World Class | Asia's Best Bartenders 2014

Asia’s Best Bartenders

2014

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Asia’s Best Bartenders

2014

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INTRODUCTION Over the last decade, Asia has been making its mark on the bartending world, and a big mark at that. The hospitality scene has been elevated as bartenders and consumers alike are travelling more, which has led to a greater and more widespread knowledge of luxury spirits, and a heightened passion to learn about them. As a result of this, there is an increasingly large demand for unique, luxury drinking experiences, similar to those experienced in the leading bars in cities such as New York and London. So, how has Asia made its mark globally, and why are the world’s best industry awards continuing to recognise bars in this region? Because Asia is simply doing what it does best, taking what it learns from the rest of the world and making it its own, fusing together the distinct personalities of each individual Asian city and creating something genuinely special.

Asia’s Best Bartenders aim to introduce you to these bars and their must-try signature cocktails, guaranteeing the ultimate luxury drinking experience no matter where you are in Asia. The bartenders featured in this book didn’t become Asia’s best overnight. Their success took years of hard work, passion and dedication to firmly establish Asia’s bar scene and its place on the map.

Each bartender featured in this book is part of the Diageo Reserve World Class™ luxury bartending competition alumni, a global platform that has trained, and engaged with, over 17,000 bartenders across 50 countries since 2009. These bartenders have been through rigorous levels of competition to prove they are of the World Class™ standard.

Colin Chia Regional Manager, Asia Pacific Diageo Reserve World Class™ 5

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CREDITS Publisher: Marc Rodrigues marc@hipmedia.com.au

Editor: Ashley Pini Sub-editor: Anna May Design and Layout: Ryan Andrew Salcedo Produced and Published by:

Publication MCI (P) 198/03/2013 Hip Media Asia and Diageo Plc specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merhcantability of fitness for a particular purpose. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Johnnie Walker Green Label, Tanqueray No. Ten, Don Julio, Ciroc are all registered trademarks of Diageo. Zacapa Centenario, Zacapa Centenario logo and the Zacapa Centenario bottle are all trademarks of Rum Creation and Products, Inc. The Grand Marnier word and associated logos are owned by Société Marnier Lapostolle. Ketel One and Ketel One Citroen words and associated logos trademarks of Double Eagle Brands N.V. © Diageo 2014.

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CONTENTS 16

CHINA

48

KOREA

80

SINGAPORE

24

HONG KONG

56

TAIWAN

88

PHILIPPINES

32

JAPAN

64

VIETNAM

96

INDONESIA

40

THAILAND

72

MALAYSIA

• Chris Xi • Nadia Liu • Teddy Hao

• Cherry Lam • John Ng • Wallace Lau

• Kaori Kurakami • Mariko Shigenai • Suguru Makinaga

• Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn • Sarawut Pinpepch • Pongpak Sudthipongse

• Byoung Jin Lim • Il Ki Lee • Sung Min Park

• Jeffrey Chang • Ming Liao • Ira Huang

• Le Thanh Tung • Luu Tran The Vihn • Nguyen Thanh Luan

• Jeffri S • Shirmy Chan • Yinying Leow

104

• Peter Chua • Mark Graham Thomas • Tom Hogan

• Joma Rivera • Rian Asiddao • Syrian Ebdane

• I Gusti Salit Made Ari Naryana • (Tom) Budiman Atmaja • Willy Gunawan

INDIA

• Varun Sudhakar • Gaurav Dhyani • Dilbar Singh 7

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A WORLD CLASS™ HISTORY

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2009: Diageo Reserve World Class™ is launched, providing an international platform to celebrate the skill and craft of the world’s best bartenders.

The first final is held in London and the winner is Aristotelis Papadopoulos from Greece, beating competition from 24 countries. Marco Pierre White, the Master of Ceremonies at the final stated: “The bar is the most important aspect of any hotel or restaurant and it’s time that bartenders receive the same acknowledgement as chefs.”

2010 & 2011: World Class™ grows in ambition, scale and profile, expanding to showcase finedrinking experiences and inspire drinkers to embrace quality cocktail culture around the globe. The second and third Global finals take place in Athens and New Delhi and are won by Erik Lorincz and Manabu Ohtake respectively.

Speaking after the final in 2010, winner Erik Lorincz said: “This is a dream to win such a prestigious award, to be judged by some of my heroes such as Salvatore Calabrese and Dale DeGroff has really inspired me. I’m really excited about the year ahead.”

2012: The World Class™ TV Show is launched, a TV special putting a spotlight on the World Class™ bartenders and elevating a new generation of mixologists to celebrity status. The TV series brings cocktail culture into the homes of millions of people after its broadcast by 16 major TV networks across nearly 120 countries.

Tim Philips from Australia is crowned Bartender of the Year at the finals held in Rio de Janeiro. Judge Ueno Hidetsugu commented on his win: “To succeed within Diageo Reserve World Class™ you must possess boundless creativity, precision, a sense of showmanship and an innate ability to connect with the customer. Each year I am astounded and inspired by the level of talent, skill and innovation that the participants bring to the Global final Week.

Tim sums up what his win means to him “World Class™ has helped me settle into being a person. I’m happy that bartending, for me, is a job for life.”

2013: With past Global finals taking place in London, Athens, New Delhi and Rio de Janeiro, the 2013 finals takes to the open seas and is hosted on a cruise ship.

David Rios from Spain wins the title this year.

David commented after the final: “It is not possible to compare other competitions to Diageo Reserve World Class™. There are no other competitions that have a similar scale, outstanding reputation or level of bartending excellence.”

Following the final, World Class™ unveils the Definitive Drinking Guide, online go-to for the discerning drinker who wants to be in the know of the best finedrinking experiences all around the world. Hosted on both Tumblr and Pinterest, 10

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the Guide is curated by the best in the bartending industry and provides 50 unique stories: how to hunt down the best drinks, the best ways to enjoy these drinks, and the best things to see, hear, and do that make for a richer finedrinking experience.

The TV show goes from strength to strength, being screened in 180 countries across 26 global networks and is now viewed by 40.7 million people – celebrating the skill and craft of the 43 bartenders who have competed.

2014: Now in its sixth year, World Class™ has become the industry’s most prestigious and respected mixology competition and a landmark week in the luxury calendar. What began as a bartending training programme is now an internationally recognized annual event transforming fine drinking experiences and cocktail culture around the world and elevating the skill of the bartender to be on a par with other celebrated craftspeople such as chefs.

Since its launch, over 15,000 contenders have participated in and been trained through World Class™ events, heats and seminars and this year more than 50 mixologists from around the world will compete in the final in the UK. For

the first time, consumers will also be able to participate in the World Class™ experience via the World Class™ House. The elegant Georgian townhouse at 33 Fitzroy Square will be home to a series of immersive, engaging and inspiring experiences created by World Class™ spirits and very special guests. These will include multi-sensory, gastronomic tasting sessions hosted by Ron Zacapa® 23, ‘sonic tastings’ from Ketel One® Vodka, and a Mexican speakeasy basement bar complete with a secret nightclub by Don Julio®. There will also be an art deco inspired martini bar from Tanqueray® No. TEN™ and a Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ cinema experience, ensuring the World Class™ house will have something even for the most discerning drinkers.

With a new generation of bartending superstars to look up to, World Class™ is helping restore the role of the bartender, making it an attractive and aspirational career. The early pioneers, like ‘Professor’ Jerry Thomas or Harry Johnson, would be proud.

And while there can be only one winner, the talents on show throughout the World Class™ experience show how knowledge of quality spirits, the provenance of ingredients, pioneering drinks-making techniques and cooking methods, and drinks as an art form, are incentivising a new breed of creativity.

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Having recently visited Singapore for the World Class™ SEA finals, I was genuinely impressed by the huge leaps in the standard of bartending since I was last in the region. However what really struck me was the passion and commitment shown by all the competitors. In a region and culture where bartending is still not widely recognised as a craft in its own right, I was touched to see how much the competition means to those who take part.

World Class™ is committed to elevating the craft and skill of the bartender to gain the admiration and recognition the profession deserves – our TV

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show is a great example of how we can raise the profile of our World Class™ bartenders and give them a global stage to showcase their talent. We know that a great bartender doesn’t just serve drinks, they define a customer’s whole evening; when they get it right, their customers remember their experience and their bartender long after they’ve taken that final sip. A

bartender’s expertise and knowledge is on a par with great chefs but they also have to be part maitre’d, part host, part ambassador, part craftsman and much more…it is a multi-faceted job that deserves great respect and World Class™ wants to make that happen.

If, as part of our programme, we can help bartenders in the region stand tall and say with pride to family, friends and peers that they are a World Class™ bartender and be celebrated for that, then that means we are doing our job.

If we can motivate bartenders just entering the business to view this as a career and a profession for life where they can continually learn, travel the world and be inspired and to join the 15,000 plus who have participated in World Class™ since it began, then I feel a genuine sense of pride.

I’m looking forward to welcoming all the finalists from across Asia to Scotland and London in July for the World Class™ Global Final and to celebrate their success with them; to have achieved National Winner status is a phenomenal accolade and they should be very, very proud.

Johanna Dalley World Class™ Director

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China continues to impress me year on year with their progress. Chinese competitors are becoming some of the leaders through Asia when it comes to innovation and flavour matching. Being part of the China World Class™ program was a great privilege. I look forward to seeing Chris compete for his nation in the global finals in July. If he brings the charm, innovation and quality he brought in the domestic final, you never know how far he can go.

