What happens when bartenders head to the country? Find out here

【 This post is sponsored by Wild Turkey. 】

July saw the launch of the two-week Wild Turkey 101 Charity Challenge, a campaign which asked bars around the country to help achieve the goal of raising ¥101,000 to build a “Future Classroom” in a rural school. 

During the campaign, 25 participating bars sold 1,565 cocktails and received 70 direct donations while Campari Group donated ¥10,100 to the cause, together totalling ¥60,655. The remainder of the funding came from the Qin Foundation under Red Cross, who helped the project reach the final goal of ¥101,000. As a result, the first Future Classroom was built at Fuchun Primary School in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi province.

The Future Classroom isn’t just a simple library or a playhouse for kids – it’s a unique learning space for students, one that gives them access to new resources and technology. With this new space, the Qin Foundation arranges for volunteers and partner institutes to visit the classroom, with courses designed to broaden the students’ horizons and better prepare them for the modern world.

At the end of September, Campari Group invited bartenders from the five bars that raised the most money – Gu CockTail (Nanjing), Hope & Sesame (Guangzhou), Clove (Wuhan), Moonshine (Beijing), and Kingsman (Zhanjiang) – to visit the Future Classroom. Their mission: to see with their own eyes what the future holds for China’s youth. Here’s a look at what happened during the two day trip. 

Heading about 40 kilometers away from downtown Wuyuan, the group takes a seldom-travelled road to be met by swaying trees, the smell of fresh air and long stretching fields. They arrive in the afternoon at Fuchun Primary School to a warm welcome from the deputy principal and students in bright yellow uniforms.

Everyone goes straight to the Future Classroom, where there’s still a bit of work to be done. The floors have been laid, walls painted and IKEA-customised furniture assembled; the air conditioner, a projector, speakers and a mini PC are all set up. Together, the bartenders, students and teachers put the finishing touches on the room, filling shelves with books and supplies and setting up play areas. What was once an empty 73.6 square metre room is now becoming a classroom.

The students are reluctant to leave as the day comes to an end – even asking whether they should return after dinner to keep working. The bartenders stay until everything is in its place. As dusk crept in over the countryside, everyone leaves feeling humbled by what they had helped bring to life.

With the Future Classroom officially ready, the first day is about having fun.

It starts with a drawing session led by Gee Zhang from Gu CockTail, where the 25 kids are encouraged to draw what they want to be when they grow up, with a classroom full of new books for inspiration. Throughout the day, each of the five bartenders take a turn playing the role of teacher to the future generation.

In the afternoon, the kids are invited to openly explore the Future Classroom. It’s an amazing experience watching them discovering the collection of books, creating artwork with the new classroom materials, playing games and simply relishing in the delight of new centre of learning and activity like they’ve never experienced before.

Day 2 concludes the trip for the bartenders, but the story of the Future Classroom continues for the kids and the teachers. 

*All of this was made possible thanks to Campari Group, Qin Foundation and the following  25 participating bars:

E.P.I.C. / Above the Globe / Atelier / Barules / Bee‘s Knees / Black Moth  / Bouchees / Clove Lounge / GU CockTail / Hermit / Hope & Sesame / Janes & Hooch / JZ Club / Kingsman / Lotus / Moonshine / Ounce / Scandal / Sugar Cube / Ten Café / The Cirque / The Compass Bar / The Great Bartender / The Union Trading Company / Wizar

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