Thailand's drinking culture in recent years has experienced a renaissance as people start to develop a more sophisticated palate. These trends have pushed drinking establishments around the country to seek greater innovation and creativity, and to find new ways to offer customers a more exciting and diverse range of cocktails. The bartending profession has become more appealing, especially to those living in urban areas.
However, men and women pursuing dreams of becoming master bartenders often lack resources and support. According to Barrie Wilson, global brand ambassador, Diageo Reserve, this was the main reason he created the "World Class" programme, which is now in its 10th year globally. It is the world's largest and most exclusive mixology education programme, celebrating the skills and creativity of bartenders.
"Back in the day, bartending used to be a job one would take to get through college," said Wilson. "There was nowhere to turn for information and, unlike other professionals, bartenders didn't have any professional associations to guide them or provide career opportunities and advice. That changed with the introduction of our programme."
Bartenders are also faced with misconceptions about their occupation. When people hear the word "bartender", they think of someone behind the bar mixing drinks, but there is a lot more to this profession than simply shaking and stirring.
"There are two things that make a successful bartender: training and personality," said Wilson. "Behind-the-bar skills are important and can be obtained through rigorous training. However, to be truly successful, sharpening only your mixology skills isn't enough. You need to have a good personality, look dapper and be a great host. It is important for bartenders to make sure that when the guests leave the bar, they leave happy."
Fellow bartender and winner of "World Class Thailand 2014", Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn is also no stranger to bartending hardship.
"The road to becoming who I am now was quite bumpy. Back when I got into bartending, drinking culture and mixology were still just emerging in Thailand," he said. "I was so passionate about bartending, but had no one to share my passion with. Thanks to the World Class programme, I got a chance to meet all these amazing people, share experiences with them and learn a lot of useful things. I believe World Class allowed me to elevate my skills to an international level."
"Bartenders usually work in bars or hotels, where we don't get a chance to meet a lot of people, except for clients or colleagues," said Supawit Muttarattana, Diageo Brand ambassador and winner of "World Class Thailand 2012".
"Competitions like the World Class programme give us an opportunity to get to know other professionals from the same industry, broaden our horizons, and advance our knowledge. Meeting so many talented bartenders showed me there is no limit to perfection. Now, I'm more determined than ever to continue improving my skills. Also, I was able to travel abroad, which helped me discover new things in bartending and better understand different cultures around the world."
The "World Class" competition has been arranged since 2009 and was first brought to Thailand in 2011. "World Class Thailand 2015" kicked-off in January and the next round of elimination in Bangkok will be held on March 10. The national final will be held during the third week of April.
Participating venues and mixologists in Thailand who complete the programme will be awarded a "World Class" title, while customers will be able to find exclusive cocktail creations from these expert bartenders listed in menus as "World Class" certified.
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Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn, winner of World Class Thailand 2014.