Tim Philips Bulletin Place Sydney World Class™ Champion 2012

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CHINA Your Way Ingredients 45ml Talisker™ 10 Years Old 30ml Zacapa Orange Shrub* Mint Leaves *Zacapa Orange Shrub 300g Caster Sugar 1 Cinammon Stick 1 bottle of Ron Zacapa® 23 5 large Oranges Method Shake Garnish Caramel zafron kumqant with cigar mousse

Chris Xi Lure

Passionate bartender Chris Xi is always on the customers’ side when it comes to his craft. He believes people should drink whatever they like, in whatever style they like. It’s their drink, after all!

The best advice I have ever been given was from my mother. She told me that if you want to do something badly enough, you need to put all of yourself into it, and always give it the attention it deserves.

My mother taught me to never do anything halfway, and I have always lived by this advice.

I don’t consider myself a mixologist; I am most definitely a bartender. I know that all Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy can be called Cognac. Knowing information such as this is the reason I am a bartender.

If I were to give advice to someone considering entering World Class™, I would, first and foremost, say you need to be incredibly passionate about bartending. There is no way to make it in this competition, or industry, if you do not completely love this profession. Secondly, I would tell them to practice, practice, and then practice some more! Finally, I would tell them that if they never give up on their work, are always ready to learn something and constantly follow their passion, then it will happen for them.

Creating a World Class™ cocktail is no easy task, and to be a drink of that standard, it must have three imperative things: a World Class™ cocktail is one that caters to the drinker’s palate, pleases all five of the senses at once, and demands the drinker never wants to put down his or her glass. If you can achieve these things, your drink is worthy of being titled ‘World Class™.’

I won’t sugar coat it, my 2014 World Class™ experience was incredibly difficult and I certainly had a hard time, but I survived. When you are competing in a competition such as World Class™, you are aware of your competition and that they are all strong enough to beat you. That said, there is a wonderful sense of community among the bartenders and we all helped each other as much as possible. I think I grew up a lot in World Class™ 2014. Not just as a person, but also as a bartender.

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CHINA 18

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Nadia Liu

The Ritz Carlton Flair Bar Always up for a challenge, Nadia Liu came out of World Class™ 2014 having learnt a lot about herself and her craft, and she is very proud of that.

It would be impossible to name the single best piece of advice I have been given, but my wine master, who has owned a bar in Shanghai, always told me that to get by in this industry, you must start with the basics. That means having an excellent knowledge of all wine and spirits.

I consider myself a mixologist. I think being a bartender, and gaining skills such as basic spirit knowledge, leading a team, and offering the best service possible to a guest builds the foundation for becoming a mixologist. You have to work your way up the ranks and learn the necessary skills before you can claim the title of mixologist.

If a bartender asked me for advice on entering World Class™, I would tell them that being personable and charming is a great skill to have throughout the competition. I would also tell them to have as much knowledge as possible of the ingredients on offer. Some ingredients are well known, and others not so well known, but all of them are important to the competition so it is vital to know what you are dealing with.

To be considered a World Class™ Cocktail, a drink needs to be innovative, it needs to have simply matched flavours, and it needs to be practiced, practiced, and practiced again.

I found World Class™ 2014 to be a big challenge. I changed my theme many times and had trouble with flavours after the semi final, which was a nightmare when combined with so much pressure, but that’s life and the competition is so much fun to be involved in. I travelled a lot during World Class™ 2014 and I had a lot of great friends in that time. Going in to the competition, my only wish was to finish the thing! I feel like I grew up a lot during the competition, and it helped me realise how important it is to never give up on what you love to do.

Grape Demon Ingredients 40ml Cîroc® Vodka 30ml White Wine (Chardonnay) 15ml Plum Liqueur 5ml Maraschino Liqueur Method Stir Garnish Fresh grape, fresh mandarin orange, fresh cherry, fresh mint 19

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CHINA

Teddy Hao D.Lounge

Teddy Hao believes storytelling is a huge part of making great cocktails, something he made great use of in the World Class™ Final.

The best advice I was given during the competition was just before the final, one of my good friends suggested matching dark chocolate with Talisker™ 10 Years Old. I think dark chocolate is just like a woman’s love, it is bittersweet and perfectly matches the masculine smokiness of Talisker™. That’s why I named the cocktail Tough Love; because love is full of different flavours, just like my cocktail. I am so grateful for that advice and the resulting cocktail.

I personally prefer to be referred to as a mixologist. I feel that ‘bartender’ sounds like more of a job, and mixologist implies a career. I also feel it sounds more professional. I don’t think there is any less dignity in either; this is just my personal opinion.

To all the bartenders out there considering entering World Class™ and would like some advice: I say stop thinking and start doing! World Class™ gets better every year, and it is one of the biggest platforms for young bartenders to learn and show off their talent. Once they enter, I would tell them that preparation is key.

In my opinion, a World Class™ cocktail is one with a good story. Taste wise, it should be balanced yet complex, and should match with some great dishes with sophistication.

World Class™ 2014 was a truly life-changing experience, I met so many amazing and inspiring people that taught me so much about my craft. One of the best parts was having my own pop-up bar at the final where everyone was able try my cocktail.

Journey of Life Ingredients 40ml Ketel One® Vodka 20ml Italian Bitters 20ml Limoncello Liqueur 10ml Honey Method Shake Garnish Basil Leaves with Cheese 20

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Johnnie Walker® Gold Label Reserve™ PHOTO: Diageo Reserve World Class™ Bartender of the Year 2012 Tim Philips

Almost 200 years and seven generations of Master Blenders. An unbroken lineage of craftsmanship, culminating in the uncompromising expertise of today’s Master blender. And the spirit of celebration that imbues JOHNNIE WALKER® GOLD LABEL RESERVE™.

Complex, layered flavours. Deep character. Drawing from an unrivalled palette has allowed our Master Blender to create a celebratory new whisky experience like never before.

Johnnie Walker® Gold Label Reserve™ is an indulgent, luxurious and multi-layered blend with a smooth balance of sweet fruits and creaminess, before finishing in lingering waves of wood, fruit and light, sweet West-Coast smoke. Crafted for versatility, it can be consumed neat or as a perfect serve. It’s a whisky for that special evening. A whisky to bring out the boldness in individuals with attitude.

Up-and-coming, affluent men and women about town. Avantgarde in their own, inimitable way. The life and soul of the celebrations everyone is talking about. Johnnie Walker® Gold Label Reserve™ is crafted for the golden generation. And that golden moment when a celebration becomes a night they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.

Tasting Notes: GOLD SMOOTHNESS WITH A VIBRANT TWIST Multi-layered blend with a smooth balance of sweet fruits and creaminess that evokes deeper honey tones, before finishing in lingering waves of wood and light sweet west-coast smoke.

The result is BIG FLAVOUR WITH FLAIR, best enjoyedin a tall glass with crushed ice and a slice of orange.

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Cherry Lam Origin

Having worked in the industry since the tender age of 18, Cherry believes the key to being a great bartender includes a humble attitude, good service and creativity.

I have been working in the bar industry since I was 18 years old, starting out as a waitress and eventually making my way behind the bar. I’ve worked in restaurants, hotels, nightclubs and cocktail lounges all over Macau, Australia and Hong Kong.

To me, World Class™ is one of the best and most sophisticated competitions in the world. This is my first time entering the competition, so you could say I am still at ‘apprentice’ level for World Class™.

I have really focused on studying my favourite Diageo products this year, in the hopes of improving my knowledge for the tasting and written test components. I’m also trying to build up my knowledge of products and cocktail histories; there is a lot I need to learn!

Firstly, a good bartender has a humble attitude and good service: improving yourself as a bartender is just like improving yourself as a person, a lot of people can make balanced drinks, so I’d say great cocktails come second to being a great person and bartender. Your customers will always come back when they get great service, not just for the cocktail you’ve made for them. If you’re a humble person who cares about others in your personal life, that will shine through at work as well. Secondly, creativity: to achieve this, I recommend a lot of travel; get inspiration from new friends in different places to improve your creativity. Books can build up your basic knowledge, and once you have the basics you can use your creative mind to produce twists on classics.

The most satisfying part of working behind the bar is definitely building lasting friendships with my customers and colleagues. I am always excited to see guests come back and tell me how they are, not just coming in for a drink but also wanting to share their lives with me.

Many people come and go from bars I’ve worked in, so my team has changed a lot over the years, but I’m happy to say there are lasting friendships. Not just in Hong Kong, but all over the world, from London to Australia. I feel like the cocktails have connected us around the world, which is one of the reasons why I love this industry.

Mon Chéri Ingredients 60ml Ketel One® Vodka 20ml Ylang-ylang essence infused with French aperitif wine (0.01ml : 750ml) A dash of Perfumed Bitters (Aromatic Bitters infused with edible perfume) Method Stir well and pour into a chilled and perfumed Martini glass Garnish Finished with signature red lips as a garnish (Using a lip print rubber stamp, put it on beeswax infused red food colouring as a stamp pad. Print it on an edible paper and stick it on the Martini glass rim) Glassware Martini

To me, “bartender” and “mixologist” are just names and words, and words don’t mean a lot to me. In this community, however, a bartender might be at more of a beginner level, while a mixologist might have more experience, and is more focused on consistently creating balanced cocktails.

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HONG KONG

John Ng

Wyndham the 4th With seven years industry experience, John Ng has quickly become a well-known name amongst the Asian bar scene.

My bartending career started in 2007, when I lived in the USA and worked as a trainee in a golf resort where I slowly made my way behind the bar. When I moved back to Hong Kong, I started work at Mobar in the landmark Mandarin Oriental, where I worked with some of the world’s best bartenders. After four years at Mobar, I moved on to Wyndham the 4th, a boutique cocktail lounge. As manager, I try my best to encourage the cocktail scene and introduce more locals to cocktails.

