New York Bartending School

Bartender Hierarchy
The hierarchy among chefs include: pastry chef, sous chef, chef de partie, chef de crusine, avant-garde chef, head chef, executive chef and master chef. There are also different skill-levels between chefs and cooks, with cooks having their own hierarchy (line cook, short-order cook, 1st cook, 2nd cook).
A chef usually achieves his recognition by graduating from a renowned culinary institute followed by on-the-job training . A chef has the knowledge and skills to create, whereas a cook usually prepares set dishes created and taught to him by the chef. The chef is the leader and the cook the follower.
The hierarchy of a bartender generally consists of bar-back, service bartender, bartender and head bartender. Although the hierarchy of bartending does not read like that of a chef there are also similar skill-levels that separate bartenders from bartenders ! If we take a page from the chefs hierarchy the bartender would be the cook and the ‘mixologist’ or ‘bar chef’ would be the equivalence to a chef.
We have more than our fair share of bartenders taking our bartender/mixology course at the New York Bartending School . Some just want to be the best they can, others need additional experience to move on to a better job. For example, one of our more recent students has bartended for ten years at the same establishment. Her bartending skills was limited to serving beer, shots and the basic highball drink (vodka & tonic, rum & coke). Her knowledge of fine wines, spirits and cocktails was limited. After been offered a head bartenders position at a fine Italian restaurant, she decided it was time to really learn and apply her trade. Another recent student had bartended for several years in a night club, serving mostly Vodka & Red Bull and Hennessy on-the-rocks in plastic cups. Both of these bartenders had the speed and skills to make basic drinks and handle large crowds; however they also knew that the basics wasn’t enough for them to move on to working in an upscale lounge or fine dining establishment.
Although most bartenders would probably not bestow the title ‘Bar-chef’ or ‘Mixologist’ on themselves, feeling it may be a little pretentious, there is no getting away from the fact:
“there are Bartenders, and then there are Bartenders!’
Why shouldn’t a professional bartender who has learned his trade well, much like a chef, or a sommelier not be recognized for his talents?
If you have ever visited Pegu Club in Soho, you would surely agree that the bartenders working here are in a class of their own. The precision, skill, dedication in making that perfect cocktail is obvious. It really is like watching master chefs at work. Every ingredient fresh, every ingredient precise in measurement and muddled, stirred or shaken with the finesse of a master bartender…or dare we say…a master mixologist!
Oh and dare we also say that the head bartender (oops sorry….I mean Master Mixologist) of this renowned cocktail lounge was a graduate of the New York Bartending School! We like that:) Way to go Kento!