Frequently Asked Questions

There are several factors that set Vancouver’s Fine Art Bartending School apart:

1. Program. Our bartending course gives you everything you need to know to work behind a bar and apply to become a bartender. We emphasize skills you need to get a job.
2. We are located in downtown Vancouver. The easiest to access from Skytrain or transit.
3. Reputation. Fine Art has been training bartenders in Vancouver for over 40 years. More managers & owners recognize the Fine Art Certificate over any other. We have the most recognized certificate in the industry across the country.
4. We have the most experienced instructors & management in the city. We have small class sizes and to allow an excellent student/instructor ratio. You will not get lost in the crowd of students at Fine Art.
5. The Fine Art Bartending Guarantee is that you will be a great bartender at the end of our course. If you don’t feel confident at the end of the program, you can come back through right away. Come back as many times as you want until you do feel confident, at no additional charge. Read our retake policy here.

Yes you do! After completing our Commercial Bartending Course you receive a Commercial Bartending Certificate. You can show prospective employers you are ready to jump behind the bar, without months of costly on the job training. The Fine Art Bartending School name also adds a bit of extra credibility.

We aim to keep our classes less than 9 students.

We assign minimal homework that can be completed in 15 minutes or less after each class. The homework includes reviewing what you learned in class that day to help the information "stick" in your brain.

Our bartending course is about one third theory and two thirds hands on practical. You will spend most of your time up behind the bar, working through various techniques, practicing your skills, filling drink orders, learning how to deal with customers, etc.

If there is a scheduling conflict with a class, contact us to find a solution. If there is space available in other class times, you can join and take the missed class.

If you miss more than two classes, without a valid reason, it will be difficult (not impossible) for you to pass the program.

If you miss more than three classes without contacting us, you are disqualified from the program as well as from being able to retake the program for free.

We cover a lot of information each day and we do not slow down class for students who did not show up.

It's tough to learn a new skill drunk! Bartending schools around the world use coloured water for training, and we have been training some of the best bartenders in the world using the same model for over 40 years now. If you think about it, a bottle of vodka is already 60% water, so switching that over to 100% water doesn’t make any difference to the pouring action. Using only water also allows you to make all kinds of mistakes and get comfortable pouring without wasting a lot of expensive booze. When students are making on average 50+ cocktails per class, this works out to over 400 cocktails that would just get poured down the drain.

Learning and drinking don't go well together. We know this from experience. Bartenders need to stay sober and alert while on the job. We are a bartending school, not a bar. We can pop out after class for a cocktail or two.

Our goal is to train you up to the point where we are ready to hire you behind the bar! We turn out really good bartenders at Fine Art Bartending. To be a really good bartender upon graduation, it does require some effort. You do learn a lot in a short amount of time. You will have lots of fun, and you will have to pay attention and focus. The course might best be described as medium-intense. We want you to enjoy your time learning to bartend!

The Intro to Bartending course offers a hands-on introduction to the basics of bartending. In this fun, two-hour class, you'll get familiar with essential bartending tools and learn how to mix popular cocktails. Perfect for beginners and anyone looking for a unique and engaging night out, this class lets you enjoy a new experience while picking up some practical skills behind the bar!

The Commercial Bartending Course is an in-depth, two-week program designed to fully equip you with the skills needed for success behind the bar. Throughout the course, you will:

• Master the art of spirits, from production to top brands
• Gain 20 hours of hands-on experience at a real bar
• Learn how to craft over 100 cocktails
• Deepen your understanding of the bartending industry, including maximizing tips, mastering customer service, and handling high-pressure environments
• Receive expert guidance on resume building and interview techniques
• Dive into cocktail theory, learning what truly makes a great drink

...and so much more to ensure you’re prepared for a rewarding bartending career!

• DAY CLASSES run 4 days a week, Monday – Thursday for two weeks from 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM. 
• AFTERNOON CLASSES run 4 days a week, Monday – Thursday for two weeks from 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM. 
• EVENING CLASSES run 2 days a week for four weeks. Classes run Monday–Tuesday or Wednesday-Thursday for four weeks from 6:00 – 9:30 PM.
• WEEKEND CLASSES run for 4 Saturdays & Sundays in a row, from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM.

