Drinks World Asia | Hong Kong #6

THE MAGAZINE FOR MANAGERS, SOMMELIERS AND BARTENDERS 獻給管理者、侍酒師和調酒師的雜誌 HONG KONG & MACAU NO. 6

RYAN CHAN HONG KONG’S FIRST BACARDÍ LEGACY CHAMPION 2014

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g n o K g n o H i d r a c a !

B 14 o 0 t 2 s t n a o i e t r a g l u Congrat he Legacy team for a and t e team at

! a i s A d l r o Drinks W

From th

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Welcome Welcome to the latest edition of Drinks World Asia – Hong Kong. Since our last edition there’s been a plethora of visitors to the island mixing it up and sharing their knowledge on some of the coolest brands on the planet. We’ve been fortunate enough to have spent time with Justin Smyth from Ketel One, Meagan Sacher from Stolichnaya Vodka, Erik Lorincz from the World Class Cocktail competition run by Diageo and Ryan Magarian from Aviation Gin. Scan our facebook page or check out drinksworld.asia to keep up to date on who’s in town. If you get the chance to catch one of these amazing brand ambassadors we highly recommend you do. Until then, check out the pages herein to see what they were up to.

Competitions are in full swing and to get the low-down on what they bring to the bartending community, and what you may need to learn to seriously compete (should you choose to enter), check out Old Street’s story on page 76 & 96. The boys at Old Street, Sam Jeveons and Pete Kendall, know their stuff and have recently emerged on the Hong Kong bartending scene as consultants.

It’s worth taking 20 minutes out of your day to spend some quality time with their article; you wont regret it.

Back to those competitions. We’ve covered the Bacardí Legacy competition, Havana Club and the Chivas Masters – so get stuck in and enjoy.

We’ve also given you our take on the New York and Hong Kong bar scenes. More in common than you may think. And finally – keep your eyes open for the launch of two very cool gins in Hong Kong this season; G’Vine and Aviation. Both are class acts and deserve a closer look.

Our drinks list for the season?

Beer: Endeavour Pale Ale, check it out at the Pawn Cider: Rekorderlig Passionfruit, perfect for Friday nights at Red Bar Wine: Tyrrell’s Hunter Semillon Vat 1, available at the Conrad Hotel Cocktail: The Cuban Bishop, by Ryan at the Lobster Bar Cheers, Ashley Pini – publishing editor

Drinks World Asia - Hong Kong is distributed to 3000+ bars, restaurants and hotels in Hong Kong.

If you would like to have your brand represented or would like to contribute or comment please contact: marc@hipmedia.com.au

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Credits CREDITS Publisher Marc Rodrigues marc@hipmedia.com.au EDITORIAL Publishing Editor Ashley Pini DESIGN Art Director Evelyn Rueda Senior Designer Ryan Andrew Salcedo ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Sasha Falloon SALES Sales Director Marc Rodrigues PHOTOGRAPHY Photographer Elden Cheung Writers: Andy Gaunt, Naren Young, Sam Jeveons, Pete Kendell, Ken Gargett, Michael Callahan, Ryan Magarian, Erik Andersson Sub-editing: Simone Tomic Sponsor

Joao Balzani from Fatty Crab will be our next Drinks World Asia "Bar Exchange Bartender"

Produced and published by

Editorial Enquiries: If you, your bar, or your brand and company have news or events you would like to share with Drinks World Asia please contact: ashley@hipmedia.com.au Although Hip Media Asia endeavours to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the information and drinks trade and drinkstrade.com.au, we do not accept any liability or responsibility for any inaccuracies or missions. The views expressed by authors of publications or event presentations, published drinks trade, do not necessarily represent the views of Hip Media Asia. Decisions or actions based on the information and publications provided by Hip Media Asia are at your own risk.

drinks-world-asia @drinksworldasia

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Contents

18

30 57

28 Meet

28 34 46 80 84 88 96 100 102 10 °

Justin Smyth for Ketel One Meagan Sacher for Stoli Aviation Gin

World Class - Erik Lorincz Zuma Bar Team

Alfred Cointreau

A look down Old Street

Sam Kurtz from Saint Hugo Chef Jeff Mosher

Drink

60

Cocktail Club

90

Features

18 24 30 38 49 57 68 76 90

Bacardí Legacy Finals

107

NZ Wine

Ketel One

G’Vine Gin de France

Crawley’s Imperial Shaker Ice and Highballs

What’s Hot in Hong Kong Chivas Masters

Old Street Eras

Havana Club 10th Cocktail Grand Prix

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Contents

40

51

80 68

Profiles

12 40 72

Bacardí Global

Hendrick’s

84

Visit

51 65

New York’s Bar Scene

Regulars

114

Coming up

Bar Exchange

Chivas Regal Brand Profile

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° PROFILE °

Everyone has a story 精彩故事

T

he BACARDÍ brand and family’s story can be summed up with one word: “Untameable.” With more than 150 years of uncompromised passion triumphing against extraordinary odds, BACARDÍ is the rum brand with tales where the truth is better than any fiction. Fearlessly honoring its legacy, the brand with “Irrepressible Spirit” written in its DNA, today announced the launch of “BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862,” a new global marketing campaign that tells the stories behind BACARDÍ rum, its origins in Cuba and inspires consumers to embrace life and live boldly to showcase their own “Irrepressible Spirit.”

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The campaign materials embody the true grit and determination that sustained the rum brand and helped it thrive. The advertising will feature headlines such as, “We Remember Prohibition – It was a Blast;” “Some Men are Kicked Out of Bars – Others are Kicked Out of Countries;” and “Earthquakes, Fire, Exile, Prohibition – Sorry Fate, You Picked the Wrong Family.”

The ads offer snapshots of the BACARDÍ history during prohibition, exile from Cuba, and showcase how the Bacardí family had the original irrepressible spirit to overcome earthquakes, fire, war and revolution—none of which could defeat their spirit, because “True Passion Can’t Be Tamed.” The campaign is designed to engage millennial consumers to pursue their passions no matter what— much like the Bacardí family did—encouraging camaraderie and strength of character.

“BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862” will be supported by strong digital executions and on-ground activations. The television spots— named “Procession,” because of the frame-byframe timeline and sequence of events viewers experience—were directed by award-winning Dante Ariola, star actor Jordi Mollà and has voiceover of actor Jason Isaacs. The ads, filmed on location at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ouro Preto, Brazil, are highly stylized and have a blockbuster movie feel. The ads exude a realism that commands attention—engaging consumers to feel that with every sip, the BACARDÍ brand story is their own.

“BACARDÍ is known for its passionate drive, regardless of circumstance, convention or

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expectation. The campaign pays tribute to the brand’s enduring popularity, continuing ingenuity and connects with consumers as it inspires them to ignite the bold, ‘Irrepressible Spirit’ within us all,” said Dmitry Ivanov, Senior Global Category Director of Rums for Bacardi. “Taking a global creative approach with the ‘BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862’ campaign allows us to focus all of our marketing resources against a single powerful idea; an idea that’s completely ownable to BACARDÍ as it is rooted in the brand’s history and the Bacardí family’s attitude to life.”

The BACARDÍ portfolio of light and dark rums globally will be united under one BACARDÍ creative look and feel. Every market in the world will have the same BACARDÍ swagger in its branding, marketing campaigns, advertising and visual identity for these rums. All markets will also feature the bigger-than-life, “untameable” BACARDÍ attitude.

Along those lines, the new campaign pays tribute to Don Facundo Bacardí Massó, who had the vision, 151 years ago, to blaze a new path and add steps never before used in rum making to create rum as the world knows it today.

With the same pioneering soul of its founder, and in remembrance of its humble origins and beginnings in Santiago de Cuba in 1862, BACARDÍ rum will face the future with a bat logo inspired from the past.

Looking deep into the BACARDÍ archives to uncover the treasured, authentic, artisan bat designs over the past 151 years, the new logo is a creation inspired by BACARDÍ bat hand-drawn designs from the early 1900s. It stays true to

the integrity of the original symbol, which in Cuban and Spanish heritage represents good luck, good fortune and family unity.

The BACARDÍ word mark has also been updated, influenced by the Cuban Art Deco style from the late 1920s to early 1930s. The most famous example of this Art Deco style is the former Bacardi sales office in Havana known as El Edificio Bacardí (The Bacardí Building). To this day, the 11-story building remains crowned by a BACARDÍ bronze bat and emblazed with the Art Deco stylized typeface.

“This campaign ushers in a new era for BACARDÍ rum, with a deeper focus on its provenance to showcase the unfailing determination of the Bacardí family and invites consumers to share in it,” said Ivanov.

“This idea infuses the BACARDÍ brand with the authenticity of its origins, celebrates the incredible quality and craftsmanship of our rums and showcases a universally resonant attitude.

In essence, ‘BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862’ is a salute to the Bacardí family’s incredible heritage, to pursuing your passions, and to an extraordinary rum.”

Using creative digital formats, fans will be able to discover and share the “Irrepressible Spirit” of BACARDÍ rum for themselves, with access to artifacts from the brands 151-year history and behind-the-scenes photography and video footage from the ad shoot, offering a truly immersive experience.

每一个人都有自己的故事，而BACARDÍ品牌和家 族的故事则可以用“永不妥协”来总结。150多 年来，BACARDÍ凭借无比的热情不断克服考验， 成为传奇的朗姆酒品牌。本着“永不言败的精 神”，BACARDÍ今天宣布推出全新的全球宣传广 告“BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862”，诉说品牌 朗姆酒背后的故事和源自古巴的传统，鼓励顾客 勇敢拥抱生活，展现“永不言败的精神”。 过各种宣传材料也体现使品牌屹立不倒的勇气 与坚定。广告将会配上多个鼓舞人心的标题， 包括“We Remember Prohibition – It was a Blast” 、“Some Men are Kicked Out of Bars – Others are Kicked Out of Countries”，以及“Earthquakes, Fire, Exile, Prohibition – Sorry Fate, You Picked the Wrong Family”。 广告将会诉说BACARDÍ在禁酒令期间和逃离古

巴时的经历，展现Bacardí家族如何以永不言败的 精神，抵御地震、火灾、战争和革命等冲击，本 着“真正的热情难以消灭”的信念勇往直前。广 告希望鼓励新世代的顾客竭力追寻自己热爱的事 物，像Bacardí家族一样坚定不移，展示团结与坚 毅的力量。 风格一致的创意广告将会展示BACARDÍ于全球 销售的淡朗姆酒和浓朗姆酒。每一个市场的品 牌、营销计划、广告和照片也会反映BACARDÍ的 活力，还有那份“永不妥协”的态度。 BACARDÍ受二十年代末至三十年代初古巴的装 饰艺术风格启发，重新设计品牌商标。位于哈瓦 那的Bacardi前销售办公室El Edificio Bacardí堪称装 饰艺术风格的典范，现在这座11层高的大楼顶层 仍然挂有代表BACARDÍ的青铜蝙蝠，配上装饰艺 术风格的文字。

For more information on “BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862,” BACARDÍ rum and cocktail recipes, visit bacardi.com.

TV ad “Procession”

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Reeve

talks Legacy 2014

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Drinks World Asia: What are you thoughts on year 1 in Hong Kong?

Reeve Yip: The first year is always the most exciting. It is also important for all kinds of competition, as it helps to set the standard of the game. Emphasis is also on recruitment for the next competition. From what I witnessed at the final, I was impressed and surprised to see so many familiar faces. It was amazing to see so many people join us for the evening. I never expected that a cocktail competition in Hong Kong could draw so much attention. There were so many people in the industry present.

There were young bartenders, celebrated bartenders, competitors and consumers. This indicated

to me that Legacy is not just a cocktail competition but also a industry event. All those present were there to support their friends and colleagues in the trade; this created an amazing vibe and gave us inspiration to know that we can lead our industry into the future.

The evening was a very beautiful and sensational experience.

Drinks World Asia: 第一年在香港举行 比赛有何感想？ Reeve Yip: 第一年往往最令人兴奋， 也是制定比赛规则的重要时机，所 以对各种比赛而言也十分重要。我 们也积极为下一次比赛招募人才。 我在决赛上看到许多熟悉的脸孔， 令我既高兴又惊讶。嘉宾和观众的 踊跃程序也使我喜出望外，从来没 想过在香港举办调酒大赛会吸引那 么多人的注意。调酒界已成为一个 很大的社群，有年轻的调酒师、调 师高手，还有参赛者和顾客，说明

这不只是一个调酒比赛，也是业界 的盛事。出席的人都是来支持业界 的好友和同事，使气氛高涨，也让 我们知道行业的未来一片光明。活 动十分精彩难忘。

DWA: What is in store for Ryan in the next year?

RY: This is a starting point for Ryan.

He will be kept busy promoting Bacardí brands with me and this will be a new experience in his career. He will commence his venture with a journey from Moscow and following that I endeavor to send him to some of the international industry events

DWA: Ryan明年有什么计划？ RY: 对Ryan来说，这只是个开始。 他会跟我一起推广Bacardí品牌，迎 接事业上的新挑战。他首先会由莫 斯科出发，然后到世界各地参与 Tales of the Cocktail、BCB和伦敦鸡 尾酒周等酒坛盛事，分享他的成功

like Tales of the Cocktail, BCB and London Cocktail Week. In sharing his experience and success he will also assist judging the next Legacy Competition in Hong Kong and Taiwan. This will be an amazing year for him.

knowledge, vision and personality.

In my opinion this is going to push the contestants for next year to strive to achieve at a higher level.

DWA: Tell us about the quality of the competitors?

RY: I was so delighted and impressed to see the standard of all competitors this year. They are all fantastic bartenders and were impressive during the competition period. In particular a few individuals impressed me such as John Ng, Joao Paulo Balzani, Alexander Ko, Nokoy Mak and James Tamang. They set the new standard for Bacardí Legacy in terms of their presentation, flair,

DWA: What can people expect next year?

RY: I recognise that next year will be a challenge for me as I know people will expect more from me.

They will also expect something new in terms of new elements of competition, judging panel, arrangement and hospitality. I will always look at the year as a never-ending competition but what makes it easier is that I enjoy what I’m doing and what I offer.

You must allow me to keep some secrets for now, but know that we will have a different Legacy next year.

经验和心得。他也会担任下一届香 港和台湾区赛事的评判。明年将会 非常充实。

调酒大赛写下新的标准。我认为他 们能够激励下一届的参赛者更上一 层楼。

DWA: 其他参赛者的素质如何？ RY: 今年参赛者的非常优秀，令人 欣喜。他们都是很出色的调酒师， 在比赛期间的表现也令人印象难 忘。印象最深刻的是John Ng、Joao Paulo Balzani、Alexander Ko、Nokoy Mak和James Tamang，不论是调酒的 方式、风格、知识、愿景和个性， 他们都表现出众，为Bacardí Legacy

DWA: 明年的赛事会有何特色？ RY: 别人对我的期望越来越高，所 以明年将会是一个考验。他们也会 期望比赛有新意，有新的评审团、 安排和接待。我会视明年的工作为 一个没有终点的比赛，投入工作， 享受成果。请容我暂时保密，只能 说明年的比赛将会截然不同。

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BACARDÍ

Legacy

Cocktail Competition

2014 Finals T

he BACARDÍ Legacy Cocktail Competition was established to challenge the best contemporary bartenders in the World to create their own cocktail legacy.

The BACARDÍ Legacy Cocktail Competition was established to challenge the best contemporary bartenders in the World to create their own cocktail legacy.

To create a drink that will endure within the industry, stand the test of time and ensure that both the bartender and their drink are remembered like the illustrious classic cocktails of the past.

Drinks World Asia had the pleasure covering the BACARDÍ Legacy Cocktail Competition from its inception to the national grand final.

The grand final was held at the stylish Mira Hotel and was attended by hundreds of local bartenders and industry heavy weights. Drinks World Asia was pleased to partner with the BACARDÍ Legacy program and was honored to be part of the judging panel for the Hong Kong grand final.

The night gave the opportunity for all finalists to present their Bacardí Legacy cocktail and their most promising period, which demonstrated their efforts to promote their Bacardí Legacy cocktail in Hong Kong and around the world. The final also gave the opportunity for finalists to display their bartending skills and personality. Highlighted by John Ng and the use of ‘his girls’, Joao Balzani and his Latin flair and James Tamang’s sophisticated style and not to mention many outfit reveals, namely Austin from Honi Honi.

Although all contestants performed admirably on the night, Ryan Chan and his drink the Cuban Bishop was announced the Bacardí Legacy champion for 2014. Ryan’s understanding of the Bacardí story, sophisticated flavours and overall polished presentation made him a popular winner.

In addition to Ryan Chan taking the Bacardí Legacy title, John Ng was acknowledged for his most promising period and Joao Balzani voted bartenders choice.

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° FEATURE °

Ryan

Chan

Hong Kong’s First BACARDÍ Legacy Champion 2014

Drinks World Asia: Whilst it’s fresh in your mind, what does it feel like to be the first Bacardí Legacy winner in Hong Kong?

Ryan Chan: It’s a dream come true for I had never thought that the first championship in my bartending career would lead to me being awarded the Bacardí Legacy winner. This accolade really means so much to me.

I would like to thank all the judges who chose me to be the first Bacardí Legacy winner in Hong Kong. As a young bartender I am aware there are still many things for me to learn and experience. I’m truly grateful that Bacardí has offered me an opportunity to explore and participate in a worldwide competition.

At the same time, I would also like to show my gratitude to Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong and all my teammates at Lobster Bar & Grill, especially my Bar Manager Agung Prabowo.

Not only did he educate me about bartending, but also taught me skills related to enhance my personality in this career. I am not exaggerating in saying that without his supervision I would not be performing at the standard and level as I am now. Agung dedicated his time and wealth of knowledge to groom me into a competent

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bartender, and as a result I was given the chance to represent Island Shangri-La’s Lobster Bar and Grill at the Bacardí Legacy Competition.

DWA: Tell us about your Legacy journey?

RC: I knew that I was confident enough to participate in this competition. Assured by Agung, we worked on numerous techniques and skills. The competition went like clockwork and the rest is history.

DWA: What is the story behind the Cuban Bishop?

RC: It’s about good things coming in pairs. My idea was to combine both 1862’s everlasting masterpieces together. Over 150 years ago, the Bacardí Family endured a large amount of suffering, such as experiencing earthquakes, the negative effects of prohibition and the burning of their distillery. Amidst all of these trials they thrived and used these experiences to make them stronger. These events demonstrate that the Bacardí Family is irrepressible and untamable and the same applies to the spirits they produce.

I adopted the recipe of Bishop from the

legendary cocktail book Bartenders Guide, and thus created the Cuban Bishop with Bacardí Rum. It’s true that good things come in pairs, which is the reason why the Cuban Bishop comes in Summer Day (cold drink) and Winter Night (hot drink). It is not the case of merely mixing alcohol, but relaying the strongest message that Cuban Bishop will light up your spirit no matter what season or time of the day.

DWA: What has the Legacy competition done for your fellow bartenders in Hong Kong?

