Want to make this bartending thing really work?

Join Canada’s only premiere bartender training and certification program.

 

You’ll learn world-class techniques, the art of unforgettable drinks, how to create “theater” at your bar…and most importantly, how to go from “just another bartender” to “irreplaceable.”

Our proven hands-on curriculum—delivered by industry experts—gives you the skills and knowledge to be successful in this competitive industry.

 

Space is limited. Apply to the Nimble Bartending School today. Courses available in Victoria, BC and London, ON.

A Bartending School for Those Who Want to Grow

Get the tools, training, and guidance to join a new generation of high-performance bartenders

Talk to Anyone

Develop Mastery

Build Your Career

Join A Growing Community

The Perfect Training For...

Bar Managers

Bar Managers will learn how to empower their team and build bartenders from the ground-up

Bar Owners

Bar owners will learn what's possible through high-performance bartending. Learn how your bar team can be more streamlined, efficient, creative, and happy.

Bartenders

Bartenders will cultivate a high-performance skillset that will help them become the most valuable bartender at their establishments.

Those Looking to Transition or Add an Income Stream

Bartending is a powerful life skill that is recession-proof and travels well. People from all walks of life can benefit from developing this skill for fun and profit.

What You'll Learn

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How To Pour

There’s more to pouring than you might think. From free pouring to cutting a pour, mastering methods can make the difference between an amateur and a professional.

How to Build a Drink

Where exactly do you build the drink? Do you build it in the glass to be served? In a tin? In a julep cup? In a mixing glass? In which order should you build your drinks? Have no fear; we’ll cover this, too.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How to Mix Cocktails

Learn techniques like cocktail dilution, aeration, and emulsification. We’ll teach you to elegantly guide the ice around the glass with a stir, shake the bejeezus out of a drink that needs to be woken up, and aerate a viscous drink with a throw.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How to Make the 50 Most Ordered Classic Cocktails to Perfection

Master the recipes and preparations of the 50 most important and frequently ordered cocktails. You’ll leave our program knowing how to make these drinks deliciously and with panache.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How to Use Functional Flair

Dazzle your guests with flips and tricks that enhance experience without wasting time.

How to Master Professional Bartending Tools

A craftsperson is only as good as they know how to use their tools.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How to Garnish Drinks

Gone are the simple days of lonely wedges and twists. Welcome to the world of swaths, flowers, birds, wheels, planes, and more. Our program will teach you to creatively garnish your drinks and impress your guests.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How to Create Cocktails On-The-Fly

With the renaissance of cocktails now in full-swing, guests expect custom drinks. Our program teaches you how to easily create unique drinks that customers will love.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Efficiency of Movement and Speed

You can learn a lot by how much (or how little) a bartender moves. Learn how to setup your station so that you can operate with purpose and flow.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How to Develop Your Palate

We’ll help you develop and refine your palate through educational tastings of wine, spirits, beer, and cocktails.

How to Talk About, Taste, Discover, Sell and Serve Wine

You’ll walk away with a fundamental understanding of important wine varietals, and how to sell wine through sommelier-led training

Develop Spirit Mastery

What if you could tell stories about 95% of bottles on any back bar in the world?

How Beer is Made and How to Sell It

Learn a framework that helps you quickly understand beer, how to describe it to a guest, and how it's made through an on-site brewery training and tasting.

Culinary & Advanced Cocktail Techniques

Learn how to use the same 'gee-whiz' techniques that high-performance bars around the world have on their cocktail menus. Custom bitters, tinctures, infusions, foams, smoke, and more.

How to Communicate With Guests and Be Assertive

Learn key tools and mindsets for being a great host, and disarming difficult situations.

Responsible Alcohol Service

Learn to take ownership for the well-being of your establishment and its patrons through responsible alcohol service.

And More...

A proven program to help you become the most valuable bartender in the room, create world-class guest experiences, increase profitability, and gain an edge over your competition.

What You'll Get

A Training Methodology That Works

The Nimble Bartending School distills decades of experience into a course that will shorten your learning curve, save you time, and money. You’ll get the strategic insight and guidance to help you reach your goals.

Leading experts will guide you through a proven cutting-edge curriculum designed to help you become a high-performance bartender.

An ever-expanding online resource that will be there for you from bartender, to bar manager, to bar owner, and beyond. Continuously updated with fresh material.

Nimble Cocktail Guide

There are 50 essential cocktails that you need to know to thrive behind modern bars. The Cocktail Guide gives you battle-tested recipes, and short punchy stories that you can share.

