Bartenders teaming up to create local guild

About a year ago, bartenders Ken Milo of the Baton Rouge Country Club, Joey Goar of The Cove and a few others started batting around the idea of building the Capital City’s own chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild.

Hot off its first meeting, the Baton Rouge chapter is a fourth of the way to its membership goal to become an official part of the national guild. The local guild chapter’s goal is to create a community of capable and knowledgeable bartenders.

“Baton Rouge is behind in the bar culture,” Goar says. “We have several regulars in an industry here who don’t have that knowledge of cocktails and spirits or the ease of access to that information. The guild gives them an opportunity to learn about this subject in a forgiving environment.”

For bartenders, being a guild member also gives them a leg up on job interviews.

“The guild gives restaurant and bar owners a much easier way to choose staff properly,” Goar says. “[The owner or manager] notices you’re a USBG member, and they realize you care about your job and craft.”

Better still, the guild establishes a sense of community among bartenders here in Baton Rouge. With the guild, members will have an opportunity to meet other likeminded individuals that will only bring the community closer, he says.

There is still a bit of work to be done. If everything goes according to plan, the Baton Rouge chapter will become official quickly, and it can get started on planning monthly events.

In April, the guild is planning a pop-up bar event at XO Nightclub to serve as a fundraiser. Bartenders from The Cove, Fleming’s, Lock & Key Whiskey Bar and Galatoire’s Bistro will make cocktails to pair with food from Louisiana Culinary Institute. Ticket prices and more details are coming soon.

Membership is open to people in the industry as well as enthusiasts. A membership costs $100 annually. For more information, click here. Follow the guild’s progress at its Facebook page here.