Suntory Reshapes Training Program

By Rebecca Harris

In response to feedback from their training sessions, Suntory Australia has announced that their national bar training program Club Suntory will relaunch under a completely new format in 2010.

From February, the old ‘MasterClass’ sessions will be rebranded as ‘CocktailClass’ and will take on a more hands-on approach.

“Last year our members told us that they much prefer a hands-on training philosophy, so now we will be providing an opportunity for them to mix and muddle cocktails with a fun interactive approach. We hope this will give our members more skills and confidence to serve great cocktails to their guests,” said Club Suntory manager Nigel Weisbaum.

The new ‘CocktailClasses’ will see Club Suntory trainers Mick Formosa, Matt Barnett and Dom O’Brien create a range of classic and contemporary cocktails, before members will be given the opportunity to make them themselves.

The new sessions will include themes such as ‘Taste of the Tropics’, ‘CHOCtails’ and ‘The Classics’.

Club Suntory is one of the biggest training programs in Australia. It was established in 1986 as a bartending ‘fraternity’, dedicated to educating the bartending community.