All things drink!

In the year when we celebrate the bicentenary of the cocktail, Bar.06 makes no excuses for concentrating wholeheartedly on the glorious art of drinks making. The demonstration area of the show has always been a main attraction and this year a second zone is being launched to deal with demand. The two will work in collaboration, offering visitors the opportunity to discover everything they want to know in the discipline of drinks.

The Worldwide Cocktail Club will be harnessing the skills of bartenders across the globe in a two-day extravaganza that will demonstrate their knowledge and the latest trends. Highlights include:

• English Seasonality

Star of the screen and cocktail guru at London's Roast Andy Pearson will explain why dedication to the seasons can really give your cocktail menu the edge, while a special guest from America will tell us what excites the country about the UK scene.

• The Abridged History of Cocktails

In just 45 minutes the Worldwide Cocktail Club and guests will teach you everything you need to know about the subject of cocktails from their origins and humble beginnings right through to the present day.

• Mixological Mastermind

How much do our experts really know? Settle back and watch as the leading players in the industry take a seat in the black chair to be tested on their areas of expertise. There will also be the opportunity for the audience to grill their heroes on spirits and cocktail culture.

• Pimp My Granddaddy's Drink

Following on from last year's hugely popular Pimp My Drink, this time around we look at super-sizing old-time classics. Working their magic will be Jake Burger (Jake's Bar & Grill), Tom Foxwell (Match Bar Group), Rob Wood (Bacchus Dionysus) and Gary "Hollywood" Heyward (Boutique).

• The Global Sessions

Discover the drinks for tomorrow today. Our friends from the US, Australia, Europe and beyond will highlight the key fashions and favourites from down their way.

• How to Win a Cocktail Competition

The humble cocktail competition has become a booming business with prizes including trips of a lifetime, huge cash rewards and the odd diamond thrown in for good luck. Old hands at the competition game will give away secrets on how to secure that elusive win. One for the champions of tomorrow.

• Bar Legends

A unique opportunity to quiz the big names of the cocktailing fraternity. Each hourly slot will revolve around the personality of one the profession's leading lights. They will provide an overview of their career and share their thoughts on the future of the industry. Get your autograph book ready.

Maxxium mixology training

Training your barstaff to mix quickly and well, and develop the skills to create their own drinks is the the goal of the Maxxium UK Training Academy. Mixologists Wayne Collins and Andy Gemmell will be presenting five sessions with just that aim in mind. These fall into two headings:

• The importance of history

Wayne and Andy will take visitors through the different eras cocktails have moved through since 1806, illustrating the past, present and future of mixed drinks. Using a new theory called "The Magnificent Seven", the duo will demonstrate how all mixed drinks can be traced back to seven classic families. Using this method they will help bartenders understand the DNA of mixed drinks, helping them to create new drinks themselves.

• Cocktail cuisine

Classic cocktails have always played an important part in dining, and in this demonstration Wayne and Andy will demonstrate how they can stimulate the appetite, refresh the palate or bring a rich indulgence to the end of a meal.

Insight into industry issuesAs in past shows, Bar Talks will be the place where views get aired, concerns addressed and where the cream of the bar industry offers advice and anecdotes. This year brings a new sponsor for the feature with Beam Global Spirits & Wine promising to deliver a new look and new focus for the discussion arena. Among topics up for debate are:

• Getting off the ground

This session will deal with setting up a bar, covering key issues and problems including finding sites, finance, legal pitfalls, such as protecting your trading name, and liquor licensing.

• The importance of training

Businesses big and small are coming to realise the value of training. Our panel will explore the lengths to which some bars go to ensure that their employees are up to the job and kept interested.

• The smoking ban: what it means for you

Focusing on the implications of legislation already in force in Scotland and due to arrive in England and Wales in the summer of 2007, this debate will draw on the views of operators already adhering to a no-smoking policy as well as those with definite views on the subject. This is one that visitors simply cannot afford to miss!

• Music: how to attain the perfect soundtrack

Ambience is everything in a venue, and music plays a big part. How do you get it just right? This session will look at what consultants have to offer in this newly emerging market and the legislation operators have to follow.

• Branding, funding and expanding

So you've opened your first few bars. What happens next? Do you sell, do you expand, and who do you go to for the funding you need to grow your empire? This session is hosted by those who have lived through the change and come out the other side.

Giving your venue the edge

The bar market is fiercely competitive, so how do you give your venue a point of difference? Public relations experts and events co-ordinators give their ideas on what keeps the crowds coming in, and how to manage press coverage.

Trading longer, trading harderLicensing reform means venues can now be all things to all people, but how do you get your operation right? Should you open for coffee at 9am and still have DJs on the go at 2am? Or should you streamline your offer?The Bar Doctor

You have the questions and the Bar Doctor has the answers. Our panel of experts, including leading bar operators, designers and lawyers, offer their free advice on the issues that count.The Taste Forum

Following Taste Forum's success in Theme magazine, this live version will see Mark Ridgwell and guests offering Bar.06 visitors tutored tastings across the major spirit categories. They will demonstrate that it's what's in the bottle, rather than the hype that surrounds it, that's important.

Each session will reveal the main characteristics of each category and open up discussions on how the product is made. If you want to brush up on your product knowledge, or are revamping your back-bar, look no further than the Taste Forum for inspiration. And there's more...

Recruitment

Looking for a change in career or want to know how to go about moving up the ladder? The recruitment zone can help.International Bartenders Market

Get a taste of the exotic in our global tasting area.

Design Talks

Talks and presentations from leading British and European designers. Plus, the designers of tomorrow compete in Satelliet's annual student design competition.