World Bartender Day is celebrated across the globe every year on February 24. Bartenders are indispensable to the hospitality industry. Today, we cannot imagine a pub, bar, or nightclub without a bartender. They keep patrons well supplied with beverages, especially the alcoholic kind, and make sure that everyone is having a good time. If you are unsure about which drink to get or want to try something new, you are more likely to ask a bartender for help. Who knows, maybe this is how you will find your next favorite drink! The next time you enjoy a fun night out with your friends, don’t forget to thank the bartender.
HISTORY OF WORLD BARTENDER DAY
Bartending might appear to be a modern profession, but it is one of the oldest professions known to man — the first bartending job was probably held in the 1400s. It is said to have emerged several thousand years ago in various locations such as Rome, Greece, and Asia. At the time, bartenders would have been the innkeepers and owners of alehouses who would make their own brews and liquors to serve the patrons.
It wasn’t until the 1800s that the common public would develop a somewhat favorable opinion of bartending and refrain from morally and ethically judging bartenders. This was when Jerry Thomas, the “father of bartending”, became popular for the special cocktails he created in his bars in New York City. Thomas was the first one to write a book on bartending, called The Bar-Tender’s Guide, alternatively referred to as How to Mix Drinks, which was published in 1862.
Since then, the profession of bartending has gained more respect for the creativity, skill, and attention to detail that is involved in creating, making, and serving up drinks — often to unruly customers. While the trade witnessed depression in the 1920s and early 1930s (when the United States went through a period of prohibition), bartenders have sprung back into action since then and today once cannot imagine a hospitality establishment without them. World Bartender Day celebrates the creative genius and talents of those at the bars all across the globe. The day might have emerged during a cocktail competition that happens in Australia and New Zealand, called The Perfect Blend.
Credit: National Today