You are not required to attend bartending school. The best way to become a bartender is to pick up a drink encyclopedia and learn how to make drinks, especially the most popular ones. It is possible, too, to start out as a bar back or a server, and learn about bartending as you go along. Bartending school is costly and there's no guarantee that it will put you ahead of someone who didn't attend. Check out this site: www.totallyfreebartending.com/