The pour.
The profit.
The whole
business.
Welcome to Lavish Bar Academy.
Learn what goes in the glass, how to serve with confidence, and what it takes to build beyond the bar.
A good drink
is the beginning.
This course connects professional drink preparation, responsible alcohol service, and the practical work of running an event bar. Learn the language, the measurements, the guest experience, and the numbers behind the business.
You’ll work through lessons, demonstrations, calculations, scenarios, recipe practice, and skill assessments—with May’s real business experiences woven into the conversation.
Here’s what
we’re getting into.
All 13 chapters, from your first event plan to TIPS exam preparation. Open a chapter to see the topics and what you’ll practice.
01THE BUSINESSStarting Your Mobile Bartending BusinessTurn a service idea into an event plan.
- Choosing what your mobile bar provides—and what it does not
- Event types, bar kits, menus, packing, setup, and cleanup
- Service packages, written agreements, staffing, and expenses
- Planning for alcohol permissions, insurance discussions, and service boundaries
PUT IT INTO PRACTICEDraft a client event plan and a clearly defined service offer.
02RESPONSIBLE SERVICEAlcohol Laws and Your ResponsibilitiesKnow your responsibilities before the first order.
- Maryland-focused alcohol service responsibilities
- ID checks, age verification, and house policies
- Recognizing when to refuse service and how to communicate it
- Venue permissions, local jurisdictions, and event authorizations
PUT IT INTO PRACTICEWork through ID-check and refusal-of-service scenarios.
03RESPONSIBLE SERVICEAlcohol in the BodyLearn to recognize risk and respond.
- How alcohol is absorbed and how its effects develop
- Recognizing changes in guest behavior
- Common misconceptions about sobering up
- Early intervention and responsible service decisions
PUT IT INTO PRACTICEExplain your next steps in a realistic guest-service scenario.
04BEHIND THE BARUnderstanding ABV and ProofRead the label. Understand the measure.
- Alcohol by volume, proof, and bottle labels
- US fluid ounces, milliliters, and the right measuring tools
- Standard-drink calculations and serving strength
- Recipe units, volume conversions, and bottle yield
PUT IT INTO PRACTICERead a bottle label and calculate the alcohol in a serving.
05BEHIND THE BARWine KnowledgeBuild confidence beyond the cocktail menu.
- Red, white, rosé, sparkling, and fortified wine styles
- Dryness, sweetness, acidity, tannin, and body
- Talking with guests about their preferences
- Using wine vocabulary clearly and confidently
PUT IT INTO PRACTICEDescribe wine styles and recommend a direction based on guest preferences.
06BEHIND THE BARWine Portions and ServiceMake every glass a measured serving.
- House wine pours and appropriate serving sizes
- Matching glassware to the service
- Connecting portion size, ABV, and standard drinks
- Consistent measurement and clear guest communication
PUT IT INTO PRACTICEMeasure wine portions and explain a menu serving to a guest.
07BEHIND THE BARGlasswareKnow the glass—and why it matters.
- Recognizing rocks, highball, coupe, martini, and wine glasses
- Matching drinks to suitable vessels
- Capacity, ice, temperature, and presentation
- Inspecting glassware and maintaining clean service habits
PUT IT INTO PRACTICESelect and inspect the right glass for a drink.
08BEHIND THE BARBar GlossarySpeak the language behind the bar.
- Neat, on the rocks, up, well, call, and common modifiers
- Build, shake, stir, muddle, strain, and double strain
- Tools, equipment, station language, and guest orders
- Clarifying ambiguous requests and communicating with the team
PUT IT INTO PRACTICETranslate a guest’s order into a clear preparation plan.
09THE BUSINESSProfit Pouring and Inventory ControlUnderstand what goes into—and comes out of—every bottle.
- Bottle cost, cost per ounce, and recipe ingredient costs
- Pour cost percentages and the difference between revenue and profit
- Inventory counts, usage, waste, and product consistency
- Mixers, garnishes, disposables, and operating expenses
PUT IT INTO PRACTICECost a drink and complete an inventory exercise.
10BEHIND THE BAROverpouring Prevention and Pour PracticeAccuracy is a skill you can practice.
- Jigger use and consistent measured portions
- Water-first pour drills and checking your results
- How overpours affect strength, balance, and cost
- Following house recipes and correcting measurement errors
PUT IT INTO PRACTICEDemonstrate measured pours and calculate the cost of repeated overpouring.
11BEHIND THE BAR100 Popular CocktailsA recipe collection to learn from and keep practicing.
- A 100-cocktail training reference in the workbook
- Recipe measurements, ingredients, and preparation methods
- Shaken and stirred drinks, glassware, and garnishes
- Following a house specification and practicing consistent preparation
PUT IT INTO PRACTICEPrepare a shaken drink and a stirred drink for instructor feedback.
12THE BUSINESSProper Licenses and CertificationsUnderstand the paperwork behind the business.
- Business registration, alcohol authorization, and training credentials
- The questions to ask about an event’s alcohol arrangement
- Where licensing, insurance, and business records fit into your planning
- Building a checklist of documents, contacts, and next steps
PUT IT INTO PRACTICESeparate business registration, alcohol permissions, and training in your own checklist.
13RESPONSIBLE SERVICETIPS Knowledge and Maryland Exam PreparationBring your responsible-service skills together.
- Instructor-led TIPS training and examination with May Johnson
- Official training materials supported by workbook practice
- Guest eligibility, observation, communication, and intervention
- Review questions, scenarios, and preparation for the approved exam process
PUT IT INTO PRACTICEComplete the required training and take the official TIPS examination.
The wins.
The losses.
The real lessons.
“I don’t want people to make the same mistakes that I made.”
