Honestly I understand that attending bartending school is not essential to becoming a bartender. I have friends who are in the industry and had never taken classes, they just picked it up as they went along. I respect that because people put little thought into how difficult it actually is, and my friends had learned the craft through hard earned experience. I will tell you now that it is difficult to get into this industry, there is a lot of competition. Without all of the resources available to me through the Lexington Bartending School I don't imagine that I would have lasted long as a bartender (if I ever even made it that far). People on the outside think that all the school is good for is to learn a few drinks and talk theory on how the job is done, when it is much more than that. The training is very comprehensive, after a few weeks of classes not only do you know how to make a few HUNDRED drinks but you are also knowledgeable and comfortable with setting up and breaking down a bar, how to run a POS system, and how every glass and tool in a bar is properly used. The thing that truly makes the school worth it is what they can offer after you have graduated and leave the school. You have a connection with your mentors and your fellow classmates that lasts long after you leave. They are always there for help, advice, or just a friend to talk to. People worry that after they graduate even if they do stay connected with the school how will that get them into a job? At the school they offer many internships with numerous bars and nightclubs around the city. So even if you are struggling to find a bartending job they give you the opportunity to get behind a busy bar and deal with real customers, with real alcohol, and real cash transactions all things that you are prepared for through the training you received at the school. Many students either land a job through their internships or they take everything they have learned and walk into another job at another bar, not bouncing, not barbacking, but actual bartending. I have heard people talk negatively about bartending school and as far as I have gathered most of the time it is out of fear. After finishing classes even if you have no work experience you have a repertoire of drinks and alcohol knowledge at your disposal that far surpasses your average bartender, and in their eye this makes you dangerous. If it wasn't for their work experience that they have over you they wouldn't really have a leg to stand on. It's almost unfair if you think about it. Bottom line, the people at the school are easy to work out a payment plan and I made back most of my tuition off tips I made while interning, not to mention the money I made at my first bartending job and the money that I'm still making now. I have found the connections that I have made and the knowledge I have gained to be invaluable and one of the better decisions I have ever made. I recommend the Lexington Bartending School to anybody and everybody interested in getting into the service/bar industry. read more