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About the Advanced Bartenders Course

The ABC is a bartender’s playground! We equip you with all the skills needed to create your own bespoke cocktails using advanced techniques and custom ingredients. It is the most fun you will have as a bartender. At the end of the week you will design, name, and prepare your own signature drink. The aim of the ABC is to get inspired, get creative, and have fun with your bartending.

We go through a range of classic and contemporary cocktails, learn more about the science behind cocktail recipes and their balance, and how cocktails evolve when certain elements of a classic drink are changed to create innovative twists.

Bespoke Ingredients: Learn to prepare your own ingredients from scratch. You will create your own sugar syrups, shrubs, and infused and fat-washed spirits, and get creative with your flavour combinations.

Molecular Mixology: Your chance to experiment with advanced techniques used by the world’s best bartenders. Top your drink with flavoured foams, learn how to create cocktail ‘caviar’, and fill smoke bubbles with aromas to compliment your cocktail.

Presentation: We explore some of the most weird and wonderful ways that drinks are presented in bars today, from wacky glassware to experimental garnishes. You will try your hand at advanced garnishing, including shaping fruit and zest, caramelising sugar, and flaming garnishes. We create flavoured ice and try out ice carving.

The exam at the end of the week will consist of a role play scenario where you will be required to make your own designed cocktail for the instructor with an explanation of the ingredients used, the name of the drink, heritage, inspiration and the final taste and balance of the drink.

This course is an excellent follow-on from our International Bartenders Course or for those with a minimum of one year cocktail bartending experience.

You must be at least 18 years old to enrol yourself on any of our bartending courses. In certain circumstances, 17-year-olds can apply with their parent’s permission, please contact us to discuss.

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Location : Cape Town

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Location : Johannesburg

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Esther Chido profile picture
Esther Chido
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Amazing people. The course challenges you but l thank Charmaine for being patient while teaching
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ITZ Jay profile picture
ITZ Jay
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As a person completely new and having no experience. The 5 day course really helped me learn about coffee. It’s a tough drill but a worthy experience.
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Kerese Johnstone profile picture
Kerese Johnstone
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Absolutely one of the best places to be. The people are friendly, welcoming and will drive you to your full potential... I definitely recommend the 5 day international bartender course (IBC) and definitely WSET with Lungi, one of the best teachers I've had while doing a course. I would come back and try the Barista course and other courses as well.
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Brandon Skea profile picture
Brandon Skea
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Amazing experience, everyone is extremely friendly and driven towards your own development. Highly recommend the barista course and will be coming back to do the bartending course as well. Amazing teachers and great explanations.
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Stella Rood profile picture
Stella Rood
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With marks like hers it had to be excellent.
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Adriaan Venter profile picture
Adriaan Venter
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Awesome experience. Well worth it
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chenai teuro profile picture
chenai teuro
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The best self investment in myself i have done . Lungi is amazing .Thank you Shaker Bar School💚💚💚
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Ancil Dominique profile picture
Ancil Dominique
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Lungi ,is so far the best teacher i have met in my life and would love to say to anyone who wants to got to shaker run forward and dont look back Lungi and the team will be there to help you grow into one of the best you can be .
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Nomcebo Khanyile profile picture
Nomcebo Khanyile
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It was an interesting journey and thanks to Lungi she was amazing very informative,friendly during the course

Most bartenders are still taught on the job and that is a fine way of learning if you have the mentorship and instruction from a good bartender. Unfortunately, many bars and restaurants do not have the time and energy to train their bartenders properly and most end up with very good knowledge of part of the job. A bartending course might seem expensive but if you count the amount you will earn over your career and the extra tips you will make serving great cocktails and having a better paid job, then it's an easy decision.

Many countries (Australia, most states in the USA) already have compulsory licensing for bartenders and most top end bars and restaurants will not even consider you unless you have years of experience or a bartending qualification. All the cruise ships insist on a qualification such as Shaker certificate before you can apply to them.

Check out the careers section on our knowledge page for more of our thoughts on why a bartending course is definitely worth it!

No, there is no requirement to take any of our other courses before taking the Advanced Bartenders Course. However, the course is designed for those with at least one year of cocktail experience, so beginners are encouraged to start with our International Bartenders Course.

Most definitely YES! We stock an impressive range of spirits and liqueurs (you could say we are collectors), which all students are encouraged to taste. When making cocktails we only use real ingredients, and all cocktails are tasted by the students and instructors. We are not a dry BarSchool! This being said, all tasting is done in a professional and controlled manner and while students are encouraged to taste it is not necessary. We have a very strict policy on students arriving in an intoxicated state or becoming intoxicated during the course and you may be asked to leave the premises if this occurs.

This is of course up to you, many of our students just want a job in a local bar to earn them some money through college or travelling, but some will choose to make this their career and for them the possibilities are endless. We do invite local bar and restaurant owner to our 'stress test' at the end of the week, and sometimes all the students have a job before they have finished the course. There are a lot more job opportunities than you realise. As well as getting jobs locally, many of our students travel to different countries to work as well as being able to work on Super yachts and cruise liners. Some of our students have gone on to set up their own cocktail bars, and one works as a bartender barista on one of the largest private yachts in the world (we can't tell you which one I'm afraid!)

The price includes everything you need: course material, a fully stocked bar with all the equipment & glassware. The only thing you will need to bring to class is your favourite pen. Lunch is not included in the course. Both schools are in the town centre very close to lots of different eateries. Students can also bring in their own lunch and we do have facilities for storage and warming.

Sometimes nerves just get the better of you on the day. If you fail any of the exams, we can offer a retake which will include extra tuition and the exam retake. There is a small retake fee for this which is R 450.

Save and Get Fully Qualified With Our Package Deals

We have put a number of our courses together for those that are looking to combine the courses into a longer one, whilst making a great saving on course prices. Our ultimate package is the Master Bartender Course, which teaches you everything you need to know to start your bartending and barista career with both knowledge and style. You can do the courses over whatever time period suits you; there is no problem with doing the Master Bartender Package in a month or you can spread it over 6 months if you like.

You can see all the different course dates on the website or contact us to help you navigate this.

Superyacht Package

20 090,00 Johannesburg

The perfect package has been put together with the core beverage skills need for the world’s top superyachts. This package will get you confident with making cocktails, coffee and spirit knowledge. We also will give you some tips for dealing with demanding clients.

Book Now

Master Bartender Package

38 315,00 Johannesburg

The Master Bartender Package is the full house deal. Offering all our top courses currently available at Shaker. This package will take you to the top level of bartending.

Book Now

Superyacht Plus Package

27 585,00 Johannesburg

The perfect package has been put together with the core beverage skills need for the world’s top superyachts. This package will get you confident with making cocktails, coffee and spirit knowledge. We also will give you some tips for dealing with demanding clients.

Book Now

Why Choose Shaker For Your Training

Internationally Accredited Courses

Designed by Experienced Bartenders

2,000 Learners Trained A Year

93% Learner Satisfaction Score

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