Sri Lanka’s bartending scene set for shake-up with national association launch

By Nishel Fernando

Aiming to elevate the standards, unify mixologists and create pathways for global competition, Sri Lanka plans to launch its National Bartenders Association on the World Tourism Day, which falls on September 27, 2025.

The initiative is spearheaded by Ceylon Hotel School Graduate Association (CHSGA) Chairman Patrick Pereira.

A key motivation behind forming the association is tackling the significant expense involved in enabling the local talent to enter the global bartending competitions.

“We did send winners (from national competitions) to Singapore in 2017 and 2018 but it has become very costly,” Pereira told reporters in Colombo last Friday, elaborating on this challenge and recalling the past efforts.

He highlighted the financial strain this places on the individual bartenders and supporting organisations seeking international exposure.

International recognition and affiliation also necessitate establishing a national body. 

Pereira pointed out, “To go for the Asian Pacific Bartenders competition, you need a Sri Lanka Bartenders Association.”

He confirmed that the foundational work carried out under the CHSGA is almost finished. 

“We are just waiting for the right time to launch it,” Pereira added.

“Soon after this (current national) competition is over, we will recruit members.”

This formal structure is expected to streamline the processes and potentially reduce the participation costs for the events that can currently demand upwards of Rs.1 million per person.

According to Sri Lanka Hospitality Graduates Association General Secretary Dickson Kumara, there are an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 professional bartenders in Sri Lanka; however, closer to 1,000 bartenders can be regarded as qualified. In this context, the new association aims to provide a unifying platform.

“Our aim is to get everybody on this platform and provide them more training, trying to make all of them professional,” Pereira stated.

This initiative comes as Sri Lanka’s cocktail and mocktail scene experiences strong growth and rising sophistication, moving from basic hotel menus to more craft-driven, globally inspired offerings. Despite this progress, challenges remain. It is still considered an emerging market, with a relatively small community of elite mixologists, limited access to premium spirits and ingredients in some regions, few standalone cocktail bars outside Colombo and the southern coast and advanced techniques such as flair bartending still considered niche.