We’re talking about the business decisions behind the brand, too. May brings her own experience with buildings, proposals, partnerships, and a $2.3 million investment opportunity she passed on after a business partner convinced her against moving forward.
These conversations connect the course’s business foundations to the questions, choices, and setbacks entrepreneurs actually face.
Learn it.
Then show it.
Work through the lesson, see the demonstration, and put the skill into practice. Written work, real service scenarios, and observed demonstrations help you see where you’re growing and what needs more practice.
Understand the lesson and ask questions.
See the technique demonstrated.
Start pour drills with water.
Show your knowledge and practical skills.
Use feedback to improve.
Your practical checkpoints
- Clean hands and tools
- Inspect the glassware
- Read a bottle label
- Measure a house pour
- Prepare a shaken drink
- Prepare a stirred drink
- Calculate standard drinks
- Check an ID in a scenario
- Refuse unsafe service
- Complete an inventory count
- Cost a drink recipe
- Prepare a client event plan
Come solo.
Bring your person.
Four instructor-led classes. Sixteen hours of training. Choose live virtual learning or join us in person in Maryland.
Register for your class ↗IN PERSON / MARYLAND
LIVE VIRTUAL TRAINING
Pay in full or select the 50% deposit option on the registration form. Remaining balances are due before the first class. Friend-package prices and deposits cover both students.
Select your preferred training dates and attendance format on the registration form. Workshops and private coaching have separate availability and enrollment details.
Built from experience.
Taught with honesty.
I’m May. I’ve worked behind the bar, built businesses, taken chances, and learned some lessons the hard way.
After I started selling drinks in 2015, things took off. My first liquor expo opened a new chapter. My journey has taken me through Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt hotels, weddings, birthdays, kids’ parties, Caribbean festivals, Artscape, AFRAM, and Pride. Back-to-school drives and community events are part of my story, too.
I’ve bartended for DTLR celebrity interviews and celebrity parties. Some of my favorite experiences were with Saucy Santana, Lyrica from Love & Hip Hop, and Nipsey Hussle.
The trunk, the waterfront, and the hustle. Read the story ↗
During COVID in 2020, I turned my trunk into a little store and served drinks like it was a bar. Yes, my trunk! I also created Drinks in the Park at the waterfront. I didn’t know it would get as big as it did, and eventually I had to stop. That’s another story for another day.
Lavish Bar Academy is where I bring the experience and the lessons together. I want to teach you the craft and talk honestly about the do’s and don’ts of business—so you can ask better questions and make informed choices about your future.
Let’s get
into the details.
The course, the cost, the training, and what comes next.
Back to the full curriculum ↗Who is this course for?
Complete beginners, bartenders who want to strengthen their skills, and people exploring mobile bartending or event-bar business ownership. The course connects drink preparation, responsible service, and business fundamentals.
What will I actually learn?
The full course covers 13 chapters: mobile business, alcohol responsibilities, alcohol in the body, ABV and proof, wine knowledge, wine service, glassware, bar language, profit pouring and inventory, pour practice, 100 popular cocktails, licensing and certifications, and TIPS knowledge and exam preparation. Explore every chapter above.
Is this just watching videos or memorizing recipes?
The teaching approach is learn, watch a demonstration, practice, complete an assessment, and review. Expect workbook activities, calculations, service role-plays, and practical skill demonstrations. Water is used for initial pour practice.
What does the course cost?
In-person Maryland training is $350 for one student or $580 total for two. Live virtual training is $249 for one student or $440 total for two. Pay in full or choose a 50% deposit: $175 in-person individual, $290 in-person friend package, $124.50 virtual individual, or $220 virtual friend package. Remaining balances are due before the first class. Choose your preferred dates and attendance format on the enrollment form ↗.
Will I automatically get a certificate?
No. You must complete the assigned coursework, required practical activities and demonstrations, and passing requirements, including the required official TIPS examination. The academy completion certificate and official TIPS certification are separate credentials. Your trainer provides the official assessment rules.
Is TIPS training part of the course?
Yes. May Johnson, a certified TIPS trainer, delivers the approved TIPS training and examination. The workbook supports that training; it does not replace the official materials or examination. Official TIPS certification depends on successful completion of the approved process.
Are classes online or in person?
The full course includes four instructor-led classes of four hours each, totaling 16 hours. Choose Live Virtual Training or In-Person Training—Maryland on the enrollment form. The form lists evening and Saturday training dates in Eastern Time. Skool is the academy’s planned online classroom.
Do I have to drink alcohol to practice?
No. The workbook uses water or other nonalcoholic training liquids for pour drills. Students do not need to consume alcohol to demonstrate a skill. Age, participation, supply, and classroom requirements will be provided before enrollment.
Will you cover business mistakes and real experiences?
Yes. May will share lessons from her own business journey, including partnerships, proposals, missed opportunities, and decisions she wishes she had handled differently. Her goal is to help students ask stronger questions and make informed decisions.
Does a certificate let me sell alcohol or guarantee a job?
A training certificate is separate from business registration and alcohol licensing. Course completion does not automatically authorize alcohol sales or guarantee employment, bookings, or income. The course teaches you to identify the appropriate next steps for your situation.
How do Facebook, Skool, and this website fit together?
This website explains the academy, curriculum, pricing, and common questions. Facebook is for updates and community connection. Skool is the planned classroom and learning community. You can enroll through the registration form ↗. Community access details are separate from class registration.
How do I sign up?
Click Enroll now ↗ to open the Bartenders 2 Bosses registration form. Enter your student details, choose your preferred training dates and attendance format, indicate whether you’re enrolling with a friend, and submit your registration. Joining a Facebook group does not automatically enroll you in a paid class.
Your next chapter
has your name on it.
Ready to get started? Choose your training dates,
select your attendance format, and complete your registration.