Mad fun at the Tune Skybar as Kenyan Media Personalities learn how to make Cocktails(PHOTOS)

Kenyan Celebrities and Media personalities were recently treated to a fete at the Tune Hotel Skybar as Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) launched a capability training programme dubbed The Diageo Master Bar Academy (MBA), whose aim is to sharpen the bartending skills of over 10,000 Bartenders in the country. The training will begin this week and at no-cost to participants.

This comes at a time Kenya is transforming as the preferred destination for business and leisure, Hotel owners are increasingly scouting for bartenders with ingrained professionalism, and efficiency in delivering quality service.

Speaking at the launch, Commercial Planning Manager, Sarah Wanasakaami said, “The core aim of MBA is to raise the bar, behind the bar. Customers are increasingly demanding of unique services and products. This can be achieved if we help Bartenders to upscale their skills behind the bar.  This academy is therefore bringing practical knowledge to Kenyan bartenders, who want to better themselves in their careers, inspiring them to take their jobs as bartenders as valid career options.”

Ms Wanasakaami added that “It’s great that we’re giving back to the communities that we work in and watching Bartenders develop their careers here in Kenya.”

To date the Master Bartender programme has trained over 37,000 bartenders in Kenya. Each bartender is enrolled in a three month syllabus consisting of three modules. In the first module (MBA 101), bartenders are required to attend a one day training workshop where they learn about customer service, the art of bartending, tools of the trade, bartender secrets, drink categories, spirit production, brand knowledge, perfect serves, counterfeit spotting, up selling and importantly responsible serving.

Once bartenders leave the training they progress to a self-learning module (MBA 202) which is accessed via their mobile phones on a mobi site. This consists of 8 modules, each module contains 10 questions.

The top 25 highest scoring bartenders, who complete all 8 modules, will be invited to attend a one day cocktail master class (MBA 303). At MBA 303, the bartenders are immersed in creative cocktail skills and are thereafter, tested.

The top 5 winners of the MBA 303 in the different regions in Kenya will win 1000 dollars and will get an opportunity to participate in the Kenyan Chapter of the World Class Competition – a Diageo Global platform that significantly raises Bartenders’ profiles globally through developing the cocktail craft.

Check out some photos from the unveiling: