11 minute read
What’s Happening?
We like to explore the wonderful world of drinks as much as you do. From new venue openings, new releases, competitions, events and everything in between - the drinks industry is a truly diverse landscape, and we look forward to bringing you the latest happenings locally and abroad.
VISIT: JIMBARAN COCKTAIL WEEK
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Jimbaran, Bali is getting its very own cocktail week this October/ November. The event will kick off on October 31st with a mixology masterclass seminar hosted by Kiki Moka (Union Group JKT), Ayip Muhamad Dzuhry (Frestro Bar & Lounge), D’Agisna Ramdhani and Arey Barker (Bikini Restaurant). The following day, there will be a Spice Trail Mixology Challenge, where participants are required to make cocktails using Indonesian herbs and spices. Each evening from 7pm-11pm a guest mixologist will take to the bar to whip up their very best concoctions. For more details visit drinks.world
TRY: KRUG 2004 VINTAGE COLLECTION
Recently Krug unveiled their 2004 vintage release. With 12 years of cellar aging, this Champagne has light hints of ginger, candied citrus and quince that give way to the rich smells of lemon meringue tart, plum and mirabelle. To taste, the wine has subtle flavours of light brioche and honey, before stronger notes of fresh oranges, lemons and mandarins. This fine blend of chardonnay (38 per cent), pinot noir (37 per cent) and meunier (24 per cent) grapes has been designed to age well. It will be available at Krug Ambassador’s restaurants and select wine retailers.
TRY: JOYBO
Popular Chinese brand of Baijiu, Joybo, is now available for purchase in Thailand. The brand announced their launch through hosting three small parties on the Phuket seaside and near the street shops of Chiang Mai. Made from sorghum locally cultivated in Chongqing, China, the wine has a creamy, light and refreshing taste. Joybo also took home a number of awards at this year’s International Wine and Spirits Competition, including ‘superior silver’ and ‘silver’.
VISIT: LOS SOTANO
Hong Kong has a new joint for all things tequila and mezcal. The aptly named Los Sotano, meaning the basement, is located underground in the pumping Lan Kwai Fong district and will be serving up over 80 different types of the spirits, including rare expressions like Caso Dragones & Clase Azul Ultra Añejo. The extensive cocktail menu ranges from spicy, to bitter, to sweet, so there’s something to suit everyone.
VISIT: FRANK’S LIBRARY
The British gent behind Hong Kong’s Foxglove, Frank Minza, has opened a new ‘speakeasy within a speakeasy’ Frank’s Library. The new cocktail bar can be found behind closed curtains within Foxglove and is styled like the private library den of your quintessential English gentleman. The bar is whisky and cognac focused, with eight different expressions on show at any one time. Alongside this, patrons can pick up one of Frank’s ‘Travel Diary Cocktails’, inspired by the sights, smells and tastes of his travels around the world. As Frank’s travels continue, the menu will continue to rotate to represent new stories and products found on his journeys. Cocktails are expertly crafted from regionally focused ingredients by bar manager Austen Lendrum and there will also be a range of stronger barrel-aged cocktails, as either single or shared serves.
TRY: RÉMY MARTIN XO CANNES 2017 LIMITED EDITION LAUNCHED IN HONG KONG
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, renowned Cognac house Rémy Martin has released their new XO Cannes 2017 Limited Edition in Hong Kong. This blended cognac, made from up to 400 aged Eaux de Vie, has the delicate aroma of white flowers and on the palate tastes of plums, figs, candied oranges, cinnamon and freshly grated hazelnuts. Its rounded black and gold bottle design inspire memories of old film reels and it comes in a sleek gift box. Only 300 bottles have been released to the Hong Kong market.
