A List Startenders, Chicago

In the high-tech classroom and professional-grade bartending training area, A List Startenders’ experienced cocktail slingers teach their students the fine art of drinksmanship and watering-hole etiquette. They pilot 40-hour Comprehensive Certification courses and shorter Essential Mixology tutorials, instilling pupils with the necessary knowledge and skills, such as quickly completing drink orders, bolstering cocktails with fresh fruit, and taking sage advice from the teleprompter beneath the bar, to operate in a bar environment. They often begin lessons in the well-equipped classroom—where an interactive Smart board aids in imparting trade lingo and drink recipes—before venturing to the full-bar training ground, replete with glassware, dozens of liquor bottles, and bar equipment, including soda guns, shakers, and garnishes. Upon completion of a course, certified students receive aggressive job-placement assistance to embark on their new career path.