‘Bartending is an art, science and skill’
An association of professional bartenders has been launched in Accra with a call on hotels and other hospitality institutions to man their bars with qualified, literate personnel.
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The Bartenders Association of Ghana (BTAGH), according to its president, Daniel Raynold Tetteh, has been formed to provide excellent services to consumers.
At the launch of the association, Mr Tetteh described bartending as an art, a science and a skill and therefore not a terrain for dropouts.
“If you will not consult a waste management company for heart surgery why will you consult an untrained bartender to mix drinks for you?” he asked.
He was not happy that the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and many hospitality institutions don’t provide for the training of bartenders.
The BTAGH president stated that apart from the generic hygiene training programmes for bartenders in this country, it is only a few foreign-owned beverage companies that run occasional workshops for them, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and many hospitality institutions.
A bartender is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment.
Bartenders are usually responsible for confirming that customers meet the legal drinking age and are legally required to refuse more alcohol to drunk customers.
The Executive Secretary and Expert Trainer of BTAGH, Jean Lukaz, also said the profession of bartending had evolved and that in some countries, bartenders are also required to have abilities in customer service as well as operational and administrative skills.
The Bartenders Association of Ghana (BTAGH) was founded in 2014 as a non-governmental organisation.