FRONT COVER: WHAT WE’RE DRINKING
BLACK STORM Ingredients:
40ml Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum Top with Ginger Ale Dash of Ground Pepper Garnish: Orange slice and ground pepper Method: Build ingredients over ice, top with ginger ale and stir Glassware: Rocks
TRENDS: FOUR COCKTAIL TRENDS PREDICTED FOR 2018
This August saw Diageo’s WORLD CLASS competition wrap up after 55 bartenders from across the world battled it out for the top spot in Mexico City. In between the all the action, Diageo’s Global Cocktailian, Lauren Mote, got together with legend of the industry Dre Masso, Australian MasterChef host and judge, Matt Preston, Alex Kratena, formerly of Artesian – three time winner of World’s Best Bar, and Charles Joly, WORLD CLASS BARTENDER OF THE YEAR 2014 to discuss their predictions for the trends of 2018. They see bars focusing on implementing sustainable and reusable methods, creating unique signature serves, experimenting with flavours, textures, ingredients and techniques and a movement by consumers towards making cocktails at home.
COMPETITION: WALLACE LAU TAKES OUT LA MAISON COINTREAU HONG KONG
Bartender Wallace Lau of Bar De Luxe has been named the winner of La Maison Cointreau Hong Kong 2017. Lau beat out 42 other entrants from across the city over a series of two intense challenges. He will now be representing Hong Kong in October at the Asian finals held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
TRY: JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL PARTNERSHIP WITH VICTO NGAI
Johnnie Walker has teamed up with one of Forbes Art & Style 30-under-30 artists and New York Society of Illustrators’ two-time gold medalist, Victo Ngai, to release the Johnnie Walker Blue Label ‘Pioneering Cities’ Limited Edition. The 70cl bottles of premium Johnnie Walker Blue Label, made from a blend of selected 1 in 10,000 casks, features the design of a Cantonese opera performer in a flowing costume, adorned with symbols alluding to the city’s iconic skyline, colonial architecture, and neon lights. Each bottle has its own serial number that starts with Hong Kong’s area code ‘852’ followed by a four-digit number. The unique bottles are available from September 1 onwards at major retailers and specialised stores around Hong Kong for the RRP HK$2,300 per bottle.
VISIT: THE WRITING CLUB
Step into this gentlemen’s club inspired whisky bar to sample from over 500 handpicked labels, including many rare expressions. This bar is the dream of husband and wife power couple Tan Soo San and Sherin Ong. Tan Soo left his job of over 20 years in the finance industry to open the whisky bar and it is predominantly his personal collection that is on show. Keeping with the theme of luxurious elegance, the bar is located in the Palais Renaissance and features dark wooden detailing, gold-lined mirrors and black and white marble tiling. The intimate space seats 36 people across plush leather sofas and blue suede chairs. Fong Chan Teng, a whisky expert formerly of La Maison du Whisky, spearheads the drinks menu, which includes an array of fine wines, craft beers and bespoke cocktails. Whisky can be purchased by the dram or as flights in a blind tasting or open selection.
COMPETITION: DEVENDER KUMAR WINS HERNÖ COCKTAIL AWARDS 2017
Leading Hong Kong bartender Devender Kumar (bar manager at Otto e Mezzo Bombana) has taken out the title at this year’s Hernö Cocktail Awards. The competition requires contestants to forage in the woods of Sweden’s UNESCO listed High Coast Nature Reserve to find ingredients for their cocktails. They were provided with a bottle of Hernö High Coast Terroir Gin, honey and water and are then left to source the other ingredients from their surrounds. Four to five Swedish bartenders are at hand to ensure edible ingredients are chosen but, from there, contestants are given two to three hours to create their concoctions before presenting them before an audience of 100 people. Despite the tough competition, Kumar took the crown with his ‘In & On the Forest’ cocktail of Hernö High Coast Terroir Gin, lingonberries, blueberries, honey and water. Fellow Hong Kong bartender Leo Cheung, from Alibi – Wine, Dine, Be Social, came third.
