DrinkMaster Bartending School of Boston

Learning how to bartend has been on my bucket list for a while, so when I saw a Groupon for this class, I immediately jumped on it. I had a fairly limited knowledge of mixed drinks going into the class. Coming out, I feel like I can now confidently order a martini at a classy bar (or make myself one at home). Instructors are super nice and knowledgeable, and they offer a lot of support for those who are looking to become bartenders after they are done with the class. They also sell industry standard bar kits so you can impress the likes of McKayla Maloney and your friends at home.

I loved all the instructors. They were über knowledgable and fun at the the same time. I did the course over my spring break when I really got to come in and practice every single day. They were very welcoming and now that I’m so swarmed with stuff. I wish I could just find time to come back and practice a few times a week though. I completed the course because I’m genuinely interested in the mixology art but I know they’re really into helping you out with finding jobs too.
The setup was real and I learned so much about alcohol types and life as a bartender. Wouldn’t trade it for any other experience.

So I originally bought this groupon in 2010. (It is now March 2014) I had bad experience in that I could not get in touch with anyone at the time after calling and leaving messages for some time.
3 years later and I realized I haven’t logged into Unilocal in a while and noticed a few messages trying to get in touch about a refund from someone but noticed the most recent was one this February about still taking the course from a nice woman named Maggie. (I believe they changed organization a bit since 2010). She was enthusiastic to get in touch with me and get into a course and also threw in a bar kit for all my trouble. Luckily I had just moved back to the area for a little while and was on a bit of down time, I also had already been working in bars for a little while at this point but never got a formal training, so I said ‘What the heck’.
The class was great. Every instructor I had was pretty knowledgeable and passionate. The classes are also very flexible in that you could take them any cycle. Say I wanted to only come one weekend for the first half of classes and wait a couple weeks to come the second. You can also come in after you graduate to take a any refresher course and even practice during the week on your own if you want to. The classes are broken down into weekdays or weekends. I believe both options offer day and night classes within themselves. You also do learn alot of useful information about pretty much everything at a bar and pretty much get all those burning questions you ever had at a bar answered from someone who knows all there is. The class was a lot of fun. However if you are thinking this is a fast track to bar tending without any experience that really doesn’t happen anywhere unless your ‘faking til your making’ which is tough to pull off in the Boston area. I already have some experience so I am really layering on just icing on my cake. Don’t get me wrong this class is a great asset to have and worth the taking but I would set your sights on serving/​waiting first as to kind of get your feet wet. Sometimes that can even be a little tough at first so try maybe food running or hosting or bar backing as those positions allow you to observe so that you can learn how to do those jobs with finesse and then work your way up with your experience. (I went from host to server to bartender within a year and a half) Just some general advice for those hopefuls out there.
PS. A great tip I gave to a lot of classmates coming on the weekends. The Boston Common Garage located in the center of Boston Common in between the 2 parks. (It’s an underground lot) is only $ 12 ALL day on the weekends. (helps to avoid paying $ 30 to $ 40+ anywhere else and its also the CLOSEST garage)
Good Luck! :)

Took this class with a friend on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 4:00 for 2 weekends. It was a lot of fun, and even if you’re not looking to bartend to make money, I’d suggest taking it just for a little extra life knowledge.
The classes will teach you basic skills. No bartending tricks. You’ll learn drink counts and practice pouring and mixing. You learn how to make anything from a martini to a margarita to a Long Island Iced Tea.
The instructors know what they’re talking about. They’re all experienced and at one point or another, were paid to make drinks. About 16 people to a class. There is a bar set up and groups of 8 will take turns behind the bar. You use water instead of actual alcohol so don’t get too excited.
The drawback after taking this course? Now when I go out, I start critiquing bartenders who don’t know how to make a real drink.

