people in my class and had fun regardless. Thanks Kenny and thanks ABC! read more

I highly recommend this class for anyone looking to go into bartending or to sharpen their drink making skills. It was invaluable for learning the ropes and developing technique. Kenny, May, and Jess were awesome teachers who give great direction and support. After the course I now feel confident in further developing my skills from the foundation I built at ABC. read more

After giving birth to my son I needed to find something I could possible do at night part-time and it was my husband who suggested bartending. This school was the closest to me and has different schedules to fit your needs. I actually passed it on my first day and had a hard time finding it it was so small but once inside it's pretty decent and the amount of students weren't as bad as some reviews said. I'm taking the 2 week night course, had different instructors everyday but you get to learn different techniques and styles which I'm sure mirrors the real world. I seemed to have learned the best with Kenny and Natasia. There are A LOT of drinks to learn but they welcome questions and answer with great knowledge. Super fun atmosphere! And lifetime refresher courses are a plus! read more

I recently completed a refresher course and everything went great! I passed both my tests and am now guest bar tending at Club 21 for more experience. May freaked me out a little, though. She wants you to pass but she'll make you WORK for it! Not to say she's a bad instructor, she just puts the pressure on you, which I think is a good thing when you're trying to work in a bar. I still highly recommend this school! read more

Been taking classes here for 3 days and have had Jason and Trenton as instructors. They are very knowledgeable and I have learned a lot from them. They are professional and fun also care about what they area doing. I would recommend classes here to anyone that wants to learn the trade. read more

great spot to get your alcohol training... Kenny is the best, fun to learn from and a great teacher. almost done here but i dont want it to end LOL. come check it out folks if you are interested, will not be unhappy you did i promise. cheers!!!! read more

I really enjoyed the class and my instructors... I had Kenny and Natacia (both have different styles of bartending) but both great instructors. The school itself could really use some updating, but over all I had a great experience and learned alot of new drinks. It was worth the $$$.... read more

My sister told me about the great deal ABC Bartending was having on livingsocial.com for half off. I wanted to take some bartending classes even before I found out about the deal, so of course I wasn't going to pass it up. I really liked how flexible their classes were so it could fit to your schedule, especially if you had school or work to go to. The teachers Natasia and Kenny are really cool and helpful. They really help prepare you to become a real-world bartender outside of the class. They even offer student bartending at a real club so you can get some experience and put it on your resume. They offer job placement too. If you find a deal like mine I say go for it because it's fun and you learn a lot about the mixology world! read more

I just want to say instructors Kenny and May are fantastic! They definitely have exceeded my expectations in attending a bartending school. Kenny made the classes extremely fun while teaching us. Kenny and May were generous enough to share their tips and tricks as professional bartenders. It's definitely not all about fun, there's definitely time for purely education and I'm so glad that the final exams given were challenging. I wish I was able to know more but I think that's above their pay grade lol. But I just want to say thank you to Kenny and May for everything. I highly recommend this place! read more

I had never booked a bartender before and decided to go with ABC Bartending School. Great decision! Very professional with booking, inexpensive, our bartender was wonderful (Ashley). She got there early, was very friendly and skillful with guests, even helped with clean up! Very pleased. read more

Graduated yesterday from ABC Bartending of San Leandro, I must say I did indeed fail my first speed drill which truly psyched me out but per my instructor Natasia's advice I kept practicing left a bit got fresh air and returned a bit later with confidence glad to see the other two lady's and myself passed. I really enjoyed the class and individuals I was able to meet. I must say PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! and read the course book on your own as well to insure you are well informed. Be sure to ask questions Natasia is really chill and does not make you feel like an ass of yourself if you screw up. I think its great the school allows you to return for refresher courses if needed as well. read more

After giving birth to my son I needed to find something I could possible do at night part-time and it was my husband who suggested bartending. This school was the closest to me and has different schedules to fit your needs. I actually passed it on my first day and had a hard time finding it it was so small but once inside it's pretty decent and the amount of students weren't as bad as some reviews said. I'm taking the 2 week night course, had different instructors everyday but you get to learn different techniques and styles which I'm sure mirrors the real world. I seemed to have learned the best with Kenny and Natasia. There are A LOT of drinks to learn but they welcome questions and answer with great knowledge. Super fun atmosphere! And lifetime refresher courses are a plus! read more

Actual rating closer to 4.5 stars. I just finished the course. This was the format: Six 4-hour sessions covering different types of drinks. One test session on the last day. As far as I know, you can practice more and retake the test at no cost if you need to, as there is a fair amount to remember. Session breakdown: -Spend the first hour practicing making drinks from previous lessons -Quiz, speed drill, or both on previous lesson(s) -Lecture on new drinks -Practice From my understanding, you are free to use the practice time however you like, and you can take breaks before/after the lecture. Drinks covered in the different sessions (in no particular order): -Sours -Shooters -Exotics, Wines, and Hot Drinks -Highball -Two Liquor -Martinis/Manhattans and Cream Drinks The test has a written portion that encompasses drink recipes, product knowledge, and bar terms and a practical portion where you are timed making various drinks. There are probably ~15 drinks that you need to know in each lesson, some with less, some with more. They are in a booklet provided for you, which contains additional recipes for each category and info on subjects not taught, e.g. garnishes, beer, and general bartending and employment advice. Some perks: -Can go back to practice or retake lessons whenever you want (also a chance to get other instructors' perspectives on a lesson) -Guest bartending at a few places -Job placement assistance I'd say your experience will depend on the instructors. I guess you don't have much of a choice on which instructors you get, but you'll probably have at least two different ones. I had 3 instructors, and I will say that Kenny stood out. He was very approachable and gave a lot of personal input on things, e.g. mnemonics for recipes and advice for how to make certain drinks. I would've liked more involvement from the other instructors I had, but it was a pretty good experience overall. It's nice to have the school's resources available to you even after you finish the course. read more

These guys are the best. Super laid back, great price, I seriously would not do a party without them any more. Our bartenders have always been great people and make a good drink. Highly recommend. Thanks! read more

ABC has been providing qualified bartenders for our Italian American Club of Rossmoor for the past year. John, the Owner has been delight to work with and their rates are extremely reasonable. I recommend Kenny as our bartender along with one other experience individual. read more

ABC school was both fun and a learning experience. I did the one week training course which at first seems like a lot. Like everything we learn you eventually get the hang of it, it becomes easy and a repetition count in your head. The two instructors that I met (Natasia-kept me laughing and Kenny-very informative) are awesome they each have their own way of teaching through their different experiences. I enjoyed everyday and would highly recommend this school to any one interested in bartending (be ready for the fast pace) :) read more