I first entered World Class™ two years ago. I was awarded second place in 2013, and again in 2014.

North Sea Diver Ingredients 60ml The Singleton™ of Glen Ord 18 Years 15ml Maraschino 15ml Amaro di Montenegro 10ml Lime Juice 10ml Orange Juice 15ml Honey Water 5 drops Bitter Mix

2014 was the third World Class™ in Hong Kong. We only have a small cocktail scene here and most of the entrants knew each other and how talented everyone was, so we had to work harder and better to stand out among the competition. This year, I made sure my cocktails and presentations were more creative and demonstrated more of my knowledge. Hong Kong is such a small market, so it’s always nice to have a reunion with the other bartenders and spend some time together as friends. We work hard at our own bar, and it’s always nice to see how the others are doing, and how they have improved.

The most satisfying thing is always seeing the customers’ smiling faces and their appreciation of my drinks. Everyone has different tastes, so it can be hard to make customers appreciate what you give them.

A good cocktail all comes down to freshness: good cocktails need freshly squeezed, restaurant-quality juice, especially lemon and lime juice. It doesn’t matter too much if you’re not using the highest quality spirit, as long as the spirit fits the cocktail and you have the correct measurements.

Hong Kong is a difficult market, even though the rest of the world may not see it the same way. The Hong Kong bar scene is constantly changing; there are so many new ideas and concepts that need to be shared with the rest of the market. That said, I think customers’ spending patterns is an area we could improve on; bars and restaurants are all in the same area, and people are willing to spend far, far more on food than they are on drinks. I would like customers to know that. Essentially, bartenders do the same job as chefs do; the only difference is the final presentation and the tools used in production.

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HONG KONG

Wallace Lau Wyndham the 4th

After two years working in a lab, Wallace Lau decided to change his life for the better and move into the world of bartending. It certainly paid off, as Wallace was named Diageo Reserve World Class™ Champion 2014 for Hong Kong.

I have been working in bars since I was 25. After working in a product testing lab for two years, I grew tired with the office life and realised I needed to do something I really enjoyed, and wouldn’t regret.

My grand guru, Mr Bryan Chan, told me about Diageo Reserve World Class™ Hong Kong in 2012, and I tried to learn and practice as much as possible after that. I entered Diageo Reserve World Class™ in 2013, and was lucky enough to win second runner up last year. After a lot of hard training this year, I was named Hong Kong champion 2014. This is just the start for me; it forces me to be a better bartender.

This year, I trained under John Ng and Ricky Liau at Wyndham the 4th. I really enjoy learning from these two; they are skilled all-rounders, and not just when it comes to cocktails. 2014 is the third year of World Class™ Hong Kong, and most of the competitors are familiar with the rules now, so the competition was all the more exciting this year, which was really enjoyable.

I have never considered myself a mixologist; I am a bartender. I believe both have a great knowledge of spirits and mixing, and the ability to make good drinks. The term ‘bartender’ literally means ‘keeper of a big piece of wood,’ but in my opinion, a bartender’s job is not to look after the bottles behind the bar, but rather to look after the guest’s soul.

The most important thing for me is to make sure guests leave the bar happier than when they arrived. If I can change the mind of 10 guests each night, then 100 bartenders can change the mind of 100 guests a night, and we can change the world together.

The difference between a good cocktail and an average cocktail comes down to quality ingredients, accurate measurements, and good technique. And, of course, making the drink with heart.

Skye-line Ingredients 60ml Talisker™ 10 Years 20ml Fresh Lemon Juice 10ml Egg White 5ml 2:1 Brown Sugar Syrup 1 tbsp Roasted Coconut Honey Cream* 3 drops Aromatic Bitters 3 drops Chocolate Bitters *Roasted Coconut Honey Cream 1 part Honey, Brown Sugar, Roasted and Blended Coconut 1/2 part Coconut Oil Cook until all sugar desolved.

Must keep warm and melting during using.

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Manabu Ohtake

Diageo Reserve World Class™ Global Champion 2011 Industry veteran Manabu Ohtake spent over 15 years refining his skills behind the bar before being crowned World Class™ Bartender of the year 2011.

My hospitality career began 19 years ago, when I worked as a waiter in a hotel restaurant. I found myself mesmerised by the bartenders and their craft. I watched a guest take a sip and the expression on his face was one of pure bliss. That was when I knew what I really wanted to do: to see and experience the delight of the guest firsthand.

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t completely love bartending in the beginning because I was very young and the work would outweigh the enjoyment. My competitive spirit kept me from making an escape, however, so I worked hard to improve my skills day after day. Looking back, those hard times made me who I am today.

When it comes to creative cocktails, I take inspiration from daily life in general. Posters on billboards, magazines, and even things I watch on television inspire me. The multimedia that surrounds and stimulates us everywhere we turn can offer some very interesting insights into consumer trends and habits, and in turn inspire ideas for cocktails. I have started to think about how anything food-related could be transformed inside a cocktail glass.

The bar culture in Japan is very unique compared to those in other countries. I think that Japan has more of a focus on the quality of the drink, while other places focus on the entire experience including ambience. In contrast, Japanese bartenders tend to be silent and not as talkative while making cocktails, perhaps because we tend to focus more on perfecting the taste, aroma and decoration.

My outlook on the world completely changed after I competed in World Class™. I felt that the world was much smaller and more accessible than it previously was, and it made me want to go out into the world and test my skills.

My career took a dramatic turn when I dove into the international bar scene after winning the 2011 World Class™. I had the opportunity to travel to various countries to represent Diageo Reserve and learn about other bar cultures and skills while, at the same time, introducing the excellence of the Japanese bartending style.

What I feel most fortunate about from having been recognised as champion is having the chance to make so many friends around the world.

I’ve since changed workplaces and am now at Royal Bar at Palace Hotel Tokyo, where I’m challenging myself in the field of hospitality management while still being able to demonstrate the bartending skills that I’ve acquired thus far. I am endeavouring to continuously improve so that I can maintain my success.

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Kaori Kurakami Bar High Five

Kaori Kurakami fell in love with the world of bartending while flicking through a cocktail book becoming mesmerised with the colourful pictures of beautiful cocktails.

The Age of Great Navigations Ingredients 30ml Cîroc® Vodka 15ml Fino Sherry 10ml Multi-herb liqueur 5ml Honey 25ml Egg white 2 drops French dressing

I have worked as a bartender for eight years, the last four have been at Bar High Five.

One of the owners is a Global Judge for World Class™, so not only do I work in an environment where I get to meet Japanese World Class™ bartenders, but participants from overseas as well.

I became intrigued with the competition and was so excited to enter after hearing their stories.

This is the first competition I have entered in quite a while, but I was able to draw on many of the things I had seen and heard from others and use that to my advantage in the competition.

Being given the opportunity to make cocktails on stage in front of the World Class™ judges is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it is impossible to recreate the stress you feel during the competition when you practice. This may just be common sense, but I believe it is important to take care of your body during the competition, especially during the final, which goes for a few days. To me, the most enjoyable part is feeling the excitement of a breakthrough that leads to a great cocktail after endless trial and error. There really is no better feeling than that.

I am a bartender, and I am proud to be called a bartender. I feel there is no need for any other title. In my opinion, a mixologist is simply someone who mixes drinks, while a bartender is someone who must understand the needs of each customer, beyond the drink itself. Also, if you consider the word ‘tender’, it is implied that a bartender must also take care of the bar in the sense of controlling, managing and leading. A bartender needs to understand what each situation requires, and follow through with a full set of skills.

My mentor taught me that passion for your work could become an obstacle. Simply having passion does not help you make a great cocktail, though it can limit your ability to think. It is not to say that having passion is a bad thing, but when it takes over it can be. It is more important to be cool under pressure, and I believe this is true for any type of work. I appreciate this kind of approach may be perceived as disinterest, the passion that is kept secret deep inside your heart should not be understood by others.

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JAPAN

Mariko Shigenai Bar Rose Garden

Passionate cook Mariko Shigenai stepped into her first bar at the age of 20 and quickly realised she could use her love of food to make incredible cocktails with the help of a great mentor.

I have always loved to cook, so I went to culinary school after graduating high school. After finishing culinary school, I began bartending with Toshiyuki Kubo, my bartending mentor. I kept at it, and I am now the owner of Bar Rose Garden.

The first time I competed in World Class™, I didn’t even make it past the first round! My bartending mentor was in the Japan final in 2013, so I believe I made it into the final this year because I learnt so much from him.

I feel I was able to reaffirm the quality and appeal of classic cocktails after competing in World Class™ this year. Previously, I found it really difficult to create cocktails that would be interesting to customers and found it challenging to present my ideas in a succinct manner. After World Class™ 2014, I feel I can communicate my ideas to customers in a fun and entertaining manner that is easy to understand; and doing this has become my life’s objective. I received so much invaluable support and advice while competing in World Class™ and this has reminded me of the value of good relationships.

I went into my first bar when I was 20 and met the man who would later become my mentor. I knew immediately that this was the person I wanted to learn from. I was quite nervous when I first entered the bar, but then I saw his smiling face and I found myself swept up in the excitement of the movement and the fantastic cocktails. As a bartender myself now, I have run into many difficulties trying to recreate that moment for my customers. I still look back on that first experience with such fond memories and I try to provide the same experience for my guests.

Toshiyuki Kobo, the man who taught me about bartending, also taught me that taking on new challenges leads to growth. He often told me that it is better to fail by trying than to fail by not trying. I need to be committed, whether I am making cocktails or taking care of my customers. As I gain more and more experience, I am inspired by the image of my teacher constantly striving to continue to take on new challenges. I want to be the kind of bartender that is not afraid of making mistakes, and I want to continue seeking new challenges.