4.5 stars. Really I’m being stingy and docking them 0.5 points for not having actual booze, but then if they did, I wouldn’t have paid less than $ 200 for a 20 hour course!
Let me begin by saying that I went in very apprehensive and no idea what to expect. Granted I’d done my research, but with only 4 other Unilocal reviews and most people not knowing this particular bartending course, i was a little skeptical. Was I in for a surprise!
20 hours jam packed in a week Mon-​Fri seems daunting, especially after a full day’s worth of work. But the instructors and ambiance make it worth it all! I looked forward to coming to class and felt incredibly at ease from the get go as the people there have a way of making you feel like you belong there. I can’t say enough about the instructors — they’re fun, incredibly knowledgable about the business, and provide a viewpoint about bartending you just cannot get no matter how many bars you may go to in your lifetime. For them alone, the course is worth it.
Moving on to the course material — there’s a book they provide with all the information needed to learn about liquor laws, the top 40 drinks, how to pour, etiquette, yada yada yada. Very helpful. The emphasis is on getting comfortable behind the bar, pouring, and learning the top few drinks while making them fast, well, and efficiently. They give you ample time to practice before class, during class, and should you want, after class as well. And the best part is that you can come back any time and practice all you want. This seemed odd to me first, but it made complete sense afterwards because it’s relatively easy to learn this stuff in a fairly condensed period of time, but when it comes to mastering it and getting better at it, one needs to practice over and over again and that is the real key to bartending.
On a more personal note, I took this class because I always wanted to learn bartending. I could not, for the life of me, even make a rum and coke (proportions were never right). Now I can make that with my eyes closed and much MUCH more. I can ramble on and on about different types of liquors and liquers, wines, and beers (the latter I could before as well). And I pay attention to the bartenders making my drink even more, studying them, and understanding what they do and how they do it — its an art form folks and this course and establishment makes you appreciate it even more. I didn’t think I would want to do this as a job, but I am very tempted to apply just because I enjoyed it so much! They help you with your resume and provide an online job board that you can search through. Pretty awesome.
Love the place. Big shout outs to Doug, Tony, Christa & Jeff. They are all great and incredibly fun-​loving people to be around and learn from. Everybody and anybody who has ever thought of taking/​learning bartending should take this course IMMEDIATELY!

I took the mixology class for fun — and to be honest I didn’t learn that much! We practiced free pouring and we each got to go behind the counter as a bartender about 3−4x in the 2.5 hours (there were 3 groups that rotated).
But I didn’t feel like I learned any fun tricks or got to learn too much new things that I couldn’t have googled. The only thing is we got to practice pouring and counting, but even that we didn’t have enough time to really get good at, since we quickly moved onto making drinks where he taught us in what proportion each drink should be.
The instructors are nice and people were in a good mood, so that made it fun. We also learned what kind of things garnish what and what needs to be shaken or not, but overall I feel like I could have learned this on my own just as well.
Sounds like the official bartending classes are much better!

Bartending school is one of those things I’ve always wanted to do, but never got around to actually doing. A few weeks ago, I decided I was bored with my life and broke, and decided to take the jump and sign up for bartending school. I am planning on getting a part-​time bartending or catering job. After doing a bit of research online and on Unilocal,I decided to go with DrinkMaster. It cost me $ 295 for a 20-​hour course, that met 6 – 10 Mon-​Fri for one week.
I was pretty excited but not sure what to expect. The Boston location is right near the Park Street T, which was convenient. It has a full authentic bar that holds about 7 or 8 bartenders, plus bar stools on the other side for ‘customers’. The alcohol and mixers consist of water and dyed water– so everything looks like it should, but unfortunately you can’t drink your creations. The instructors all had TONS of experience, and were all knowledgeable and fun. I actually looked forward to class every day. The class was a mix of people– some younger people, some older people, students, people who worked full-​time (me) and people who wanted bartending to be their next full-​time job.
The amazing part was how little I actually knew about bartending before this class, even though I go out to bars all the time… and how it is about 500x harder than I expected. We learned speed pouring, liquor brands, liqueurs and their flavors, drink recipes, and a bit about beer and wine. On the last day we had a written test and a practical test. I passed– not everyone in the class did– and now I’m a certified bartender! Super badass.
As a graduate, you can take free refresher courses for life, and you can come in and practice any day from 3 – 6. DrinkMaster will also help you with your bartending resume, and has a database of open bartending jobs. They also offer other courses– I’m planning on taking their Mixology 101 and Catering 101 classes as well.
I would definitely recommend DrinkMaster to anyone interested in learning about bartending either for fun or because they want to become a bartender!

