How does one make the move into cocktail bartending?

You need a BIG personality to become a bartender. Practise at home bartending basics. For instance, the most popular drink recipes, how to pour, cut fruit and open wine, etc... Here the link to an entire guide to landing a bartending job a href="http://www.bars-and-bartending.com/bartender-resume.html" rel="nofollow"http://www.bars-and-bartending.com/barte…/a . Including resumes, interview questions, and what to wear. One option to getting your foot in the bar is to work as a barback or waiter and show keen interest in learning from the current bartender until you're able to be bumped up to the bar. The other way is practise hard at home, maybe host a few parties where you can 'play' bartender, and then offer to work a free shift. The owners would be able to resist the idea and you're now in a position to prove yourself. If you impress them, they will definitely hire you because good bartenders are hard to find. If you aren't good enough, you still take away from the experience; more knowledge and probably a few more bar tricks and skills from watching other bartenders. If you're all ready working at a nice establishment as a server, ask if you can come in on some slow shift and practise with the bartender. Or just go in on your own when their service is slow and ask questions. It will show your interest and initiative to learn and work hard.