Don Familia Punch Ingredients 45ml Don Julio® Reposado 20ml Steamed Pineapple Juice 5ml Homemade Jamaica Syrup (Hibiscus) 5ml Fresh Lime Juice 1 dash Homemade Don Julio® Bitters (Clove, vanilla, cinnamon) Pinch Oriental pepper (sansho) 34

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JAPAN

Suguru Makinaga Bar Leigh Islay

Suguru Makinaga spent four years as an air traffic controller before his love of bartending took over and he switched careers.

I worked as an air traffic controller for four years before becoming a bartender. I have always loved alcohol, and I made the switch to bartending when I was 24. My first job was at Bar Leigh in Osaka, where I worked for two years before spending four years at Bar Leigh Islay.

Sereine Ingredients 40ml Cîroc® Vodka 10ml Fresh Lemon Juice 10ml Blue Curacao Syrup 3 pcs White Grape Peel Top Cognac and Pineapple Foam Glassware Rim Glass with Seasalt

I have competed in World Class™ since 2011 and I made the Japan final in 2013 after winning the Signature Specials challenge. I am incredibly honoured to have placed third in the 2014 Japan final.

This year, I learnt about the importance of improvising. It was only my second time competing in the Japan final, and I prepared for it based on my experience last year.

It is very important to be well prepared, but it is even more important to be flexible and make quick decisions during the competition. I found it very difficult to treat the judges as though they were guests in my bar, but then I realised I needed to perform the same way I would usually bartend. Because of this, I found myself able to treat the judges as guests without feeling pressured to produce a comfortable environment and just focus on making great cocktails.

There is a jazz pianist by the name of Hiromi Uehara that I really like, and her music is a source of advice to me. She said, “If I didn’t have something different to offer, there would be no point in making music”, and I really believe those words. Personality is very important, both in World Class™ and my work. I want to develop my personality and style so people who visit my bar have a more memorable experience.

I believe there are an endless variety of bartenders, and I would tell an apprentice bartender to compete in every type of cocktail competition, regardless of their style.

Competitions range from traditional, classic formats to modern competitions that encourage new styles and techniques, and even flair competitions. I would recommend entering as many as possible to polish of their skills.

I feel the bar culture in Japan is a mix of traditional Japanese bartending and foreign bartending, although there are a lot of bartenders that focus solely on one of these styles. If you only develop one style, you can only please one specific type of customer. I believe bartenders should focus on both styles, with traditional bartending as the base. I would like the rest of Asia to experience traditional Japanese bartending with graceful style and well-balanced cocktails.

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Ketel One® Vodka Craft, taste & history

The 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 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 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.

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 too-weak 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.

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THAILAND 40

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Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn Roof Hideaway

Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn found a backwards way of entering the industry by opening up a club and designing a menu suited to his personal tastes. As they say, the rest is history.

I first started in the business when I opened a club called Muse with my friends. I always loved drinking cocktails, so I started making my own drinks with flavours I liked. At this stage I had no knowledge of making cocktails, but I let my friends taste my creations and I suppose they liked them, because I was invited to start a cocktail catering company. Since then, I have worked as a bar consultant to help create signature drinks and assist in the bar when it gets busy.

Prior to World Class™ 2014, I participated in Diageo workshops and World Class™ trainings, and I worked as an MC for World Class™ for a few years before I decided to join in as a competitor.

Thai culture has a lot of good feelings in terms of giving, helping and sharing, we have a small community of bartenders and most of them already know each other. I’m fairly new to this line of work, so I felt like the other competitors were my friends and not just my competition and we all helped each other out where we could. The South East Asia finals opened up my eyes to a whole new world of bartending experience, all the bartenders inspired me to improve my skills.

Play On Ingredients 45ml Ketel One® Vodka 15ml Blanc Vermouth 30ml Peppermint Tea 15ml Cranberry Syrup 1tsp Berocca Powder 150ml Ginger Beer

Method Build Garnish Orange peel Glassware Highball

I have had many great pieces of advice from many people, and I would like to thank all of them if they read this. One of the best pieces of advice I have been given was actually from myself; I was practicing by myself during the South East Asia finals and I realised I hadn’t smiled in almost two weeks. I felt so tired and stressed that I hadn’t had a moment to reflect, and gave myself a well-deserved break. It was then that I realised I didn’t have to compete with anyone, your competitor is yourself, and the only thing you can do in a competitive setting is compete against yourself and practice as much as possible. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose against others, because you always win against yourself.

In my opinion, a mixologist is someone who knows a lot about spirits and uses that knowledge simply to create drinks. On the other hand, a bartender deals with customers, has the skills to make drinks and makes sure the customers are personally satisfied. I call myself a mixologist, but I would love to be a bartender one day.

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THAILAND

Sarawut Pinpepch Aqua Bar

Sarawut Pinpepch believes he was “born to be a bartender” and wants to make sure the world doesn’t underestimate Thailand’s place on the cocktail scene.

I have been working behind the bar for almost three years now, most recently at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok. Before that I was working with room service, and I knew I needed a change. I quickly learnt I had found my calling and realised I was born to be a bartender.

This is the second time I have entered World Class™; in 2013 I made the top 10 finalists and I am very honoured to have reached the South East Asia finals this year.

I was privileged to receive some brand new experiences at World Class™ 2014. I believe the most incredible part was learning from the other bartenders, who helped me to realise my weakest and strongest points and progress from them. I learnt many new things from Hidetsugu and I am so proud of the progress I have made. I learnt new ways of garnishing cocktails, which I felt was my weakest point.

Apart from learning a lot, I really enjoyed discovering Singapore and its cocktail trends. I visited many a fantastic bar and that really opened up my eyes to a new wave of cocktail inspiration.

A good bartender never stops learning, and is always working to discover new things in terms of knowledge, skill and practice, and I always tell people not to overlook classic cocktails, try to twist something old with something new and you will end up with a fantastic cocktail. It may be difficult to face, but I think a good bartender should strive to find their weakest point and focus on learning from there. A good bartender makes a great connection with their peers and with their customers and builds a rapport so they return.

Thai people mostly drink wine, beer, and whisk, but not cocktails. I think the ‘cocktail boom’ will come soon, perhaps in the next two to three years. Bartenders have less knowledge in Thailand and could learn to be more professional. We need a stronger community in our industry so we are not separate, we also need to keep an open mind about our craft and continue to improve our relationships. In terms of what we have to share with the rest of Asia, I think Thailand has a wealth of flavours on hand that allow us to create beautiful, innovative and flavoursome cocktails to share with the rest of Asia, and I hope people come to us and experience what we have to offer them at our bars.

Four Fragrants Ingredients 60ml Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ 20ml Sweet Vermouth infused with Strawberry 15ml Italian Bitters infused with Kaffir Lime 2 dashes Jasmine Bitters 1 glass Jasmine Water (served on the side) Method Stirred Garnish Dehydrated Orange Dehydrated Pineapple Dehydrated Strawberry Glassware Benjarong Porcelain

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THAILAND 44

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Pongpak Sudthipongse Why97

Pongpak Sudthipongse entered the industry with a bang when he opened his very first bar, and has focused on improving ever since.

I got into the bar industry two years ago when I opened Why97 at Asiatique. Before this, I was simply learning as much as possible to be able to communicate with the rest of the bar staff, as well as learning about the day-to-day function of a bar and restaurant. From then on, I made every effort to dig deeper into the craft and eventually bartending changed from a hobby to a passion.

King’s Flavour Ingredients 60ml Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ 15ml Rosella and Star Fruit Shrub 1 cup Smoked Dry Apple 1 wedge Orange 2 cubes Traditional Flower Ice Method Shake Garnish 3-4 pcs Thai Traditional dessert Glassware Cocktail Glass

This is my first time entering World Class™, or any cocktail competition for that matter. It has been a truly extraordinary and very educational journey for me.

World Class™ 2014 has been an amazing journey, I have loved meeting fellow bartenders who are passionate about their craft and can share knowledge with me so I am able to grow as a bartender while learning what kind of bartender I am, and what I can become. I have enjoyed sharing my drinks with others. Being able to make cocktails for the judges and share my flavours with my new friends is an enjoyable experience and to me, making cocktails is a way of connecting and sharing my passion with others. When a customer says “cheers,” my cocktails become a medium to share special moments.

My cocktail philosophy is not about inventing new cocktails, but rather to ‘reinvent’ the lost craft, and perhaps find new and exciting combinations along the way. I have recently become interested in ‘slow cooking’; in the King of Flavour Cocktail challenge, I dry baked an apple in the sun for two to three days instead of putting it into a dehydrator, and then hand-select each piece to ensure flavour consistency. This is my way of putting my heart and my own personal touch into a cocktail. Making my own ingredients allows me to tailor-make the flavours to match a particular main spirit; for example I made my own orange marmalade to match a citrus note in Tanqueray® No. TEN™.

“The man who does more than he is paid for, will soon be paid for more than he does,” so be passionate about your work and don’t wait for someone to give you knowledge, do it yourself and create your own journey! Every day is a new journey, I learn new things every day and I am realising my passion one step at a time. Also, don’t forget to share, because when you share, you will learn even more!

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Louis Eom

Le Chamber World Class™ Korea 2010 Winner With over a decade of bartending experience under his belt, past champion Louis Eom humbly attributes his success to World Class™ and the skills and friendships he has gained from the competition.

I started my hospitality career at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Seoul in 2000, and since then I have worked hard to master the skills needed to be up to the World Class™ standard.

