Lagos Cocktail Week  Inspires Female Bartenders

Mary Nnah

West Africa’s largest and most anticipated cocktail event, Lagos Cocktail Week (LCW), is back for its 8th edition and this year’s edition is focusing on highlighting the work of women in the industry.

The 9-day event, which started on October 14th  and will hold till October 22nd, promises an even-more impressive line-up for its traditional seminars, masterclasses, bar battles, an elite guest-speaker list, and some of the world’s most renowned drink brands.

Founder of Lagos Cocktail Week and an award-winning mixologist, Lara Rawa, said the theme for this year’s event is “Behind the Bars, Drinks & Brands.”

She explained that the inspiration behind the theme is to celebrate the individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes, to deliver a great hospitality experience through their craft. These individuals include bartenders, mixologists, and brand managers at drinks companies.

She also mentioned that the participating bars in the Bar-Hop aspect of the event, which is sponsored by MasterCard, will serve attendees unique African-infused signature cocktail creations throughout the 9-day event.

Furthermore, Rawa also highlighted another element that makes this year’s LCW unique: This year’s festival will feature more female bartenders than ever.

“I believe that this is a step towards making the cocktail industry more inclusive and welcoming to all people,” she said.

As a means of supporting these female bartenders, Lagos Cocktail Week is partnering with Her Network, a global inspirational and lifestyle platform that equips women with the resources they need to thrive in their respective endeavours.

As part of the partnership, four female bartenders will compete in a “Mixher Challenge,” in which they will be tasked with creating memorable cocktails based on women that inspire them. Judges will pick winners, who will win cash prizes to support their bartending career.

Speaking on why Mastercard is sponsoring the event this year, Yosola Atere said, “We are passionate about helping SMEs in the culinary space grow. We’re looking to lend a hand to upcoming chefs, upcoming mixologists, and other professionals in the field, and just encourage them to achieve their goals and their dreams.”

Similarly, Elizabeth Anthony, stated Martell’s reason for supporting the event, noting, “The bartending community is very important to us across the world which is why it’s natural that we partner with LCW. Our goal is to train 10,000 bartenders by 2030.”

In the same vein, Chiamaka Efelu stated that Nigerian Breweries is a customer-centric company which inspired the decision to sponsor Lagos Cocktail Week.

“We recognise the growing cocktail culture in Nigeria and we want to be a part of it so we can connect with our consumers”, Efelu noted.