Almaty Bar Shift, the international bar week, gathered bar professionals from around the world in Kazakhstan’s largest city to share their experiences of promoting businesses and destinations through the art of drinks.
Cocktail week organizers and experts affiliated with global bar rankings, along with other global professionals, came to the city. From July 14 to 20, bartenders from bars featured in The World’s 50 Best Bars, Top 500 Bars and Michelin guides stood behind the counters of several Almaty establishments.
According to Kamila Lukpanova, head of the Almaty Tourism Bureau, the city has enormous potential in the field of gastronomic tourism. The bureau supported the Shift Project platform, which aims to promote Almaty as a «safe and accessible culinary destination» by offering high-quality food and glamorous cocktails.
«We welcome industry leaders who share their experience, train our specialists and act as role models,» Lukpanova told Kursiv LifeStyle. «Of course, everyone has their own identity, their products and background. What works in Athens will not necessarily work in Almaty, but the groundwork is common for all. We don’t see Bar Shift simply as an alcohol event, but as a strategic opportunity to promote Almaty.»
There is a Barshift community in Almaty, led by Arina Nikolskaya. It unites local enthusiasts who promote the city through their projects and strive to reach an international level.
«As a bureau, we are always looking for large-scale projects. Here, we saw an already established community. Our mission is not to interfere with the market but to support it. We helped by bringing this event to Almaty to allow local bar owners and managers to learn from industry leaders,» Lukpanova emphasized.
According to Paola Mencarelli, bartender and organizer of Florence Cocktail Week, Almaty has every chance of becoming a recognized gastronomic destination — as long as development is systematic and grounded in local collaboration.
«Of course, Florence is Florence. But 10 years ago, it didn’t look like it does now. It all started with people who wanted to make a change. Almaty has potential. The city is beautiful; there are bartenders and there are cocktails. What’s important is not to copy others, but to find your own way. Everything is possible if there is a will — and a community ready to act,» Mencarelli said.
She also noted that the future of Almaty’s bar culture depends not only on engaging with tourists, but also on stronger collaboration among local professionals.