When I first started bartending, I found it very difficult to wrap my head around the profession, as my knowledge of spirit categories and brands was not as good as it could have been. I took this in my stride, however, and found myself enjoying the job while spending a lot of time studying and practicing my craft. The time I spent on this was incredibly helpful to my future career.

When it comes to creative cocktails, I am inspired by basically everything that surrounds me. From talking to a friend to sitting by myself, I can always find a way to link my life and surroundings to my signature cocktails.

I know I can be struck with inspiration for a cocktail at any point, so I make sure to pay attention to all of life’s little details.

The bar culture in South Korea is booming, many fine cocktail bars have opened, and some even offer great selections of single malt whiskies.

Today, the quality of cocktails created by bartenders is a lot better than it was a decade ago. I believe this is because bartenders are always working to adopt culture from others and develop themselves. I think the needs and expectations of customers are changing as well, and the industry is working to keep up with that.

World Class™ changed my life in more ways than I can begin to describe.

It made me who I am as a bartender; I would not have the success I have today without World Class™. It has been the biggest gift I could have hoped to receive, and I will never forget it. I met JJ, my current business partner, at World Class™.

We learnt so much from each other and together we opened our world class bar, Le Chamber.

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KOREA

Byoung Jin Lim Speakeasy Mortar

Byoung Jin Lim sees himself as his greatest competition, constantly striving to learn from his own experience and performance to create better drinks and constantly improve his bartending skills. Byoung Jin was also awarded second place in World Class™ Korea 2013.

I have been bartending for about four years now; I started out at Bar Bliss in Seoul, and worked there for two years. Working at Bar Bliss really taught me the fundamentals of bartending and I learnt a lot about customer service and the technical functions of bartending and customer service. After Bar Bliss, I moved on to my current bar, Speakeasy Mortar, an upmarket whisky bar, where I have learnt to channel my creativity and skill into some great cocktails.

This is my second year of World Class™, and the second year in a row I have been awarded second place. Being recognised in a competition like World Class™ is a huge honour and a great experience for a bartender who is constantly seeking to learn and progress.

I really enjoyed meeting the other bartenders, watching them work and understanding how much they deserve to be recognised by World Class™. There are so many talented bartenders here and it is such a privilege to watch them work. I try to draw my learning from my past experiences and myself; I believe it is important to reflect on your own performance every day and try to learn something from whatever mistakes you make, while celebrating your successes at the same time. I believe I have put a lot of effort into World Class™ 2014, the most I am physically and mentally capable of, I am so happy with the outcome and it has been such an incredible experience.

The Singleton Nostalgia Ingredients 45ml The Singleton™ of Glen Ord 12 Years 15ml Italian Bitters 15ml Ginseng infused Sweet Vermouth 7.5ml Honey Apricot Cordial Garnish Ginseng pieces

I believe a bartender has to focus more, and pay extra attention to their guests than a mixologist does. The main goal of a bartender is to make guests feel comfortable and ensure they leave with a great memory of their bar experience. Both bartenders and mixologists must make sure they are constantly studying and trying to improve their skills so they are able to become leaders of bar culture.

If I could pass one thing on to an apprentice bartender, especially one that was hoping to join World Class™ one day, I would tell them to just do it! Don’t get stressed, just enjoy yourself and constantly try to develop yourself as a professional and an individual in this industry. Also, make sure you love your guests and remember who the cocktails are for.

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KOREA 50

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Il Ki Lee

House of the Purple Il Ki Lee is a born and bred Diageo bartender, who found his start in the industry at Diageo Lounge.

I have been in the industry for almost four years now. I started out at Diageo Lounge in late 2010 and stayed there for three-and-a-half years to learn as much as possible about the industry, and about cocktails. Working at Diageo Lounge was the perfect way to enter the industry, and obviously a great way for me to prepare for my future experience with World Class™. The Diageo standard is very high, so I quickly learnt what it took to become a bartender of their standard. From Diageo Lounge, I moved on to House of the Purple, where I took all of my knowledge and implemented it in a new environment.

This is my first year as a World Class™ finalist, which I am very excited about. Last year I was lucky to have been in the top 40 participants, so it was very flattering to have my improvement and skill acknowledged this year.

A Message from Ancient Relic Ingredients 45ml Ron Zacapa® 23 20ml Milk 3EA Potato Chips 15ml Homemade Stout Syrup 15ml Homemade Garlic Sauce Garnish Glazed Walnut

One of the greatest and most attractive things about World Class™ is that it focuses on the personality of each participant more than other competitions that simply focus on the cocktails; I think this is why I find the competition so enjoyable. I also felt a huge sense of pride in myself after the competition finished; it was like returning from a battlefield alive! I felt as though my overall skill and experience improved from there. World Class™ 2014 was my chance to discover what I am capable of, and a way to prove how much I had improved since my last entry.

I believe the term ‘mixologist’ gives the impression that you are focusing on taste alone. A cook is a specialist in the field of cooking, rather than offering service, and I think a mixologist is closer to a cook in that sense. A bartender should have both mixing and serving skills. Personally, I prefer to be called a bartender rather than a mixologist as it implies I am offering more of a service.

Firstly, to be a good bartender you need to have a full understanding of the ingredients you are using. Secondly, you need to be humble and supportive of your peers and share your knowledge with them, and finally you must have your own subjectivity and creativity through your cocktails and service. Bartending is quite similar to acting in that you have to adapt what is in your mind to a physical result on the bar; you need to constantly practice delivering your ideas and experiences to customers.

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9/29/2014 3:59:35 PM

KOREA

Sung Min Park Le Chamber

Sung Min Park is approaching his tenth year in the industry, and has some great bars to show for it. His hard work and training has certainly paid off, as this is his second World Class™ win in two years.

It all started in 2005 when I got a job at Bar Moomba. I worked there for six years and learnt my basics while observing the other members of staff in their craft. I took this as an opportunity to ask lots of questions and build a foundation of knowledge for my future in the industry. From there, I moved to ELBON the table restaurant in Seoul, a fine dining establishment that allowed me to put my skill set to work and use my imagination to create bigger and better things. I moved on to my current bar, Le Chamber, in January 2014. It is a speakeasy-classic hybrid where I can really put my creative cocktails to use.

This is my second World Class™ win in a row, which is incredibly exciting and humbling. It is a completely indescribable experience.

World Class™ 2014 has been the most challenging competition since I first joined a few years ago. Because I won World Class™ last year, I felt there was an enormous pressure on me to perform and meet or exceed the expectations of others after my previous victory. World Class™ is a very stimulating and fascinating experience that allows me to gain inspiration for my cocktails and encourage my imagination and creativity to run wild with ideas for innovative cocktails.

I would say a mixologist simply creates recipes and makes cocktails. A bartender, on the other hand, is the true owner of his or her bar and has the ability to transform simple beverages into artistic creations while celebrating and sharing bar cultures with their industry and community.

To be a good bartender, in my opinion, you must possess four imperative things: a limitless imagination, heartfelt ambition, fresh ingredients and great spirits. If you have all of these things, you will always have return guests and a great culture; it is impossible to get by in this industry unless you truly love and appreciate your job and your customers.

Louis Eom, World Class™ Korea 2010 winner once said “In order to surpass one’s limit and become a better bartender, one needs to be able to let go of ego and be willing to accept other people’s opinions.” I always keep that piece of advice with me, especially in competitions such as World Class™.

Posh Gate Ingredients 60ml Johnnie Walker® Platinum Label™ 25ml Dry Fino Sherry 10ml Peach Marmalade 10ml Homemade Bulleit® Bourbon Cordial 2 dashes Orange Cream Bitters Private blending aroma steam 52

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The Singleton™ of Glen Ord The Singleton™ whiskies have a flavor signature based around the heart of the malt flavor map. Our Malt Master, Maureen Robinson, ensures a perfectly balanced process – ingredients, fermentation, distillation, hand picking the superior tasting casks and time needed to craft our rich and smooth tasting Scottish single malt whisky. She is always looking forward and infusing new discoveries and techniques to push the established boundaries of whisky making to bring additional dimensions to the taste experience.

The Singleton™ of Glen Ord Signature The Singleton™ Signature is made at Glen Ord, where single Malt whiskies have been hand-crafted to deliver a perfect balance since 1838.

Maintaining the perfectly balanced character of The Singleton™ Signature expresses the most astonishing range and concentration of aromas in its family.

To craft the ‘world’s best tasting single Malt whisky’ our Malt Master creates only 4 batches a year, each batch requires tasting over 200 different casks for the final hand-picked selection. They are the small number of casks at the peak of perfection for this perfectly harmonized, smooth & rich tasting whisky. Charred Bourbon and Sherry Casks give real character to The Singleton™ Signature by enhancing the level of smoothness and sweetness, just right for the perfectly balanced full-body malt whisky with exceptionally rich, long lingering tasty Scotch whisky. This masterpiece is a genuine evidence of the Master at the height of her profession. As a mark of pride, each bottle of The Singleton™ Signature bears Maureen Robinson’s personal signature.

“

The Singleton™ bottle is inspired by a late 19th century high quart bottle – hip flask shape. The coloured glass bottle reflects original whisky bottles from 19th century before making clear glass was easy.

The Singleton™ Reserve Collection Signature is an exploration of how incredible flavors can come from the casks of whiskies themselves, and how, with the right selection they can be beautifully balanced with the character of the spirit we create at the distillery.

Maureen Robinson Singleton™ Master of Malts

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Tasting Notes An innovation with delicate and boundless beauty color – A golden color with hues of amber Aroma – The initial fresh citrus fruits gradually disappears leaving the sweetness of bananas and cooked apples, with hints of warm spice, dried fruits and slight smoke spreading on the tip of the tongue.