RC: I think Hong Kong bartenders are creative and passionate, we are keen to take every opportunity to demonstrate what we have to offer. It’s not just about performance, it’s about being able to reward the people who support us behind the scenes.

DWA: What is your advice to those who would like to be in your position next year?

RC: There are always opportunities for those who are well prepared, so be confident and once you are ready, doors will open and the world will await for you to shine.

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THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF BARTENDERS: THOSE WHO SEE IT AS A JOB, AND THOSE WHO SEE IT AS THEIR CALLING.

KETEL ONE is a trademark of Double Eagle Brands N.V. ©2013 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY www.DRINKiQ.com

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KETEL ONE

VODKA:

Craft, taste and history 的历史 T

he Ketel One tradition is one shrouded in history, intrigue and a strong focus on family.

From a tiny distillery in Holland to a worldwide empire, the Ketel One story is one that proves ground breaking things can come from the humblest of beginnings.

Ketel One Vodka starts and ends with family, ten generations of the Nolet family to be exact. The Nolet name has been the heart and soul of Ketel One since 1691 when Joannes Nolet realised his knack for distilling and opened a small distillery in Schiedam, Holland, a prime hub for spirit trading at the time and located very close to the North Sea, meaning the distillery had easy access to the area’s large grain auctions. Translating to ‘Pot still one’ in Dutch, Ketel One’s name refers to ‘Distilleerketel #1’, the original coal-fired copper pot still used in the very first distillery.

102 years and four generations later in 1794, Jacobus Nolet is in control of the distillery and, together with his family, built ‘The Whale’, a landmark windmill that has since become an iconic part of Schiedam and today still stands as part of the Ketel One distillery. The next step for the Nolet family was to focus on shipping, which eventually saw them export spirits to America, and so successful was this that in 1902 the Nolet family opened a distillery in Maryland. Many will realise that this endeavour was halted when prohibition reared its

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FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, UNLESS IT’S MAKING VODKA. WE’VE GOT THAT COVERED.

KETEL ONE is a trademark of Double Eagle Brands N.V. ©2013 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY www.DRINKiQ.com

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° FEATURE °

in London, which serves up the renowned ‘Smoked Bloody Mary’ cocktail. With smoked lemongrass, Artesian’s signature spiced tomato juice and Ketel One Vodka served with a side of mini pickles and oyster leaves. ugly head, leaving the distillery alone but as we know, it certainly came back with a vengeance. After 10th generation Nolet, Carolus Nolet Sr., took over the distillery in 1979, he painstakingly crafted the current Ketel One Vodka recipe and brought it to the USA in 1983.

Clearly, this was the catalyst for great things and in 1991; Carolus Nolet Sr. founded Nolet Spirits USA. Over the following 12 years, Ketel One Vodka continued to reach new heights with the release of the super-premium Ketel One Citroen in 2000, the celebration of one million cases in 2002 and the announcement of Dennis Tamase as Ketel One Vodka Distillery Ambassador in 2012. This year, Ketel One Vodka was proud to be voted ‘best selling’ and most ‘trending’ vodka brand in the Drinks International ‘World’s 50 Best Bars’ report 2013. Bartenders from the top 50 bars were questioned on the vodka they would recommend above others to their customers, and Ketel One came out on top.

Drinks International commented, “[Ketel One Vodka] is no doubt a love affair driven by bartenders and passed on to consumers”. The number one bar on the list was The Artesian Bar at the Langham Hotel

Craft Ketel One use what they refer to as the ‘careful selection of the finest European wheat’ that offers a high starch content. After harvesting, the wheat is ground and blended with water to form a mash, it is fermented before going through Ketel One’s column distillation process before being re-distilled in small batch copper pot stills which, of course, include Distilleerketel #1.

Only the top-quality heart of each distillate remains after this process, with the too-harsh heads and tooweak tails rejected. The remaining hearts are then separately filtered and made into what is referred to as a Master Pot Still Blend. Finally, a member of the Nolet family must approve each production run before it is released.

Using his fastidious categorisation known as the 4Fs, fragrance, flavour, feel and finish, Bob Nolet defines and emphasises the signature characteristics of vodka in an accessible manner. Ketel One Vodka’s fragrance will bring hints of citrus and honey before its flavour offers a crisp and unmistakable coolness on the palate. Its feel is demonstrated by generously and smoothly coating the tongue,

while its finish leaves a lively tingle, reminding the drinker of its quality.

Made with six varieties of citrus fruits, Ketel One Citroen’s fragrance brings refreshingly sweet lemon zest on the nose before its flavour offers hints of freshly cut lemon and delicate honey sweetness.

Its feel is pleasant and smooth on the palate while its finish brings a gently lingering sweet honey and lemony custard aftertaste.

The Ketel One bottle Finding oneself with a bottle of Ketel One Vodka in hand is a treat in itself, but the sheer attention to detail and rich history that adorn the bottle is another way to appreciate the Nolet family’s

heritage. Originally designed to resemble a vintage Dutch spirit bottle, Ketel One now features a longer neck that was created to help bartenders pour with ease. Notice that every bottle bears a hand-drawn illustration of ‘Distilleerketel #1’, the original copper pot still and is printed, ‘Anno 1691, Nolet Distillery, Shiedam, Holland’, a reference to the original distillery in Schiedam that has been referred to as ‘the capital of spirits’ by locals and spirit enthusiasts alike. Finally, the authentic Nolet family crest is printed on every bottle, while the back label features a full list of the ten Nolet family members who have owned the distillery.

由Nolet家族创立的Ketel One Vodka 目前由第十代家族成员经营。1691 年，Joannes Nolet发现自己对蒸馏酿 造技术深感兴趣，于是在荷兰斯希 丹开设一家小酒厂，写下Ketel One Vodka的传奇故事。当时的斯希丹是 重要的烈酒交易中心，邻近北海， 酒厂能参与区内的大型谷物拍卖。 在荷兰语里，Ketel One意指“锅炉 一号”(Distilleerketel #1)，代表酒厂 原本使用的燃煤铜制锅炉。 1794年，酒厂第四代传人Jacobus Nolet与家族兴建巨型风车“The Whale”，成为斯希丹的地标建筑， 至今仍然是酒厂的一部分。Notel家 族后来开拓出口业务，把酿造的烈 酒出口美国，并于1902年在马里兰 州开设新酒厂，取得空前成功。在 美国实施禁酒令期间，许多人以为

Notel家族会离开美国，结果品牌却 以更强的姿态回归。家族第十代继 承人Carolus Nolet Sr.在1979年接管 酒厂，成功钻研Ketel One Vodka目 前所用的配方，并于1983年在美国 推出，为日后的成功奠下基础。在 1991年，他成立Nolet Spirits USA。 其后12年，Ketel One Vodka屡创新 峰，在2000年推出顶级Ketel One Citroen，在2002年庆祝销量达到100 万箱，并在2012年宣布委任调酒大 师Dennis Tamase为酒厂形象大使。 今年，Ketel One Vodka在《Drinks International》杂志“2013年全球50 家最佳酒吧”报告中获选为“最畅 销”和“最时尚”的伏特加品牌。 杂志访问了全球50大酒吧的调酒 师，请他们向顾客推荐伏特加酒， 结果他们都首选Ketel One Vodka。

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“My role is to provide an insight into a vodka brand that’s a bit different. Our history has always seen bartenders as ambassadors, they help in establishing and building our brand, which is why we started Fraternity. We want to give back to the people who are part of our history.”

“Most vodka brands take a lifestyle image approach, why we are successful is our family approach. Bob Nolet came to my bar 17 years ago out of respect. Personable connection to the market is a special relationship that can’t be bought.”

Justin

myth S

Global Brand Ambassador

talks how he and Ketel One engage bartenders

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“Heritage is important, we ask people to buy into our brand first, then the vodka. When Bob Nolet is in a market he tries to get out to see as many bartenders as possible. At the previous World Class Global Final we created a space just for bartenders, Bob was on hand to coach, mentor and provide moral support.”

“Fraternity, is a result of our bartender affiliation. There are a lot of bartender engagement programs but I wanted to do something different. Other brands entertain and leave, I wanted to create a program that offered more education around life and craft experiences. I didn’t want a year long program, the program needed to be enduring with input from the members. We called it Fraternity because it was the best fit and it stuck.”

“We interviewed bartenders from around the globe and questioned them on what they thought about their industry, their lives and their profession. Their number one priority is to be recognized as professionals just the same as their chef counterparts. Secondly they want to create their own community within their own cities, regions and globally. Even though social networking sites exist, nothing compares to one to one relationships. The final priority was to have their quest for further knowledge fulfilled through on the job based skills improvement and education through real world experiences.”

“We specifically select members to be part of the Fraternity based on what we believe are influential members who will be committed. As we progress that initial group will develop mentors who will be able in time to develop and grow their group.

We believe it’s not an elite club it’s more of an underground establishment.”

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Taste & Elegance

G’Vine Gin de France

法国G’ Vine重新演绎传统杜松子酒， 重订品味与优雅新标准。

A

s a new model of taste and elegance, G’Vine Gin de France revisits the traditional gin and tonic.

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源自法国干邑区的G’ Vine以柔顺丝滑的葡萄酒为基础，特别使用味道清新的 葡萄花，突破杜松子酒的传统。葡萄的特质使G’ Vine带来更优雅清新的Gin & Tonic，绝非只以柠檬片作装饰的传统淡酒能媲美。 现代的Gin & Tonic除了混合主要的材料，还能缔造触动感官的体验。Gin & Tonic原本只在英国盛行，但流传至欧洲后，却更见优雅细致，更成为夏季 的最佳饮料。Gin & Tonic源自西班牙，渐渐演变成一门艺术，使用的杜松子 酒种类超过200种，配以不同的汤力水和一份创意。西班牙也是全球高级杜 松子酒销量最高的国家，而G’Vine成为当地首屈一指的杜松子酒，在一流 的酒吧和奢华时尚盛会也会看到它的踪影。 Through its French origin - more precisely from the Cognac region its soft and silky grape spirit base, and unique use of the delicate vine flower as a botanical, G’Vine has overthrown many of Gin’s traditional codes. Thanks to these grape elements, G’Vine offers an elegant and refreshing take of the Gin & Tonic, far from the traditional long drink with a slice of lemon as a garnish.

More than just a mix of simple ingredients, the Gin & Tonic today is a true sensory experience.

Traditionally reserved to their British neighbours’, the Gin &

Tonic in Europe has recently gained elegance and refinement, and is the drink of the summer.

This trend originated from Spain where the G&T has become an art with more than 200 gins, a variety of tonics, as well as some creative talent behind the bar.

Let’s not forget that Spain is also the leading consumer of premium gin in the world and here G’Vine Gin has emerged as a leader in this segment being found all over the country’s best bars and at the most prestigious luxury and fashion events.

To better understand this G&T

craze in Spain, George Restrepo answered a few questions on the G&T trend in his native country: Drinks World Asia: George, who are you and what do you do?

George Restrepo: I like to define myself as a Cocktail Activist.

I’m a bartender, professional photographer, Advertiser and Entrepreneur. I run Coctelería Creativa, my latest and so far most ambitious project, the leading Spanish mixology website with quality information about cocktails & spirits.

DWA: How would you explain the G&T phenomenon in Spain?

GR: First the country has an extensive production of fine wines and spirits, among them Gin traditionally is used as an after meal drink. Friendly people and the favourable climate with extended summer make bars and restaurants the ideal place to share and have a

good time.

Gin brands used that great acceptance to emerge with products with a fresh and modern look, reaching a younger audience, with high purchasing power and interested in discovering new products and experiences.

Brands innovated through the botanicals and the garnish used as a differentiator element and G&T became a way to celebrate any day at any time. G’Vine, as a grape spirit created another interesting twist for bartenders. It is as if a painter had only two tones, black and white, and suddenly discovered the colors. A whole universe of possibilities.

DWA: So this trend has been going on for about a decade, how and why is the G&T performing so well and what are the outcomes today?

GR: Brands trained the professional sector through tastings and brand

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perfect serve proposals became essential for the sustainability of the G&T trend.

From the use of the large balloon glass as a hallmark of the new gin & tonic to the ritual search and a garnish of choice, it became a definitely more attractive, flashy and distinctive cocktail. Giving it a premium character also enhanced the role of the bartender who is no longer a simple waiter but a specialist who serves with dedication each glass and has a deep understanding of the different botanicals between gins.

Through brands awareness, a bartender community sharing skills and consumers becoming connoisseurs, the G&T boom went beyond geographical borders especially thanks to social media.

DWA: How can we explain the success of so many premium gins, despite the financial crisis?

GR: Gin brands that managed to connect with consumers with a value beyond the only botanicals and beauty of their packaging are indeed achieved better positioning. G’Vine has established itself interacting with fashion and famous designers which supported its perception.

The luxury sector has showed a higher growth and the premium Gin category has managed to boost other related sectors: the glassware industry producing glasses, botanical distribution companies, ice and bar tools industries, and above all the soft drinks one. The tonic water boom joined the gin one with about 30 different tonic water creating infinite possibilities to serve a Gin & Tonic.

DWA: And you how do you like your G&T? GR: I have had the opportunity to try many variations, depending on the weather, the people or venue. For example, I prefer a floral gin with notes of ginger as G’Vine Floraison if I’m on the terrace of a beach bar or at a chic event!

For the perfect G’Vine and Tonic, use a large wine glass full of good ice, pour G’Vine along a bar spoon and top with a premium tonic water. As a capstone, serve with white grapes to magnify the roundness and softness of G’Vine (lime or lemon might mask the floral notes and the delicacy of this gin). G’Vine Gin is available from April in Hong Kong through Macro Asia.

AVAILABLE FROM MACRO ASIA WINE & SPIRITS +852 3191 2001

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째 MEET 째

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MEAGAN

SACHER

Meagan Sacher chats over a long night of drinks with Drinks World Asia in HK

Drinks World Asia: Can you tell us a little bit about your role as the Stoli Global Brand Ambassador?

Meagan Sacher: Much like a political ambassador, I’m sent out to form relationships with different countries and different bartending communities, pretty much all over the world.

It’s really all about promoting the Stoli product portfolio. A big portion of it is education – brand education and what makes Stoli different from the rest of the competition.

DWA: What’s your background? How did you end up as the global brand ambassador?

MS: I’ve always worked in restaurants and bars, but I didn’t think that my life would take this direction. I was in school studying architecture, and I was working part time in promotions and events mainly for Stoli. Somehow in a beautiful chain of events these opportunities continued to open up quite quickly over the course of about two years. I started travelling globally at the beginning of last year, and the global brand ambassador position was finalised towards the end of last year.

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DWA: In your opinion, what is the difference between a standard vodka and an ultra, ultra luxury vodka such as Elit?

MS: Elit is actually the world’s first ultra-luxury vodka. What separates Elit from our premium products is the freeze filtration process, which Stoli has the proprietary rights to. At the end of our production process we have a freeze out for the Elit. We take the temperature down to -18 degrees Celsius and keep that temperature for at least ten hours, which actually changes the composition and density of the vodka. We condition the vodka in this manner and it ends up having a completely different texture to

36 °

it - it’s really velvety on the palate.

The taste profile is also much more delicate, so it’s much easier to drink straight. If you try it next to a standard premium vodka, everything from the mouth feel all the way through to the flavour profile is just totally different.

DWA: How are you engaging in the trade while you’re here in Hong Kong?

MS: We have a series of trainings sessions that we’ve set up that are part educational sessions and part cocktail workshops.

Stoli’s been around for about 80 years, so we have quite a long history behind us and we want to

reinforce that with the trade. As the bartending community has grown internationally, there’s a lot of interest in what’s going on in other countries, so we talk about certain bartending trends and how Stoli fits in. The fun part, which is making drinks, is where we try to highlight certain qualities of Stoli products, talk about the best way to sell them and what are the best ingredients to use to complement our flavours.

DWA: How are you reaching out to consumers?

MS: We’re doing some guest bartending events where we invite guests to come in and they can try some of the Stoli products. Really, though, the focus is on speaking to the trade, because once I leave, they become the ambassadors for the brand, and they’re the ones who continue to carry out that message to the consumers.

DWA: Can you tell me a bit about the Elit by Stoli Pristine Water

series?

MS: The concept behind the Pristine Water series is that we search the world for the most pristine water sources we can find, pull the water from these sources in a very limited production run - only 300 bottles are produced worldwide - and we use this water in our vodka production.

This is limited edition, almost like a collector’s item. The end result is some of the cleanest, purest vodka on earth. Our first edition came out about two years ago, and that was the Himalayan edition. We sourced water from the Himalayan mountain range about 3000m above sea level. The most recent edition is the New Zealand edition, and it’s being sourced from the Blue Spring of New Zealand, which is known for being quite beautiful and clear.

DWA: Can you give me an insight into the Pristine Water bottle?

MS: The bottle design is a handblown crystal bottle from the

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Champagne area of France. It’s wrapped in a leather and jewellery grade palladium cuff, so there’s embellishment both on the bottle and also on the case that it comes in. It comes in a hand-carved wood case made from kauri wood, which is native to the New Zealand region, and some of the oldest workable wood in the world. Each of the bottles and each of the cases are individually numbered so you know exactly which of the 300 bottles worldwide you have.

DWA: Have you noticed a difference between how vodka is perceived in different parts of the world?

MS: In Europe, Stoli is top of the line for a lot of consumers and trade. A lot of times what I come across is that Stoli is viewed as their parent’s brand, or their grandparent’s brand. Something that we really try to work on is promoting it as a relevant brand, really reinforcing those points about how we have been the innovators. I was in China a few months back and they’re quite heavy on their brandy, rum and whisky, and vodka as a category isn’t really relevant. The approach there is to educate, not just

on Stoli but also on vodka as a category: what do you do with it and how you make drinks around it. It’s really a different strategy for each area. Overall I think people acknowledge that it’s a premium brand, and I think the quality stands for itself.

DWA: What else can we expect from Stoli in the coming years?

MS: We’ve really gone back to basics. 52 years ago we were the first company to create a flavoured vodka back in 1962, and back in the states we’ve seen a new flavoured vodka phenomenon. We’re really getting back to what established us as an international brand, so we’re focusing back on those few four flavours, of course on the premium, and of course on the Elit. The overall trend, not just in vodka but also in spirits in general, is going towards a luxury product.

As this category continues to grow I think that Elit will become much more relevant as a brand of choice for consumers.

DWA: What strategies do you have planned?

MS: The global campaign called ‘Start with Stoli’ will be launching this year. It’s really focused

on educating bartenders, not necessarily the hotshot bartenders, but more of the up and coming bartenders. We’re giving them an opportunity to potentially do a stint at a bar in another country, and to train under some of the more experienced bartenders. We’re doing a giveaway every couple of months called the ‘Dream Library’, which is a collection of the top 50

bar books in the world. It’s really about promoting the educational aspect of it and giving some of these younger bartenders an opportunity to develop their skill set. We’re not just trying to pull the next celebrity off and stick our bottle in their hands, we’re tyring to promote it in more of a grassroots way through.

