The Star Malaysia - Star2

How to be a better bartender

Think all they do is stand behind a bar? Here’s a course you can take to learn the basics.

- Star2@thestar.com.my

ON the surface, bartending looks like an easy job. All they do is stand behind a bar, take orders, mix a few cocktails, pour some beer, and that’s all, right?

Well, as it turns out, that’s just a small part of it. There is a lot more to bartending than just making drinks. There’s the hours of preparatio­n – cutting fruits, juicing limes, making ice, checking the ingredient­s and spirits stocks, cleaning glasses, making sure that the bar is clean and everything is in place, and more. And that’s BEFOREthe bar is even open.

If you want to know more about what the job is like, or just want to learn how to make cocktails, check out the RAD Bartender Course Junior Edition, a five- to six-hour comprehens­ive course on the fundamenta­ls of bartending developed and conducted by Shawn Chong of Omakase + Appreciate. It features modules that aim to provide bartenders, and even consumers, with a basic understand­ing and techniques necessary for working behind a bar.

“I’ve had people watching me behind the bar and coming up to ask me where they can learn to do what I do, so I started this course as a way for people to get an idea of how a bar works,” Chong said.

“At the end of it, you will get an understand­ing of the ingredient­s we use, what needs to be prepared in your back bar, and how to make cocktails.”

The course is one of the services provided by Rad Impression­s, a company that aims to inspire and educate all individual­s with a passion for the beverage industry, be it

 ??  ?? One of the drinks we learnt to make at the course was the martini. Stirred, of course. — Photos: RAYMOND OOI/The Star
One of the drinks we learnt to make at the course was the martini. Stirred, of course. — Photos: RAYMOND OOI/The Star
 ??  ?? Chong started this course to give people a better understand­ing of bartending and how a bar works.
Chong started this course to give people a better understand­ing of bartending and how a bar works.
 ??  ?? Limes are another important part of cocktail making as they add a sour element to the drinks.
Limes are another important part of cocktail making as they add a sour element to the drinks.
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