The Cocktail Camp — Local services in San Francisco

Let me start by saying I currently bartend at a chain for the last 18 months. About 6 months in I wanted to learn more than the limited drink menu at my chain.

I attended a "National" Bartending school last year in 2023. I learned the "basics" and became familiar with different brands at the National school. I reccomend it. All learning is good. However it was more about remembering drinks than on the why's. (Most I will never make and already forgotten). It was like learning the alphabet and to read. Don't get me wrong if you get the right teacher on a given day you can and will pick things up. But it's limited.

However Cocktail Camp took things to a whole new level. Taught me to write paragraphs and storys and understand why things go together. Allowed me to not have to "think so much". And was at a real bar with real set up. It allowed me understand what I was doing and why. And we had to taste different spirits and liquors so we understood why they went in certain drinks and the nuances of different types of a particular spirit. I now have a better understanding what to suggest to guest and how to adapt to thier taste. Plus I am SO much more knowledgeable in my vernacular when I speak to my guests. I feel like an old vet now. And my confidence behind the bar is a MAJOR step up. And my managers know not to mess with me. They know I "know" now. Lol. After finishing Cocktail Camp I can truly say I feel like a real bartender. I know what I am doing and why I am doing it. I am not just "remembering" drinks recipes.

Also they have a website that is constantly updated for when the class is over to review what we have learned at any time.

One more thing. The way the class is taught is superb. Logan our teacher and coach was a professor as well I think he said and it shows. Plus he is funny as heck and entertaining. A pro's pro. I never was bored. I was engaged the entire time.

And the way its set up. Behind the bar in morning and spirit lessons in afternoon was awesome. Honestly If they just offered the afternoon spirit class for $250 for the day to learn about a particular spirit (whiskey, tequila, rum, gin, vodka)... I would have paid just for that class. It was so detailed. Even if you don't want to bartend and just learn "where the spirit happens" and to be able to impress your friends on blind taste tests I would HIGHLEY reccomend it.

To finalize. At 56 I am used to overpromise and under deliverance. Cocktail Camp is the rarity that delivers way more than it promises. Way more. Extremely impressed and...

Paid $1,999 for their Master of Mixology program. Completely unprofessional operation from start to finish. They cancelled classes without rescheduling or offering refunds, left us scrambling to find out what we were doing for bar shifts at noon the day of, and the instructor was openly unprofessional - talking about me with bar staff while I was working right there.

Then he abruptly kicked me out mid-program with zero explanation. I asked multiple times what happened. Complete silence. Their own director admitted the instructor's behavior was "strange and out of character" but then refused to explain anything further.

They violated their own "all sales final" policy with a partial refund because they know they screwed up. This is not how legitimate businesses operate. For $2,000, you deserve basic professionalism and organization. Avoid this place completely.

“The first and only instance where we had to dismiss a student” — the owner didn’t know about the dismissal at the time because the decision was made out of emotion from the instructor, Erik— who was clearly inappropriate (eyeing my chest, etc) not based on evaluation of the students behavior.

“The student was intoxicated” — if that were true, there would have been a write up, and that explanation would have been given at the time of the dismissal.

These are desperate attempts at trying to protect their very fragile business. These are obviously cover up attempts, otherwise these reasons would have been explained at the time of...

What an incredible experience! The Cocktail Camp Masterclass (I did mine at Blackbird in SF) was absolutely phenomenal. Getting to actually build cocktails behind the bar in a real craft cocktail environment was a complete game changer. You can’t replicate that authentic bar- learning experience anywhere else in the city.

The highlight of my time was getting hands-on, practice during actual bar shifts. That’s a big perk of the program, that you actually get live reps on the bar during business hours. I was luckyy that there was a massive event happening nearby during one of my apprenticeship shifts, which gave the opportunity to make dozens of cocktails in a live, high-pressure scenario.

Eric, who taught the classes, was outstanding both professionally and personally. He went above and beyond to answer all my questions and has made himself available as an ongoing resource within San Francisco’s bar community… for job opportunities, connections, or just general guidance. You can tell he’s genuinely invested in his students’ success.

If you’re serious about cocktails as a career, and want real-world experience in an amazing bar setting, this master class is absolutely worth it....