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° FEATURE °

Jason Crawley’s

Imperial

Shaker E nglishman Jason Crawley is one of the most highly awarded industry figureheads in Australia. With over two decades of International experience in bar operations, Crawley has worked for the likes of Ian Schrager Hotels, built corporate training strategies, and, more recently, acted as a creative director for CCA’s award winning on Premise initiatives. He’s now heading up a high-end portfolio of Imperial Cocktail devices. Crawley is also the independent brand owner of The Simple Syrup Co, which is the leading professional bartender syrup brand in the Australian and New Zealand market.

Since graduating London’s Goldsmiths University, Jason moved to Australia in 2000 where he has become embedded in the very fabric of the global spirits industry. After a successful five years in operations culminating with Hilton’s Sydney flagship Zeta Bar, Jason was head hunted by then global spirits giant Maxxium in 2005 to represent their premium portfolio. While there, he won Brand Ambassador of the year consecutively in 2008 and 2009, and steered his education program

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Mixxit Chronicles to win training program of the year in 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012. Crawley was recognized as one of the top three most influential industry heads

by Australian Bartender Magazine 2009-13 and is widely known in the USA for his input into Tales of the Cocktail and his ambassador role for the Museum of the American Cocktail. Today, Jason is the general manager of the Australian creative agency ‘The Drink Cabinet’ and is father of two young daughters.

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I have been working on the project for over five years, and it has been a longtime aspiration to finally get the Shaker ready to view and sell,” said Jason Crawley, founder and creator of Crawley’s Imperial Shaker. “As having made my career in the drinks industry, being born in a steel city of Sheffield and to honor my grandfathers steel working life, this has been a dream come true.

The Machine The most rare and expensive cocktail shaking machines in the world have resurfaced in Australia. Up until now, a dusty 200-year-old line drawing found in an old London facsimile was all that remained of what were once called Imperial Shaker Machines. That has recently changed with the vision from the multi- award-winning entrepreneur Jason Crawley. A faithful reproduction of the original machine, “Crawley’s Imperial Shaker” is a stunning hand crank design representing the finest in elegant Victorian antiquity and craftsmanship, and is a high-end, luxury item for those who choose the fine and rare things in life. With its antique look and 21stcentury manufacturing, the Imperial Shaker represents a radical new industry aesthetic and an innovative new genre-breaking movement in design. The first 12 available Imperial Shakers are already being pre-sold around the world to serious collectors and devoted cocktail enthusiasts.

The Imperial Shaker itself is a captivating floor-mounted design standing at six feet tall in powder-coated cast iron, with solid brass fittings and adorned with four bespoke

silver-plated ‘on copper’ cocktail shakers.

The brand identity of a crowned pineapple is subtly cast into each shaker; the pineapple used to be a cultural signifier of affluence and hospitality, and to this day, the image of a pineapple still hangs over many a tavern, particularly in Boston.

It is also rumored that Dale DeGroff, one of the cocktail world’s biggest drinks celebrities, is heading to Australia later in the year to be one of the first to crank an Imperial Shaker handle. Crawley also intends to donate a one-off bespoke Imperial Shaker to the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans, USA upon selling an undisclosed amount of them. His Imperial Shakers are now being pre-sold around the world to serious cocktail enthusiasts, barkeeps, and collectors, and as Crawley mentioned, “people who like to drink in the fanciest way imaginable”.

For more information please contact Drinks World Asia at marc@hipmedia.com.au

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째 PROFILE 째

ORI-

Gin

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I

n the world of mixed drinks, ever since the first cocktail books of the 19th century, gin has indeed been the dominating spirits category. Gin is indeed a versatile and very mixable spirit, this comes in rather handy these days since the world of bartending has never been at a higher peak.

Behind the bar it is the star in concoctions like martinis, fizzes and punches, in slings, daisies and cobblers to name only a few. So what can we say about this wondrous spirit we make our martinis out of? Let’s look back in our time scopes and turn our eyes toward the ori-gin.

WORDS ° Erik Andersson Bear in mind that apart from a few Venetian and Arab traders, Europe was rather exempt from exotic spices until the East India trading companies started to introduce them. Although the first global sea explorers came from the Iberian Peninsula, Holland and England were really the first to capitalise on the global spice trade. Timewise, consider it about 400 years ago. Just imagine these ships full of eastern and oriental spices sailing into the ports of Rotterdam,

I bet you people could sense the scent from miles away. The Dutch used these botanical ingredients to flavour their local spirits, which came to be known as genever, the ancestor of gin.

The Queen of gin botanicals, juniperus communis or juniper for non-latin speakers, is widely grown throughout the northern hemisphere. However, for us gin aficionados, only the best ones originating from Italy and Macedonia are used in the gin

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° PROFILE °

we prefer to imbibe. Other usual suspects in most gins are coriander seeds, angelica root, orris root and citrus peel, but the beauty of gin is that no recipe is like the other. Methods vary as well, as the number of gins available grows by the day. Most gins are open with what botanicals they use, seldom for legal reasons, but the proportions of which are heavily guarded secrets only known to, at most, a handful of individuals.

The early years of gin in England were, however, nothing like the

42 °

elegant cocktail parties we may see in The Great Gatsby or Mad Men. In the mid 18th century cheap gin was being brewed in just about every bathtub in London and there were more than one licensed retailer per hundred persons. The spirits used were foul and since juniper was rather expensive, oil of turpentine was often used as substitute for its pine-like aromas.

Yes, that happened. It was not until the death rate exceeded the birth rate that legislation put an end to the madness. Gin distillers started

using higher quality grain spirits coming mainly from Scotland and respectable distilleries like Beefeater and Tanqueray soon took over in London.

For a long time gin was the tipple of choice for the movers and shakers, Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope were seldom seen without a gin martini. Gin did, however, fall out of fashion for a few decades to leave room for vodka. But thankfully, much due to the birth of modern gins and not least to our own cucumber elixir, gin has rightfully reclaimed the throne as the spirit of choice for quintessential drinkers all over the world.

Looking at Hendrick’s Gin, consider the work of two antique copper stills, in which a methodical

distillation of 11 botanicals takes place. We use two different stills since in one we can capture the lighter, fragrant and floral notes and in the other we are able to extract the heavier, fruitier and more pungent ones. Painstakingly inefficient, true, and we only make a mere 450 litres per batch. We blend these together and add our coup de grace, cucumber and rose essences, before we bottle it as Hendrick’s Gin. All this takes place in a small town in southwest Scotland called Ayrshire.

We at Hendrick’s Gin are, much like the East India Trading Companies, vast supporters of adventurous journeys and escapades to find unusual botanical ingredients. As a matter of fact we like it so much that we have

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° PROFILE °

NEW QUININE CORDIAL

For a long time gin was the tipple of choice for the movers and shakers, Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope were seldom seen without a gin martini.

LAUNCHED BY HENDRICK’S GIN

QUINETUM CREATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR ENLIGHTENED BARTENDERS

launched our own expedition into the unknown. Perhaps not to seek out new life and new civilisations, but certainly to boldly go where no gin distiller has gone before. Carrying a tiny alembic still under her arm, our master distiller Lesley Gracie ventured into to Venezuelan Jungle risking life and limb in order to distil fresh botanicals straight from mother earth, while fending off local tribesmen. Lesley did all this in a quest for new exotic botanicals for a limited edition of our precious cucumber elixir. Now that your curiosity is awakened, this very limited edition gin will indeed be ready for imbibing later this year. And Lesley is doing great, too.

After a fiendish clamour from bartenders around the world to get their hands on a bottle, HENDRICK’s GIN Master Distiller has released a batch of Quinetum – the quinine cordial crafted for bartenders to create dazzling cocktails for their patrons.

Combining lavender and orange distillates with extracts of orange blossom, wormwood and holy thistle, Quinetum’s core ingredient of cinchona succirubra bark is balanced for a more rounded and workable liquid.

HENDRICK’S UK Ambassador Duncan McRae created the first cocktail to be made with Quinetum. He commented: “The classic G&T is as refreshing a drink as you’re likely to find and this Quinetum Collins is similarly light, but also completely different to a G&T in all the best possible ways.

LOOK OUT FOR A SPECIAL EVENT COMING TO HONG KONG AND A FULL REVIEW IN OUR NEXT EDITION! DRINKS WORLD ASIA

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째 MEET 째

DWA takes flight with

AVIATION GIN and talks to its pilot

RYAN MAGARIAN R

yan Magarian continues to help redefine the role of the American bartender with over 17 years of industry experience and involvement in the development and training of hundreds of bars and thousands of bartenders worldwide.

Ryan co-founded Aviation American Gin in 2006 with craft spirit pioneer House Spirits Distillery and we at Drinks World Asia were fortunate to spend spent time with him whilst he was in our backyard Hong Kong.

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Ryan on his trip to Hong Kong: “I feel sooo fortunate to have been exposed to all the exciting things the Hong Kong bar scene is getting their mitts into, thanks to a couple of weeks consulting at the Mandarin Oriental.

First and foremost, the passion for the craft around the city, specifically in the craft leading bars and restaurants is electric. I felt welcomed by nearly every bartender I came across and enjoyed many profitable conversations on everything from a need for more passionate guest service within the craft, to the importance of foundational bar training for all of Hong Kong’s budding craft bartenders. There is much hunger here to take things to another level! Specifically, I think Hong Kong is on the forefront in the areas of technological advancement and extreme overall creativity, which was fun to witness firsthand at bars such as Quinary, Fatty Crab, Origin, Ham and Sherry, and Lilly and Bloom. Additionally, I really enjoyed the purist efforts by the folks at Butler and Ronin, along with so many more. Overall, Hong Kong is definitely asserting itself as a top tier spirit and cocktail service destination, and with great mentors in the form of Sam Jeavons and Peter Kendall, along with the leadership of emerging superstars such as Antonio Lai, Eric Stephenson and Joao Balzani, Hong Kong’s future does indeed, look extremely bright.”

Ryan on Aviation American Gin:

Photo: Ryan Magarian

“I couldn’t have been more thrilled to time my consulting visit with the launch of my gin here in Hong Kong. As so many of your readers know, we are a truly unique and have a delicious leaning within the gin category, favoring a democracy of botanicals over a dictatorship of juniper. Additionally, I feel like our balanced palate with notes of Indian sarsaparilla, cardamom, and lavender, among others, and a bottling strength of 42%, is a dead on match for the sweet spicy style of cooking that southern China is known for. Additionally, as my partner and our CEO Tom Mooney mentions, we are the top rated gin in the world according to Wine Enthusiast magazine with a score of 97 and, further, are thought to be the first authentic bartender/distiller partnership in American history. By now I hope you’re thirsty, which means its time to direct you to our Hong Kong Distributor; Essential Fine Wines, who I had the pleasure of bringing up to cruising altitude during my visit, and who are extremely excited to be bringing it into the market.”

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° MEET °

“Aviation American Gin is the highest rated cocktail spirit in the world (97 points, Wine Enthusiast), and the pioneer of a new, more balanced and delicious expression of gin.

Aviation is insanely mixable, so it’s a favorite of both professional and home bartenders.

What makes Aviation American Gin unique?

The use of two non-traditional botanicals (lavender and Indian sarsaparilla), and the botanical balance (all 7 botanicals have an important role in the overall flavor, as opposed to the more juniper forward classic gin style)”

THOMAS A. MOONEY

Co-Owner / CEO | HOUSE SPIRITS DISTILLERY Old World Philosophy for the New World Palate

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° FEATURE °

The

ICE Age WORDS ° Naren Young

T

o many people, ice is just frozen water. A prehistoric compound that doesn’t require any degree of contemplation.

In a bar, it’s just something that makes drinks cold, right? Not according to many of today’s mixologists, who have begun to treat ice with such reverence that it can form the very foundations of their bar program. The Violet Hour in Chicago made some serious noise when they opened in 2007 with seven different types of ice. Yes, seven. Man, I remember the days when I started bartending and there was only ever one type of ice machine. One.

Another Chicago bar – The Aviary – went quite a few steps further when they opened their doors with almost 20 types of ice. Now, I hear you asking yourself, “How is that even possible? Do that many types of ice even exist?” Well, apparently yes, and they have a full time ‘ice guy’ whose sole task is to research and develop new and unique types and shapes of ice. Even their iced water comes with hand chiseled ice.

To be honest, I hadn’t really thought much about the use of ice until I moved to the U.S, where nowadays, no bar worth their ice pick would open without a quality ‘ice program’. At the sadly gone Bayswater Brasserie in Sydney, we had a very good Hoshizaki machine and were one of the few bars using crushed ice across a gamut of drinks. We used ice sphere moulds for some single malt service but that was about the extent of our own ice program.

The most common ice machine now used in New York is the Kold Draft, which makes almost perfect 1” x 1” cubes and they now have a new split bin machine, which can make these cubes as well as crushed ice with the simple flick of a lever. This is what I now use. The Hoshizaki that is prevalent all over Europe is not yet available here (although I’m told it’s on the way).

At Saxon + Parole and The Daily in New York, we would buy large blocks of ice on a weekly basis from a local company called Hundred Weight, which they can custom cut to anyone’s specifications. We would store these in a chest freezer in the basement and would typically go through 10” x 10” block on a busy night. We hack away at this with an ice pick and carve it – very quickly and roughly – into something that could fit into our crystal rocks glasses.

Typically we reserve these for classic ‘rocks’ drinks such as the Negroni, Old Fashioned and

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Manhattan and for any high end whiskies, such as single malts. For this level of ice service, we have to pay homage to Japan, where they’ve been using large format ice for decades. This, from my research over five trips to the country, stems from two main factors.

Firstly is the fact that due to congestion in the likes of Tokyo and Osaka, many bars don’t have ice machines. As a result, most of them use hand carved ice in their drinks, even at the most rudimentary, working class bars. They simply don’t view ice as something reserved for the most top tier craft cocktail bars, like most of us in the West do. If you ask for a simple whisky and soda highball, chances are you’re going to get a long, crystal clear ice ‘spear’.

Secondly, Japan has had a very serious and progressive whisky-making tradition since the 1920s and specialist whisky bars are littered throughout their major cities. They are one of the biggest consumers of whisky in the world and as such, they hold the spirit in very high reverence. And with that level of respect comes a certain respect for serving it in the best ways.

And that means the highest quality ice. When someone is paying a premium for a single malt whisky, including my all time favorite – the Yamazaki 18 Year – then it deserves to be served on superior quality ice.

As more people in the bar industry began travelling to Japan, myself included, they began

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to see what an impact using perfect ice could have on a guest’s experience. “Why hadn’t I thought of that?” seemed to be the common rhetoric as it all seemed so simple. After all, it’s just frozen water, right?

New York’s first modern speakeasy – Angel’s Share – was the first cocktail bar using such ice and when Milk & Honey opened in 2000, owner Sasha Petraske was widely quoted as saying he took many of his ideas from that venerable bar; one that is helmed – not surprisingly – by an all-Japanese team of bartenders. I highly recommend a trip here to anyone visiting New York and they have a killer list of Japanese whiskies.

At Saxon + Parole, our Japanese bar manager, Masahiro Urushido, is a master at carving perfect ice spheres from scratch and is flown around the country to teach people how to do so. Clearly, ice carving is in huge demand and many bartenders, cocktail geeks and home enthusiasts have indeed taught themselves to carve ice with the help from our friends on YouTube. At the very pinnacle of this is the ice diamond, perfected by the most famous Japanese bartender in the world right now: Hidetsugu Ueno.

One particular drink that is experiencing a huge comeback is the simple highball. In today’s ingredient-driven cocktail world, the joys of this classic family of drinks have been somewhat

forgotten, passed off perhaps as too easy, too boring. But for anyone that really appreciates the actual taste of the base spirit in a mixed drink, then the Highball is one of the best ways to accentuate this. High quality whiskies – such as those made by Suntory – when paired with good quality bottled soda and cold, hard, pristine ice, is a beautiful marriage.

Neyah White, who works as the West Coast ambassador for Suntory, is a huge proponent of this Highball renaissance.

“First of all, it is an authentic drink. The idea of a big glass of whisky with water (high ball = high bowl = tall cup) goes back hundreds of years to the beginning of whisky itself. Even more interestingly, New York barman Patrick Gavin Duffy, who was widely attributed to popularizing the highball in the late 1800s, claimed that this was the first Scotch cocktail to get any traction and was responsible for the first cases of Scotch to be imported into New York.

This is probably accurate as it coincides with the introduction of blended whisky after the phylloxera epidemic and the perfection of the column still”.

At the end of the day, all we’re collectively trying to do is make better drinks and make them quickly. Any bar can implement a few simple things to improve their ice program, while also paying homage to one of the world’s great simple mixed drinks: the Highball.

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° VISIT °

new york’s What’s hot & happening in

BAR SCENE

Drinks World Asia takes a look at one of the world’s best bar scenes

I

n this ongoing series, I’ll highlight the very best of what’s happening in the Big Apple. Expect a snapshot of the top places to drink right now, of which bartenders you should keep an eye out for and of some of the very best libations every visitor should seek out. Enjoy!

WORDS ° Naren Young There are an increasing number of great drinking cities around the globe and while some are well-publicised beacons for visitors looking for a world-class beverage, others fly a little more under the radar. I’ve been to most, if not all, of these places and i still believe New York is the winner when it comes to delivering the best service as well as the greatest cocktail design, variety and, of course, quality.

Bar openings (and closings) are never a shortage in New York City. Many of the world’s cocktail buzz words: bottled cocktails, barrel aged cocktails, cocktails on tap – gained traction in Gotham City, even if they weren’t ‘invented’ here. Check out this little window into what is happening in the world’s cocktail epicenter right now, from the best new bars, the great old bars, to the bartenders that people will soon be watching.

BARTENDERS ON FIRE: JOAQUIN SIMO – POURING RIBBONS When people talk of the ‘nice guys’ in the industry, compliments fly thick and fast for Joaquin Simo.

Like many others, he originally began bartending at a student bar in his native Massachusetts. But it’s in New York City that he’s made his name and done so with a modest, humble and unassuming approach. He hasn’t worked at a lot of venues across Gotham – a

rarity these days – manning the bar at the highly lauded Death & Co. for over six years. It was at this tiny neo-speakeasy in the East Village that he developed a loyal following and national recognition, which culminated in him being crowned American Bartender of the Year at the annual Tales of the Cocktail Awards in 2012.

While at D&C, he developed a friendship and a business relationship with one of New York’s most recognised bar identities: Toby Maloney.

They partnered with a few others in Alchemy Consulting and went onto open Pouring Ribbons in Alphabet City.

Simo remains a consistent figure behind his own bar, making perfect drinks with the jovial demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge that have garnered him the utmost respect from the highest echelons of the industry.

225 Avenue B (near 14th St), New York, 10009.

Ph: +1 917 656 6788 www.pouringribbons.com

MAXIME BELFAND – SAXON + PAROLE A French native, Maxime spent a few years working at some of London’s top bars including Ronnie Scott’s and Novokov before moving to New York in 2011. Since then, he has worked at the highly acclaimed The Daily bar and has been an integral part of the team that took home the

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° VISIT ° award for ‘World’s Best Restaurant Bar’ at the 2013 Tales of the Cocktail Awards.