Palate – The initial pepper on the tongue soon disappears leaving you the sweetness of cooked apples and rich dried fruits. Adding water will intensify the fresh fruits with just a hint of almonds.

Finish – Supremely smooth and balanced 55

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Jeffrey Chang The Den

Taiwan World Class™ champion Jeffrey Chang understands that success is not all about winning, but rather focusing on what you have achieved on your journey.

2011 World Class™ was a crucial year for me, the champion was so elegant and precise in his flavours, and I didn’t feel confident in that area. In 2012, I was blown away by the winner and his imagination and realised how underprepared I was for the competition. 2013 was the first year I came close to being a champion and my opponent Victor was amazing, although I felt I was too nervous on the stage.

For me, World Class™ is the way to evaluate my growing profile as a bartender. When I was a junior bartender, I felt privileged just standing on stage and watching the senior bartenders compete. After my previous experiences with World Class™, I approached the 2014 competition with a more casual outlook even though I was nervous, and I simply focused on what I would usually do behind the bar, which helped.

I prefer being called a bartender, for I believe ‘mixologist’ is a general title and ‘bartender’ represents expertise in the bartender and the soul of a bar. A bartender requires much more knowledge than how to blend; they must understand how to create refined flavour, elegant movement, connections with customers, and work on budget control.

Boa, my bartending mentor, taught me correct concept and direction, and without his advice I would never have achieved my current level of success. He told me, “To satisfy your customers and ensure they are happy when they leave the bar, you must offer them a pleasant atmosphere”.

I believe balance is the key element in a World Class™ cocktail. You need to balance the sweet, sour, bitter and salty alcohol bodies and marry each ingredient properly so there is a new layer in every flavour. A good bartender is like a good chef, they both strive to create an unimagined taste through different ingredients.

Donkey’s Years Ingredients 60ml Ketel One® Vodka 60ml Homemade Ginger Beer 5ml Summer Fruit Cup Method Pour 60ml Ketel One® vodka first, add 5ml liquor summer cup, and then top with homemade ginger beer. (depend on how sour is the citrus, maybe would adding little bit lime) Garnish Bread, fig jam and salami.

Glassware Punch glass

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TAIWAN

Ming Liao MO Bar

Ming Liao attributes his success to the support of his customers and fellow bartenders for motivation and encouragement.

World Class™ 2014 coincided with the opening of the hotel I work for, so it has been an incredibly busy time with limited time to practice between the semi final and final.

I am lucky that most of the time I can easily come up with an idea in my mind and all I need to do is simply create the cocktail I imagined, present it and deliver it from an image in my head.

I noticed a lot of contestants spent a lot of time on the final detail of their drinks, but I feel it should ultimately come down to the taste and quality of the cocktail.

I prefer being referred to as a bartender than a mixologist, because I feel bartenders have more knowledge of the industry and a mixologist might be strongly limited to the art of mixology itself. As a professional bartender, I like to see customers enjoy the overall experience of the bar, not just the drink itself. A customer might order a simple whisky or gin and tonic, but they will have an experience beyond the drink if you offer them great service.

A World Class™ cocktail needs to be one thing: simple! Since I created my signature drink in the semi-final I have lived by the idea that any kind of classic cocktail requires simplicity. I don’t want to prepare any form of self-made ingredient, because this can lead to inconsistency in drinks and result in an unexpected or undesired flavour.

World Class™ is a great competition that offers a platform for bartenders to evaluate what they have learnt in their career so far. It is not a matter of winning or losing, rather learning new techniques and making new friends.

Leave it Blank Ingredients 45ml Ketel One® Vodka 20ml Sweet Vermouth 15ml Apricot Liqueur 2 dashes of Teapot Bitters 15ml Egg white White Chrysamthemum Method Put the ingredients into shake orderly and shake them evenly, then pour out into container then decorated white chrysanthemum Garnish White Chrysanthemum Glassware Wide champagne glass 58

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Tranquil Afternoon Ingredients 45ml Ketel One® Vodka 30ml Black Tea 15ml Cherry Heering 2 barspoons Cherry Marmalade 1 dash Orange Bitters 5ml Lemon Juice Method Put all the ingredients into shake and shake them nicely, then pour them out. The black tea should be 1 tea bag with 30ml hot water Garnish Orange peel Glassware Martini Glass

Ira Huang

Indulge Experimental Bistro Ira Huang simply couldn’t resist joining the bar industry after watching it from afar and saw no choice but to jump in with both feet.

World Class™ 2014 has been two things: tiring and fun! The Cocktail Against the Clock round was difficult as I found myself distracted by the timer and made careless mistakes so I did not complete the challenge, which I found really frustrating and considered dropping out before deciding I would take the experience as a lesson and learn from it. Honestly, the competition was like a roller coaster, the process is intense but the result is simply great fun.

In my opinion, a bartender mainly focuses on the interaction between people and works to make them happy, while a mixologist is more focused on making cocktails.

The cocktail acts as the conversation between a mixologist and their customers. I consider myself both a bartender and a mixologist. When I am working, I am a bartender as I am making cocktails and delivering a service, but outside of work I am a mixologist who studies and learns the skill of cocktail making.

Senior bartenders constantly remind me of the same thing: stay passionate! I am constantly reminded of this by seeing experienced bartenders’ dedication to their cocktails and understanding how passionate they are about their craft. I loved the industry so much, which is why I just had to be part of it. Luckily, I still really enjoy making cocktails so I will always stay passionate about continuing to learn and better myself.

The ingredients in a World Class™ cocktail should be easy to access and product.

Anyone can make and present a cocktail, but it takes a skilled bartender to personalise a drink and make it their own.

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Kae Yin

Marsalis Home, Taipei World Class™ Taiwan 2012 Grand National Champion Kae Yin sees World Class™ as the ultimate learning opportunity, and focuses on himself as his greatest competitor.

I first got involved with World Class™ in Taiwan in 2009, and was disappointed I didn’t make it to the global final in London. I didn’t enter again until 2012, which is when I won champion of Taiwan and went to Rio for the global finals. It all went so quickly, but I learnt a lot and had a wonderful experience.

When I first entered World Class™ I loved being part of the most highly regarded cocktail competition in the world. The standard of bartender increases every year, and entrants are able to compete against excellent bartenders from all over the globe for the honour of being named World Class™ Champion. Now, I love the technical processes of the competition, I love preparing for the tasks and throwing myself into the unknown. You grow so fast as a bartender during World Class™, and I like to sit down and enjoy some ‘self examination’ after I finish, where I think back to what I did well and what I need to improve on.

My creative cocktails are inspired by the little details all around my life, and myself, which is a very wide range. More specifically, I like to focus on drawing inspiration from the arts. It might be a painting, a movie or anything that can light a spark in my mind and allow my imagination to run wild. From there I try to make these things in my imagination into something tangible, and try to come out with an interesting way. I am also inspired by culture, both my own and those around me. I never want to forget where I come from.

I believe World Class™ is very important for bartenders at any phase in their career. A bartenders’ ability increases every year, and the World Class™ challenges get harder every year, so giving it a shot and doing your best while making an effort to learn makes the whole experience worthwhile.

If I were to offer bartenders a piece of advice, I’d tell them it is important to keep their curiosity and passion intact, because every new experience will open your eyes. If you find something that ignites a fire of passion, don’t let it go easily; take some time to get to know your passion on a deeper level and allow it to bring out your wildest imagination and your untapped creativity.

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VIETNAM Baby Corn Ingredients 60ml Ron Zacapa® 23 30ml Baby Corn and Pandan Leaf syrup 30ml Coconut Water 40ml Pineapple Juice 10ml Lime Juice 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters 4 Basil Leaves Method Shake Garnish Pandan Leaf and Baby Corn Glassware Wooden Cup

Le Thanh Tung Chill Sky Bar

Le Thanh Tung began his bartending career in Vietnam at the age of 18, and since then has continued to seek out new ways to perfect his craft. Le maintains that being knowledgeable about drinks and having great customer service are the keys to success as a bartender.

I began my career at the age of 18 in resort cities such as Vung Tau and Phan Thiet, and I’m now the bar manager at Chill. I studied bartending at the Vietnam & Australia Hotel Management Institute, and continued to learn online by watching World Class™ mixologists on YouTube. However, I mostly credit my education to my former boss at Chill, Bernardo Bernard, who came to Vietnam from Frankfurt, Germany to train up the staff at Chill.

The Diageo Reserve World Class™ was a really great experience and an eye-opener for me. Despite the fact that we had to constantly work under pressure, the competition proved to be very fulfilling, and allowed me to meet many experienced bartenders in the industry. To me, bartending is not just about winning a competition, but building an experience and a community for all cocktail lovers.

I think there are three main qualities that a good bartender must have. Firstly, a good bartender must be knowledgeable about drinks. Bartenders should know offhand how to make the most common drinks, but not be afraid to consult reference books as needed to make drinks that they are not familiar with. Secondly, a great bartender has outstanding customer service skills. The very nature of the job is to serve customers, and pay largely depends on tips. A great bartender has a personality that connects with customers and keeps them coming back to the bar. Thirdly, a great bartender keeps their bar in top form.

When you work with food and beverages, keeping things clean and hygienic is vital.

Building a place that people enjoy coming to, and keep coming back to, is incredibly satisfying for any bartender.

Travel, travel, and travel some more. I think experiencing new places is an excellent way of gaining new ideas and opening the mind, plus it’s great life experience.

Honestly, I don’t really think about whether I am a mixologist or a bartender.

