“Once a bartender … always a bartender,” says Denver’s Emma Alexander.

Friday is World Bartender Day, and the lifelong freelance mixologist is one of five pourers who are being featured in a new global online photo exhibition to celebrate the profession.

The exhibition, which goes live on Friday at theblend.world, is presented by Beam Suntory and curated by international music photographer Jennifer McCord. The exhibition, which spans bartenders from the U.S., Germany, India and Australia, “documents the stories of five bartenders and the defining moments behind their careers,” McCord said.

Alexander has worked through various stages of management over the past 26 years, “from a coat check attendant to a shot girl and then a bartender,” she said. Alexander moved to Colorado in 2019 to open a Bed and Breakfast.  But then COVID happened and she pivoted, joining Bonanno Concepts as Beverage Director through last June. She now runs her own company called EHA Consultants, working with and training  bartenders. And she is a past co-president of the Colorado chapter of Women Who Whiskey networking organization.

“I had no idea I could make a living or even a career from making drinks. But it’s deeper than that for me. It’s a creative outlet, it’s culinary, it’s chemistry, it’s a way to communicate without words. It’s my love language. “If you’ve been in the industry as long as I have you will understand how it feels.”

The exhibition encourages consumers to view the profession and all the moments it makes possible through a different lens. Alexander’s portrait was snapped by New York City music photographer Nicole Mago.

The photo series, says McCord, tells human stories that reveal a powerful untold narrative of the faces behind our favorite bars. “I want people to understand the importance of bartenders in our communities, as this is something that hasn’t been exposed before,” she said.

On Friday, tipplers are encouraged to post a picture of a local pourer on social media using the hashtag #WorldBartenderDay.