“I will always remember the day I arrived at Saxon + Parole to do my training as it was my first time working in New York City after coming from London.

The vibe from the place and the people working there was both amazing and overwhelming, I’m only 27 year old but I have been working and traveling in few places in the world, but I had never seen anything like this before. The attention to detail and the level of focus behind that bar was beyond anything I had experienced in my career.

I knew that day it was a place and a team that I wanted to be part of. It’s been almost two years now that I’ve been working for the company but only feels like a few days. I always come to work

with a smile because I know how lucky I have been to get an opportunity to work in Manhattan in this very special place.”

316 Bowery (cnr. Bleecker St).

Ph: +1 212 254 0350 www.saxonandparole.com

SO HOT RIGHT NOW: BOTTLED COCKTAILS Bottled cocktails are one of the biggest trends doing the rounds across America right now. They’re being made in dozens of venues and while everyone seems to think they’re onto a new concept, bottled cocktails actually have a long and storied history. When saloons were closed on Sundays, people would buy bottled cocktails to serve at home. Sadly, almost all of today’s commercial examples

JOAQUIN SIMO Photo by Eric Medsker

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masquerading as bottled cocktails are awful. But there are several bartenders who have been leading a renaissance, such as Portland’s Jeffrey Morgenthaler who has had a carbonated and bottled Americano cocktail on his menu for several years now.

At Manhattan’s Saxon + Parole, the Champagne Negroni (also served by the bucket) is one of the biggest selling drinks on the menu, especially when the mercury starts climbing and people realise that sitting on the bustling Bowery provides some of the best people watching in the city.

316 Bowery (cnr. Bleecker St).

Ph: +1 212 254 0350 www.saxonandparole.com

WHAT’S HOT: BENTON’S OLD FASHIONED AT PDT To the unadventurous drinker, the idea of imbibing a spirit that has been fat washed might be a little too left field - especially in today’s increasingly health-conscious world, where ‘fat’ has become a dirty word. Despite this, the technique is now being employed in bars all over the world and while it was brought to the fore by veteran New York bartender Eben Freeman, it is at the award winning PDT bar that fat washing has gained serious traction.

The technique is all about adding a rich, buttery texture to the drink without actually adding any of the fat content. In this remarkable drink, bacon (from the famous

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Benton’s farm in Tennessee) is fried in a pan with the leftover juices poured into a container with several bottles of bourbon. This is stored in the fridge overnight and the fat solidifies on the surface. The fat is then scraped away and discarded and what remains is a spirit with just the slightest suggestion of swine and an unctuous texture. This is then stirred into an Old Fashioned with bitters and maple syrup in what is one of the most complex, original and sublime cocktails in all of New York.

113 St Mark’s Place (near Ave A), New York, 10009.

Ph: +1 212 614 0386 www.pdtnyc.com

COCKTAILS ON TAP – EMPELLON TAQUERIA During my time at the award winning Saxon + Parole restaurant on The Bowery, we were one of the first bars in Amereica to offer a cocktail on tap. The idea piqued my curiosity when I noticed that a lot of bars and restaurants were beginning to offer wines by the glass, poured from a beer tap. It seemed like a revelation and had me thinking that this was not just a cool idea, but one that could actually translate to greater profits. Why couldn’t this be applied to pouring cocktails in this way? Turns out it was, and is, very easy to do.

We began serving a Manhattan Cocktail (of course) and it remains the biggest selling cocktail to this day. Since we began serving this in 2011, I’ve since seen Negronis and Americanos served on draught, as well as Fernet Branca, vermouth, gin & tonics and dozens of other options. Several bars now even have up to a dozen cocktails on tap. At Empellon Taqueria – my new digs in the West Village – we have a Negroni Pequeño (meaning ‘little Negroni) on tap, served in a cute little half portion, hence the name. Expect to see this new wave of draught cocktails pop up in all corners of the globe in the years ahead.

105 1st Avenue (at 6th St), New York, 10003.

Ph: +1 212 780 0999 www.empellon.com

BARS TO WATCH: THE DEAD RABBIT Named after a notorious gang of 1850’s New York, this bar in the New York’s financial district is the most hyped venue we’ve seen for a long time. Perhaps this is because its opening date was put back for what ended up being almost two years. Yes, you read that correctly.

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The Dead Rabbit is the brainchild of Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, two natives of Northern Ireland who made a big name for themselves at Belfast’s The Merchant Hotel for discreet, well-informed service and an outstanding cocktail menu. At their new digs in Manhattan – a split level tavern with a rustic public house downstairs and a parlour with reserved seating upstairs – the cocktail list is more impressive than anything this scribe has seen.

It’s a surprisingly diminutive venue where one can enjoy a pint of Guinness, a cup of punch or a dram from the city’s biggest selection of Irish whiskey in a downstairs saloon they’re calling the ‘Grog & Grocery’. Here, you can also buy a plethora of small goods to take home.

McGarry heads up the parlour bar and watching him work is a lesson in grace and dexterity. He’s one of the finest young bartenders in the world today and his obscenely large 72-odd cocktail menu is the result of some exhaustive research, as he’s ensured each one is as historically correct as possible.

30 Water St (near Broad St), New York, 10004.

Ph: +1 646 422 7906 www.deadrabbitnyc.com

BUTTERFLY Eben Freeman is one of the most high profile names in the bartending world today. Having carved out a name for himself at the molecularfocused WD-50 restaurant on the Lower East Side, he is now the group beverage director for the Altamarea Group, helmed by the celebrated chef Michael White. The latest bar in their growing empire takes its name from The Butterfly Club in Wisconsin, where the chef

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grew up.

Some of the drinks are favorites of that state – such as the Wisconsin Old Fashioned – where brandy stands in for the typical whiskey base – while others are some of Freeman’s greatest hits, such as his often imitated bourbon and smoked coca cola, which he created at the nowshuttered Tailor. Each drink is accompanied by its own illustration and an insight into some of the modernist techniques they’re employing in their execution.

There’s definitely a focus on kitsch on the menu as can be seen in such drinks as the Grasshopper, although here it’s made with a clarified milk punch and a new, artisanal and delicious versions of crème de menthe and crème de cacao. There’s also a mezcal-spiked Rusty Nail variation, a Mai Tai made without any superfluous ingredients, a textbook Whiskey Sour and a very cool Martini using a vodka infused with slate.

Located in the hip and affluent downtown neighborhood of Tribeca, the area continues to attract a growing number of high profile bar owners and restaurareurs, looking to capitalize on a huge cross section of clientele – from wandering tourists to young families and moneyed Wall St types. The room itself is not so warm or exciting, but what Freeman is putting out across the bar always keeps people’s curiosity alive.

225 West Broadway, New York, 10013.

Ph: +1 646 692 4943 www.thebutterflynyc.com

CLASSIC BAR OLD TOWN BAR There are few better cities in the world to drink

in solitude than in New York, especially in the winter. In Gotham, there is literally a bar for everyone, no matter what you’re into. I enjoy a finely made cocktail at one of the city’s myriad neo-speakeasies as much as the next guy. But I also love what New York does best, and that’s classic. Whether you’re sidled up at one of the opulent hotel bars in Midtown or a saloon from the turn of the century Downtown, you will be drinking in a piece of local history.

The drinks are secondary to the atmosphere and it is the characters you meet that you’ll most remember, long after you’ve savored those last drops from your dirty pint glass. For me, one of those venerable joints is the Old Town Bar; a moniker that could not be any more appropriate.

For a start it was built in 1892 and traded right through the dark days of Prohibition. I like to come here during the late afternoon – just after the lunch rush and just before the happy hour crowd and tourists swarm the place.

The back bar is littered with a kaleidoscope of colorful bottles that most human beings shouldn’t be forced to ingest (Smirnoff Cinnamon, anyone?). Order a cocktail at your peril. Rather, pull up a rickety stool at the behemoth 60 feet bar, wave down a bartender for a pint of Guiiness and a shot of Old Grandad, pull out a good book and revel in the fact that nobody might bother you for hours.

45 East 18th St (at Broadway), New York, 10003. Ph: +1 212 529 6732 www.oldtownbar.com

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° FEATURE °

What’s hot in

Hong Kong WORDS ° Michael D. Callahan

P

eople are fond of fantasizing over the notion that everyone has a soul mate somewhere in the world. The reality that many people just don’t have much luck in the rodeo of life is perhaps too brutal to be entertained by most. However one place of reprieve, where you will always find a friend, is in a proper good bar. And you, good friend, are in luck.

Craft cocktails and the bars that serve them are shakers deep in a full-blown renaissance. No matter how obscure your cocktail fetish, somewhere in the craft world is a bar that caters to your oddball palate and does it so well they just won an award doing so. This leads me to the first of the four

trends I have noticed in my recent escapades through the delightfully diverse Hong Kong craft cocktail community.

Trend #1: Agave Distillates Settle down. You still think “tequila” is that stuff you drank in University, and I sympathize with your tragic

misunderstanding. What you don’t realize is that tequila is the foil of misery, dear friend, and the balm for broken hearts. Agave is a lover that is content hiding behind the façade of a street walking chola.

Only you can take the time to get to know her, and in her you will find a depth and nobility rivaling the

most revered of distillates, a true lady in disguise. The bartenders who are emphatically guiding the market with crafty concoctions, blatant recommendations, and the occasional bullshit are helping this lady to finally find her day in the sun. From aged mezcals to artisanal single vintage tequilas

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° FEATURE °

the world of this truly noble spirit is rightfully on the rise. The bartenders themselves are well versed and will comfortably guide you, through celebration and sadness, in expanding your drinking horizons. In the last few months alone the market went from zero to no less than 7 different expressions of Mezcal. Which is fine by me since a Los Danzantes Rosita is my go to favorite cocktail. So take that leap of faith, and if no one else will join you give me a call, as I will gladly share a bottle of Mezcales De Leyenda as we watch the fireworks of life ensue.

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Trend #2: Low ABV Cocktails This town is full of savvy business types, the types you probably work with. Hong Kong is a major hub for many different industries in the region. With cocktails at bars so deceptively smooth it’s all too easy for you to get overly inebriated while entertaining associates or tying to win over that boy from the office. Yet again, the trends have you covered. Bartenders are beginning to realize that low ABV drinks are the Konami cheat codes of cocktails. These are tipples that allow guests to stay in the groove while maintaining composure. They

are rest stops in between shots of Fernet and barrel strength bourbon Old Fashion’s. The fact that one can drink 2-3 Adonis cocktails for every Manhattan, and come across a little classier doing so, is an added value. It’s a win-win and I’m happy to report it’s making a stronger presence in the cocktail offerings of Hong Kong. Next time you feel you might need to slow your roll just ask your barman for a Bamboo cocktail, or the ever-awesome Chrysanthemum. Not only will your liver be thankful, but you will also look infinitely more badass than the vodka martini you were going

to order.

Trend #3: Empowering The Staff The turning point in any scene.

How exciting for you to be here at a time when management and owners are investing heavily in the professional growth of the staff.

Continued training opportunities, support in regional, national, or global competitions, and sponsored trips to international conventions, seminars, or guest bartending shifts abroad are revolutionizing the level of hospitality afforded by the staff. An increasingly mature depth of talent born of this investment

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blurs the lines between senior and junior bartenders. As these young bartenders win awards, get outside consulting contracts, become magazine features, and travel the world they are adding yet another unique strand to the rich tapestry of talent emanating from Hong Kong’s healthy bartending community. For you, the drinker, this means receiving a deeper bench of talent to belly up and build a relationship with. A talent less likely to cheat on you.

Trend #4: Luxury Speakeasys Its undeniable that the trend for

the hidden bar has permeated the world of craft cocktails.

However not all of the bars in Hong Kong are going for the hard to find and hidden. Some, such as our cover boy Ryan’s home venue The Lobster Bar, are hiding in plain sight. What all these establishments have in common are investing (or reinvesting) millions into exquisitely executed interiors complete with breathtaking collections of vintage glassware, rare cocktail trinkets, university level lab equipment, rich wood materials, and lush fabrics.

The golden era of room design and

fit out is very much in full swing for the Hong Kong market. From the classic Japanese style of Butler in TST to the museum piece that is Stockton, drinkers are being whisked away to magical lands.

With a weeks time you will still not hit all the little gems this town has to offer. Not to mention the few that are about to come online (read: Bibo!).

So there you have it estranged friend. Perhaps you will not find your unicorn. It may be that the cards you were dealt were never meant to deliver the winning hand of love, and that’s ok. You have now

the knowledge that somewhere, probably in your own backyard, is a tireless professional that is polishing glasses and front facing bottles that you have yet to even realize exist. A whole world of beautiful characters and flavors that will gladly join you arm in arm in this thorny walk through life.

There for a moment or always by your side the barmen, the bars, and the booze offer nothing less than an open embrace. So rise up your trousers and lift your chin. The only thing left is to pick your poison and let the adventures begin.

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° DRINK °

Cocktail Club

Southside Fizz Ingredients • 8 Mint leaves • 50ml Tanqueray Gin • 25ml Lime juice • 15ml Sugar syrup • Soda Water top Method Rip mint add all ingredients except soda. Shake and strain over fresh ice, top with Soda Water Glass Highball Ice Cubed Ice Garnish Mint Sprig Menu description We love Southside’s so much but they never lasted long enough so we decided to serve it long with a splash of soda water to savour the blend of Tanqueray gin, lime and mint.

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PCT Fizz Ingredients • 40ml Tanqueray No. Ten Gin • 10ml Lemon Juice • 25ml Camomile syrup • 30ml Pink Grapefruit juice • Soda Water top Method Build and stir. Top with Soda Water Glass Highball Ice Cubed Ice Garnish Pink Grapefruit slice Menu description This pink little number will float your boat with Tanqueray gin, pink grapefruit, lemon and camomile syrup and splash of soda water.

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Raspberry Collins Ingredients • 45ml Tanqueray Gin • 20ml Lemon juice • 15ml Sugar syrup • Soda Water top • 20ml Raspberry puree Method Shaken and double strain then top with Soda Water Glass Highball Ice Cubed Ice Garnish Raspberry skewer Menu description We say why would you want John or Tom when you can have a Raspberry Collins instead. Tanqueray gin, lemon, fresh raspberries and charged with Soda Water.

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Vanilla Citrus Sour Ingredients • 50ml Ketel One Vodka • 30ml Fresh lemon juice • 15ml Monin vanilla syrup • ½ Egg white • 2 dash of orange bitters Method Build all ingredients. Shake and strain Glass Double rocks Ice Cubed Ice Garnish Lemon twist Menu description This drink is no sour puss rather the refreshing blend of Ketel One Vodka, lemon, vanilla syrup and a dash of orange bitters.

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Nolet Garden Ingredients • 60ml Ketel One Vodka • 15ml Elderflower Cordial • 30ml Cloudy apple juice • 1 piece of cucumber (thumb length) • Tonic Water top Method Build all ingredients except Tonic over ice then stir and top with Tonic water Glass Highball Ice Cubed Ice Garnish Cucumber cubes Menu description Just a little bit English Ketel One Vodka, elderflower, cloudy apple juice, cucumber and a splash of Tonic

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° VISIT °

Drinks World Asia

BAR Exchange W

e sent John Ng (The Honey Man) to Singapore, here are his thoughts after he hit the Singapore bar scene with his distinctive style.

DWA: Can you please explain why it’s important to get behind the stick at other bars, and why Singapore is great for that?

JOHN NG: It is important to be in this exchange program because although Singapore is a smaller city compared to that of Hong Kong, there is a great mixture of cultures from all over the world in the one city.

Similar to Hong Kong there are different cultures which contributes to different tastes and palates. And while I have the opportunity to work behind the bar in Singapore, I am able to appreciate and learn what the Singapore drinker enjoys and the cocktails, which they prefer.

To complement the experience, which I will gain from working with various bartenders, I will also improve my

skills and knowledge from working in Singapore, which has the reputation of being one of Asia’s best cocktail cities!

Gaining knowledge in customer preference will also be beneficial to my education as there are more international cocktail bars in Singapore compared to Hong Kong and from that I will be able to witness customer reaction towards choices and quality of bars.

DWA: What’s the energy like at 28 HK ST and what was it like working with the bar team from a top10 bar in the world?

JN: Working in 28 HK was definitely a great experience. The teams at 28HK are amazing, they work to a high standard, and they know their place very well and are ready to assist anyone in the bar. Their

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individual skills and knowledge are impressive. They can all perform equally well behind the bar, which contributes to their success and prestige in being rated as one of the world’s top 10 bars.

It was impressive to see the teamwork and communication between the bar team and floor team. Both teams worked together extremely well and were able to assist each other when needed.

In bar service fast work is a big component and good teamwork makes the task more efficient.

Working in 28HK ST made me feel like a superstar when every member of the team came to my assistance when needed. I

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worked a 3-hour shift and had the opportunity to work with 3 different bartenders each change over. The energy is electric, the team really understands how to treat a guest and give them the opportunity to feel special.

DWA: Can you explain what it feels like sharing your drinks with the team at Tippling Club?

JN: Because the Tippling Club is a restaurant and bar, what makes it amazing is that the team are able to understand the flavours in food and drinks better than anyone else.

The team appreciates different layers in good flavour and taste and therefore when I shared with them

my winning drink The Margaret Thatcher, they appreciated its high complexity, its varying levels of smokiness, its sweetness and bitterness.

I received positive feedback not only from them, but customers too.

DWA: Bitters and Love is said to have a great fun vibe. How would you describe it and what are the similarities and differences with W4?

JN: Bitters and Love is a place where you will find local Singaporeans who have a passion for cocktails. The music and atmosphere draw you back many

times over. The staff are friendly and can make amazing things happen.

People are in big groups and small groups eating, drinking, and relaxing. All of this makes you want to stay and order round after round of drinks.

Wyndham 4th or W4 has the same atmosphere on the weekends. They want to create a relaxed atmosphere for customers who appreciate good cocktails.

Bitters and Love has a more relaxed atmosphere compared to W4 mainly in terms of decor, which resembles a home like environment, whereas W4 tends to resemble a modern hotel room.

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ALEX CHATTE Bibo

JOE VILLANUEVA

Woobar

SAMUEL KWOK Quinary

T

he Chivas Masters global cocktail competition will challenge the world’s greatest bartenders to create classic cocktails.

THOMAS WOOD Sal Curioso

To become a Chivas Master, bartenders will need to demonstrate a knowledge of cocktail heritage, mastery of the art of making great cocktails, and creativity.

Presenting Hong Kong’s Chivas Masters for 2014 , all of whom were hand selected to be part of the most prestigious cocktail event in Hong Kong.

Each master will produce a Chivas cocktail from each of 4 era’s.