Bartending is the act of serving people across the bar. So you could be a mixologist without being a bartender, or you could be a bartender without being a mixologist. A bartender serves guests. A mixologist serves drinks. All mixologists and bar chefs should be bartenders. And if they’re not bartenders, all they’re doing is passing drinks.

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VIETNAM

Luu Tran The Vinh Bonbon Bar - Restaurant

Luu Tran The Vinh got a completely unexpected experience the first time he saw World Class™ first hand, a world apart from his extensive research.

2014 is the first year I have joined World Class™. I spent so long watching documentaries and researching so I could be at the same standard of bartender as the others in the competition, and there were so many skills I envied in other bartenders. But all of my research was nothing compared to what I learnt first-hand at World Class™ 2014.

World Class™ 2014 really allowed me to experiment with my cocktails and challenge myself, and my outlook on the world. I am so grateful to have learnt new skills and techniques that I never thought I would be able to do. World Class™ gave me the opportunity to taste some very rare and different spirits from all over the world and learn about different production methods. Above all I am grateful for the new friends I have made from all over South East Asia, as well as mentors such as Hidetsugu Ueno and Dennis Tamse. Bring on World Class™ 2015!

I would like to be a mixologist one day, for now I consider myself a bartender. I think the difference is in the details: a mixologist is more detail-oriented and will reach their limit every time to make sure they produce a perfect drink, ensuring each cocktail satisfies the customers’ needs.

Vietnam is a busy city, full of colours, attractions and diversity. We have over 300 small pubs and bars and many upmarket night clubs. This may sound impressive, but it is still very difficult to find a fine cocktail bar where a bartender or mixologist can follow their passions for customer service and cocktails. We lack the facilities and human resources to run our businesses here, making it difficult for young people to follow their passions, as a lot of our equipment needs to be send from abroad. We also don’t have as much of a competition scene that allows us to learn, experiment and improve our craft.

Shut up & Drink it!

Ingredients 45ml Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ 5ml Sweet Vermouth 20ml Homemade (Local Arista malt, Cardamom seeds, 15 Years Speyside Whisky Liqueur, Orange juice) 2 dashes Old Time Aromatic Bitters Method Stir Garnish Arista malt Cardamom seeds

I believe a cocktail should have its own story, and it should be shared the way you would share a personal story of your own. A good cocktail should not only bring satisfaction to long time customers, but also bring newcomers into the world of cocktails, ignite their curiosity and make them want to come back for more.

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VIETNAM

Nguyen Thanh Luan The Rooftop, Hanoi

Nguyen Thanh Luan is one of the newer bartenders competing in World Class™, but that just makes his success all the more impressive.

Although I have worked my way around the hospitality industry for five years, I have only been a bartender for one year. I was a waiter for a few years and found myself fascinated and impressed by the cocktails the bartenders would produce. As soon as I realised I wanted to be behind the bar, I worked hard to train and read as much as possible to learn the skills behind the trade, which is how I became so fascinated by Japanese bartending. I have worked at Martini Bar at the Park Hyatt, Chill Skybar, and am currently working at The Rooftop, Hanoi.

World Class™ is actually the first competition I have entered, I am so happy with the result and one day I hope to be the champion for Vietnam.

I could spend hours telling people what I have learned and not be able to sum up what I have learnt in my World Class™ experience. I learnt so much about bartending, but more importantly I made some great new friends that I really hope to meet again one day. For me, one of the most enjoyable experiences was the training day with Marian Beke, who showed me a completely new world of bartending and allowed me to experience levels of the craft I had never even imagined.

To be a good bartender, you need to be a host, a psychiatrist, and a friend. You also need to know your customer inside out. Many people think that to be a good bartender you must have good spirit knowledge and be able to make great cocktails, which you do. But to be a better bartender you need to satisfy your customers’ needs beyond drinks: share your life with them. Some customers simply come in for a cocktail, while others are sad and need cheering up, and in every case a bartender should be able to share the moment with them.

It really depends on the customer. Some customers will love a certain cocktail and others will dislike it. The trick is to understand your guests and adapt your serves to fit their palates.

Personally, I consider myself a bartender because I have seen mixologists at work and I know they are at a much higher level than I am. I believe mixologists have more knowledge about their products, histories, and combinations of ingredients, garnishes and details. They know everything about, or related to the drinks they serve.

Walking Through Vietnam Ingredients 60ml Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ 20ml Fermented VN Apricot 10ml Anise & Honey Homemade 1 drop Aromatic Bitters Method Stir Garnish Apricot (on stick) Blue Label™ Bracelet Glassware Martini

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Mortlach™ Rare Old Over 190 years old, Mortlach™ was the first legal distillery from Speyside’s spiritual heartland of Dufftown. Until now, the whisky produced there has been captured mainly by blenders who for decades have added its unique, flavoursome notes to some of the world’s finest whiskies.

The liquid embodies the brave vision of its greatest owners – George Cowie and his son Dr. Alexander.

The Cowies were cut from the same cloth as other great Victorian leaders, shaping the world around them, inspired by the golden age of engineering to produce works of epic, lasting brilliance.

George Cowie led the distillery and had a hand in the development of vast railway projects which spanned the length and breadth of the country. In 1895 George was succeeded by his son Dr. Alexander Cowie, an enlightened traveller, who had journeyed to the far reaches of the Empire practicing medicine. Like his father the art of building was in his blood... On his return to Scotland from Hong Kong in 1896, Alexander set about continuing the Cowie dynasty. Calling on his scientific education and analytical mind, he paved the way for the creation of a unique distillation system, precisely calculated to create the highly complex and richly flavoured whisky that we know today. Mortlach™ has been described by whisky connoisseurs as “The Beast of Dufftown”, for its rich and powerful flavours, produced in an astonishingly complicated and unique distillation process which commentators have attempted to explain as ‘2.81 distilled’.

Mortlach™ embraces all great things in life that are man-made and enduring, significant and magnificent.

Tasting Notes: A complex and bold Mortlach™ with the exquisite balance of sweetness and dryness for which the distillery is renowned. A superbly structured and well balanced whisky in which stylish fruit and floral notes on the nose introduce a rich, complex, energetic palate and a pleasantly drying finish.

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MALAYSIA

Jeffri S Tate

Jeffri S started out in the industry to make some extra cash, but quickly found himself feeling at home behind the bar.

I originally started bartending when I was in college to earn some extra cash and make ends meet. My first job was at T.G.I. Friday’s as a waiter, then a bar back, and I moved up from there. After college, I worked my way up to restaurant manager and then to bar manager. Now with the BIG Group, I have a lot of resources to do research and gain more exposure in the premium cocktail scene.

My work with BIG Group inspired me to join World Class™ 2014, my first entry. I had seen the videos online from past World Class™ competitions and was very impressed, but experiencing it first hand was a whole different playing field.

It has been an exhilarating experience, and I have no words to describe it. I have met a lot of fantastic people and have learnt a lot of great new tricks of the trade from industry experts. I have also come up with some great new ideas, inspired by the work of others. Thanks to World Class™, I am beginning to understand the specialities and the drinking trends in each market. What I enjoy most is being given the chance to meet industry legends.

Besides having the basic qualities such as knowledge, ownership, outstanding skill and great organisation, a good bartender should have their own style and charisma outside of making drinks. Public relation skills are also a great asset, making people feel welcome and comfortable at your bar so they will return again and again.

It is incredibly satisfying to be involved with the global bar scene and get the chance to introduce my craft to a wider audience. Although there are many more satisfying moments to come for me; bring on Diageo World Class™ 2015!

Firstly, your choice of ingredients is key. I say choice, not quality because at certain times, boxed juice can make a better mixer than freshly squeezed juice; it just depends on the drink and what result you are seeking. Secondly, the recipe must have the best combination of ingredients; a bar that is stocked like a supermarket will not make you a good cocktail. Finally, a good cocktail comes down to the hands that make it. You can have the best ingredients, recipe and equipment, but if the person making the cocktail has no clue or no heart in making it, they won’t achieve the desired result.

Angel’s Share Ingredients 45ml Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ 1 tsp Golden Peach Fruit spread 1 nos Lychee Fruit 20ml Lemon Mandarin tea 30ml Pear Juice 3 sprigs Thyme 1/2 dash (4 drops) Chocolate Bitters

Garnish 1 nos Thyme sprig Blue Label™ Lychee and Peach (sprayed at the beginning to coat the glass) Glassware Rock Glass

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Shirmy Chan Omakase + Appreciate

A lady with a passion for the endless possibilities of flavour matching, Shirmy Chan has worked her way up the industry ladder by constantly learning from industry veterans.

I undertook an internship with E&O Hotel in Penang in 2009 and found myself interested in the bartenders and their work. I made my first cocktail at that hotel and realised how colourful and fascinating they can be, and I really enjoyed bar flaring so I couldn’t wait to give that a go. After my internship, I started waitressing at the Shangri-La in Kuala Lumpur and met some people who convinced me to join O+A, even though I had no bar experience. I then moved to Skybar in Traders, where I worked for four years and was always involved in service. It can be hard for females to get a bar job, but I gained some knowledge through experience and observation.

After a year at the Shangri-La in KL, I was given the opportunity to work with 2010 Diageo Reserve World Class™ Malaysia Champion, Amanda Wan. She introduced me to some of the top bartenders, and that started my journey with World Class™. This event has been the very first big bartending competition of my life.

It all happened so quickly for me, and I feel Malaysia doesn’t have a well-grown cocktail culture. When I was given the opportunity to be involved in World Class™ to share experiences and drinking culture among bartenders from different countries, my perspective has completely changed, especially when it comes to female bartenders. The ladies encourage me to believe a female bartender has even more of a possibility to move forward.