Get a certification that shows you’re part of a vanguard group of bartenders who’ve put in the work and are on-track to becoming high-performance bartenders. You’re committed to continuous, never-ending improvement, and adding value to any bar you step behind.

Proof: What Others Say

"What I learned is that bartending has helped me value my time more, and now I don't have to work doubles anymore. It's changed my life."

Emily Pollock

Emily Pollock

Alumni & Bar Operations Lead

The course was better than what I had expected. It's difficult to pinpoint specific areas that blew me away, but across the board I felt it was more valuable than I had predicted. There are so many self-proclaimed "professional" bartenders out there who are doing it all wrong. Learning best practices in person from Nate and Kyle has given me a ton of confidence, and solid edge over my competition.
Michael Morris Bartender
Michael Morris
Alumni & Bartender
This is an antidote to the classic bar school stigma. Courses are comprehensive, fun, and challenging with homework and fieldwork designed to help round out your skills and knowledge. Both Kyle and Nate have an incredible skill sets and a wealth of knowledge which they are enthusiastic to share with everyone. Would highly recommend to anyone who is interested from a complete beginner to current bartender.
Evan Riggs Bartender
Evan Riggs
Alumni & Bartender
Much, much more professional and comprehensive than I had expected, from the bar skills to the liquor knowledge and palate development. Quite hard (in a good way). In many ways as challenging as any university course. Very impressed.
Leigh Phillips Bartender
Leigh Phillips
Alumni, Author, Bartender
Highly recommend this school to friends and family! Outstanding instructors!! Very helpful course. The instructors come prepared with lots of helpful cocktail knowledge, and answer questions with patience. They bring many helpful guest speakers for the students, and extend their knowledge about beer, wine and spirits. They encourage students to work on many different styles of cocktails and help them create their own. Overall, it was a great experience!
Suki Wu Bartender
Suki Wu
Alumni & Bar Manager
I've been a server for over 10 years with both extensive management and serving experience. I took the Nimble Bar School to raise my confidence and my ability to have more fun with guests and help them have a better drinking experience (and raise bill averages). The Nimble Bar School helped me to quickly develop a concrete base to succeed and perform as a badass bartender in the new age cocktail culture.
Neeraj Kunder Bartender
Neeraj Kunder
Alumni & Hospitality Professional
First off, they really did earn this five stars. Taking this course was easily the highlight of my summer. Kyle and Nathan are very knowledgeable and energetic instructors, and so learning in their “classroom” was both fun and engaging. As someone with no bartending or service experience, I was a minority during this course. This lack of experience was in no way an hindrance, as Kyle and Nathan were able to guide me along without slowing the pace of instruction. This course helped me to develop the skills needed to rock my home bar with confidence.
Ryley Mackin
Ryley Mackin
Alumni & Home Bartender
The Nimble Course Pays for Itself
Forest Johnston
Forest Johnston

Alumnus & Bartender

"Being in this environment of high quality and high performance, I truly realized the potential and where it could take you. You can move quick."

Sebastian Lopez

Sebastian Lopez

Alumnus

Course Dates and Locations

Choose the date and location that's best for you when you apply.

Jan 13 – Feb 18, 2024 | Victoria Weekend Course | Saturdays & Sundays | 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Feb 24 – Mar 31, 2024 | Victoria Weekend Course | Saturdays & Sundays | 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

DATES COMING SOON

Want the Nimble Bartending School to come to you? Contact Us.

Your Investment

Upon acceptance of your application, we require a $97.00 non-refundable deposit to secure your spot in the program.

High-Performance

Financing Available
$ 847
CAD
  • Full Hands-on Nimble Bartending School Course
  • The Nimble Private Vault
  • The Nimble Proprietary Cocktail Guide
  • Nimble High-Performance Bartender Certification (Optional + Subject to Successful Completion)

High-Performance + Curated Toolkit

Financing Available
$ 1,027
CAD
  • Full Hands-on Nimble Bartending School Course
  • The Nimble Private Vault
  • The Nimble Proprietary Cocktail Guide
  • Nimble High-Performance Bartender Certification (Optional + Subject to Successful Completition)
  • Nimble Curated Kit of Professional Bar Tools

Take the first step. Apply Now.

Want to up your bartending game?

Get free tips, recipes, and strategies designed to make you a better bartender. 👇🏽

Download The Five: A Short Guide to Master the Basics

The Five Download
  • The DNA that influence 99% of cocktails
  • How to make The Five most important classic cocktails better than most bars
  • The building blocks for creating your own custom cocktails