Yes. If the published class starts, end, or runs over on a holiday, there will still be class. Please make sure there are no conflicts with your schedule before signing up.

High school is always a good thing to complete, but not necessary for bartender training. There are NO prerequisites required to attend a bartending class other than being able to speak and understand English. All our classes are in English.

Not at all, our course is designed to take you through all aspects bartending, right from the beginning.

We start new mornings, afternoons, and evening classes every 2 weeks on Mondays. We start a new weekend classes every 4 weeks, always on Saturdays.

If you are 18 or older, you are welcome to register. All we need is a Parental Consent form filled out and signed by a parent or guardian. Download the Parental Consent Form. Note the minimum age to bartend in BC is 19, but it is 18 or younger in other provinces and countries.

Whether you want more practice or want to brush up on your skills, the Fine Art Bartending Guarantee promises unlimited retakes for eligible students, for life. Read the policy here.

Unfortunately, we don't have parking. Here is the closest parking garage.

The Commerical Bartending program is $749 CAD flat.

There are no extra fees. Course textbook and supplies are included in that price. We do have bar equipment practice kits for sale at the school if you want your own shaker set to practice with at home.

Yes, you must pay for the program in full before you arrive to the first class.

We accept Interac, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Paypal.

Serving It Right is BC’s responsible beverage service program. It is essentially a license to serve alcohol in BC. It is designed to encourage a responsible, caring and professional approach to the service of alcohol. More specific info can be found on our Serving It Right information page.

Serving It Right is a BC government program. We outline how to complete the SIR program on your own time. Class time is for practicing your drink mixing and good habits behind the bar.

Bartenders can make a great income. It mostly depends on where you work. If you work at a slower bar, with not as many customers, you can make anywhere from $30-$70 a shift in tips, plus your hourly wage. As you gain more experience, knowledge, and better jobs, you can make more and more. Imagine making from $200 to $500 a night in tips. You can make enough in tips alone to pay for your tuition in your first week behind a bar! You can’t say that about many professions.

The hospitality industry hasn’t stopped growing despite the slowdowns in other industries. Now is a great time to get started in bartending. New restaurants and bars are opening all the time. Staff turns over regularly everywhere. We teach you the basics for starting your job search, from putting together a resume, right through to interview skills. While we can’t guarantee job placement, we do help place graduates in restaurants & bars quite frequently.

Yes, Bartending is a great skill to have if you would like to see the world. We have former Fine Art Bartending students working all over the world. In the past few years, our graduates have found work all across Canada, the U.S., Cayman Islands, Mexico, Central America, Ireland, England, Korea, Japan, China, France, Sweden, and many are working in Australia. We also have several students working on various cruise lines.

Yes! Servers, and those who hope to become servers, benefit greatly from our program. There is no server school, or course you can take in the Lower Mainland to become a server. Having the knowledge and confidence to talk about and sell a wide range of beverages, cocktails & martinis is a huge asset as a server. Drinks and cocktails are the most profitable part of any serving job. A bartending course will significantly improve you knowledge of the beverage and cocktail side of your job. Your confidence and tips will go up, and managers will see this as a huge asset when hiring.

While Fine Art Bartending offers the most complete bartender training program in North America, there is really no universally recognized, worldwide standard for bartender training. Fine Art Bartending has been in business in Vancouver for 30+ years, and has 9 locations in Canada! Our certificate is the most recognized, well-known certificate in the industry. More owners & managers recognize the Fine Art name than any other. Our certification is also recognized by the Bartenders Guild in The United States. We are also a member of the BC Food & Restaurant Association and authorized by the Wine and Spirits Education Trust to deliver Level 1 and Level 2 training in Spirits.

Although it is not mandatory to have a bartending certification to serve, more and more employers strongly prefer that you have some form of “bartending certification” or “bartending license” in order to be considered for employment. Owners and managers recognize that the training you receive in a bartending school replaces months of costly on the job training.