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🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago /Culture & Society

A passion for the pour

From Trinidad Express · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Trinidadian bartender and beverage manager Declan Khan traces his passion for hospitality to his grandfather’s distinctive bottle collection and his father’s work in hotel bar operations.
  • After entering bartending at 19, Khan pursued professional training and later opened IslaVino Private Brunch & Bistro Lounge in Champs Fleurs.
  • He aims to offer relaxed, celebratory events built around creative food and beverage service.

As a boy on Ragbir Street in St Augustine, Declan Khan was captivated by the bottles lined up on his grandfather’s bar counter. The counter divided the living room from the kitchen, but it also became a gathering place where family and friends shared drinks and experimented with different concoctions.

“I was captivated by these interactions and the artistry behind every pour,” Khan said. His grandfather, an acting deputy comptroller in the Customs and Excise Division, travelled widely and stocked rare and distinctive drinks that were unusual in ordinary homes and bars. Khan remembers the Old Parr five-litre Swing Set and the Angostura Trinidad Limbo Drummer Rum Caribbean Bottle among the collectibles that first sparked his curiosity.

The influence continued through his father, who managed bar operations at Hotel Scarlet Ibis. Khan said those family experiences gave him “a front-row seat to hospitality in action, blending recreation with professional service”.

I was captivated by these interactions and the artistry behind every pour.

· Declan KhanHe described the childhood experiences that sparked his interest in bartending and hospitality.

At 19, while working his first job at the Ministry of Works and Transport, Khan saw a handwritten notice at Spanky’s Bar in Curepe reading “Bartender Wanted”. He entered the profession there, then spent three years building hands-on experience and product knowledge before moving into beverage pairings and more advanced drink-making.

He later trained in supervisory management at SBCS and COSTAATT, and completed bartending, barista and international train-the-trainer courses at the European Bartender School. He also studied menu engineering at eCornell Hospitality. As Propa Eats’ former chief mixologist, he continued developing his skills through research, competitions, courses and seminars.

Khan eventually realized his goal of combining mixology with event management. Last year, he opened IslaVino Private Brunch & Bistro Lounge in Champs Fleurs. His concept centers on easygoing, celebratory events with an upscale, playful and artistic approach to food and drinks, including specialty wines, gourmet syrups and garnishes created by his team.

A front-row seat to hospitality in action, blending recreation with professional service

· Declan KhanHe explained how his grandfather’s and father’s work shaped his understanding of hospitality.
About this summary

Originally published by Trinidad Express. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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