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째 FEATURE 째

ERIC STEPHENSON Lily & Bloom

RICKY LIAU W4

NEIL RIVINGTON Ham & Sherry

UCHIDA SAN Bar Butler

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° FEATURE °

TICO LI

representing the host bar of the event “The Bar” at the Peninsula Hotel

“The concept of this competition is truly engaging, both from a creative and historical perspective. I’m eager not only to taste everyone’s concoctions, but also to hear the dirty stories everyone turns up in their research.”

ERIC STEPHENSON Lily & Bloom

“I’ve been looking through my cocktail books and picking my favourite drinks from each period, trying to put together concepts for each drink. I like to have fun with cocktails so I then look for unusual or interesting ingredients I can use in each drink. Sometimes I do this by walking through supermarkets looking for unique ingredients on the shelves that could be used. Then I sit with a flavour wheel working out the best way to combine all the flavours and achieve a complex and balanced drink. Once I have a overview of each drink I start to look at how I can create stories for the drinks then find a way to tie the all four drinks together.”

THOMAS WOOD Sal Curioso

“I have just been focusing in the history of the time periods, what these periods meant to everyone, the thoughts, emotions, relationships etc... So much has happened and history been created during these periods it’s hard to narrow it down.

So, I have decided to focus on things that relate, interest or connect with me.

This will form my platform as to how I go about developing my drinking experience; I say experience because each time period is an experience for everyone involved.

Hopefully I can translate that through my creations... and equally bad chat!”

NEIL RIVINGTON Ham & Sherry

The Classic Age 1880 – 1920 The era that saw the birth of Chivas Regal is now considered the Classic Age of cocktails. The first Martini, Manhattan, and Daiquiri were recorded along with many others.

Leading the way was celebrity bartenders Harry ‘The Dean” Johnson, author of the world’s first bar operations manual, and one of the first to publish a recipe for a Martini.

The Post War Book 1945 – 1960 The Post War Boom brought back some of the luxuries in life, including the arrival of Chivas 12, the perfect luxury for a new era of optimism.

‘Trader Vic (Bergeron) was the bartender introducing the Tiki movement with a range of iconic cocktails such as the Mai Tai.

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The Disco Years 1975 – 1990 Sometimes referred to as ‘The Dark Age’ of cocktails, this was the era when cocktails become popular with the masses, but lost sight of some of the craftsmanship of the previous 100 years.

Cocktails mirrored the fashion of age, and the bright colours were often laced with sugar, masking the noble character of the spirits.

While cocktail craftsmanship took a back seat, Chivas stood tall with iconic advertising and timeless quality. The classic whisky cocktail of the age was the Roby Roy (also known at a ‘Scotch Manhattan’). Recorded in the ‘Savoy Cocktail Book’ in 1930 by Harry Craddock, the Rob Roy is thought to date back to 1894, when Reginald De Koven premiered his operetta Rob Roy on Broadway.

The Age of Revivalism (Present) Today we are entering a new era of craftsmanship – the ‘Age of Revivalism.’

A wave of creativity is sweeping through cocktail culture as the past inspires the future.

Bartenders are reaching back through cocktail heritage and recreating the classic cocktails.

Chivas Masters国际鸡尾酒调酒大赛将会云集各地 高手，重新演绎经典鸡尾酒。 要成为Chivas调酒大师，必须熟悉鸡尾酒的历 史、调酒技巧出众，而且创意过人。 经典时期 1880 – 1920年 这个时期见证了Chivas Regal的诞生，还有马丁 尼、曼哈顿和台克里等鸡尾酒，因而被誉为鸡尾 酒的经典时期。 著名调酒大师Harry Johnson出版了全球首本酒 吧营运手册，率先刊载马丁尼酒谱，成为调酒界 的先驱。 战后时期 1945 – 1960 年 战后的人民开始追求生活上的享受，Chivas 12应 运而生，成为享乐新时代的奢华象征。 Trader Vic的Victor Bergeron以Mai Tai等多种创意 鸡尾酒掀起Tiki鸡尾酒热潮，名留青史。 迪斯科时期 1975 – 1990 年 这个时期也称为鸡尾酒的“黑暗时期”，因为鸡 尾酒成为大众化的饮料，却失去了过去一世纪的 部分传统调酒技巧。 鸡尾酒成为潮流，颜色亮丽的鸡尾酒往往结合

The Chivas Masters will place Chivas at the heart of the revivalism in cocktails – as relevant as it ever has been – an icon of Timeless Luxury.

The Yuzu Sour was created in 2013 by Agostino (Ago) Perone, currently Head Bartender at the Connaught Hotel. With its fusion of timeless and modern, this is a classic Scotch whisky cocktail in the making.

The Global Final The winning bartenders from around the world will be invited to the Global Final, held over two days in New York City in July 2014. This is a tribute to the 1909 launch and success of Chivas Regal in the town.

An iconic New York venue will be sleected to host the final, emphasing the iconic luxury of the Chivas brand.

Day One of the global final will see bartenders re-create the classic cokctails from the four great eras.

Day Two of the final will include two additional rounds: • Bartenders will be asked to talk for 10 minutes about how ‘Revivalism’ is changing a subject they are passionate about.

• Participate in a final, secret round.

砂糖，使鸡尾酒更顺喉。 虽然调酒方法未见突破，Chivas却继续以夺目的 广告和卓越的品质独占鳌头。Roby Roy(也称为“ 苏格兰曼哈顿酒”)是当时最流行的威士忌鸡尾 酒。根据Harry Craddock在1930年出版的《Savoy Cocktail Book》记载，1894年美国著名作曲家 Reginald De Koven的歌剧《Rob Roy》在百老汇首 映，Roby Roy因而得名。 复兴时期 (现在). 今天，我们已进入鸡尾酒的“复兴时期”。 调酒师展示创意，融合古今，重新演绎经典鸡 酒尾。 调酒大师将会让Chivas成为鸡尾酒复兴时期的支 柱，继续成为恒久奢华的象征。 Connaught Hotel首席调酒师Agostino Perone在2013 年创制的Yuzu Sour把新旧交融，为经典苏格兰威 士忌鸡尾酒定下新标准。 全球总决赛 在各国赛事胜出的调酒师将会获邀参加全球总决 赛。总决赛将于2014年7月在纽约市举行，为期 两天，向1909年至今一直风靡纽约的Chivas Regal 致敬。 总决赛将会在纽约的地标建筑内举行，彰显 Chivas奢华非凡的地位。

Tales of the Cocktail Directly from the New York Global Final, Chivas will fly the global finalists direct to ‘Tales of the Cocktail’ in New Orleans.

This is the leading global event for bartenders, and all bartenders want to visit at least once in their lifetime.

Masterclasses, entertainment and an unparrelled opportunity for networking within the bartender community will await the global finalists. Chivas will greet the winning bartenders with a ‘Welcome Dinner’ where the global winner of the Chivas Masters will be announced.

The bartenders will be issued a badge that will grant them access to a large range of seminars and events.

The Global Prize A unique prize awaits the Chivas Master.

The opportunity to work in partnership with a second craftman to create a new luxury article for the bartender communiity.

The article will be hand-produced and given as a gift to all bartenders who participated in the global competition, an enduring symbol of the timeless relationship between Chivas and the bartending community…

在第一天的比赛，调酒师要重新调配四个时期 的经典鸡尾酒。 第二天的比赛包括两个部分： - 调师酒要就“复兴时期”如何改写鸡尾酒发表 演说，每人10分钟 - 参加最后一a轮的神秘赛事 Tales of the Cocktail盛事 Chivas会安排入围全球总决赛的调师酒前往新奥 尔良，参加所有调酒师也梦寐以求的Tales of the Cocktail鸡尾酒盛事。 入围总决赛的调酒师将会有机会参加调酒大师 班，欣赏精彩的娱乐节目，还能与世界各地的调 酒师分享交流。他们更会获邀出席Chivas的欢迎 晚宴，届时将会公布Chivas Masters比赛的全球总 冠军。 参赛的调酒师将会获发胸章，免费参加讲座和 各项活动。 全球大奖 Chivas Masters比赛的优胜者能获得特别大奖—— 与另一位工匠携手制作独一无二的纪念品，并送 赠予参加比赛的调酒师以作纪念，印证Chivas与 调酒界的长久关系。

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° PROFILE °

Chivas Regal E

ven those who have never seen a single sip of whisky cross their lips seem to hold the name, ‘Chivas Regal’ in some reverence.

WORDS ° Ken Gargett This famed whisky producer can trace its beginnings back over 200 years, to the opening of a grocery store, dealing with high-end products and affluent customers, at 13 King Street, Aberdeen, called the ‘Italian Warehouse’.

Yet at that time, both the Chivas brothers, James (1810 – 1886) and John (1814 – 1862), were not even born.

The siblings grew up to the north of Aberdeen, before moving to that city in 1836. James joined the Italian Warehouse when he arrived in Aberdeen, while John chose a career in

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clothing, and was sole partner within five years.

James brought in a partner, Charles Stewart, and they announced that ‘Chivas & Stewart’ could supply every article necessary for a country family – including such oddities for the time (and later) as tongues, candles, Caribbean rums, coffee and butlers. Alcohol, especially whisky, played a major role in their business, as did Royal patronage, with the first Royal Warrant bestowed in 1843 on behalf of Queen Victoria, though not solely for whisky. That Royal Warrant was to supply goods and provisions to

the royal family. The partnership between James and Charles folded in 1857 and John joined his brother in the business, until he passed, five years later.

Chivas Brothers may not have been a business focusing solely on whisky but it soon became an integral part of it. A knack for blending whiskies, both grain and malt, into a muchloved house style made them very popular.

The developments in the industry, such as the advent of grain whiskies in the 1830’s, greatly assisted their endeavours, allowing them to lay

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PHOTO: Chivas Regal Master Blender Colin Scott

down barrels of grain whisky for ageing and subsequent blending.

They saw their house style as one of ‘smoothness, richness and harmony’. It was during the 1850’s when James Chivas responded to demands for smoother whiskies that the decision to create a proprietary blend was made. The 1860 Spirits Act brought benefits to the Scotch whisky industry by permitting the blending of whiskies in warehouses. The first such blend was soon launched, the ‘Royal Glen Dee’. It was followed in the 1860’s by ‘Royal Strathythan’ and other brands, such as ‘Royal Loch Nevis’.

Chivas Regal is now part of the Pernod-Ricard empire, while the house style has been handed down across the years from blender to blender. Current Master Blender, Colin Scott, has been with Chivas for more than three decades,

most of them in his current role, ensuring continuity of style and quality. Although always a blend, the heart of this great whisky is a classic malt from Speyside, the Strathisla.

The Strathisla Distillery is the oldest operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands – at Keith, Moray – and dates back to 1786.

The company today sees it as the ‘spiritual heart’ of Chivas Regal.

To protect this vital resource, Chivas Brothers purchased the picturesque distillery, nestled on the banks of the River Isla, in 1950. Master Blender, Colin Scott, describes the full bodied style of the Strathisla malt, produced by the short copper stills and natural spring water, as a “classic Speyside malt”, noting it “has a deep fruitiness with a complex array of nutty and hay-like flavours and is

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became the leading brand in the United States and remained so until the advent of Prohibition.

Chivas have, of course, now expanded the range to include ‘Twelve Year Old’ and ‘Eighteen Year Old’.

Just as they enjoyed the ‘benefits’ of phylloxera’, Chivas also suffered with the other whisky producers when Prohibition was introduced – at one stage, it seemed that the final bottle of ‘Chivas Regal 25 Year Old’ would be among those corked on 20th January 1920.

However, when the restrictions were finally lifted, Chivas Regal returned to America in 1938, but in a new guise. The restrictions had been removed back in 1933 but the whisky business takes time, especially the introduction of a new product. This time, their whisky was released as a ‘12 Year Old’ blended whisky and remains so, to this day. In 1949, the rest of the world had the opportunity to sample the ‘12 year Old’, as it went global. This was made possible as the company had been purchased by Seagrams that year, allowing for extensive marketing and

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distribution. Meanwhile, back in the United States, Chivas Regal was heavily supported by extensive advertising in such publications as ‘The New Yorker’.

In 1997, Master Blender, Colin Scott, added a new whisky to the range, the ‘18 Year Old Gold Signature’ blend. This ultra premium Scotch, deep, complex and exceptionally rich, is a unique blend crafted in the Chivas Regal house style. More recently, in 2007, again at the hand of Scott, the world was introduced to the latest Chivas, the revamped ‘Chivas Regal 25 Year Old’. The new Chivas Regal ‘25 Year Old’ blends, recreated in the same traditions and style by Master Blender Colin Scott, pay homage to the original blend from 1909. A rare and exclusive blend of the finest Scotch whiskies, Chivas 25 Year Old is available only as a strictly limited release in individually numbered bottles.

The famous ‘12 Year Old’ remains the best known and most popular of their whiskies, sold in over 150 countries around the globe.

Occasionally, the lucky few will come across

a special bottling such as the 2012 Duty Free release, ‘the Chivas Brothers’ Blend’, which maintains the House style while combining it with a preponderance of Speyside malts, especially those from their own Strathisla Distillery and also and the Longmorn Distillery.

Today, Chivas Regal is the number 2 super premium whisky in the world, and number 1 in both Europe and China. Sales, from 2002 to 2008, grew at an amazing rate of 61% and the annual sales total is now 4.9 million cases.

It has long enjoyed considerable success at competitions around the globe.

As well as its popularity among whisky lovers, Chivas Regal has always enjoyed a ‘celebrity’ following, and in 1990, sponsored Frank Sinatra’s Diamond Jubilee Tour. To Sinatra and his boys, Chivas Regal represented affuence, prestige and all the joys of life. It had long been a favourite of Sinatra’s and the rest of the ‘Rat Pack’ and was regularly requested by them as their ‘back stage whisky’.

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° PROFILE °

Chivas Regal Family

Chivas Regal 12 Year Old

Chivas Regal 18 Year Old

Chivas Regal 25 Year Old

Chivas Regal 12 Year Old hints at its rich history with a radiant, warm amber colour and an aromatic infusion of wild herbs on the nose with heather, honey and orchard fruits. Rich and fruity on the palate, this Chivas bursts with the smooth taste of ripe, honeyed apples and notes of vanilla, hazelnut and butterscotch before a generous, lingering finish.

An intense, dark amber hue brings a rich, indulgent and multi-layered aromas with hints of dried fruit and buttery toffee before a velvety, dark chocolate palate yields to elegant floral notes, a wisp of sweet, mellow smokiness and an extremely warm, long finish.

Chivas’ oldest family member is rich gold in colour with an enticing fruity nose of sweet orange and peach, followed by notes of marzipan and nuts. There are hints of rich, mild chocolate orange on the palate and a fondant creaminess before a smooth, rounded and luxuriously long finish.

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° FEATURE °

Ginza to Espresso Martini

through

the ages A

s more and more cocktail competitions challenge local bartending talent to get involved and develop their skills it is becoming more and more apparent that Asian based bartenders are delving into the rich history of cocktails, and for that we have a lot to thank them for. Old Street cocktail consultants takes up the challenge for Drinks World Asia by giving us their potted history of cocktails through the era’s; the flavour influencers and a road map outlining who, what, why and when cocktails began their journey.

1880-1920 Era of Precision This is not the birth of cocktails but the era in which cocktails were recorded for the first time. In 1862 the first bar manual was written. Printed, sold and read about, cocktails were reaching a far wider audience than ever before.

But for an inventive era in itself, the end of the nineteenth century had a lot going on. This is the dawn of precision, professionalism, of structure, of recipes and quantities. Pioneering bartenders are known as professors, scientists, alchemists and distillers. The classic Japanese Ginza scene is testament to many of this era’s traditions.

Rye, rum, brandy and gin-laden drinks are modified with vermouth and curacaos, herbal liquors and bitter tinctures, eggs, fruits and sugars. This era shows a stronger trend for refinement and delicacy than the days of Brandy Crusta (1862), the Sazerac (1860’s) and the Manhattan (1874).

The East India Cocktail revealed in Harry Craddock’s manual of 1882 is a great example of this.

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East India Cocktail • 3 ounces brandy • ½ ounce pineapple syrup (Ted Haigh recommends replacing with raspberry syrup) • 1 dash Angostura Bitters • 1 teaspoon orange curacao • 1 teaspoon maraschino Shake and strain into cocktail glass, garnish with a cherry Considered sweet yet powerful, the temperature of the liquid and therefore its craft and production method are imperative to the enjoyment.

‘The Delicious Sour’ published in William Schmidt’s ‘The Flowing Bowl’ (1892) is one of our favourite and is utterly recognisable as a sour by contemporary standards but filled with the fashionable fruit flavours of 120 years past.

Delicious Sour • 2 ounces Applejack • 2 ounces peach brandy • 1 ounce lime juice • 1 egg white • 1 teaspoon bitters

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Shake firmly and strain into goblet.

Splash soda (Vintage Cocktail & Spirits, Ted Haigh, 2004) The Pink Lady and Horses Neck are staples of historical drinks from this era, re-touched by Angostura Bitters. But for creativity consider this era’s emerging trend in mixing spirit types.

The ‘Curacao Punch’ first published in Johnson’s ‘New and Improved Bartenders Manual’ of 1882 Curacao Punch • ¼ gill of brandy (Martell) and Jamaican Rum (Bacardi 8 as suggested by Dale deGroff), • ½ gill of orange Curacao • 3 dashes of lemon • 1 tablespoon of sugar The simple instructions state ‘stir well and serve with all the fruit at your disposal’.

Never has so much foundation work been laid for the cocktail in a single era, experimented with for the guest and, most importantly, recorded for the future. In one era we have created order, recorded recipes, written instructions and categorized the past paving the way for future trends. In this same era we have diversified, modified, bastardised and plagiarised taking drinking on its journey from culture to couture.

1920-1940 Era of ‘Reckless Abandon’ The embrace of the ‘cocktail’ prior to the 1920’s gave rise to ‘The Golden Age’ – ironically with the help of Prohibition. Prohibition drove cocktail culture both into the underworld of ‘speakeasy’ bars and away from US shores to the holiday destinations of Europe and the Caribbean where it blossomed and found new enthusiasts.

The Pisco Sour from the early 1920’s and Cuban favourites such as the Mojito, Daiquiri and

Hemmingway Daiquiri all arrived to the popular consciousness during this era.

Rums from the Caribbean, tequila from Mexico and pisco from South America all grew in popularity and became the base of this era’s inspiration.

In the speak-easys and juke joints of the US swinging jazz was the soundtrack to the night and women were both accepted and welcomed in the multitude of illegal bars.

The Angel’s Tit, one of our favourite forgotten classics of the era, perfectly conveys sensuality, femininity, elegance and style that appealed to this new breed of drinker.

Angel’s Tit • 1 ½ ounce Maraschino • 1/2 ounce Fresh Cream Float cream on stirred down Maraschino. Garnish with a cherry Another Old Street favourite from Harry Craddock ‘s Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) is the Satan’s Whiskers (Curled) and is, on paper, a ‘jazzedup’ Bronx Cocktail with the addition of the curacao and bitters.

