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Kenneth Gachie
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For the first time ever, Nairobi will host the Kenya Bartenders Week, which will run from September 2 to September 8, a week-long festival which celebrates bartenders, bar owners and barbacks.
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In a world where flavour meets flair, bartending has evolved far beyond pouring drinks; It has become a craft, a performance, and, for many, a calling.
Bartending blends technical skill with creativity, storytelling, and emotional connection, and, to top it all, a vibrant personality and hospitable soul creating a splash of taste, sugar and spice.
For the first time ever, Nairobi will host the Kenya Bartenders Week, which will run from September 2 to September 8, a week-long festival which celebrates bartenders, bar owners and barbacks.
According to organisers, the inaugural festival is also meant to promote cocktail tourism and economic development in Nairobi by celebrating the bar community and locally produced spirits.
The festival salutes storytelling as the common thread that ties the drinks community together, showcasing the compelling narratives of its people, products and places.
Dedicated to celebrating the art of bartending and the unique flavours of Kenya, the Kenya Bartender Week spurs the bar community and cocktail enthusiasts to support local businesses and showcase their rich culinary and drinks heritage, with the mission being to nurture cocktail tourism and drive economic development.
The festival will see renowned international mixologists flying in from Cape Town, Accra, Athens, and Dubai to participate in not just sharing their mixology magic but also collaborating with Kenyan bartenders in various ways that will include seminars and culminate in a Cocktail Festival on Saturday.
It will also include hands-on masterclasses and workshops for those in the industry with industry-led sessions designed to upskill and inspire bartenders.
Additionally, there will be Bar Takeovers at some of Nairobiβs hottest spots as the city's top bars will host collaborations between local and international mixology talents.
Some of the visiting international bars will include Salmon Guru (Dubai), Naked (Athens), Fable (Cape Town), Front Back (Ghana), Mojos (Ghana) and Sin Tax (Johannesburg).
Local bars participating in the festival are; Hero Bar, Revolver Bar, Gastro Bar, Alchemist, Beit e Selam, Salty Squid, Jekyll, Hyde and Funky Monkey, Hudson Tavern Bar and Grill, Mr. Pang Sky Bar & Lounge and JW Mariott.
Part consumer festival, part tourism initiative and part educational trade/media symposium, Bartenders Week will offer much for drink enthusiasts.
βBartenders Week will give our partner brands, as well as the bars, a consumer-facing element of the entire activity, wherein we can activate the bars and the brands through different formats,β says Richie Barrow, Tribe Hotel Group's general manager of food and beverage. βIt could be a cocktail festival, an agave masterclass or a whiskey dinner. We're using this festival to connect people and also offer an opportunity to deepen Kenyan tourism."
He added, "We want to amplify the Kenyan bartender culture and to distinctly distinguish a cocktail night from the average nightlife experience - it's more than that. We want Kenyans to experience their own flavors and for fun lovers to go out for experiences, not just for a drink."
Barrow also said that he hopes the seminars and masterclasses can impart valuable lessons to Kenyan bartenders as well as explore topics like personal branding and female-friendly bar operations.
Highlights include βPR 101 for bartenders and bar ownersβ, βBuilding Chinaβs cocktail culture β lessons from the Eastβ and βBartender to brand ambassador β highlights and pitfalls'.
While also praising the Kenyan hospitality, Barrow said that he hoped that the Bartender Week could further promote Kenya as a destination of choice for foreigners and a country where bartenders sell more than just the drink - they sell their personality.
"We are also looking to more than just a week of activities - we are looking to creating bartender's communities as well as foster a culture of cocktails even in men."
Further afield venues include the Pride Inn Paradise Hotel in Mombasa, Tamambo at Tatu City in Kiambu, and the Safari Beach Hotel in Diani Beach.
Barrow said: βWe have so many untapped flavours, and I am super excited for the community to really deep dive into the indigenous ingredients available to them.β
On Saturday, a galaxy of talented mixologists from all around the world will gather at the Tribe Hotel and engage in a fun-filled mixology marathon where different flavors, ingredients and mixers shall all combine in an explosive rapture of taste and revelry.
"There will be something for everyone, all day, from multiple stands and counters. A kind of a global exchange program - but for cocktails," he said.
Hanna Lee, founder of Hanna Lee Communications and co-founder of Worldwide Bartender Week said: βWe salute Kenya Bartender Week as the first expansion of Bartender Week to the African continent.
βNairobi is emerging as a compelling F&B [food and beverage] destination, with Hero Bar leading the charge and electrifying the bar community. Its acclaimed pop-up series brings top bar talent from around the world to this dynamic city to cross-pollinate drinks culture with Kenyaβs best and brightest.β
The festival has the blessing of the Kenya Tourism Board and Magical Kenya.
Β©Citizen Digital, Kenya
Continue reading...
