IRON Bartender
T
hree bar masters. Three “secret” ingredients. One judge. Would Beijing’s cocksure mixologists fumble when faced with an unusual condiment or unfamiliar fruit? Or can they concoct a drink to
THE CONTESTANTS
THE JUDGE
ROSS HARRIS Mas Ross brought Florida to Beijing when he opened Mas two years ago, introducing deadly tiki drinks to the hutongs.“Bartending is cooking, straight up,” he says. “I don’t have flair or skill. I don’t know how to spin around and sh*t, but it’s just flavor combining.” The durian-loving “chef ” cooks up exotic cocktails every Sunday from 4-10pm at Mas’s tropical barbecue.
SAM BOBERTZ Xian Bar, East Hotel Beijing Sam began his bartending career when he was 16 years old in Hong Kong. Now, already three years into his stint in Beijing, he channels his experience into innovative projects for Xian. While he’s one for the dark Italian digestifs, Sam likes to let guests ingest a more palatable version of the liqueur, with passion fruit, rum and lime.
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ALAN WANG Cantina Agave If you want to know the ins and outs of a margarita, ask Alan Wang, who would make you one of Cantina Agave’s four versions of the tequila drink over a boozy horchata in a heartbeat. Wang has been behind the bar for four years, whipping up cocktails at the Regent Hotel on Financial Street before hitting Sanlitun. His mix of choice? “Lady drinks,” i.e., sour and sweet.
August 2014
photoS: mitchell pe masilun
ALFRED YU Xian Bar, East Hotel Beijing The 23-year- old from Henan province studied under Beijing’s legendary bartender, Tony Zhao of 99 Club. If you ever catch him having a drink, he’ll always go for the classics, but if he’s attending a guest, then he likes to grab for the gin. When it comes to ingredients for this competition, he says he’d take on just about anything.
impress one tough taster? In the spirit of Iron Chef, we put our bartenders to the test by announcing a secret ingredient, giving them ten minutes to conceive of and create a mix, and finding out just how creative a cocktail can get.