COMPETITION: JAKE PAGE CROWNED LA MAISON COINTREAU SINGAPORE
La Maison Cointreau the regional bartending programme by French spirits group, Rémy Cointreau announced its third winner in Singapore recently. Crowned champion after three grueling challenge rounds over three months, is Jake Page from Employees Only Singapore. In October Jake will head over to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to compete in the regional final against ten other markets including Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The seventh annual China International Alcoholic Beverage Expo was held in Guiyang, capital of the Guizhou province, from September 9th to 12th. The aim of the event was to showcase a range of products from across the Chinese market and abroad. The expo is the first platform that promotes exchanges between Chinese and international alcoholic beverage manufacturers. Over 2,000 national and international exhibitors participated in the event, which was expected to generate turnover in excess of 54.5 billion yuan (US$8.1 billion)
VISIT: SORA AT THE ROSEWOOD HOTEL
Phnom Penh’s emerging cocktail scene now has a new ultra-chic rooftop bar. Sora invites guests to try a range of signature cocktails focused on gin and rum in front of a spectacular 360-degree view of the city. There is a range of seating options from soft armchairs, small tables, wooden stools and bar seating. The venue is also home to a specialty whisky bar, which features over 140 whisky labels from across the globe. Bar manager Daniele Cervi and his team can also whip you up a whisky cocktail or a twist on an old classic. Tapas from the Japanese Izakaya-style restaurant downstairs, Iza, are on offer at the bar to keep the appetite satisfied.
NEWS: PROOF & COMPANY HEADED DOWN UNDER
One of Asia’s leading independent spirits companies, Proof & Company has made an investment in one of Australia’s fastest growing craft spirits distributors, Neat Spirits. With the investment, Proof & Company has acquired a significant minority interest in Neat Spirits and a seat on the Neat Spirits board. Proof & Company will also provide Neat Spirits with an inventory financing facility to allow the company to expand its portfolio of brands and enhance brand development.
TRY: THE SINGLETON OF GLEN ORD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY ANNOUNCE A NEW LIMITED EDITION
Highland Park Distillery has released the oldest liquid since the distillery was founded 180 years ago in 1838. The Singleton of Glen Ord Forgotten Drop Series launched an elegant 41-year-old liquid which is bottled at cask strength with a 49.9% ABV. Due to limited stock, only 600 bottles will be available throughout Asia at an impressive RRP £2,200.00 per bottle.
Turn to page 44 and meet Mr. Ervin Trykowski, the first and current Global Scotch Whisky Ambassador for Singleton.
VISIT: THE OLD MAN
Tucked away in a hidden location on Aberdeen Street lies The Old Man, the brainchild of three of the industry’s greats, Agung Prabowo, James Tamang and Roman Ghale. As the name suggests, literary great Ernest Hemingway’s Pulitzer Prize winning tale The Old Man and the Sea is the inspiration behind both the décor and drinks menu. Agung Prabowo’s innovative and experimental cocktails compliment the brooding and charming vibe of the interior, which has the feel of a 1940s Cuban sitting room.
TRY: CORAVIN SCREW CAP LAUNCHED IN ASIA
Coravin has announced the release of their screw cap system in the Asia market. The expertly designed storage system means restaurants and consumers can now serve wine by the glass without the fear of oxidisation. This opens up the opportunity to try premium wines without having to finish the bottle. The simple, easy-to-use design requires you to open the bottle and immediately replace the existing bottle cap with the Coravin Screw Cap. Place your Coravin Wine System over the bottle, insert the needle from the Coravin Screw Cap, then tip the bottle back and press the trigger to release pressurising argon gas. Once finished pouring, tip the bottle backwards to stop the flow of wine and remove the needle. The silicone membrane of the screw cap will them automatically reseal, preserving the wine for up to three months. The Coravin Screw Cap comes in two sizes and can be removed and reused up to 50 times once the bottle is emptied. Coravin Screw Caps are available for purchase in six-packs from Watson’s Wine and Enoteca Hong Kong for HK$245.
FEATURES
This edition of Drinks World we feature the production and history of rum, a rum tasting, what is fat washing, unaged spirits and introducing Australia’s Top 25 Bartenders
