Upfront

Johnnie Walker opens bartending academy

Diageo, the owner of the Johnnie Walker brand, is opening its first bartending academy at Westburry Bar located at The Club, Mumbai. The six-month professional training course is open to students with non-hotel background as well. The first batch, comprising 20 students, is slated to begin in February 2007.

The faculty, led by celebrated bar trainer Shatbhi Basu, will include guest faculty from leading bars and academies across the world, renowned bar trainers and mixologists, bar owners and managers, F&B managers and other hospitality industry experts. The academy will also get internal faculty, who have acquired training in bartending internationally and within the country. Initially the academy will offer a six months course at Rs 30,000, but will later extend to include amateur short module courses for consumers and connoisseurs.

The academy will also provide scholarships to five deserving candidates. Asif Adil, managing director of Diageo India, said, "The course will be sponsored for five students depending on their financial position, qualification, potential and commitment. We will also provide job assistance on completion of the course."

Upbeat about the new academy, Basu explained, "The demand for bartenders is more than the supply. Indian bartenders stand in good stead as they can speak better English than the ones from South-east Asia. Opportunities are abound as they can also look at cruise liners or Middle East countries." Initially, the academy will be opened in Mumbai followed by Delhi. The company is also looking at Bangalore. Diageo already runs bartending schools in Singapore and Korea.