About the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG)
The United States Bartenders’ Guild is a non-profit organization of beverage service professionals dedicated to the continued refinement of our craft. Such refinement is achieved through advanced product education, original hand crafted cocktail competitions and aggressive involvement with other professionals in the beverage industry throughout the country and internationally. It is our intention, desire and main focus to become the most skilled, knowledgeable and professional group of bartenders in the industry.
We are currently in the following markets: Austin, Chicago, Denver, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco and St. Louis.
To join the USBG or for more information, please visit www.USBG.org.
USBG Master Accreditation Program
In November 2008, the United States Bartenders’ Guild announced the USBG Master Accreditation Program, a three-tiered testing system including USBG Spirits Professional, USBG Advanced Bartender and the USBG Master Mixologist levels. A board consisting of the country’s foremost beverage alcohol professionals and spirits education leaders created this testing system. The USBG MA Board has developed this testing program to raise the standard for the beverage alcohol industry and elevate bartending to a well-recognized profession with standards and requirements.
The MA program is affordable and accessible to all who have the passion to obtain the knowledge required to pass. Successful completion of the USBG Master Accreditation Program’s three levels of testing positions candidates to be recognized as leaders in the service of alcohol in a responsible and professional manner. The USBG challenges its members and beverage professionals all over the country to prove their merit by studying for and passing the three levels of the MA Program. Preparing for the MA tests is a journey that beverage professionals will need to pace and monitor for themselves. Being an active USBG member is a great way to gain access to resources to help you prepare, but you do not have to be a USBG member to take our tests.
We have been conducting tests at the Spirits Professional level in our chapter cities since the beginning of the year. We will have at least one more testing session before the end of the year in each chapter city. The upcoming sessions will be announced in this e-newsletter as well as on usbg.org as they are scheduled. After one more round of live tests in our chapter cities, we will be ready to open the opportunity to the public with an online test on our web site; we are shooting for a Jan. 1 deadline and will keep you posted.
USBG Spirits Professional (written test)
Successfully passing this test will qualify the candidate as a USBG Spirits Professional, ensuring employers and colleagues that they are knowledgeable and well versed in all spirit categories from every corner of the world as well as sake, beer, wine, service, history of cocktails, mixology and much more. To download a study outline, visit www.usbg.org.
Test Fee: The level 1 test is FREE for USBG members the first time they take it; any subsequent tests are $50 for USBG Members. Non-member pricing is $175. 
USBG News & National Updates
The USBG will be posting news and national updates in NCB Mix regularly, so stay tuned!