Once seen as a dead-end job, bartending is now on the up
Hongkongers' love of cocktails, growing aspirations and their awareness of what constitutes quality food and drink has added gloss to a profession once deemed unworthy.
Bartending has been transformed from cheap and cheerful to demanding and professional. The job increasingly requires an encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails and the skills to mix them - a far cry from the old days.
The most important facet in transforming the perceptions of the job into that of a professional career, is training. In Hong Kong, the China Hong Kong Bartenders Association (CHKBA) is at the forefront of changing local perceptions of bartending from 'McJob' to 'rewarding and satisfying career'.
'Through training and competition, people's perceptions of this industry will change and the status of the humble bartender in Hong Kong can be raised to a rank similar to that of their peers in some of the more exclusive eateries in Manhattan,' said Maggie Beale, consultant to the CHKBA. The recent successful Asian Open Cup - Creative Classic & Bartending Flair of 2007 that took place at this year's Hotel, Restaurant and Foodservice Equipment Supplies and Services exhibition was an example of this focus. 'These events tend to elevate the perception of bartending in the eyes of the public, which is our goal and it is working,' Ms Beale said.
Hong Kong's economic success and its receptiveness to western culture has nurtured a generation of young professionals who are highly educated, demanding and discerning, and have money to spend in style. Their demand has turned Hong Kong from a food and beverage wasteland into a gourmet's heaven full of dining and wining options.
