Cleveland Bartending School, Cleveland

Behind a real bar, the instructors at Cleveland Bartending School mix cocktails with finesse and expertise, running through barroom staples and trendy cocktails as students look on in bewildered anticipation. After the lectures and demonstrations, the metaphorical table turns, and students man the bar to practice the skills necessary to serve drinks professionally. This is the regular scene during the school's 40-hour mixology program, a professional-caliber class series that covers everything potential mixologists will need to know to sling drinks in the wild.

The courses break down the ingredients of as many as 125 specialty drinks and cocktails—including manhattans and martinis—as well as beer and wine information, customer-service techniques, and responsible alcohol service. The school also adheres to the Anheuser-Busch Beertender and Guinness Perfect Pour training programs. Upon completion of the 40-hour training program, students can take advantage of Cleveland Bartending School's local and nationwide job-placement assistance, which has landed students employment at venues such as Ritz Carlton hotels and resorts, McCormick & Schmick's, and Embassy Suites.