A Bar Above Alternative: Mixology Lessons on Your Phone
Comparing A Bar Above with five-minute phone lessons? See how a long video course differs from short daily practice, and which suits you.
If you are comparing mixology courses and looking for an A Bar Above alternative, the main difference is the shape of the lesson. A Bar Above offers online courses led by experts, at three levels. Mixologix offers five-minute lessons on your phone. One is a longer, deeper sit-down. The other is a small piece you can finish on a break. Neither is better in every case.
What A Bar Above is and who it is for
A Bar Above is a cocktail education and barware company. Its site describes digital, expert-led mixology courses grouped into three levels: foundations, advancing your skills and specialising. The courses it lists are Bar Basics, Bartender Fundamentals and a Mixology Certification. It also sells its own line of bar tools.
Its site speaks to craft bartenders and home mixologists. If you like to watch an expert work, follow a structured course through the levels and finish with a certification, it is a good match. Watching a skilled bartender at length teaches things text cannot, such as how the hands move and how a bar is kept clean while working.
What it does not do for this learner
Video courses are made for watching, and a course of lessons asks you to set time aside. If you are on a train, in a queue or on a ten-minute break, you may want something smaller.
A course that follows a set order also does not answer the drink in front of you. Say you made a daiquiri and it tastes flat. You do not need a whole class. You need to know which part of the drink to change, and by how much.
And a course teaches you to follow the recipes of an expert. The next step is to taste, name what is missing and fix it yourself. That needs practice in small steps, many times.
What Mixologix does instead
The "Five Levers" track teaches that every drink is a balance of five things: strong, sweet, sour, bitter and dilution. If you can taste each lever and move one at a time, you can fix almost any drink and make your own.
Here is a worked example. You make a sour with 60 ml (2 oz) of rum, 22 ml (3/4 oz) of lime juice and 15 ml (1/2 oz) of sugar syrup. You taste it. It is sharp and thin. What is missing? Not the spirit, so you leave it. You add 5 ml (1/6 oz) of syrup and shake again. The sour is now rounder. You changed one lever and tasted again. That is the whole method.
The lessons in the track cover:
- The five levers. What each one does in a glass.
- Taste and name what is missing. A drink that tastes flat is usually short of acid or salt. A drink that tastes harsh is usually short of dilution or sugar.
- Adjust sugar and acid without touching the spirit. Small steps, tasted each time.
- Salt and bitters. A tiny amount of either can sharpen a drink without making it taste of either.
- Rebalance for a different brand or proof. A stronger rum needs a little more water or sugar to feel the same. The lesson shows how.
Once you understand the levers, you can build your own drinks. Our guide on how to create your own cocktail shows how this leads to original recipes.
Side by side
| A Bar Above | Mixologix | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Online expert-led courses at three levels | Five-minute lessons, each ending with something to make |
| Time per session | Self-paced, set by you | About five minutes |
| Credential | A Mixology Certification course is listed | No assessed credential |
| Tools | Sells its own range of bar tools | You use whatever you have |
| Price model | Set by the provider; check its site | A paid plan; see the app for what it includes |
| Best for | Learners who like depth and watching experts | Learners who like small steps and daily practice |
Who should pick which
Pick A Bar Above if you enjoy watching expert-led lessons, want to go deep in craft cocktails and like the idea of a certification at the end. It is a good place for a person who already knows the basics and wants to specialise.
Pick Mixologix if you want to learn on your phone, in short pieces, and start with no experience. It is also good if you want to understand why a drink works rather than copy a recipe, or if English is not your first language.
You can use both. Use the short lessons to build the habit of tasting and adjusting, and a long course when you want to see a master work.
For more choices, see our list of the best mixology apps for learning cocktails.
Questions people ask
Is a video course better than short lessons?
Not always. Video is excellent for watching technique. Short lessons are excellent for repeating one idea until it sticks. Which is better depends on how you learn and how much time you have.
Do I need bar tools from the course provider?
No. A shaker, a jigger, a strainer and a few glasses from any shop will do for learning. Buy more when you know what you use.
How do I know a drink is balanced?
Taste it, and ask which of the five levers is too loud or too quiet. Change one thing only, then taste again. Keep notes so you remember what worked.
Can I learn craft cocktails without working in a bar?
Yes, a great deal. You can learn balance, technique and ingredients at home. Pressure and speed come from working a shift.
Learn this in five minutes
The "Five Levers" track teaches you to name strong, sweet, sour, bitter and dilution, to taste a drink and say what is missing, to adjust sugar and acid without changing the spirit, to sharpen a drink with salt and bitters and to rebalance a recipe for a different brand or proof. Each lesson takes five minutes and ends with a drink to make.