Online Bartender Certification & Bar Management Course
$59.98
Learn bartending from the ground up with BarView Guru's self-paced online course. Eight modules take you from setting up and stocking a bar through to mixing the classic cocktails every bartender is expected to know, and you finish with a certificate of completion you can download and show to employers.
The course is written for people entering the trade and for working bartenders who want to fill the gaps, including anyone planning to run or open their own bar. Work through it at your own pace, on your own schedule. One payment, no subscription.
What you will learn
The course is made up of eight modules. Each one builds on the last, so you can start with no previous bar experience and still follow along.
Module 01: How to Set Up a Bar
Choosing the type of bar to run, writing a business plan, finding the right location, licensing and permits, bar requirements, and how to promote a new bar.
Module 02: Bar Hygiene and Cleaning
Opening and closing routines, cleaning and sanitizing the bar top and equipment, stocking shelves, fridges and wells, and keeping a bar service-ready.
Module 03: Glass Type and Equipment
The glassware a working bar needs and what each glass is for, plus the tools of the trade from shakers and strainers to jiggers and muddlers.
Module 04: Different Types of Liquors
The base spirits behind almost every drink you will pour: how they are made, how they differ, and how to talk about them with customers.
Module 05: Back Bar Liqueurs
The liqueurs and modifiers that sit behind the well, what they taste like, and which cocktails depend on them.
Module 06: The Professional Bartender
Working the bar as a professional: customer service, reading a room, handling difficult situations, and the habits that separate a good bartender from an average one.
Module 07: Measure for Measure and Garnishes
Pouring accurately and consistently, standard measures, and preparing the garnishes that finish a drink properly.
Module 08: How to Make Classic Drinks
The classic cocktails every bartender is expected to know by heart, built step by step so you can make them to order.
Your certificate of completion
Once you have worked through all eight modules you take a final quiz. Pass it and you can download your BarView Guru certificate of completion as a PDF, ready to print or attach to a job application. Here is what it looks like.
Do you need a bartending license in New York?
If you have been searching for a bartending license in New York, you are not alone. The term is used all the time by aspiring bartenders and even by some employers, but New York State does not issue a bartending license to individual bartenders. There is no such license to find.
Most of the confusion comes from the liquor license. Liquor licenses are real, but they are issued to businesses that sell alcohol, not to the people pouring it. A bar needs one. A bartender does not, and cannot apply for one.
What bartenders actually build is bartending education and certification, which shows training in drink preparation, bartending technique, responsible alcohol service, safety, and professional bar practice. Many people call that a bartending license, which is where the wires cross.
What New York does require
One thing, and it is about age rather than training. Under the New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, you must be at least 18 to be employed in a role that sells, dispenses, or handles alcoholic beverages.
Where responsible service training fits
New York runs a separate Alcohol Training Awareness Program, known as ATAP, through the State Liquor Authority. ATAP is voluntary for individuals rather than something the state makes you hold, and its value sits mainly with the business: a venue whose staff hold valid ATAP certificates gains a legal defense if an underage or over-service violation is brought against it. Some employers ask for it as a condition of hiring, which is a different thing from the state requiring it of you.
Where this course fits
The BarView Guru Premium Bartending Course gives you a certificate of completion once you finish the course and pass the exam. That is a bartending certification, not a New York State issued license, and it is not an ATAP certificate or a substitute for one. It is proof you have done the training, which is what employers are actually looking at.
The bottom line: if you are searching for a New York bartending license, you are not missing a separate license you need to find. New York does not issue one to bartenders.
Rules vary by state, so check the requirements where you plan to work. Some states and cities do require a separate alcohol server permit from an approved provider, for example Responsible Beverage Service in California or BASSET in Illinois, and this course is not a substitute for those either.
Sources: New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, Section 100 and the New York State Liquor Authority training pages. This is general information, not legal advice.
Common questions
Is this a bartending license?
No. This is a certificate of completion covering bartending skills and bar operations, awarded by BarView Guru. It is not a government-issued alcohol server permit, and in New York there is no bartending license for individuals to hold in the first place. See the section above for how licenses, certifications, and responsible service training actually differ.
Do I need any experience to start?
No. The course starts from the basics and builds up, so it suits complete beginners as well as working bartenders who want to close gaps in what they know.
How long does it take?
It is self-paced, so it takes as long as you need. There are no live sessions, no fixed start date and no deadline. You can stop and pick it back up whenever suits you.
How much does it cost?
$59.98 as a single payment. There is no subscription and no recurring charge.
What happens after I pay?
You get immediate access to all eight modules from your account. Work through them in order, then take the final quiz to earn your certificate.
Ready to start?
Join the bartenders training with BarView Guru and earn your certificate of completion.
Take this Course