Professor Charles Tortoe, a member of the Ghana Beverage Awards (GBA) Committee, has called on Ghana’s beverage industry to aim beyond local success and set global benchmarks through quality, innovation, and cultural pride.
Speaking at the 9th edition of the Ghana Beverage Awards in Accra, themed “Inspiring Excellence in Ghana’s Beverage Industry”, Prof. Tortoe highlighted the sector’s growth and its potential to become a global ambassador of Ghanaian culture through taste and hospitality. “The world is ready to experience Ghana through our beverages,” he said.
Many market watchers argue that beyond local success, the next frontier for the industry lies in opening branches abroad and building global footprints that showcase Ghana’s creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. Such developments do not only boosts foreign exchange and brand visibility but also creates new jobs, strengthens bilateral business ties, and elevates Ghana’s image globally.
The awards, organised by Global Media Alliance, recognised outstanding players across the beverage value chain—from distillers and marketers to bartenders—based on rigorous criteria including taste, branding, sustainability, consumer engagement, and market presence.
This year’s awards introduced two new categories—Bar of the Year and Bartender of the Year—to celebrate the vibrant service professionals who create memorable consumer experiences daily. Prof. Tortoe praised their creativity and service flair, noting that selecting winners had been especially difficult due to the high calibre of nominees.
Mr. Ernest Boateng, CEO of Global Media Alliance, underscored that excellence in the industry is a deliberate pursuit built on vision, innovation, and hard work. He stressed that Ghanaians have a natural relationship with beverages, culturally and socially, making the sector a rich field of opportunity. “It’s an industry alive with possibilities, driven by talent, and sustained by positivity,” he noted.
In a speech read on her behalf, Madam Dzifa Gomashie, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, applauded the industry’s contribution to national development. “Our beverages tell the story of our land, our people, and our culture,” she said. She encouraged stakeholders to work with government to showcase locally made beverages both at home and globally as symbols of Ghanaian creativity and heritage.
This year’s top honours included:
- Beverage Product of the Year – Bel-Cola (Blow Chem Industries)
- Fruit Drink of the Year – Happy Delight
- Beer of the Year – Heritage Beer
- CSR Company of the Year – Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana
- Bartender of the Year – Ms. Seraphine Afladey
- Bar of the Year – Frontback Accra
- Manufacturing Company of the Year – Twellium Industrial Company Limited
- Beverage Sustainability Champion of the Year – Voltic Natural Mineral Water
Other winners included Guinness, Smirnoff, Adonko, Alomo Bitters, Fan Maxx, KOA Natural, and Heineken, among others.
As Ghana continues to position itself as a destination for tourism and business, the beverage industry stands out as a cultural force capable of telling the Ghanaian story on the world stage—one drink at a time.