Satan’s Whiskers • ½ ounce Gin • ½ ounce Dry Vermouth • ½ ounce Sweet Vermouth • ½ ounce orange juice • 2 teaspoons Orange Curacao • 1 teaspoon orange bitters Garnish with an orange twist.

• 7 dashes Peychauds Bitters • 5 ounces Champagne Build and stir in Champagne Flute, orange garnish to twist.

Alfonso • 1 ounce Dubonnet • 1 sugar cube • 2 dash bitters • 6 ounces Champagne Produce as you would a Classic Champagne Cocktail.

However World War II began the decline in popularity of the classic cocktail that had flourished so well at the start – many of the young men and women involved in the production and service of the spirits and cocktails of the Golden Age were drafted into war and sent off to far-flung corners of the globe.

What no-one knew at the time was this will give rise to a new countercocktail-culture.

1940–1960 The Rise of Tiki The death of the cocktail and the rise of conservative post-war values dominate the 1940’s and 50’s.

Recent cocktail history is littered with obstacles, taxes, laws and wars. Now was the time to lick wounds, rebuild, and focus on family and community. There was

less to celebrate and people had less to celebrate with. Cocktail joints, decadence and swinging saloons seen as the fad of the last generation gave way to drinking at home throughout Europe and the US and the hotel bar was the last bastion of high-end drinking.

Ironically, the cocktail was being kept alive in two very different environments. The hotel bar and Tiki bar. The one thing they had in common? Both styles of cocktails and their service were forms of escapism for the barfly of the time.

Tiki culture remains a breath of fresh air to the established cocktail order. The Bahama Mama, Pina Colada, Velvet Voodoo, Mai Tai, Dons Pearl and The Zombie all need to be perfected by a bartender looking to grasp the feel and atmosphere of the 50’s. Let loose with the cocktail umbrellas, hollowed-out pineapples and grassskirted fun!

Bahama Mama • 1 ounce Pussers Rum • 1 ounce Bacardi 8 year

Champagne became much more widely used during this swinging jazz era – people wanted to join in the party scene, let loose and celebrate. Bartenders can find inspiration in drinks such as The Seelbach Cocktail and the bestloved alternative to the Classic Champagne Cocktail, The Alfonso.

Seelbach • 1 ounce Bourbon • ½ ounce Cointreau • 7 dashes Angostura Bitters

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• 1 ounce Malibu • 1¾ ounce Orange juice • 2¼ ounce Pineapple juice • 2 dash Angostura Bitters.

Velvet Voodoo • 4 parts anejo tequila • 2 part orange curacao • 2 part lime juice • 1 part orgeat • 5 parts pineapple juice Shake and strain into ice filled highball. Garnish with lime wedge, mint sprig and pineapple leaf.

(Brown Booze, Michael Butt, 2013) Many of us still have an admiration and love of the Tiki era, its drinks and the lifestyle it embraced. Bars such as Hong Kong’s Honi-Honi and London’s Trailer Happiness and Mahiki are testament to the fun and impact Tiki has played in modern cocktail culture. Trailer Happiness’ Rum Punch is a perfect homage to the creativity of the day.

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Trailer Happiness Rum Punch (Trailer Happiness, 2005) • 1 1/2oz Appleton Extra Rum • 1/3oz Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum • ½ oz lime juice • 2 tsp honey cream • ½ oz passionfruit puree • 2 oz mango juice • 2 oz ginger beer Shaken, hurricane glass, cubed and crushed ice, lime wedge & umbrella garnish We also love that drinks like the original Mai Tai from Trader Vic, are still being made today, and a wellmixed version remains a good test of a bartender.

Mai Tai (original Trader Vic) • ½ ounce orange curacao • ¼ ounce rock candy syrup • ¼ ounce orgeat • 1 lime • 2 ounces Trader Vic Mai Tai

Rum or substitute with 1 ounce Jamaican and 1 ounce Martinique rum (Trader Vic’s Bartender Guide, 1947) Despite the fun of rum and the cheeky of Tiki, the cocktail on the whole really did suffer. Bartending in the contemporary ‘classical’ sense had hit its hiatus in the Golden Age. The bartender had become less the aristocratic interloper and more the purveyor of fun-times and the antithesis to the established cocktail order.

1960-1990 Era of Disco, Rise of The Liqueur From the 1960’s the party and cocktail scene changed immeasurably. Hard drugs arrived as part of regular nightlife, the modern night-club was born in the 70’s with clubs like New Yorks

Studio 54 pioneering Disco and the Glitter Party. The emphasis changed from what you were drinking to where and with whom.

This made the bartender less important as part of the ‘mix’ of a good establishment. The job became more transient and less of a profession. Standards dropped.

This was the period of opening the cocktail scene to the masses.

Cocktail bars were available for all and accessible to every walk of life.

All ‘mixed drinks’ fell under one banner; the word ‘cocktail’.

The structured classification of mixed drinks pioneered by the early trailblazers of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s had left us. Cocktail culture was worsening.

To understand the drinking scene of the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s, a bartender must begin with accepting the arrival of a new drinking breed and key new ingredients – colourful fruit based

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liqueurs, tropical juices, sodas and blenders.

Low-strength sweet-tasting, ‘disco drinks’ emerged such as the lurid-green, Midori-driven, Melon Ball and a fad of crazy named libations such as the SloeComfortable-Screw-Up-AgainstThe-Wall-With-a-Kiss (the varying and liqueur-heavy mix of vodka, sloe gin, Southern Comfort, orange juice, Galliano and cherry brandy).

Blue curacao-laced drinks such as the Blue Lagoon (Andrew MacElhone, 1960) and the Blue Seven (1977) emerged from Harrys Bar in Paris.

Blue Lagoon • 1 ounce blue curacao • 1 ounce vodka • 1 ounce lemon juice Shake and strain and serve in a bowl with an island of crushed and packed ice. Serve with lemon, orange and cherries.

The Cosmopolitan (1987), as well as the cranberry-driven Cape Cod, Sex on the Beach and modern Sea Breeze were spawned from the advent of cranberry juice. Perfect examples of the adaption and creativity of the time.

The Cosmopolitan (1987) • 1 ½ ounce Absolut Citron Vodka • 1 ounce cranberry juice • ½ ounce lime juice • ¾ ounce Cointreau • Flamed orange twist The 80’s ‘Yuppie’ Martini’s and neo-classic recipes were embraced by the new-money ‘movers and shakers’ of the time. From the 1980’s the classic cocktail was no longer stigmatised as it had been for a generation before – the

martini lunch became popular again amongst the young and upcoming social crowd. The seeds were planted for the next era of cocktails thanks in part to leaders such as Dale Degroff.

1990–Present The Renaissance The 1990’s began a consolidation of all that had gone before. A cocktail revival.

During our bartending career cocktails have once again become a part of the fabric of the culture we live in. New markets for brands and bartenders have opened up and niche, ‘craft’ products are widely available across the world.

The role and celebrity of the bartender has also increased over the past 20 years. There exists a level of pride that was last widely seen in the 1920-1940’s and there is a sense of precision and professionalism that is the hallmark of you - the modern bartender.

The Bramble and The Espresso Martini, both from Dick Bradsell, became highly popular during the 90’s as re-worked versions of the classic Gin Fix and Martini. These recipes in turn have seen further developments with bartenders around the world adding their own nuances.

Old Street has personally used the Classic Clover Club as a great vehicle to display other spirits such as with Scotch (The Compass Club) and with Bourbon (The Breakfast Club).

Bramble • 1 ½ ounce gin • ½ ounce lemon juice • ¼ ounce sugar syrup • ¼ ounce Crème de Mure Fix with crushed ice in a rocks

glass. Drizzle Crème de Mure over drink. Garnish with lemon wedge and blackberry The Breakfast Club (Old Street Original) • 1 ½ ounce Woodford reserve • ½ ounce lemon juice • 3 Fresh raspberry • ¼ ounce sugar syrup • 1 teaspoon finely shredded marmalade • 1 egg white Shake and strain into coupette.

Garnish with single raspberry afloat on foam. Serve with rye bread blynis with a thin coat of orange marmalade This modern period has also seen a re-education of both bartender and customer.

We see bartenders have embraced the romance of The Golden Age and at the same time are seeking new techniques, methods and ingredients to ‘twist’ the established classics for modern palates.

After Dark (Old Street original) • 60ml VSOP • 5ml Benedictine • 5ml maple syrup • 2 dash orange bitters • Dark chocolate chunks • Orange twist Then there’s molecular mixology.

This movement has seen agars, gels, pearls and foams being used to change perceptions of what a drink can and should be. When executed well, it can flip a drinking experience on its head, becoming an all-encompassing sensory journey for the guest. Quinery and Tippling club will satisfy your curiosity for this genre of drink

creativity.

Dead Rabbit in New York and Purl in London are rated by many as some of the worlds best bars.

Both have menus that pay homage to The Classic Age. Jack McGarry reportedly took 18 months researching and perfecting the cocktail menu before launching at The Dead Rabbit.

Purl uses modern trailblazing sensory techniques to adapt recipes from 1880 whilst resurrecting recipes long since forgotten.

The ‘Loggerhead’ uses a hot poker to heat cocktails served in tankards. Their ingredients listed as Chivas 12, pumpkin, porter reduction & Muscovado sugar.

Their Cuba Libre served as a smoked Rum Old Fashioned named ‘Mr Hyde No.3’ is stirred and sweetened with home-made coca cola tincture and chocolate bitters. The cocktail is smoked before bottled, accompanied with a honey fog. Classic recipes adapted with modern technique and ingredients. Mind blowing.

Why are these considered some of the best bars in the world? In part because their cocktails are drawn from the successes of the past, from a researched historical knowledge. This is Old Streets favourite type of menu, as we feel bartenders are equally responsible as both the curators of a deep history of cocktails, and creators and innovators of new recipes.

There is so much out there to inspire and help you. Never before has a professional bartender had so much product, history and understanding of the cocktail at their fingertips.

Enjoy your research and expand your horizons.

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DIAGEO® RESERVE WORLD CLASS BARTENDER OF THE YEAR 2010 ERIK LORINCZ IN HONG KONG CREATING UNPARALLELED FLAVOUR EXPERIENCES THROUGH CRAFTED COCKTAIL DELICACIES

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orld renowned Erik Lorincz, Diageo® Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year 2010, and currently Head Bartender at London’s Savoy Hotel, delighted Hong Kong’s bar crowd with his eloquently crafted cocktails. During his brief Hong Kong encounter, he made appearances at the city’s most elegant bars and lounges, including food pairing dinners hosted at FLINT Grill & Bar and a guestbartending evening at Zuma.

January 21st and 22nd, the multi-award winning mixologist took Hong Kong by storm. Landing in the city’s new and elegant dining room, FLINT Grill & Bar, Erik hosted two consecutive evenings of unforgettable cocktail and food pairing experiences. The 5-course dinner featured five bespoke cocktails, served with delectable food dishes prepared by FLINT Grill & Bar’s head chef Sven Wunram, to bring out the most alluring flavors of Erik’s one-of-a-kind creations.

January 23rd, Erik made a guest appearance at zuma, which recently launched its bold new bar as a cutting-edge nightspot. The evening was filled with vintage glamour, as guests dressed Gatsbyesque and sipped on bespoke cocktails, featuring only the finest ingredients, abundant with delicate flavors.

Throughout February and March, FLINT Grill & Bar will be introducing a special menu with 5 luscious canapes to complement Erik’s cocktails, and zuma will be featuring 4 of his bespoke creations.

FLINT Grill & Bar JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 6pm to 11pm | Friday and Saturday, 6pm to 11:30pm MUCHACHA CALIENTE This drink is hot, hot, hot and in more ways than one. We all have that one friend that claims to

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making the best Bloody Mary in the world, this version will put a stop to these claims once and for all. The creamy texture of Ketel One is used to bind the sixteen different ingredients that go in to this flavor experience. We can’t give away all of the secrets but one of our hot tips is that it includes the fearsome Bhut Jolokia chili!

Pairing with Foie Gras, Raspberry, Chocolate

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PRINCE ALFONSO A rich after dinner drink fortified with the sumptuous characteristics of Ron Zacapa 23. Features ruby port reduction, prohibition era bitters and a touch of candy floss to remind you you’re having fun.

Pairing with Pineapple – Coconut rumballs SEA SIDE There are not many things in this life greater than taking a road trip with your closest friends, especially when you are on your way to the ocean. You may not get that chance very often in Hong Kong but this drink is the next best thing. The unusual combination of vermouth, nori and chamomile tease the botanicals of Tanqueray No. TEN in to whisking you away on a seaside escape.

Pairing with Scallop Ceviche, Cauliflower, Pomelo, Peanuts PRIMAVERA Beautiful fresh ingredients are the key to great tasting cocktails. It is not often that you see Beetroot appear in a drink but for this unique serve it fits just right. The sweet earthy root vegetable is brought to life by aromatic rosemary and explosive flavor of Don Julio Blanco.

Pairing with 5J Iberico Ham, Potato – Carrot Rösti, Black Garlic Mayonnaise NORMAN CONQUEST White truffle is truly king of the kitchen and what better fitting company to share than Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve. The sweet honey and stone fruit flavor of the whisky in your glass are the perfect partner with the elusive fungi. Your journey to flavor town is completed with aromas of leather bound books.

Pairing with Cured Venison, Celery – Apple Slaw, Romaine Lettuce

Zuma Bar Landmark, Level 6, 15 Queen’s Road, Central Opening Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 5pm to 1:30am | Thursday to Saturday, 5pm to 2am MUCHACHA CALIENTE This drink is hot, hot, hot and in more ways than one. We all have that one friend that claims to making the best Bloody Mary in the world, this version will put a stop to these claims once and for all. The creamy texture of Ketel One is used to bind the sixteen different ingredients that go in to this flavor experience. We can’t give away all of the secrets but one of our hot tips is that it includes the fearsome Bhut Jolokia chili!

PRINCE ALFONSO A rich after dinner drink fortified with the sumptuous characteristics of Ron Zacapa 23. Features ruby port reduction, prohibition era bitters and a touch of candy floss to remind you you’re having fun.

STRADIVARIO This cocktail is reminiscent of the golden age of cocktails, the roaring 30’s. The ingredients conger images of a young Jay Gatsby entertaining guests before a fabulous evening of entertainment.

Focusing on the subtle botanicals of Tanqueray No. TEN, the grapefruit and chamomile are lifted by a touch of Maraschino and a drop of vermouth.

EL BULLI East meets West in this velvety spice filled cocktail. Unusual ingredients are brought to life in this drink by the exquisite Don Julio Blanco. Expect appearances from avocado to yuzu and pineapple to black pepper.

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Bartender Talk Erik Lorincz shares his thoughts with Drinks World Asia

“While sitting in a train looking through Rolling Stone magazine I noticed a cocktail competition to be held in Prague. I went to watch the final and felt inspired and decided to enroll in a catering school whilst there. Unfortunately there was no cocktail culture in Slovakia my homeland. When informing my mother of my decision she was worried that I went to Prague to learn something new and foreign and she was unaware that a course of study like that even existed!”

“I gave up a bar manger job in Slovakia and went to London and enrolled in an English school, the tuition money can from my job collecting glasses and clearing ash trays. Once I had a vision, I didn’t want to slow down or stop until my dream became a reality.”

“A colleague of mine was in the final of the United Kingdom 2009 World Class, he came very close to winning but unfortunately he poured “too short.”

This inspired me and the next year I competed and won!”

“The World Class competition has changed a lot over the years. Bartenders today are much younger compared to the first winner who was over 40 years of age, today they all around the age of 21. I won when I was 30 years old. In my opinion it’s good to be surrounded by young people who have so much energy and creativity.”

“World Class is a very difficult competition but offers participants a great opportunity and experience and should you win World Class it will be the start of your career. The program recognizes the success of bartenders and within the industry, the successful bartenders become overnight celebrities and it opens many doors to a successful career. I was chosen by the Savoy London over 360 credible applicants, I didn’t need to apply for the position, they asked me!”

“I once worked in collaboration with the design label Cartier to assist in launching a new perfume. I created a cocktail to compliment the perfume and went to their headquarters to present the idea and demonstrate the balance between the perfume and the cocktail.”

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“One of my most memorable events was running the bar for Bernie Ecclestone’s daughter’s wedding, a three day event where I was given the opportunity to run the bar with no budget! I carefully picked my team knowing I had 300 guests to cater for. The event had many celebrities attend and international performers such as Eric Clapton, The Black Eyed Peas and David Guetta just to name a few.”

“I had the privilege to be a consultant on the set of the Bond movie Skyfall. It was my responsibility to ensure the Martini was made and served perfectly. As the Macau scene was filmed in London, I was responsible for training the actors on how to prepare, shake and pour the drinks. I was picked up by a Bentley and and chauffeured to set, it took 15 hrs to film that one scene. I was asked to create the Skyfall cocktail to celebrate the launch party of the movie.”

“I am the host, it is my responsibility that the patrons of the bar have a good time. This is a serious job which means you must be aware of many factors, including the enjoyment and safety of the patrons. I may need to ask simple questions such as “What can I make for you to drink “or “Are you going to be able to walk down the stairs after that next martini sir?”Reading the needs and wants of the guests is very important.”

“I have learnt so much from travelling throughout Asia and especially Japan, recognizing simplicity in the details are what matters. Asian bartenders are hungry to improve their knowledge and find out what’s happening in the west and with the help of social networking this challenge is made more accessible.”

“My advice is to establish your goals and determine in what direction you want to go. Take the opportunity to travel as often as you can. I went to Japan to witness the Japanese market and to educate myself on the Japanese distilleries, all of which greatly benefited my knowledge and gave me a great advantage in entering competitions.”

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Zuma Meet the

BAR TEAM

Arkadiusz Rybak

Prabin Malla “Last Years New Years Eve was a great night. The energy and atmosphere created a great vibe and everyone had a great time.“ “I really enjoy a beer or a whisky. My whisky of choice is a 17-year-old Japanese Blended Whisky - Hibiki.”

Manoj Subedi “It was 10 years ago and my first job was on floor service. When I saw the team working behind the bar, it looked like such a fun and social job and that’s when I knew what I wanted to do.“ “I would make a Manhattan Cocktail for Brad Pitt.

He is super famous and looks like a really cool guy.”

“I really enjoy making Cocktails and interacting with all the guests. We have a really fun and inspiring cocktail list, which is enjoyable to work from. It’s great that I am continuously learning about new flavours and drinks.“

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Nick Yeung “It was from watching movies that had cool bars and bartenders. I knew then I wanted to be a bartender and part of that atmosphere.”

“I really enjoy the support I receive from my team members and the ability to make great cocktails.”

“I really like the diversity and the continuous opportunities to learn. I get to work in different areas behind the bar and everyone here is so supportive.“

Phoebe Cheung “I would love to make a Cosmopolitan for Sarah Jessica Parker. It’s the favorite drink of Carrie Bradshaw, the character she plays on Sex and the City.“ “Its nice when customers compliment you on the drink you made and then order another one.”

