Asia On-Premise

Asia On-Premise The Cocktail and Spirit Edit

THE FOCUS ON FOOD AND BEVERAGE IN ASIA IS FUELLED BY INCREDIBLE TALENT HAILING BOTH LOCALLY AND FROM ABROAD, AND THE HYPE IS MATCHED BY SERIOUSLY GOOD VENUES, CONCEPTS AND DRINKS.

Words Sam Ng, Gin Ambassador and Trade Relations Manager, Asia for Four Pillars.

Asia and its many regions have unique styles and flavours. Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong are leading the charge with world-class venues such as Atlas in Singapore (pictured), The Old Man (Hong Kong), Bar High Five (Tokyo) and Jigger and Pony (Singapore) amongst others. All feature in The Worlds 50 Best Bars. The style is recognisable; a familiar reference to the established cocktail cities of London and New York.

This year alone, winners of major global cocktail competitions hailed from various corners of Asia. We’ve seen Bannie Kang (originally from Korea), currently head bartender of Anti:dote Bar in Singapore win the gruelling and prestigious World Class Cocktail Competiton, and Ronnaporn “Neung” Kanivichaporn, co-owner of Thai bars #findthelockerroom and #findthephotobooth, win the much-lauded Bacardi Legacy Competition.

Bars and bartenders like Vijay Mudaliar at Native (Singapore) and Aki Wang from Indulge Experimental Bistro give us some of the most contemplative and creative drinks not typically seen in other parts of the world. Native goes so far as using ingredients and spirits only found in the region - ingredients like candlenut, native arracks, pink jasmine and an assortment of wild foraged botanicals. Vijay does the foraging himself. While at Indulge, an incredible selection of teas feature at the heart of each of their core concepts.

The appetite for native influences and regionality stretches through the broader Asia bartending community with a myriad of local ingredients featuring in progressive and dedicated concept bars, making their way into unique drinks that celebrate provenance.

Jamie Rhind, formerly of the Artesian (UK), currently at the Bamboo Bar in the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, has created a menu referencing the five different regions in Thailand, primarily taking reference from local spirits and flavours. The wife and husband team of Sumire and Takuo Miyanohara at Bar Orchard (Tokyo) in Ginza, are choosing to baulk the traditional Ginza cocktail bar style to create a menu based around the customer’s choice of fruit with exciting and playful presentations.

Bars in lesser-known parts of Asia such as areas of Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are doing exciting things with variations, bar choreography and often unusual pairings. Unique regional palates and ingredient choices result in approaches to flavour that may not be recognisable in more established cocktail regions, often with surprising and fascinating results.

The rise of the craft spirit is very much a focus across the region. Whisk(e)y is still king in the majority of these markets, with Scottish and Japanese styles preferred. But the trend towards craft gin and rum is evident. Established brands still feature heavily but more bartenders are looking for new and locally-produced spirits for inspiration.

As in the rest of the world, craft gin is the fastest-growing category adopted by creatives behind the stick.

Local palates within each of these cities continue to expand because of ingredients such as bitters selections, artisanal liqueurs and fortified wines becoming more commonplace. Perhaps they were hand-carried by bartenders and enthusiasts to their local favourite cocktail bars. Brands like Italicus, Mancino Vermouths, Ferro-china finding their way onto back bars in places not so accustomed to these particular flavours.

Time will tell how the broader Asia region will grow. Still, one thing is sure; it’s onwards and upwards as more consumers and professionals look towards the rapid growth and appreciation of fine drinking across all its proponents.