Dave Lam

from DW Top25 Bartenders Hong Kong & Macau 2017

Derek Tsui

The force was definitely with Dave Lam when he met his current boss in a Star Wars fan club and later landed a job at Quinary, one of the most popular bars in Hong Kong. An avid fan of science fiction, the name of his T25 cocktail is inspired by the 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN THE INDUSTRY. Star Wars is a huge part of my life. It was through a Star Wars fan club that I met my current boss Antonio Lai many years ago. After a year working as an office boy for a construction company, I decided to explore other options, which led me to part-time jobs as a cook, waiter, barback at Dragon-i and Drop, before landing a full-time job as a bartender at Fofo by El Willy. A few months after Quinary opened in 2012, I left Fofo to join the team, and I have been here ever since (apart from when I was in Australia for a year on a working holiday visa). Today, I’m a bar supervisor at Quinary.

TELL US ABOUT LONDON NO. 3 GIN AND THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR COCKTAIL. London No. 3 Gin first caught my attention with their bottle design. The vibrant green colour reminds me of lush gardens, and the intricate key is both mysterious and intriguing. Made with six perfectly balanced botanicals and distilled in traditional copper pot stills, London No. 3 Gin is a classic London Dry Gin through and through. On the nose, it is floral, and on the palate, smooth juniper notes dominate, with a substantial body of citrus oils, which leads to a sweet finish. The overall experience reminds me of a greenhouse, and this is the core inspiration behind my cocktail. I am an avid gardener and love watching the growth of herbs and plants, which reminds me of my personal growth as a bartender over the years.

WHAT’S A NEW INGREDIENT YOU’RE USING AT THE MOMENT? My current favourite ingredients would have to be either Red Dates Tea or Ginger Lemon Coca-Cola. They are nostalgic flavours in local culture, and I love experimenting with various ways of bringing back memories of a time gone by for guests at the bar. These ingredients also claim to have traditional healing properties, and I hope that these elements can be a “tonic” to fill the different emotional gaps in our lives.

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO ANYONE LOOKING AT JOINING THE INDUSTRY AS A PROFESSION? Experience is the best knowledge. Don’t be afraid of trying new things personally and embrace everything that you learn along the way. Also, read as much as you can about the history of spirits, the industry and cocktail culture.

IF YOU COULD DO ONE GUEST SHIFT WITH ANYONE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE AND WHO WOULD IT BE WITH? I really look up to Leo Robitschek and Chris Lowder so my dream guest shift would be with either one of them. I once promised my friend Stefanos Draganidakis that I would visit his bar again so our guest shift venue would be The Trap in Athens!