There was a time when bartending was considered a bridge job – something one did after university before getting a ‘real career’.
Well, times have significantly changed. Long gone are the days where popping open a beer bottle, eyeballing a rum and coke with not a jigger in sight, and reaching for a can of orange juice was the done thing.
The role of bartender has been elevated to the point where experts in their field are headhunted the world over, and establishments are paying big bucks for those who can bring the goods.
Just as there are celebrity chefs, so there are celebrity mixologists. One only has to look at the recent Cayman Cookout weekend at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman to realise how far the profession has come.
Charles Joly, global bartending champion, was one of the international presenters on deck. Imagine being flown around the world to demonstrate your creative cocktail skills. Interested? Read on.
Although bartending is a skill you can learn on the job, there are courses of study available in Cayman and abroad. For example, University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) offers bartending and event planning as part of its tourism training course.
Then there is Wineschool3 by Christian Esser, located in Cannon Place, which covers everything from wine and sake certifications to bar courses, and a deep dive into the world of whisky, cognac, rum and gin.
You don’t have to travel overseas to get your qualifications, and there are subsequently opportunities at local bars and restaurants to get on-the-job training, particularly for Caymanians.
Many venue owners would love to see more locals getting into the service industry. In fact, Markus Mueri, long-time restaurateur and co-owner of such popular dining spots as Abacus and KARoo, has been a huge advocate of having a hospitality school in Cayman, encouraging students to sign up.
Bartending at a high-profile venue can be very lucrative, and lots of fun – particularly for night owls with energy to spare. But even if the interest of working until 3 a.m. begins to dwindle over time, there are other ways to utilise your learned skills.
Amba Lamb, an Antipodean legend in the local beverage industry, started out as a server in the UK and New Zealand, before moving to bartending soon after. When she joined the staff at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, her creative prowess got her noticed, and she was made beverage manager at the prestigious resort. At the same time, Amba participated in many cocktail competitions, winning the World Class Cayman bartending crown in 2017, which had her representing the islands in the international final.
She is now a Diageo brand ambassador at Jacques Scott, and is often selected to judge bartending competitions herself.
“The world of bartending has changed significantly, just in my lifetime,” Amba notes. “What was once considered a part-time or temporary job for someone trying to figure out what they wanted to do when they ‘grew up’, is now a respected career path that offers numerous possibilities and even an opportunity to travel the world.”
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