A well-planned, innovative, and creative beverage program is vital to any operation and its revenue stream. In recent years, the number and variety of beverages on the market has increased, customers have become more knowledgeable, and bartenders have even started to gain celebrity status in the industry.

So where do you start in establishing an exciting beverage program? Knowledge is the key, and in this course, you’ll explore the many aspects of the beverage world, from creating new drinks to learning how to control costs. Through demonstrations, lectures, and hands-on practice, you will:

• Identify current trends in mixology, food pairing, and the demographics of alcohol consumption.
  
• Become able to distinguish the many types of bottled drinks on the market, including identifying and tasting different kinds of beer.
  
• Demonstrate the principles of controlling beverage costs and maintaining profitability.
  
• Understand the distillation process.
  
• Practice basic bartending techniques.
  
• Create a creative beverage list of alcoholic and non-alcoholic selections that fits your establishment.
  
• Develop a viable coffee and tea program for a hospitality operation that includes both iced and hot beverages.
  
• Distinguish among the different types of spirits through tasting and lectures.
  

All equipment for this course will be supplied by the CIA. Beverages and Your Business is a good supporting class for the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) Master Accreditation Program.