Professional Bartenders School, San Diego

In bar classrooms outfitted with real equipment and experienced instructors, the students at Professional Bartenders School learn to mix, pour, and serve their way into the barkeeping industry. Courses ranging from six hours to two weeks instill pupils with the tenets of professional drinksmanship, such as free pouring, drink recipes, and customer service. Students fill glasses with spurts from soda guns, simulated liquor from real bottles, and garnishes carved from organic plastic lemons as they learn drink recipes and mixing techniques. Upon certification, newly minted bartenders receive lifetime job-placement help, with access to a database of hospitality employers.