Bartending from Scratch
Like Duolingo, but for Bartending from Scratch. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through The Core Moves and The Bartender's Station. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Bartending from Scratch
- The classic sour template uses 2 parts base spirit, 1 part sour citrus, and 1 part sweetener
- A 2 oz pour of spirit pairs with 1 oz (or equal parts) sour and sweet components
- Drinks like Daiquiris and Margaritas share this identical core framework
- Fresh-squeezed juice contains bright, natural acid needed to slice through ethanol heat
- Bottled, shelf-stable juices contain added sweeteners and preservatives that dull and flatten a cocktail's flavor profile
- Granulated sugar does not dissolve easily in chilled liquids and leaves a gritty residue at the bottom of the shaker
- Pre-dissolving sugar in water into a syrup allows instant, uniform blending with cold spirits and ice
- Spirits with rich, sweet barrel notes (like aged rum or bourbon) require less syrup to avoid a cloying drink
- Pungent, high-proof, or bone-dry spirits require the full measure of sugar to tame the bite
- Straw testing happens inside the shaker tin before straining
- Tasting reveals whether the drink leans too tart or too sweet
- A small corrective dash of citrus or syrup re-balances the mix before pouring
- The workflow for straw testing and correcting an off-balance cocktail before pouring
- Cocktails with citrus juice, cream, or egg whites must be shaken to properly blend the dense ingredients
- Cocktails made purely of spirits and fortified wines like vermouth need stirring to maintain clarity and avoid frothing
- Vigorous shaking forces tiny air bubbles into the liquid
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Bartending from Scratch the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What parts make up the classic sour recipe template?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
Where Bartending from Scratch takes you
Learn the essential mechanics of craft bartending from your very first pour. Master classic cocktail ratios, temperature, dilution, and core tools so you can make balanced drinks with confidence.
- 1
The Core Moves
- The Golden Ratio of Balance
- Shake vs. Stir: Ice and Temperature
- 2
The Bartender's Station
- Handling the Essential Tools
- Decoding Cocktail Families
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Bartending from Scratch is taught in the Explain Like I'm 5 style: no big words. promise.. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Bartending from Scratch today.
Download Tomo, search Bartending from Scratch, and play your first lesson in under a minute.