Just got my certificate in bartending. I already have my PhD in boozing, so why not turn it around eh?
Since my company is prolly gonna lay all us fools off, I figured I should go get some vocational training.
Drinkmasters does a great job in a relatively short amount of time (5 nights straight of 4 hour classes) and they offer lots of class times so anyone can fit it into their schedule. It’s set up like a real bar only you’re pouring water (died water if applicable). Will you be ready to tend bar on a busy Friday at some hooch hall downtown after completing the course? No, but at least you’ll know what you’re talking about at an interview and if nothing else can impress your friends by pouring a quality manhattan.
The real value in signing up is that after you complete the class, you have unlimited access to the facility so you can come in and practice during off times, as well as their network of faculty to help you with your resume and interview skills.
Now sit down, friend, take a load off and let me make you an Old Fashioned.

So, in all my years of sitting behind a desk and working in a fast-​paced, customer-​service-​focused environment, I decided that it’d be great to parlay some of my people skills into a nightlife setting. Descending from a long line of bartenders and restaurant managers, I guess you could say it’s been in my blood all along.
As someone who likes a little formal education before jumping in and trying something new (which is not to say that it’s completely necessary — I actually do excel in a completely foreign environment and am a quick study), I decided to try a bartending course. My somewhat sudden decision/​moment of clarity/​inspiration coincided nicely with a Groupon deal to take the Drinkmaster course for significantly less than it normally costs. All the sweeter.
And now, having completed the course successfully, I can say that it was worth every penny and thensome. In fact, it is completely worth the course retail value.
I walked into their fantastic replica-​bar setup at their Framingham location, a timid wee thing, unable to tell a jigger from jaeger (well, ok, not quite THAT clueless), and I emerged from a 20 hour intensive two-​week program really feeling like I know a LOT. I mean, I’ve really got a spot-​on one-​ounce pour down, I know from martinis and manhattans, and I feel that I could do pretty well to start behind a bar, given the chance.
The instructors are exceedingly nice, patient, and imminently knowledgeable of their craft. Instruction was thorough and absolutely fun (a lot of us remarked on how quickly the time went by, and you know that age-​old adage about time flying…). Our handbooks and the meticulous information within them were accompanied by drink drills behind the bar. Working in teams of two, we’d set up our stations, and get to work putting together the drinks we were learning about, making use of a fully-​stocked (fake) bar.
The bar, you see, is setup exactly like your typical bar; the shelves in the back are stocked with real bottles, filled with colored water (thus the look and feel of the real deal, without the liability). A kind of brilliant way to get people to learn the mechanics, the look and feel of pouring without demolishing a real full bar (imagine the tragedy of spilled maker’s mark, jack daniels’, etc…).
Our sinks, filled with ice, and our glasses ready to fill, we were walked through drink making from highballs/​one-​liquor drinks, to two-​liquors, multi-​liquors, martinis, shots (including layered), etc. Wines and beer, customer service, lingo, and tips of the trade were all covered as well. For someone completely green (i.e. me), this was really invaluable.
While some places may not really blink at mention of bartending school, I at least feel instilled with a good measure of confidence. The instructors also share so many resources about getting jobs in the business and are willing to take the time to help you with resumes/​hear about your progress. Plus, after graduating, the door is always open to us; if I ever want to drop by and refresh some of my skills, I’m welcome to at no extra cost. That is really amazing and shows just how dedicated the organizers of the school are to the students.
Check out their website! I was more than impressed by the entire experience! (And mad props especially to Dr. Fitz and his barside manner, as well as his DJing skills).
Full marks, DrinkMaster.

I don’t know how this school compares to others in Boston but I choose Drinkmasters because of the promises to help you get a job. Their database of jobs is pretty much the same as craigslist and after taking the catering class I still have not heard back from them about «applying» for a job. I graduated a few months ago and I am still not working. They talk a great talk but if you think they are going to get you a job they won’t.
The class is hands on and it was a lot of fun and I feel like I learned a lot but I still don’t know because noone will hire with out previous experience. Don’t go here if you are thinking they are going to get you a job.