The Ghana Beverage Awards (GBA), in partnership with Jack Daniel's and the Ghana Bartenders’ Guild, has successfully hosted a highly engaging Bartenders Masterclass, reinforcing its commitment to professional development and capacity building within Ghana’s growing beverage and hospitality industry.

The event, the third edition, marks the first official activity on the road to the main awards, bringing together a dynamic group of bartenders, mixologists, and beverage enthusiasts to sharpen their professional skills.

In her opening remarks, Emma Wenani, the Chief Director of Global Media Alliance, the brain behind the Ghana Beverage Awards, shared with attendees that the journey of the Ghana Beverage Awards has been nothing short of improvement, excellence and growth.

She reiterated that the Ghana Beverage Awards exist to recognise, celebrate, and promote excellence in an industry that has been neglected for years.

“It is amazing that we are actually in year 10. It is also wonderful to see how we have grown as an award scheme. Some of these activities have been growing in scale over the years.

"The Ghana Beverage Awards was created for three reasons: one, we wanted to recognise an industry that we felt was neglected for a long time, though it is an industry that actually keeps us company throughout the day.

"Secondly, we wanted to ensure that there was a standard of excellence being advocated for in the industry. We know the beverage industry is doing a lot, and we want to put a spotlight on companies we believe are doing so much for the industry.

"Thirdly, we want to position Ghana as a hub in the West African Market for beverages to reach the rest of the world”.

According to her, adding the Bartenders Masterclass to the roadmap for the main Ghana Beverage Awards night is to empower bartenders to position themselves and build a name and brand in an industry with a robust value chain.

She further urged both upcoming and experienced bartenders to equip themselves with the knowledge shared during the event and remain relevant in the ever-competitive beverage industry.

“What we want to do with this Masterclass is to equip the bartenders with how they can position themselves in an industry that is so competitive. There are so many bartenders, both experts and upcoming and want to create a name for themselves.

"This is an opportunity for us to come together to learn and have the expert skills on our CVs as both upcoming and expert Bartenders”

Leading the Masterclass, Eli Yong, a renowned Brand Ambassador and Mixologist with Jack Daniel's and Marina Distribution, guided participants through practical and experiential sessions focused on enhancing both technical and interpersonal competencies behind the bar.

He took participants through a series of topics on behind-the-bar conversations, professional growth and customer loyalty.

Through live demonstrations, storytelling, and interactive discussions, participants gained valuable insights into how bartending extends beyond drink preparation to becoming a central element of hospitality experience design.

The collaboration between the Ghana Beverage Awards, Ghana Bartenders Guild, Jack Daniel’s, and No. 19 Restaurant and Bar reflects a shared commitment to elevating service standards and empowering industry practitioners with globally relevant skills.

The Bartenders Masterclass forms part of the Ghana Beverage Awards’ wider agenda to support knowledge exchange, professional training, and industry dialogue ahead of the main awards activities.

By creating platforms that promote learning, networking, and innovation, the GBA continues to position itself as a catalyst for growth within Ghana’s beverage and hospitality sectors.