123 Bartending, Orlando

After years of developing their own drink-slinging skills as professional bartenders and club owners, 123 Bartending's founders, led by Bryan Caracioli, decided to pass on their knowledge through intensive bartending courses and a proprietary student handbook. The school stands adjacent to a fully functional brewpub, where professional barkeeps coach students to juggle their tools, glassware, and requests for Billy Joel songs behind a granite bar, lowly lit from miniature chandeliers and surrounded by rustic, red-toned interiors. Curriculum involves both hands-on practice and theory, spanning the history behind drinks' monikers, as well as the chemistry of traditional cocktails and modern party shots. 50-inch flat-screen TVs and a 100-inch projector dominate walls with video demonstrations and scotch distillers' home movies. A roster of bars, lounges, and clubs—all owned by or partnered with 123 Bartending's adept captains—provide job placement for the school's alumni.