What Even is a Mixologist?

Bartender, Bartending, Mixology and Mixologist are all terms surrounding the simple serving of drinks so what really does it mean to be a Mixologist? While these terms may describe bartenders, the Mixologist is a special kind of bartender who specialises in swiftly and amazingly mixing acutely difficult alcoholic drinks in such a way to really wow everyone watching. At Spirit Lab London Mixology Courses you will not only learn the fine art of making cocktails, including understanding the special techniques required to perfect each drink. You will learn how to be the type of bartender that the top venues employ. Swift but amazing with your service, friendly and informative when you need to be & a listener when you don’t. We can teach you how to be the ultimate bartender. We work closely with our students with a low number of students per teacher to ensure you get the attention you need to attain the mixology goals you want to achieve.

Choose Your Spirit Lab London Course Now:

Beginners

For students with none or just a few years of experience in cocktail making.

SHOW ME THE COURSE

Advanced

Improving Mixology Techniques for students with a minimum of 5 years experience in a cocktail bar.

SHOW ME THE COURSE

Mixology Courses: The Essentials

The top Mixologists & bartenders not only have an expansive knowledge of fine wines, artisan beers as well as their signature cocktails, they also will be excellent communicators. Having fantastic customer service skill will stem from having fantastic communications skills. Communication is a two-way thing and it is as important to learn to listen as it is to learn to express yourself. We love working with our students personalities and help them to use their personality to define themselves as a bartender in how they are with the customers to implementing their personality into how they mix the drinks. Every moment behind the bar is a moment where you can really define yourself. All applicants will need to be at least 18 years old in line with the sale of alcohol laws. There’s nothing else you need to qualify though other than an enthusiasm for mixology and passion for bartending.

Level of Education Required

There is no previously required education for students on our mixology courses. Many of our students are studying other subjects at university and many are experienced bartenders looking to up their game. There is no prequisite for our courses. If you’re in any doubt about which of our Mixology Courses will be the best fit for your skills & experience in order for you to move forward in your journey towards being a highly skilled mixologist then please contact us for a chat to discuss what we have on offer.

Mixologist Job Description

Mixologist as a job, what’s it all about? A mixologist will serve, usually alcoholic but not always, drinks & beverages to hotel, venue, restaurant or bar customers. A mixologist may be serving nice wines, artisan or craft beers, making an array of classic or modern cocktails and drinks. Possibly even using their fine mixology skills to create brand new and exciting cocktail recipes that may even one day be taught on one of our fun and exciting mixology courses. The mixologist bartender will be the utmost professional while allowing their personality to flourish when appropriate. They will also see the bar as reflecting upon their own service and will take responsibility for ensuring that everything runs as smoothly and efficiently as possibly to allow them maximum concentration on the art of mixology.

The Role of the Mixologist Bartender

The role of a mixologist bartender is a varied one but certain routines must of course be carried out to keep the smooth running of the bar. While our Mixology Courses are centred around learning how to mix cocktails, a major part of our courses include experience in our real cocktail bar. There you will get a very important insight into the function of the bar and what everyone is doing there to keep it running smoothly and efficiently. Good mixologists may well be responsible for making sure the flow of glasses is working well, perhaps the drink mixers and ice too. Some mixologist roles will require you to order the necessary stock and bar supplies from outside vendors, depending upon your seniority in the bar. You will be taking cash and card payments from customers and must also understand how to verify a customer you’re about to serve is in fact over 18. There are harsh penalties and fines for bartenders who brake the sale of alcohol laws so it is important that you understand your role as a bartender & mixologist. Part of your responsibility may be to keep the bar neat and clean which will also increase the likeliness of getting good tips. Depending upon your position at the bar you may be responsible for setting up prior to opening times or possibly closing everything down after the bar has shut. Each with their own specific responsibilities and requirements. Depending upon the setup of the venue you are working with you may also be responsible for serving some food.

Mixologist Requirements

Employers, bar owners, hotels and top venues – all of them hire not only on your skill level but also on your personality & enthusiasm. Our mixology courses cover a range of topics to make sure you leave our mixology course understanding that cleanliness & sanitation, health & safety and your ability to use your personality to give great customer service are every bit as important as having an encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails and a full understanding of the skills and methods required to create recipes of your own. Many of the worlds top bars will insist upon untrained staff taking on mixology courses to bring their skills up to the level the establishment expects even if they’ve prior experience.

Gaining experience during the mixology course in a real bar puts students in a real bar situation but with the support of experts at hand. Our students leave our mixology courses well trained to head out into the cocktail bars and top venues of their dreams. For many of our ex students, the dream they are living started right here on our International Mixology Courses.

The Skills Needed to be an Expert Mixologist

We’ve said it before and we’ll state it again here, many top bars, restaurants, cruise ships & prestigious venues will look for candidates that have a personality that fits their business with the correct levels of charisma, charm, great customer services skills as well as being able to show a high skill level at mixology. Your personality will get you a long way just so long as you have the skills to back it up. At our mixology courses we try to help you to mix your personality not only into the conversations that you’re having but into the drinks that you’re making. Maybe only you can add the special pizazz to the fizz of French 75. Part of your role is understanding human behaviour and psychology so it’s no wonder that bartenders who’ve been working for a long time seem so intuitive. They’ve seen it all, learned when to talk and when to listen. The more you understand about your fellow human beings the better you’ll do behind the bar.

A mixologist will need to be standing for long periods of time and also able to lift a fair weight as you’ll be expected to move crates and boxes around. If you’re not already fit and strong then a short while bartending and you soon will be. It’s not lazy work by anyone’s standards. You will earn good money as a mixologist but you will work hard for it.

The Employment Outlook for a Qualified Mixologist

The roles for expert bartenders is expected to grow over the next five years (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The median wage level sits around average but does not account for the fact that a successful mixologist, such as those that started on our mixology courses before going on to great things, can often earn more than their wage just in tips. Tips should not be underestimated and can substantially increase your wage. The mixologists getting the best tips are those that have learned the basics of what a customer wants. We help you to learn all the skills necessary to stand out from the candidates who have not taken one of the Spirit Lab London Mixology Courses.