February 24 is Global Bartender Day! Learn more about the holiday and how to enter to win a “tip” or the ultimate ‘Gansett bar prize pack.
You may not believe it but bartenders have been around since the 1400s. They were European innkeepers who served their guests their own spirits and ales. Fast forwarding to the 1800s, bartending started to receive recognition and not seen as a low reputation profession. Jerry Thomas, a popular American bartender, published The Bar-tender’s Guide in 1862. His book was the first book ever distributed in the United States and established the image of the bartender as a creative professional.
From 1920 until 1933 the United States faced an era of Prohibition laws enforced by the Federal Government. Although the production, transportation, and sale of alcohol was completely prohibited in the United States, it did not stop the culture of bartending. Bartenders secretly worked in underground speakeasies and clubs owned by gangsters curating cocktails for Americans.
The modern bartender is a popular and highly appreciated profession today. In the United States alone there are 450,000+ bartenders with around 58% being female. Bartenders in American culture don't just serve drinks and make cocktails, they are public personalities engaging with customers to laugh, have conversations, and be personable.
Help us celebrate and join the Global Bartender Day Challenge! Go to our Instagram page @gansettbeer for details on how to win a $250 tip plus an exclusive bar prize pack!