learn to bartend

So I signed up for the “Professional” Bar School course awhile back, arranged transportation and accomodation in Wellington, went there excited to start a couple weeks ago, showed up to the first class, waited and waited with a few other would be students… only to find out that the class had been “postponed” and that they had given us notice by snail mail just a week before. Not much help, given that I’d left my address a month before. Just a delay, I’m not giving up (though I’m certainly not going to learn to bartend with them)!

Besides the reasons of my love of a well made cocktail and my distant dream of opening a bar, bartending seems like a fairly decent skill to travel with. I’m curious how difficult it is to get work permits for bartending work.

• The Professional Bar School. New Zealand, including Wellington. Classes approximately once a month, 3 nights for 2 weeks, 500 NZD.
• Shaker UK. London. International Course, 5 full days, 600 pounds.
• Beverage Alcohol Resource. Serious mixology course in NYC, twice a year for 5 full days, $3000.