“It’s nice to have something cool and refreshing after a long and busy shift like an ice cold beer or a vodka soda.“

Adit Gurung “We had a Hens Night in the bar and they were all having a great time. We served them a round of shots and as soon as we did a few of them got up on the glass bar and started dancing. They were all having such a great time but we had to quickly get them down for safety reasons. We don’t get to see that often. ” “I was asked once to make a Dragonfly. I had no idea what a Dragonfly cocktail was until the customers told me it was a Salty Dog with a dash of grenadine. ” “I really like the diversity and the continuous opportunities to learn. I get to work in different areas behind the bar and everyone here is so supportive.“

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° MEET ° new trends and techniques.

To assist in their education and training, I brought in all my books from London and informed the staff that this is now their library.

I encourage them to read through the books in order to gain more knowledge and to better understand the industry and its history.

Drinks World Asia sits down with bar manager

Arkadiusz

Rybak Drinks World Asia: Tell us about your background and working path to Hong Kong?

Arkadiusz Rybak: I commenced a Hotel Management Degree in Poland and then continued my studies in Greece for a year and then a year in Paris. After completing my university degree my intention was to spend one year in London, but it ended up being seven years.

I have mainly worked in fine dining restaurants and have found myself working alongside some of the world’s best chefs. It is here that I learnt techniques and flavor profiles in their kitchens.

After six years of working in Europe I traveled to Asia and spent a week in Hong Kong. I knew I

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would come back and work here one day.

At a Diageo function in London I met James Shearer, Group Bar Manager for ROKA, Shochu Lounge and Zuma. We had a meeting over a cup of coffee where he discussed his plans about a new bar project at Zuma in Hong Kong and made an offer that I couldn’t refuse.

DWA: Tell us about your team at ZUMA and what are you trying to achieve as a group?

AR: We have a really diverse team at Zuma.

Each team member has their own skill set, knowledge and personality.

We conduct weekly training sessions and the team is really passionate and keen to learn. They continuously ask questions about the history,

DWA: Talk to us about your cocktail list and your inspiration in building it.

AR: When developing the cocktail list, James Shearer and I met over a period of a few weeks to build the list and develop the angle we wanted to approach.

Japanese restaurants are very traditional, therefore we needed a list that offered new trends and a good balance, but still keeping within tradition at the same time.

I am always looking for fresh and new ingredients to use, which I often source from Japan. I work very closely with many chefs and as most of our head chefs are from Japan, I always inquire about the new ingredients they use in their dishes, and then I try to incorporate those ingredients into my cocktails.

As a matter of fact, I recently took a trip to Japan where I had the chance to visit a spice farm. I was lucky enough to return to Hong Kong with an interesting variety of new spices to use, which I will start to work with and incorporate into cocktails.

DWA: What have you seen in Hong Kong so far that has impressed you?

AR: Hong Kong is a dynamic market with huge potential. As our industry is growing it is also maturing, and I believe that in two years Hong Kong will be the capital of cocktails.

DWA: What do you look for in hiring a bartender to work in your bar?

AR: The four key characteristics that I think are very important when hiring a new bartender are personality, knowledge, passion and a hard working ethos.

DWA: What flavours or liquids are you enjoying working with, or drinking, or both?

AR: It all depends on the time of year. In the summer I enjoy a light rum, gin or whisky. In the cooler months, I prefer an Old Fashioned, Manhattan or Rob Roy. As most of my garnishes come directly from Japan, I am really enjoying working with Dushi Button, Shiso flower and the Nasturtium flower.

We continually try to keep the style consistent as well as innovative, and giving the customers an authentic experience is a high priority.

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° MEET °

Made in

ANGERS

DWA speaks to Alfred Cointreau in Singapore

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lfred Cointreau, 27, is a member of the sixth generation family that still runs the Cointreau heritage brand today. He caught up with Drinks World Asia (DWA) to discuss what it’s like to be involved at each stage of Cointreau production, his role promoting the brand as a global ambassador, the cocktail scene in Asia and the Cointreau Academy.

Drinks World Asia: Tell us a little more about your personal story, and the various factors that led up to our meeting here today.

Alfred Cointreau: Just like the Cointreau brand, I was born and raised in Angers, in France.

When you look on the Cointreau bottle you’ll see “made in France”, but above all, it is made in Angers. As it happens, when my mother was pregnant she took a trip away from Angers, but just days before I arrived, my father hurried her back to Angers to be sure I was born in the same city as Cointreau. This link to Angers is very important to the family; all of our relatives were born in Angers, and will continue to be born there…

keen for me to have formal qualification too. I did it, but at the same time, I was often found trying my hand behind the bar, especially at the Buddha Bar in Paris.

I joined the company two and a half years ago because I want to continue to be part of this sixth generation of Cointreau makers, and continue to strengthen and deepen the history and legacy of both the Cointreau family and the brand. I spent my first year at the distillery in Angers, and then took on the role of global ambassador, with the official title of Cointreau Heritage Manager, because of course, as part of this sixth generation, I understand the history, the family and the unique point of view.

DWA: So, it’s a really strong part of the family traditions…

AC: Yes, absolutely. And we are very proud of that. After 165 years, Cointreau is still always distilled and made in Angers. It’s a unique distillery in the world; the deep roots of the brand are there. I’m both proud and respectful of that and make a point of going back to Angers often, not least because my family still lives there, including my grandmother. I grew up in a very normal family, surrounded by my cousins, my brother, my sister. We have a family tradition that when a new member of the family is born, we give the baby his or her first bottle at six months old, and in the baby bottle we put a dash of Cointreau. That’s the first brand experience!

My mother is both a teacher and a cocktail master, so she taught us how to mix cocktails and how to use bar tools. But I also undertook a classical education, as my mother was very

DWA: If you had to sum it up in a sentence, what does Cointreau mean to you?

AC: For me, Cointreau is truly unparallelled, not only because we select the finest ingredients, but also because Cointreau is really at the heart of the cocktail. When you look back at the history of cocktail making, Cointreau is the heart of more than 350 original recipes. All around the world, in the US, in Europe, in Singapore the top recipe creator remains Cointreau.

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DWA: What is your perception of how the bartending community views Cointreau?

AC: All the bartenders know Cointreau, of course, because they know the classical cocktails. But sometimes the bottle sits at the back of the bar, unused, because they perceive of it as “a grandmother’s liquor”. A key part of my job is to explain to them that what was good for your grandmother is still good for you today! We have classical recipes, but we are

also a very modern brand and often bring an unconventional touch. As a brand, Cointreau remains really involved in the bartending community and continues to build a really good connection with the bartenders, as we have since the beginning.

DWA: In your role as the global ambassador, you’ve obviously spent some time in Asia. What are your thoughts on the Asian cocktail scene?

AC: So far I’ve only been to Shanghai and Beijing besides Singapore, and I am really impressed when it comes to the level of cocktail innovation - I didn’t expect the level to be that high. There are so many passionate guys with great bars, nice atmospheres, serving perfect drinks, so there’s huge potential. And they’re not just serving drinks, but they’re really selling a story too, which is great. I think the cocktail future here in Asia is really bright, maybe brighter than much of Europe.

There are positive influences from places like Japan and Australia – and some American bar influence too – but what I most love about Asia, especially in Singapore, is the “cocktail of cultures”. You have Indian, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, all blending together like a cocktail and it works really well. What’s really important to see is the bartenders working with local products - with ginger, with chai, with lime.

Bartenders in Asia don’t need to import a lot of products to make interesting and exotic drinks.

Which is lucky for them, because I tell you in places like New York, Berlin, and especially in Paris, it can be tough to find things like passion fruit when you need them!

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DWA: What cocktail are you enjoying at the moment? What have you seen or had around the world that you’re particularly enjoying?

AC: At the moment, I am enjoying Cointreaupirinha!

DWA: Is there something you’ve seen of late that’s really interesting, that made you think ‘I wish I’d thought of that’?

AC: What I like to do when I go into a new bar is just to say, ‘can you create something?’ I don’t ask for Cointreau, I just go to the bar and say, ‘just impress me,’ and so far in Asia I’ve always had a nice surprise. It has been really good nice glasses, good recipes without too many ingredients, just three or four maximum, well balanced, and always using local ingredients.

What’s actually really impressed me has been the use of ice. In China, they work with a big block of ice, crush it by hand, and they make an ice bowl by hand. To me, that is just amazing - I’ve never seen anything like that in Europe.

DWA: The Singapore sling is an important drink in this country and clearly Cointreau is a key ingredient in that. Do you have any particular thoughts on that? Is that something you were well aware of before you arrived in Singapore? Is that something the family and the brand are very aware of?

AC: For sure we know the history of the Singapore Sling. It’s a classic cocktail with Cointreau, so definitely. But I certainly didn’t expect the level of the cocktail culture here and it’s really impressive.

DWA: What’s your message to the bartending community? What do you want to ask them to do for you, for the family, and for the brand, and what are you going to do for them?

AC: I just want to tell them to keep their personality and stay who they are, and always walk as they walk

today - with the best ingredients, and with ingredients from around the region behind the bar. There are a lot of different products available - every day there is a new brand on the market! - but they need to make sure they keep the best behind the bar. To mix a good drink and serve a good drink to your customers, you need the finest ingredients. Cointreau is definitely the best, never doubt about that. So in summary : Keep the best behind your bars.

DWA: And what can they expect from Cointreau in return?

AC: Cointreau is present all over the world and we work with really strong teams in each country.

Especially in Singapore, we’ve had a very good team in place since 2009. But we really welcome people to also come to Angers; I am the MC for the Cointreau Academy where we run 2-day courses, to teach people about Angers as a distillery and really discover Cointreau. I think the best way to truly understand a brand and to appreciate the quality is to properly experience it, with your own eyes, to touch it, to taste it.

And you also have the opportunity to meet the Master Distiller, Bernadette Langlais.

DWA: Have you had many people from Asia attend this?

AC: Yes, we have more and more people visiting us from Asia which is really good – bartenders in general, since the course is really focused on the bartenders. But we also use it to train the Cointreau sales force, and we regularly invite journalists down, because it’s the best way to understand. You can only learn so much from reading the best way is ‘on the ground.’

I spend as much time as I can at the Cointreau Academy and I love it because, since I travel so much, at the Cointreau Academy for once the the world comes to my place instead!

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° FEATURE °

HAVANA CLUB LAUNCHES GLOBAL QUEST TO FIND THE NEW MOJITO

H

avana Club International is seeking to continue Cuba’s reputation for worldclass cocktails by inviting bartenders from around the world to enter the 10th edition of its renowned Havana Club Grand Prix.

b u l c a n a v ha l i a t k coc

10

th x i r p d gran

Havana Club International is seeking to continue Cuba’s reputation for world-class cocktails by inviting bartenders from around the world to enter the 10th edition of its renowned Havana Club Grand Prix.

Eric Stephenson from Lily & Bloom will be representing Hong Kong at the Global Havana Club Grand Prix this year in Cuba. Eric will fly to Havana, Cuba in June 2014 for a five-day trip, which will culminate with the global final. During the trip, the finalists will be immersed in Cuban life and culture with renowned rum experts - including Havana Club’s maestro ronero Asbel Morales; spirits historians, Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller; pioneering mixologist, Tony Conigliaro.

Eric Stephenson along with 15 other bartenders showed off their talent, knowledge and personality to three of Hong Kong’s highly credentialed and reputable panel of judges - Marc Rodrigues (Drinks World Asia) and Sam Jeveons and Peter Kendall (Old Street Group). The competition took place at the

Wyndham Street Gin bar, Origin that was decked out in Hanava Club Grand Prix branding to really set the scene.

The 16 finalists competing had to create a new Cuban cocktail to rival traditional favourites such as the Mojito and the Daiquiri for the panel of judges.

The group comprised of some of Hong Kong’s most experienced and competitive bartenders, such as Wallace Lau, Eric Stephenson, Cherry Lam and Samual Kwok. As a judge “I was impressed to see a lot of new faces and first time bartenders to enter a competition. It’s a true indication cocktail competitions are growing in Hong Kong and there is a lot of great talent coming through,” said Rodrigues.

While all 16 competitors took the stage and created their cocktail, Eric Stephenson certainly stood out by the standard of his drink, impeccable presentation and understanding of flavours. Eric will certainly be a tough competitor at the Global Grand final in Cuba and Drinks World Asia wish him all the best of luck!

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° FEATURE °

“In Cuba, we live and we have fun all the time. There is partying, sharing with people and connecting with people. Rum it touches every single aspect of Cuban life and existence. From the moment we are born, we see rum everywhere.

It is something that is embedded in the Cuban culture. It’s fun: ‘La cultura de la vi “The Latin culture is very popular - rhythms from Latin reggae and salsa for the last 10 to 15 years has grown more popular all over the world. Rum is always associated with parties and having fun.

It’s about enjoying life, relaxing and sipping cocktails. Rum as a category has matured in a sense that many quality offerings that were only really appreciated by a small part of the world are now being enjoyed in the capital cities.

Over the last seven to eight years it has grown as people are becoming more aware of the quality of Caribbean rum and rum from this part of the world.”

MIGUEL DIAZ

Global brand ambassador for Havana Club

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째 FEATURE 째

Eric

Stephenson

Hong Kong Havana Club Grand Prix Champion 2014

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Revolution Fizz Ingredients 1 1/2 oz Cigar Box Infused Havana Club 7yr Anejo 1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth 1 oz Pressed Sugar Cane Juice 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice 3/4 oz Honey Syrup 3/8 oz Home Made Bell Pepper Shrub 1/4 oz Black Strap Molasses 2 slices Grilled Fresh Pineapple 3/4 oz Egg Whites (from 1 Egg) 2 oz Club Soda

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° MEET °

A look down

Old Street Who is Old Street?

DWA Top 25 Bartenders, Peter Christian Kendall and Sam Oliver Jeveons who with a combined age north of seventy, and more years in the industry than the age of many of Asia’s current bartending talent, have re-emerged from their recent management positions across Hong Kong to form Old Street Group - Bar & Brand Specialists.

They have begun a new chapter in a twelve-year career in which Sam & Peter worked together across many continents and in many guises. ‘Old Street Group just felt right as a name and a concept for our next challenge’ explains Jeveons.

Harking back to the ‘Golden Era’ of London bartending where bars like Che, Lab, Milk & Honey, The Atlantic, The Player, 23 Romilly St, Alphabet, Match EC1 and Sosho were in their prime and changing the London cocktail scene, ‘Old Street’ is a nod of the head to the area in which Sam and Pete first worked together.

‘Match Bar Group (now existing as Rushmore Group) ran the Old Street area’s cocktail scene for many years. It was Match EC1 and the high-antics high-volume Sosho that first saw us working together’ Kendall laughs as he recalls ‘then

96 °

it was Milk & Honey (London) and the awesomely fun Trailer Happiness.’

‘Running and working in these bars was an awesome period in our lives’ say’s Jeveons. It set their friendship up for collaboration’s that have bought them to Asia and Hong Kong which after seven years they now admit to calling home.

You might know of these talents as two thirds of Alconomics Asia, a consultancy service partnering with Gin Luminary and Bartending Guru Angus Winchester.

So why the change?

‘From 2006 – 2010 we ran Alconimcs Asia with Hong Kong as a hub for Asian projects and travel.

Peter took up the full time position as Diageo Brand Ambassador in Greater China after completing two years in Taipei opening Barcode Lounge and Club. I was living in Hong Kong and later Taipei as an Asian Regional Ambassador and consultant whilst Angus, after the initial project in Hong Kong in 2006 returned and began a stellar career in the US which he is still enjoying now. With all this separation Alconomics Asia was more a successful invoicing vehicle than a company’ recalls Jeveons.

‘Yeah, it was the opportunity for

us (then Alconomics) to work with Swire Hotels that brought us back in the same country working for the same client as a successful partnership’, Kendall chipped in, ‘Sam opened The Upper House hotels Café Gray restaurant and bar and I later joined to open East Hotel in Tai Koo Shing and The Montpellier & Magdalen Chapter Hotels in England. We were able to combine our forces and assist the hotel group on a larger level than we could have as individuals’ explains Kendall.

After more than a year of consulting, as the Global Financial Crisis began to hit Asia and the budgets of brands and bars were drying up both Jeveons and Kendall were invited by Swire to join their respective teams full time.

‘One of my (Jeveons) greatest

achievements was to be a part of the Upper House opening team as we worked hard over 3 years to establish it as a leading boutique hotel. At one point we were ranked #2 in the world by Trip advisor. This was down to polished, honest service looking after the guests needs at every level. This was a great learning curve for me. It was an obvious yes to the question of would I like to stay on, even if it meant putting my consulting life on hold’.

Having taken shelter from the financial crunch with a successful hotel career, Sam emerged in 2012 as General Manager of London’s Boujis nightclub in Hong Kong.

‘There is more synergy to this move than people think ‘ laughed Jeveons as he explained his move as a ‘side-step within luxury’ from

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Hotel Bars to nightclubs - set up to cater to the same clientele. ‘My education at Swire was perfect to launch me into opening a high-end members nightclub. I could deliver exactly what the owners wanted – and I did. We opened and ran as the best service orientated club perhaps in Asia. I still love their product and team. We feel the same with Swire, its great to still be respected and to offer services to ex-employers, it keeps the story, relationship and successes evolving. For that we are very grateful.

Sam set up Old Street Group in 2013 and was joined by Kendall in February of this year, ‘This venture is going to be two experts, working side by side to help brands and bars realize their potential.

We have strength in numbers and experiences and skills that compliment one another’. Kendall adds, ‘We are ready to work and know the regional market is hungry again for international standards of service, creativity and expertise’.

What do you offer different to competitor consultancies?

Mixed reactions come over the Old Street duo as Kendall ponders and Sam smiles, but both try and answer at the same time.

‘You first’ offers Kendall as Jeveons was already in full swing.

‘There are loads of awesomely talented guys out here both from the local markets and being flown in from far away, so we are not the only option in town.’ Kendall nods in agreement. ‘But there are two of us which offers an awesome training and event dynamic, we don’t work exclusively for any one brand, we have training modules aimed at owners, managers and director levels as well as years of experience coaching bar-teams, bartenders and service staff. We have the track record of operating profitable and internationally successful venues and we have a great following and bourgeoning bar community as clients

throughout Asia.’

Still nodding Kendall adds ‘but we often tend to approach things from a completely different perspective.

Sam is often top line ideas with bottom line success eager to work with venues at management level, whilst I am often the one bringing the fun back into the execution of what we are teaching and leading by example often in the brand and bartender arena. We pitch to all levels of the trade and are trusted in doing so.’

Jeveons has just returned from a London trip to learn training techniques and management

education. Having taught Hong Kong bartenders in 2006 the boys now see some of their early students as managers ‘but who has taught them this job role transition? What skills have they been given to succeed as managers? “Often nothing” says Jeveons who admits to have made management mistakes in his career – ‘but I have invaluably learnt from them and can now offer this expertise to others in a structured and simple way. There are no other current consultants or specialists in the Asian region offering this level of expertise’.

