Bartending is an art that also pays very well. A bar tender on an average earns anywhere between Rs 500,000 to Rs 900,000 in India.
While the salary could depend on the restaurant's status one is working for, the key income comes from tips. Internationally, bartenders are said to get tips between $100-500 per day.
The good news is that Diageo, a UK-based leading premium drinks company, has launched the Johnnie Walker Bartending Academy in Mumbai.
Asif Adil, Managing Director, Diageo India, says: "Bartenders are the last mile in our business. Currently, overtime waiters are naturally getting graduated to bartending without knowing the art or technique of mixing the liquor brands. Bartending is a unique mix of art, science and technique. Thanks to five-star hotels, pubs, lifestyle restaurants, cruise liners, corporate houses, event management companies and private organisers, companies are hunting for professional and talented bartenders."
Internationally, bartenders are required to obtain certification as a condition of employment from various dedicated bartending schools. Bartenders are usually responsible for confirming that customers are of the legal drinking age before serving them alcohol.
Diageo boasts of a collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wine and beer categories and has a presence in the premium scotch segment with leading brands in India and premium vodka with its Smirnoff range.
"We have plans to start campuses in Bangalore, Delhi and Goa. The campuses will be spread across the country following secondary expansion," says Adil.
Executives at the Johnnie Walker Bartending Academy say the primary idea is to bring world class standards in bartending to India and create a talent pool of professionals.
The bartending would be positioned as valued and responsible profession and curriculum is drawn from Diageo's best practices and learning from similar Johnnie Walker academies in countries like Korea and Brazil.
The bartending course lasts six months and covers a comprehensive mix of theory and practical project work encompassing various aspects of bartending. Students will be provided with high-tech equipment to deliver course content and individual bar kits to access a wide range of international brands for tasting and mixing.
Renowned hotel management faculty Shatbhi Basu (only woman bar consultant and bartender in the country) will bring her wealth of experience in Mumbai campuses. We are organising earn-while-you-learn programmes that will help candidates for on the job training during corporate and private assignments," say executives.