Bar-Ops Bartending Academy, Chicago

Everyone knows the best way to learn a new skill is to try it yourself. The instructors at Bar-Ops Bartending Academy take this sentiment to heart, immersing students in the bartending experience from their first day. During 20 hours of class held inside Deuce's and the Diamond Club, an upscale Lakeview bar, students learn to execute cocktails and shots perfectly while balancing other bartending tasks, such as tallying prices, using a point-of-sale system, and remembering to leave out a tiny tumbler of scotch for the bar's resident gnome. Classes are small, just up to ten students, and grant free TIPS or Bassett certification. Some program graduates qualify for continuing internships at Deuce's or another establishment to take their bartending skills to the next level.