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What’s your overview of the HK scene?

Kendall… ‘After 7 years experience in one town, we have seen great trends and success in the bar scene. There is an increase in consumer knowledge in industry, professionalism and passion and in all round expectations. Hong Kong has improved tremendously in the past, which is awesome to see. Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore are leading the Asian charge for bar equality with the West, and are doing a pretty damn good job.’

Jeveons… “There is still a truck-load of issues we can tackle and help with. Service standards are inconsistent throughout bars and restaurants, staff are not staying long in one venue which is a real issue, bar staff in particular are making names for themselves through social media and competitions instead of longevity, meaning there is little teaching or coaching of junior staff to plan for the future. As rents are going up so are drink and food prices but value and customer experiences are not always on par with the price customers are paying.

Variances in stock profitability and an inability to understand how operational habits can negatively effect the P&L means margins are tighter than ever for operators, and this can be the simple success or failure of a bar business.”

‘So there is hope and plenty to be proud of, but still a long way to go for most operators and most staff ‘ concludes Kendall striking a diplomatic chord. ‘The issues faced in Hong Kong are not unique and are the same challenges faced in Singapore and across the developed markets of Asia, and that’s where we want to position ourselves’.

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What’s in the pipeline for OSG? We are always looking to find great new and exciting clients and concepts and are constantly on the look out for fellow talent to help us execute these projects. So far we have been lucky to work with some great brands in a very short space of time. Brand friends include Hendricks Gin, Bacardi Rum, Havana Club and Croizet Cognac. We have some large projects under discussion and have found time to have great fun at smaller more fun venues setting records in revenue caps and beverage sales mix. We have recently been opening venues in China, representing brands in Manila and enjoying educational trips in UK and New Zealand.

We are working with new ventures and venues arriving into Hong Kong this year and have a real desire to get out into the rest of Asia. Our bread and butter is a) brand activation and education and b) venue and management

training and/or troubleshooting. Beyond this, we are really enjoying the flexibility to open ourselves up to new ideas, adventures and fun things. We are collaborating on two books at present and this has made us realize our want to do one ourselves. We were thinking to do it straight into Mandarin but are not decided yet.

The ultimate goal of opening our own venue run and owned by Old Street isn’t too far away either. We are in need of investors, so stay tuned for that one.’

‘But our business plan for year one is really simple’ Kendall explains as Jeveons gets distracted greeting an old customer of his.

‘We want to help and meet as many clients as possible spreading the word that we are the goto guys for bar and brand initiatives and projects.

Year one is all about getting our brand out there’.

‘That’s right’, returns Jeveons…” No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care’ he says in a typical hospitality one-liner.

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° MEET °

SAM KURTZ FROM ST HUGO

S

itting down with Drinks World Asia’s Ashley Pini, St Hugo’s chief red winemaker Sam Kurtz looked at 30 years of St Hugo, Chinese wine tastes, an international market push, his history in wine and explained what the future might have in store for St Hugo.

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Drinks World Asia: It’s been 30 years, are there big birthday plans for St Hugo?

Sam Kurtz: We have got a 30-year retrospective tasting in the Barossa where we will go through the whole lot [of vintages] - well, as many as we can find.

We are struggling to find bottles for some vintages, but we should pretty well come close on getting the full selection. It should be an eye opener for most punters. We do a museum tasting every year, but I think it is a favourite for the winemakers when we do the Hugo tasting.

DWA: How many vintages out of the 30 have you released?

SK: In 30 years we have only skipped two – in 2011 and 1995. Both were way too wet. Other than that we have gone all the way through.

DWA: You have been involved in the brand now for 15 years - half its life - that is quite significant. You have had a real impact on the life scale of St Hugo.

SK: It is constantly an evolution, but when it’s not broken we don’t fix it. For example, we settled oak a long time ago – we have fined tuned it with different coopers but we aren’t necessarily changing ratios of oak and how long it stays in oak, other than perhaps when it comes down to different vintages. So if it is a more intense or less intense vintage we need to counter-balance that, but we aren’t working from scratch – we are standing on our predecessor’s shoulders.

DWA: You are a sixth generation Barossa – were the previous generations also involved in the wine industry?

SK: My dad worked for Orlando, my grandparents were grape growers and my uncles on each side of the family were also grape growers.

I grew up around it, but for most kids when you are 16 years old the last thing that is cool or interesting is what your family has been involved in. I studied engineering for a year, hated it, and didn’t know what I was going to do.

I took a job stacking bottles on the bottling line at Saltram, and then once I had done that for the Christmas rush I got a vintage job filling chardonnay and cabernet into barrels. That is when I started to think that the whole wine game was pretty interesting – it has the chemistry, the science, and a lot of things like that that I was interested in, but then it also has an artistic streak to it – it has geography, history, and a lot of creativity in the marketing.

DWA: The ‘10 is just releasing now and, as mentioned earlier, the brand is celebrating 30 years. Can you tell us a little bit more about it?

SK: The ’10 is a fantastic vintage. It actually started out a little bit worrying because of the record heat in November. We had 40-degree heat in November, which is unheard of.

We were a little concerned about that, but there were good moisture reserves in the vines. It did impact on set a little bit, so it was a little bit lighter, but that actually turned out positive – eventually it settled into a more normal year.

We had a nice mild to hot summer, and then perfect ripening conditions in autumn. The ‘10’s across the board are really strong, really vibrant, really

pure, really nice depth of flavour, and in Coonawarra it is a very strong vintage, probably a nine out of 10.

DWA: When do you make that call as to how strong a vintage is?

SK: Normally you get a good feel of classification around July. By then we can see how they are starting to settle down.

It is a constant vetting process right through until it goes to bottle.

DWA: What does it retail for?

SK: It retails between $45 and $50, but sometimes you see it for less than that. In the past there has been the odd bit where it has dipped under $30, but we’re really trying hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.

We have a pretty strong market in China, and ultimately if there is too much discounting going on here then we are probably more likely to send the stock to China.

DWA: Is it a well-received label in China?

SK: Yes, it is going quite well there. At the moment a lot of prestige is important in China and St Hugo fits the bill very nicely for that.

DWA: And will the wine cellar well?

SK: Yes – we have the 30-year tasting coming up, and we have run through it on a lot of occasions over the years, and pretty well every single vintage you will find very good bottles dating as far back as 1980.

DWA: Is it cork in the Chinese market?

SK: Yes it is. They are still very strong about cork, although it is interesting in that the cork demand seems to be from the very top. When you get to the sales guys and some of the restaurant owners, they seem a lot happier with screw cap.

DWA: You are a fan of the screw cap?

SK: Yes - we first started using it back in ’98 with Richmond Grove Watervale, which was one of the first wineries to do it, and also Richmond Grove Barossa Riesling as well. Those wines are still drinking beautifully now.

The only potential risk is the reduction issue, but as long as your winemaking is clean up front then you generally having nothing to worry about.

DWA: I am interested in understanding the Jacob’s Creek label – it is under the label, but at the same time it isn’t?

SK: It is in transition; Jacob’s Creek is being moved progressively off the label, and from the screw cap.

We generally bottle things a year or two before we label them. Initially the reason we went to Jacob’s Creek was for the international market perspective. It did grow extremely well under that name internationally but we feel at the end of the day, St Hugo is developing enough of a following and is becoming a very strong brand in its own right. It is certainly very well recognised in the domestic market and is building a strong following internationally.

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° MEET °

Jeff Mosher J

eff Mosher’s love affair with cooking began amid the flying flour and lively camaraderie of a local pizzeria in Oberlin, Ohio at just 14. The thrill and adrenaline rush of working on the line hooked Jeff, who also loved the hands-on nature of the work. In December Jeff left his kitchen at the world renowned Robert Mondavi Winery, where he is Winery Chef, and headed to Singapore, Hong Kong and Mainland China for a short working holiday.

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How did you end up at Robert Mondavi Winery?

Jeff Mosher: When I heard about the job at Robert Mondavi Winery I was the executive chef of Julia’s Kitchen at Copia. This was in the fall of 2008. Copia was a food, wine, and art center in downtown Napa.

My job was to run the fine dining restaurant at the facility. While I very much enjoyed my job there, Copia was having financial trouble and I was not sure if it was going to remain open much longer. I decided to apply for the position at Robert Mondavi Winery. I was still involved in the interview process when Copia closed in November 2008. When I was offered the Winery Chef position a couple of weeks later I immediately jumped at the chance.

Why did you choose to become a Chef?

JF: I have always like cooking, ever since I was a child. My grandmother was an excellent cook and I always enjoyed the smells and flavours coming out

of her kitchen when we would visit for the holidays. I got my first restaurant job when I was 14 and worked in restaurants to help put myself through college. When I graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in politics I did not know what I wanted to do with my life, so I moved to San Francisco and got another restaurant job.

After working in a few different restaurants I landed at the Campton Place Hotel and got to work with some very talented people. That is when I decided to seriously pursue cooking as a career.

How important is wine to menu development?

JF: Here at Robert Mondavi Winery we start with the wines first and then build our dish around the flavour profile of the wine that it is going to be served with. This is the opposite of a traditional restaurant approach and has really enhanced the way I think about food and wine interacting.

What is your most memorable foodie incident?

JF: When I was working at Copia in the summer of 2008 we did a dinner with many famous chefs, Charlie Trotter, Alice Waters, Gary Danko, and Jean-George Vongerichten. It was a real pleasure to work with them all and the dinner went very well. After dinner I was able to sit with Charlie Trotter and Alice Waters. We had some wine and talked about food for a couple of hours. It was truly inspirational.

How do you get your inspiration?

JF: Inspiration comes from all over.

Sometimes it comes from walking in our culinary garden and seeing something growing which sparks an idea for a dish. Sometimes it is from the wine, like when I try a new vintage and it makes me think of a particular food or flavour.

Sometimes it is from conversations with colleagues, or from reading cook books and seeing what other people are doing.

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째 MEET 째

What is your favourite food to eat?

JF: That is a tough one since I love some many different foods. The menu I did on this most recent trip to Asia encompassed many of my favourite things; pork belly, salmon with curry, raw fish, duck confit, and braised beef short ribs. When I am eating with my three boys our favourites are probably pizza and tacos!

Favourite kitchen equipment or gadget?

JF: My favourite thing these days is the cryovac machine, or vacuum packing machine. It allows us to preserve our food longer, is great for marinating food, can create amazing textures in fruit through compression, and is an integral part of sous vide cooking, which we do a fair bit of here at Robert Mondavi Winery.

What is your favourite cuisine to cook? Why? JF: Here at the winery our cuisine is based mostly in French techniques. That is what I am most comfortable cooking. I love the respect for ingredients inherent in modern French cuisine. We use ingredients from many different cultures, such as curry spices, kaffir lime leaves, soy sauce, etc, but the way we use these ingredients is rooted in French technique. At home I cook from many different cultures. I love Thai food, Indian food, Japanese food, Mexican food just to name a few. I enjoy all foods as long as they are cooked with respect and good techniques.

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Best piece of advice you would give an up and coming chef?

JF: Work hard and take notes. If you want to learn something and you are not finding it at the place you are working then search out the answer on your own. When I was first working in San Francisco I felt a little in over my head since I had not gone to culinary school. I would go to the library at the University of San Francisco on my days off because they had a good cook book section and read cook books for hours. Photocopy recipes and go home and try them out for my friends. This was before the internet was big, so that was not a resource for me.

What is going to be the next big thing in the food world?

JF: I see a lot of people cooking over wood these days. It is a real back to basics approach.

It takes a lot of skill to get the fire right to be able to cook different things on a wood fire.

There is definitely a movement in America for old world styles of cooking, such as Artisan cheese making and charcuterie.

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ONE AUDACIOUS GOAL. FOUR DECADES OF EXCEEDING IT. In 1966, Robert Mondavi set out to fundamentally change winemaking. To create Napa Valley wines whose quality could stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s finest.

Join us as we celebrate the 100 th anniversary of the birth of Robert Mondavi. Raise a glass to his vision and tenacity, and his outstanding wines.

RobertMondaviWinery.com Please enjoy our wines responsibly. © 2013 Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville, CA

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!

N O

G N I

SO

M O C

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HONG KONG & MACAU 2014

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° FEATURE °

FRESH AND FRUITY Getting to Know New Zealand Wine

D

id you know that wine is New Zealand’s largest horticultural export by value?

And that it is also New Zealand’s eighth biggest goods export, sold in over 80 different countries globally?

WORDS ° Mark Henderson

Newly released data shows that New Zealand is now the world’s eighth largest exporter of wine by value - in fact the value of New Zealand wine exports rose three per cent to $1.21 billion for the year ending June 2013.

While wine production is still comparatively small from New Zealand on a global scale, with a producing area of only 35,722 hectares and a total of 248.4 million litres of wine produced for the year ending June 2013, the island nation is proving itself no longer just a bit player in global

wine.

John Freeman, general manager Australia and strategic growth markets for Wairau Valley based Oyster Bay Wines explained that increasing percapita wine consumption in Western economies, mixed with premiumisation and shifts in consumer wine choices has helped to boost New Zealand’s presence as a wine producing nation.

Speaking to Drinks World Asia, John said; “New Zealand is a relatively new producer by world standards, but is very well

positioned to benefit from largescale consumer trends. Consumers are seeking out the best the world has to offer. New Zealand wine, and Marlborough sauvignon blanc in particular, is recognised globally for tremendous consistency and quality. Even though New Zealand wines are typically sold at a premium to wines from most countries, they are viewed as excellent value-for-money.”

New Zealand has 10 major wine-producing areas including Auckland, Gisborne, Wairarapa (Martinborough) and Hawke’s

Bay in the North Island, and Marlborough, Central Otago, Canterbury in the South Island.

Wine varieties produced across New Zealand include: sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, cabernet, chardonnay and pinot gris.

Australia is the largest export market by value for New Zealand wines – we are worth $373 million, while the USA and UK are not far behind with the latest figures valued at $283.7 million and $278.4 million consecutively.

In his Chairs’ Report for 2013, Board of New Zealand

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째 FEATURE 째

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Clockwise from left: Marlborough Vineyard, Matua Cellar Door and Matua winemaker, Nikolai St George

Winegrowers chair, Steven Green highlighted some of the reasons behind the growth pattern; “North America is a major strategic opportunity for the sector,” he said; “Shipments to the USA increased 13 per cent to $284 million making it the second largest market for our wines while exports to Canada lifted 10 per cent to $78 million”.

Global brand manager for Matua, Adam Prentice explains that a shift in taste preferences has been a contributing factor to New Zealand wine’s success; “Over the past 10 years, we have observed a big change in taste preferences (both in food and wine) to cleaner, fresher and lighter styles. This has fuelled significant growth opportunities for NZ sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. At the same time, our attention to quality and consistency has improved considerably.”

So what is it that sets New Zealand wine apart from wines produced in other parts of the world?

Brand manager for Yealands Estate Wines, Debbie Jones suggests that extended growing seasons and unique environmental factors are the key; “New Zealand has an extended growing seasons in a pristine environment, allowing grapes to develop flavour over a long period of time.”

Villa Maria’s senior Auckland winemaker, Nick Picone expanded on this explaining that it comes down to freshness of fruit - an intensity of pure fruit he describes as “unmatched elsewhere.”

Picone explained that the freshness and intense fruit influence that charatcterises wines from New Zealand is due to a combination of factors including the unique geography, climate and soils that exist on the islands; “New Zealand wines are food wines, possessing the appropriate acidity, alcohol and weight of flavour to combine with, as opposed to clashing with, the flavours across a broad range of cuisines.

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Right: Matua Founder, Bill Spence; Below: Vineyard in Central Otago

“New Zealand wines offer quality; the quality of the ‘average’ bottle is as good if not better than found anywhere in the world.”

- Nick Picone New Zealand wines offer refreshment and approachability; the climate preserves the varietal characteristics unique to the specific variety. Above all else, New Zealand wines offer quality; the quality of the ‘average’ bottle is as good if not better than found anywhere in the world.”

Speaking about the most recent vintage, 2013, Picone said; “2013 has in some instances produced slightly riper and fuller bodied sauvignon blanc’s than average in Marlborough, yet are still classically Marlborough which is vital for the style.”

Winemaker for Wither Hills, Sally Williams agreed with Picone saying; “The 2013 growing season was filled with plenty of sunshine hours and cool nights, the wines are showing intensity and ripeness of fruit from the warm days and a firm structure from the cool nights maintaining the vibrant acidity Marlborough wines are renown for.”

While head winemaker for Matua, Nikolai St George described 2013 as a fantastic vintage across all wine varietals; “Our sauvignon blanc

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is slightly more aromatic and citrus than our 2012 release and the quality is exceptional. At the same time, 2013 was another great vintage for our pinot noir. Our 2013 releases deliver great colour coupled with dark ripe cherry characteristics in a similar vein to our 2012 releases.”

Building on the 2013 vintage, as well as previous vintages, New Zealand wine is looking forward; optimistic with supply and demand starting to balance out, as well as some new offerings that are showing promise.

Over the next five to 10 years, John Freeman suggests that New Zealand will become supply constrained and will need to focus on the super premium wine markets; “In the longer term, we see New Zealand being supply-constrained, as it will not be easy to plant sufficient vineyards in such a small geographic area to meet the projected long-term growth in global demand.

For this reason, New Zealand will therefore remain a relatively small producer on a global scale, but will be significant in the super premium segment of the market.”

While global brand manager for Matua, Adam Prentice says that the future will see a growing market interest in some of the lesser-known New Zealand wines; “Sauvignon blanc and pinot noir are on fire - chardonnay, riesling and albarino will follow. Quality will continue to increase as prices rise and continued investment is made in the industry. It’s fair to say we are very excited about the future.”

“The NZ industry is upbeat with supply and demand well balanced so NZ wines are well placed to show the world much more of our wine story, we would expect pinot noir and other varieties like chardonnay and even pinot gris grow in recognition and demand,” said Sally Williams.

With a future that looks bright, New Zealand doesn’t look to be slowing down its wine production. With its focus on quality and expanding varietals, it looks like this small island nation will continue making its name as a key wine producer in the coming years.

So next time you enjoy a glass of wine, why not try New Zealand?

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Coming up 接下來的內容 WE EXPLORE THE OTHER 2/3 OF WHAT’S IN THE GLASS “ THE MIXERS” DIAGEO WORLD CLASS Who will represent Hong Kong?

THE CHIVAS MASTERS AT WORK IT’S ALL ABOUT WINE & SOMMELIERS JAPANESE WHISKY JOURNEY continues with Nikka

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The largest wine and spirits exhibition in Asia-Pacific welcomes you in the centre of Hong Kong.

This is a unique opportunity to browse through an unparalleled range of products and a perfect venue to meet major decision-makers in the industry. Vinexpo Asia-Pacific, definitely the place to be for the success of your business.

T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L W I N E A N D S P I R I T S E X H I B I T I O N F O R A S I A - PA C I F I C

Sopexa Singapore I Tel: 65 6222 5985 I heloise.ferru@sopexa.com

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