We understand the BarSmarts Program has evolved—tell us about the changes.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hospitality sector is still down 750,000 jobs since 2019. COVID 19 had a devastating impact on the hospitality industry for so many reasons. We made the program free to out of work bartenders on March 20th, 2020 and saw just how many folks out there were looking for online education. To meet the needs of owners and managers who needed to upskill a lot of folks from square one, we needed to make changes in not only the content, but the way we presented the curriculum of BarSmarts. That meant presenting materials in a way that was more akin to how folks consume content today (snackable, short, video-focused), with a diverse cast of contributors who represented many different types of establishments. We wanted BarSmarts to be all about “you the bartender” and your journey. This is also why we translated the program into Spanish immediately after our launch. We know how many native Spanish speakers are so integral to the hospitality industry, and we wanted to provide the same level of instruction to as many folks as we could.
Why should bartenders take BarSmarts?
Bartending is a craft, like carpentry or painting or surgery. You must always be learning to truly “master” what it is to be great. BarSmarts, I believe, will set you off on this path with a very solid foundation of knowledge to build from. We won’t teach you everything, but we’ll give you resources and guidance to build your knowledge base and career. And once you start managing your own team, we’ll be there to offer tools to help track your team’s progress along the way. It’s built for every life cycle of the industry.
According to studies, the projected employment for bartenders will grow over the next few years. Why do you think this is?
I can’t speculate on why there will be more bartenders, but I can say with certainty there will be a need for more good bartenders. Customers are becoming more and more savvy with what they drink and what they expect from bars of every stripe. It is so important that bartenders are continuously learning to meet and exceed the needs of the guests they serve.
How does taking BarSmarts expand/advance a bartender’s career?
Because of the programs proven track record and expansive use around the globe, BarSmarts is a trusted brand. If you are a BarSmarts graduate, a potential employer should feel confident that you have that fundamental understanding of the trade I spoke about earlier.
We understand Bar Smarts is offered in Spanish now. Tell us more. Again, the goal of BarSmarts and Pernod Ricard is to utilize our resources to help support the folks that serve our products every day. Spanish is spoken by so many people in the United States. It’s important to us to provide opportunities for everyone who wishes to learn more about the craft of bartending. Our ambition is that Spanish is just the beginning…
What’s next for the BarSmarts program?
We have not held an in-person BarSmarts Advanced program since 2019. Our goal is to restart the in-person practical testing by Summer, 2023. We feel that the written tests are a very important way to gauge a participant’s understanding of the content provided in BarSmarts. That said, having an in-person interaction with a judge where you can really show that you know how to make and serve drinks is very important to the certification.
