A mojito on a bar with the four AWS technique groups: build and stir, shake, muddle and more, balance

Technique and balance

Build, stir, shake, muddle, layer, blend, throw and swizzle, plus the ratios, dilution and temperature behind every great drink, and how to create your own twist.

Christian Esser with the 40 core AWS recipes

40 core recipes

From the Daiquiri and Margarita to the Negroni, Mai Tai and Espresso Martini, checked against the official IBA list, with printable recipe cards and two Caribbean house favourites.

Presentation, speed, profit and guests

Behind the bar and beyond

Garnish and the perfect serve, mise en place, speed and building rounds, stock and pour cost, the guest journey, upselling and responsible service.

What you'll learn

✓ The professional bartender, the bar station and every tool: shakers, strainers, jiggers, bar spoons, muddlers, glassware, ice and measures ✓ Spirits for the bartender: vodka, gin, rum, cachaça, tequila, mezcal, whisky and brandy, and what each brings to a drink ✓ Liqueurs, vermouth, bitters, syrups, fresh juices and house prep ✓ Techniques: build, stir, shake, dry shake, muddle, layer, blend, throw, swizzle, measuring and free pouring ✓ Balance and building recipes: sweet and sour, the ratios behind the classics, dilution, temperature and creating your own twist ✓ The classic families: sours and daisies, tropical drinks, highballs, collins and fizzes, mules, spritzes, old fashioneds, martinis, manhattans and negronis ✓ The AWS recipe book: 40 core recipes with IBA specs and AWS house variations ✓ Garnish, presentation, speed, workflow, stock, pour cost, hygiene, guest service, upselling and responsible service

Who it's for

Bartenders, bar-backs and servers who want to step up, hotel and restaurant F&B teams, and serious home bartenders who want to make drinks the way professionals do. AWS Level 1 in Bartending – Certified Bartending Enthusiast™ is recommended but not required. No snobbery: just Liquid Lively Fun – One Glass at a Time™. You must be of legal drinking age (18+ or the legal age where you live) to taste alcoholic drinks; every technique can be practised with water and juice.

The AWS Recipe Card Set, Home Bar Shopping List, Practice Log and the Certified Junior Bartender badge

What's included

10 modules and 29 reading lessons

In-depth lesson notes with Key points and a "Try it" activity in every lesson. About 16 hours in total including your practice and the exam, at your own pace. 12 months' access.

Printable bartender's guides

The AWS Recipe Card Set (40 recipes), the AWS Home Bar Shopping List with a budget option for every item, and the AWS Bartender's Practice Log.

Final exam and AWS certificate

Ten practice knowledge checks, then a 50-question final exam (70% to pass, two attempts), 20 questions on the recipes. Pass it to receive your AWS Level 2 in Bartending – Certified Junior Bartender™ certificate.

Your instructor: Christian Esser

Christian Esser, Director of Education, Academy of Wine & Spirits, is a Wine & Spirits Educator with more than 20 years of teaching across the Caribbean, North and South America. He founded the Academy in the Cayman Islands, launched The Rum Ambassador programme with WIRSPA, holds a viticulture degree from Lincoln University in New Zealand and was Wine Director at the Grand Old House in Grand Cayman. In 2026 the Academy won two LUXlife Hospitality Awards: Best Luxury Beverage Education Provider and the Hospitality Training Excellence Award (Caribbean & USA). His goal is simple: to make wine and spirits clear, practical and fun.

Curriculum

13 Chapters · 42 Lessons

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Certified Junior Bartender™

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      The professional bartender and the bar station

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Bar tools and how to use them

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Glassware, ice and measures

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 1 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Vodka and gin behind the bar

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Rum, cachaça, tequila and mezcal

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Whisky, brandy and the back bar

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 2 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Liqueurs and aromatised wines

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Bitters, syrups, juices and house prep

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 3 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Build, stir and shake

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Muddle, layer, blend, throw and swizzle

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Measuring and free pouring

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 4 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      The structure of a cocktail

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Dilution, temperature and creating your own twist

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 5 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Sours, daisies and the tropical branch

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Long drinks: highballs, collins, fizzes, mules and spritzes

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Spirit-forward: old fashioneds, martinis, manhattans and negronis

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Sparkling, creamy, hot and coffee drinks

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 6 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Recipe book 1: shaken sours and daisies

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Recipe book 2: long drinks and highballs

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Recipe book 3: stirred and spirit-forward

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Recipe book 4: tropical, sparkling and after-dinner

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 7 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Garnishes: peels, wheels, herbs and rims

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Presentation, glass care and the perfect serve

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 8 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Mise en place: opening and closing the bar

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Speed and workflow: building rounds

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Bar operations: stock, cost and hygiene

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 9 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      The guest journey

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Upselling and selling with the menu

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Responsible service of alcohol

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 10 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Final exam

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Congratulations and next steps

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take? About 16 hours in total, including your practice and the final exam. Study at your own pace, on any device; you have 12 months' access. What do I need? A shaker, a strainer, a jigger, a bar spoon, a few glasses, ice, fresh limes and lemons and sugar. The shopping list shows a starter kit with a budget option for every item. You can practise every technique with water and juice. Do I need any experience? AWS Level 1 in Bartending – Certified Bartending Enthusiast™ is recommended but not required. Is there an age requirement? You must be 18 or older, or of legal drinking age where you live, to taste alcoholic drinks. Please drink responsibly, and never drink on shift. Do I get a certificate? Yes. Score 70% or more on the 50-question final exam to receive your certificate. You have two attempts. Can I train my whole team? Yes. Groups of 5 or more save 10%. Contact us at academyofwineandspirits.org or +1 (345) 938 0458. Can I take it in person? Yes. AWS Level 2 in Bartending is also taught in person in the Cayman Islands. Contact us for dates.

Become a Certified Junior Bartender™

16 hours, 40 core recipes, every technique and your AWS certificate. Bartending made clear, practical and fun.

$495.00

Enrol now – US$495