Columbia Bartending Agency & School of Mixology

I’ve been using CBA regularly since I first discovered them in 2015 and continue to be impressed by the ease, value, and quality of service I receive. Every experience with the good people at CBA has exceeded my expectations. Requesting bartenders is a simple process and the coordinator always answers my queries promptly and thoroughly. All of the bartenders I’ve worked with have been bright, conscientious, competent … and interesting. It’s been such a pleasure to meet these young men and women and learn where they’re from, what they’re studying, etc. I look forward to many years ahead working with CBA.

Madeline was excellent. She was a classic self-​starter, assessing what needed to be done and taking care of it. She was thoughtful and knowledgeable, and made herself available before the event to offer guidance. I really appreciated all of her help and would definitely hire her again in the future.

I hired Adrian for an at-​home mixology class/​party. He did a wonderful job! He was punctual, knowledgable, intelligent, and managed my very energetic friends well. I was impressed by his professionalism and knowledge of spirits, which he shared with everyone at the party.
Additionally, he was extremely helpful in the planning process. He assisted me in creating a menu and even created a shopping list so I knew exactly what to buy and the quantities necessary for the size of my party. This made the whole process less stressful and more enjoyable for me, the host. Overall, I was very pleased with the service he provided.

First time user of CBA, but certainly not the last! Jared was punctual, organized, used his space creatively and was kind to every guest — adult or child. Jared stayed post the event and cleaned — voluntarily — which, at the end of a long party, was welcomed! I would definitely hire through CBA again … the party would have not run as smoothly without Jared’s help. He really helped the night be a success!

I recently used CBA for a luncheon. The bartender showed up on time and was delightful and a self starter. I would definitely use this service again.

I recently used Columbia bartending for a house party– and having Jacob there was the highlight of the night. He was punctual, friendly, knowledgeable, easy going– and his drinks were DELICIOUS. Seriously, better than some i have had at cocktail bars. He kept going even when the crowd got big, and stayed late by 2 hours when we asked. It was an excellent experience, and a bargain for the $ 18 an hour (plus tip and cab home).
I would highly recommend for any event requiring a bartender. The cocktails made the night, for us.

The service provided was professional and courteous. The office was efficient at finding us a bartender on relatively short notice during holiday time. I would definitely call them again.

We’ve hired bartenders from CBA a couple times now and they are great. Easy to schedule for events through their website, and at a bargain price compared to other wait staff agencies. I’d definitely recommend their bartenders for any event!

I’ve used Columbia Bartending for two different private parties now and had an excellent experience both times. The system runs smoothly getting it all set up and the bartenders were terrific. I would definitely recommend.

I work at one of the largest law firms in the world. My boss used CBA and suggested that we use them for a special event that we were hosting and after I received several way overpriced rates from various mixolgists. Our bartender was super friendly and enthusiastic. He was also on time. You can also have the bartender help out with the dishes for an added cost. They make it super easy to sign up and provide a shopping list on-​line so that there isn’t any guessing, unless you want to add specialty drinks to your menu, which they are great about helping out with too. I was so happy with the service that I referred them to a friend who used a bartender for her gallery party in Brooklyn a couple of weeks later. Use this service. It is totally worth it!!!

Hired 2 bartenders for an apartment party. Booking process was seamless and had great communication from the CBA manager. Bartenders showed up on time and were engaging, inventive, and very efficient. Will definitely use again for my next party!

I have hired over a dozen Columbia bartenders over the last three years for cocktail parties at my home and charity events. I have been pleased with each one. They are all very friendly, professional and knowledgeable. They always arrive 15 minutes early. This is such a wonderful service everyone should know about. It is so easy to reserve a bartender online and you immediately receive a confirmation.

*I’m writing this review as a student:
For the short amount of time (5 weeks), this course offers a tremendous amount of information! I recommend this course for anyone who enjoys alcoholic beverages. If you don’t know much about the subject, this will open up your mind to all the possibilities!
I took this course because I wanted to get a job on the side and have no bar experience. I highly recommend! There are a lot of drinks to learn so make flash cards and start memorizing right away! The exam isn’t difficult if you do that.
I like that the class is hands-​on and you get to make and taste your own drinks (if you’re 21). My only criticism I guess is that I wish the CBA did more to connect non-​Columbia students to jobs if you earn it. But I guess that’s just wishful thinking if the program seeks to expand.

We had an amazing experience with the Columbia Bartending School. We hired a bartender for our Kentucky Derby Party, and she was amazing. She was very professional, helpful, friendly, and great at tending to the guests. Once we got her set up we really didn’t have to worry about anything. She made sure the prepped food was always on the table. We paid the $ 2/​hr for her to help with dishes, which was so worth it. I can’t imagine you get better service from one of the really pricey agencies, so I will be using them for all my small events moving forward. A top notch service.

I’m writing a review as a student for the School of Mixology. I took the 10 hour mixology course over a period of 5 weeks (one class per week, two hours per class). It was 1 hour of lecture — which passed by very, very quickly, was very informative and fun! — and 1 hour of going up to the «bar» and making drinks we were learning that class! I took a single bartending class before this for a few hours, thinking that was all I needed to know, but this class covers a lot more than I expected. You have to memorize ~150? recipes and other safety and alcohol information to ace the exam during your last class (so it’s really 4 classes of learning) to get your bartending certificate. The teachers were young and students as well and it was fun be around them and learning from them. It’s a really chill class. You have to be 21 to drink your drinks; if you’re younger, you can take sips of your drinks. I would definitely suggest taking this class if you’re interested in bartending! I went with a huge group and we only had to pay $ 175, which I believe is pretty cheap for a bartending class.

I hired a bartender for a small party that I had last night. Using the Columbia Bartending Agency has been a great experience for me. From the beginning when I contacted my bartender he was extremely helpful and always very polite in helping me get my bar menu ready. He had e-​mailed me a detailed checklist of what alcohol I would need for my Mexican themed party. This made everything so much easier for me. My bartender was amazing! My guests were all so happy. He was so nice and helpful I couldn’t have asked for a better person! His drinks were excellent and I highly recommend anyone having a party to use this agency. I know I definitely will again and so will my guests!

I have hired several bartender agencies and I must say the Columbia Bartending Agency is the best one in Manhattan. I look forward to working with them again!

All the members here are very professional and clearly are experienced. :) They’re the best and I’d definitely recommend!

I was so lucky to find this agency after searching on the Internet for hours. Booking the appointment was so easy and professional. Once I was assigned my bartender, she called me up and she created a drink menu for my guests. It was a martini party and the drinks were a blast. All the quests were so excited to receive a martini from her. She walked around and brought you a refill if you were llow. She even picked up cups and took care of her garbage. At first I was a bit nervous about having a stranger in my home but it worked out terrific. I will definitely hire again and make my life easier during a party. And you can’t beat the rates!

we hired 5 bartenders to help with a benefit. they were awesome! arrived on time, helped with party set up, coat check, manned the front door, helped w/​silent auction and were professional throughout the evening. would hire them again.