For the first time ever, Nairobi will host the Kenya Bartenders Week, which will run from September 2 to September 8, a week-long festival which celebrates bartenders, bar owners and barbacks.
null
In a world where flavour meets flair, bartending has evolved far beyond pouring drinks; It has become a craft, a performance, and, for many, a calling.
Bartending blends technical skill with creativity, storytelling, and emotional connection, and, to top it all, a vibrant personality and hospitable soul creating a splash of taste, sugar and spice.
For the first time ever, Nairobi will host the Kenya Bartenders Week, which will run from September 2 to September 8, a week-long festival which celebrates bartenders, bar owners and barbacks.
According to organisers, the inaugural festival is also meant to promote cocktail tourism and economic development in Nairobi by celebrating the bar community and locally produced spirits.
The festival salutes storytelling as the common thread that ties the drinks community together, showcasing the compelling narratives of its people, products and places.
Dedicated to celebrating the art of bartending and the unique flavours of Kenya, the Kenya Bartender Week spurs the bar community and cocktail enthusiasts to support local businesses and showcase their rich culinary and drinks heritage, with the mission being to nurture cocktail tourism and drive economic development.
The festival will see renowned international mixologists flying in from Cape Town, Accra, Athens, and Dubai to participate in not just sharing their mixology magic but also collaborating with Kenyan bartenders in various ways that will include seminars and culminate in a Cocktail Festival on Saturday.
It will also include hands-on masterclasses and workshops for those in the industry with industry-led sessions designed to upskill and inspire bartenders.
Additionally, there will be Bar Takeovers at some of Nairobiβs hottest spots as the city's top bars will host collaborations between local and international mixology talents.
Some of the visiting international bars will include Salmon Guru (Dubai), Naked (Athens), Fable (Cape Town), Front Back (Ghana), Mojos (Ghana) and Sin Tax (Johannesburg).
Local bars participating in the festival are; Hero Bar, Revolver Bar, Gastro Bar, Alchemist, Beit e Selam, Salty Squid, Jekyll, Hyde and Funky Monkey, Hudson Tavern Bar and Grill, Mr. Pang Sky Bar & Lounge and JW Mariott.
Part consumer festival, part tourism initiative and part educational trade/media symposium, Bartenders Week will offer much for drink enthusiasts.
βBartenders Week will give our partner brands, as well as the bars, a consumer-facing element of the entire activity, wherein we can activate the bars and the brands through different formats,β says Richie Barrow, Tribe Hotel Group's general manager of food and beverage. βIt could be a cocktail festival, an agave masterclass or a whiskey dinner. We're using this festival to connect people and also offer an opportunity to deepen Kenyan tourism."
He added, "We want to amplify the Kenyan bartender culture and to distinctly distinguish a cocktail night from the average nightlife experience - it's more than that. We want Kenyans to experience their own flavors and for fun lovers to go out for experiences, not just for a drink."
Barrow also said that he hopes the seminars and masterclasses can impart valuable lessons to Kenyan bartenders as well as explore topics like personal branding and female-friendly bar operations.
Highlights include βPR 101 for bartenders and bar ownersβ, βBuilding Chinaβs cocktail culture β lessons from the Eastβ and βBartender to brand ambassador β highlights and pitfalls'.
While also praising the Kenyan hospitality, Barrow said that he hoped that the Bartender Week could further promote Kenya as a destination of choice for foreigners and a country where bartenders sell more than just the drink - they sell their personality.
"We are also looking to more than just a week of activities - we are looking to creating bartender's communities as well as foster a culture of cocktails even in men."
Further afield venues include the Pride Inn Paradise Hotel in Mombasa, Tamambo at Tatu City in Kiambu, and the Safari Beach Hotel in Diani Beach.
Barrow said: βWe have so many untapped flavours, and I am super excited for the community to really deep dive into the indigenous ingredients available to them.β
On Saturday, a galaxy of talented mixologists from all around the world will gather at the Tribe Hotel and engage in a fun-filled mixology marathon where different flavors, ingredients and mixers shall all combine in an explosive rapture of taste and revelry.
"There will be something for everyone, all day, from multiple stands and counters. A kind of a global exchange program - but for cocktails," he said.
Hanna Lee, founder of Hanna Lee Communications and co-founder of Worldwide Bartender Week said: βWe salute Kenya Bartender Week as the first expansion of Bartender Week to the African continent.
βNairobi is emerging as a compelling F&B [food and beverage] destination, with Hero Bar leading the charge and electrifying the bar community. Its acclaimed pop-up series brings top bar talent from around the world to this dynamic city to cross-pollinate drinks culture with Kenyaβs best and brightest.β
The festival has the blessing of the Kenya Tourism Board and Magical Kenya.
Β©Citizen Digital, Kenya
Continue reading...
