BarSmarts Wired: Affordable Spirits Education

To say it thrills me to hear  that Pernod Ricard USA’s BarSmarts Advanced Training Program has come to the internet is an understatement.  I heard of BarSmarts, but knew that it was a tough go to attend the training myself.   Finally the internet and this groundbreaking program married, and the twain became BarSmarts Wired.  With the Beverage Alcohol Resource, LLC members including, Dale DeGroff, Doug Frost, M.S., M.W, Steven Holson, F. Paul Pacult, Andy Seymour and David Wondrich, Ph.D. as your teachers, you cannot go wrong.  Let me repeat that–you can’t go wrong.

How does BarSmarts Wired work?  Well, first of all you have to register at www.barsmarts.com.  The cost of the program is $45.00.  Included in the registration fee is a complete set of bartools that any seasoned mixologist would be proud of.   The student is then given four weeks to complete all four modules, tests, and the final DrinkBuilder exam.  Don’t worry, if you miss passing one of the tests, you are given another chance to take it again.

I was a little skeptical at the fact that it was an online program.  Having been familiar with online programs, there is the propensity to cheat and take the exams open-book (you may print out each module).  Of course, that doesn’t help a person learn, does it?  Besides, if you only print out the course materials (68 pages in all) you will miss the informative and entertaining video lessons.  Until you’ve seen F. Paul Pacult talk about whisk(e)y, Dale DeGroff flame the zest of an orange, or David Wondrich beat the hell out of his ice-filled Lewis bag…friend, you haven’t lived–not to mention the excellent lessons on tasting and the numerous guest stars, such as Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club fame, who demonstrated her prowess by creating three cocktails at once.   I was totally pumped after watching these videos.  I felt I could tackle a Ramos Gin Fizz with one or two hard shakes after that.

I only wish I would have taken the program a year ago, when I began my foray into the world of cocktails.  My oh my how it would have saved me such long hours of searching getting conflicting information as the origin of this cocktail, or the recipe for that cocktail.  Such a wealth of information is now at your fingertips!  I am compelled to get all the bartenders in town here to take the course.  Maybe then I could walk into an establishment and not expect to hear “We don’t have bitters” or “Sorry, we don’t have cocktail onions”.   Oh, for the good of the cocktail, for Christsakes!

You’re getting the drift that I like it I’m sure by now, aren’t you?  Well, in case the message hasn’t sunk in, get yourself online (PC or Mac), and go to www.barsmarts.com right now and sign up!  You won’t be disappointed.  Come on!  How can you sit there and enjoy that fifty dollar bottle of scotch if you don’t understand how it’s distilled, how it’s aged, and from where it gets its flavors?  Don’t say you didn’t know better the next time you go out and pay top dollar for a vodka that doesn’t taste good! Ok?