Working behind a busy commercial bar has often been compared to
being in a fishbowl. Every action is magnified and splayed open for public
scrutiny. Short of having a gun shoved in your face, about the last thing you
need in that kind of environment is someone publicly castigating you for being
educationally deficient. Few of our egos can withstand being so instantaneously
deflated. Even worse, the establishment and all of those you work with will be
sullied as well.
The
professional reality behind a bar is no different than that in a boardroom,
knowledge is the power. It is the Kevlar lining of every professional's work
clothes. You either know what you're talking about or expose your belly to the
sword. After you've been skewered a few times for not knowing the
characteristic differences between a lowland single malt and a Speyside, for
example, or what distinguishes a spirit as a rhum agricole, you'll either jump
ship, or look for some answers.
Before
you leap overboard, consider the alternative. Five of the planet's leading
beverage authorities have developed an invaluable program called the Beverage
Alcohol Resource (BAR), a comprehensive certification courses in study of
distilled spirits and mixology. It is the first educational program of its
kind, and because of the singular composition of the program's staff, it has
already being afforded Ivy League status.
The
BAR program is the brainchild and combined effort of Dale DeGroff, Doug Frost,
Steven Olson, F. Paul Pacult and Dave Wondrich. Each is an esteemed journalist,
author, consultant and educator. As a collective, it is an All-Star ensemble of
global proportions.
I
have the honor of being a fellow judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
with these five guys. So I know firsthand just how extraordinary their talents
and knowledge are. Whenever I think I know what I'm talking about, I consult
with one of them first to be sure.
The
"Dream Team" will launch their inaugural BAR course at 215 West 28th Street in
Manhattan in late March 2006. For more information about the 12-week
certification program, consult their web site at
www.BeverageAlcoholResource.com. Perchance attending the course in Manhattan is
inconvenient, plans are in the works to take the program on the road.
So
if your work uniform lacks a Kevlar lining, I strongly encourage you to avail
yourself of this opportunity to learn from the best and the brightest. Frankly
I'm tired of all these flesh wounds, so I'll see you there.
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