Honorary president Preechavude Keesin said the Bottle Slinger Club began by arranging the Phuket Flair Bartending Competition 2007 for the first time this year.

The event features a series of monthly competitions from January to June. Seventeen bartenders have entered and must take part every month to build up their scores. The eight leading bartenders will be sent to Bangkok to take part in a national competition, and the winner of this event will go to Singapore for a regional contest.

The third round of the Phuket competition was held recently at the Patong Bay Garden Resort, and the fourth round will take place in the Jungceylon shopping complex.

Preechavude said the club expected Phuket eventually to become the venue for bartending competitions involving all of Asia. It may have to hold separate local and international competitions.

He said Phuket was already known the world over as a travel destination, and it has many pubs, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Therefore, its development as a regional stage for bartending competitions will give it yet another significant selling point.

However, to achieve this goal, the province must first build a strong awareness of bartending competitions and attract bartending experts.

The Phuket Bottle Slinger Club is trying to promote the bartending profession by arranging courses for mixing various alcoholic drinks, sharing know-how with local pubs, bars and restaurants and arranging competitions.

The club is also applying for membership in the Thailand Flair Bartender Association, located in Bangkok, and has received support from public and private organisations, including alcoholic-drink manufacturers and Jungceylon shopping complex.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation

Phuket