A Moment In Time Ingredients 15ml Lemon Juice 15ml Citrus Syrup 15ml Traditional Amaro / Italian Herbal Liqueur 20ml Tomato Juice 40ml Ginseng infused Ketel One® Vodka 1 dash Aromatic Bitters Method Throwing Garnish Mint leaves Glassware Chinese Tea Cup

Gary Regan said, “Perfection comes with plenty of practice and constantly improving yourself, but no one is prefect. What we can do is do our best every day, and the best we make today, might not be as good as yesterday. We should not be upset, or take it too seriously.

We should learn from every mistake, and do it better tomorrow and the next day”.

The difference between a good cocktail and an average cocktail is the heart. Every bartender can make a good cocktail with good skill and understanding of flavour matching, but the heart is the most important part of it all. The emotion in your heart reflects through your drinks, and a bartender in a good mood will make a better tasting drink than a bartender in a bad mood.

I really enjoy the flavour matching in cocktails; there are endless possibilities of ingredient combinations to create a beautiful, balanced drink that allows the flavours to ‘dance’ on your tongue. Memories fade, but flavour and smell are the best way to create one that lasts.

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MALAYSIA

Yinying Leow Marini’s on 57

Yinying Leow defied her expectations and followed her passions to become one of Malaysia’s best bartenders.

I started out as an intern behind the bar at a resort, which ignited my interest in the industry and from there I moved into part-time work in events at local bars before ending up at my current workplace, Marini’s on 57 in Kuala Lumpur. I worked behind the bar for 18 months to build up my skill set and slowly began to learn more complex techniques such as creating and managing, which is how I became involved in World Class™.

This is my first year of World Class™, and I am very excited to be involved.

It has been really difficult to juggle my family and the competition, but I made it through all of the challenges in Malaysia and moved on to the South East Asia finals in Singapore. I can say with absolute certainty that this competition is an eye-opener to all of us. Besides the intensity of the competition, we get to visit some amazing places around Singapore and experience a different perspective of the bar scene. I would say the best part of the competition was the unity among all bartenders. Regardless of where we are from, we helped each other out as much as possible and I was so impressed when the contestants who did not make the second round made the effort to help other contestants.

During my internship, I worked in the kitchen, housekeeping, front of house and even the administration office. After working in so many departments, I insisted on working behind the bar, as I loved the feeling of being a bartender, regardless of my parents’ disapproval. I then started contacting people in the industry through Facebook and my current manager offered me a job.

Siddha23 Ingredients 45ml Ron Zacapa® 23 1 slice Turmeric 4 nos Cardamom Seeds 3 slices Lemongrass 30ml Grapefruit Juice 10ml Lime Juice 15ml Turmeric Syrup

Method Shaken Garnish 1 stalk Lemongrass Glassware Milk Bottle

In my opinion, being a good bartender doesn’t just mean someone is incredibly good at making cocktails. Rather, it means giving good service and a great experience to customers who come into the bar to drink what they like to drink. Bartenders should not discriminate against customers based on what they like to order; a good bartender must simply greet customers, thank them and tend the bar.

The most satisfying thing about working in a bar is definitely having return customers, or regulars. These people are like family to us, they share thoughts and enjoy the atmosphere. And as a bartender, that is the best feeling and the greatest satisfaction in our careers, as that is the customer’s way of saying they liked our drinks and our service.

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Ron Zacapa®

Ron Zacapa®, the world’s leading ultra-premium rum and epitome of a distinct place, culture and climate, sets the bar for rums in this category. Regarded by many as the best tasting rum in the world, Ron Zacapa® is produced in the verdant and mystical land of Guatemala. There are two varieties of Ron Zacapa®: delicate and complex Ron Zacapa® 23 and expressive and balanced Ron Zacapa® XO. While Ron Zacapa® 23 is best enjoyed neat or over one large ice cube, Ron Zacapa® XO is at its’ best neat in the signature Riedel Ron Zacapa® glass.

Made from the finest ingredients, the complexity of the flavour of Ron Zacapa® is deeply rooted in its Guatemalan provenance and the skilled attention to detail under the watchful eye of Master Blender Lorena Vasquez, which goes into every aspect of the production of this liquid magic.

and fine Pedro Ximenez wines to draw out Ron Zacapa®’s natural sweetness and flavour. For Ron Zacapa® XO, a final ageing stage occurs in French cognac barrels. The rums are also rested in once re-charred American white oak barrels, to impart additional character from the wood.

The tropical climate and rich volcanic soil of Guatemala’s lowlands yield an ultra-high grade sugar cane. Unlike most rums that use molasses, Ron Zacapa® is created from the concentrated first pressing of sugar cane or ‘virgin sugar cane honey’, which contributes to its award-winning taste. It is also set apart from other rums by a unique and complex Solera maturation process.

Depending on the variety, ageing takes between 6 and 25 years and is well worth the wait. As Vasquez explains, ‘By slowly ageing our rums at altitude and using the complex Sistema Solera, we allow the rum and the wood sufficient time to exchange their individual virtues, resulting in the incredible profile and depth that define Ron Zacapa®.’

Ron Zacapa® is aged and blended in the mountains 2,300 meters above sea level in the dramatic shadows of soaring Guatemalan mountains and active volcanos at a location romantically known as the ‘House Above the Clouds.’ Here, one and a half miles above the sea, the cool air slows ageing, allowing Ron Zacapa® time to rest and develop its rich and complex character over time.

Inexorably linked to Guatemala’s history and culture, the final touch in the production process is the hand-made woven band crafted from dried palm leaves, or petate, which wraps every bottle. Meticulously produced by highly skilled local craftswomen, petate is an art which has been perfected by the Mayan people since 1400 BC. The one-of-a-kind petate bands seamlessly weave together craft, community and heritage in each bottle of Ron Zacapa®.

Beautifully orchestrating the flavour-rich notes of Ron Zacapa®, Vasquez is one of only five female master blenders in the world. A perfectionist at heart, passionate about rum and devoted to her craft, Vasquez uses a unique Sistema Solera ageing process to produce Ron Zacapa®. Based on a centuries-old Spanish method of ageing sherries, rums of different ages are slowly blended in a sequence of barrels which previously held American whiskies, sweet sherries

However, it is the flavour of Ron Zacapa® rum that really sets it apart with its hugely complex palate appearing slightly sweet while giving rich notes of coffee, roast chestnut, smoky wood and tobacco. Incredibly, for such a well-aged rum, Ron Zacapa® is also wonderfully fruity with notes of cherry and sweet molasses.

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SINGAPORE

Peter Chua 28 HongKong St.

The incredibly humble Peter Chua has five years experience and is looking forward to many more in this dynamic industry.

A lover of creative and innovative cocktails, Peter attains a sense of euphoria every time he creates a perfectly balanced cocktail.

In my relatively short bartending career of five years, I have worked in a string of hotels, clubs and pubs across Singapore, with venues ranging from Attica to the Disgruntled Chef. Despite this, 28 HongKong St. has been the pillar of my bartending career as it really ignited my love for the craft.

The Nutcracker Ingredients 60ml Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ 15ml Crème de Cacao 1 barspoon Sherry 1 barspoon Peanut Butter (Creamy) 3 pcs Maraschino Cherries Grated Nutmeg Dash Cinnamon Powder 1 Egg White Method Shaken Garnish 1 Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ caramel nest 1 Maraschino Cherry

2014 is my first competitive entry to World Class™. I consider myself fortunate enough to be able to learn from past competitors and finalists, such as my great friends Zac de Grit and Jeremy Chua. Watching these guys progress through the challenges in World Class™ 2013 really informed my approach to this year’s competition, and having my good friend and colleague, Leo Chue, compete beside me was a great way to ease my nerves in my maiden voyage into the competitive seas of Diageo World Class™.

To list every single thing I have learnt would be a massive task. Being my first entry into Diageo World Class™, every step of the journey was an eye-opening experience. On a personal level, I learnt to be a better presenter, I learnt a lot more about the Diageo Reserve brands, and I learnt an incredible amount from the other competitors; I am blown away by the talent we have in South East Asia. Most importantly, I learnt I had the ability to perform at such a high level of competition among other talented competitors, something I never knew until I entered World Class™. Overall, I enjoyed the drink presentation; how often do you get the chance to talk about a drink you created to such a large (and willing) audience? Finally, I really enjoyed seeing how the craft scene has grown in South East Asia in the past five years, and the sense of pride that accompanies it.

To single out one piece of advice would not do justice to all of the industry legends who have given me advice over the past few years. However, the most recent advice I have received that really resonated with me was from my colleague and mentor Zdenek Kastanek, who said “No matter how much you feel you are working harder than everyone else, or feel that people are not putting in as much effort as you are, or feel others are getting more imminent rewards than you are, remember why you are doing this. It is not for the short term rewards, but for the gold at the end of the rainbow.”

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9/26/2014 5:26:09 PM

Mark Graham Thomas Bacchanalia

The sensitive and humble Mark Thomas broke into the industry working in bars and clubs around Singapore, building a foundation for the success ahead of him.

I started bartending while I was doing my bachelors degree at the National University of Singapore. After university, I became interested in craft bartending while working at Nektar, as well as a few Australian bars while I was travelling there. I took on the role of head bartender at Nektar when I returned in April 2013.

I first tried out for World Class™ in 2012 and I can admit I was grossly underprepared, but I learnt more from my failure and spent the next two years better equipping myself for the challenge. I worked in kitchens to learn flavour profiles and made sure to read widely and experiment as much as possible so I could try for the coveted trophy again in 2014.

Most of all, World Class™ taught me that preparation is key, that all aspects of bartending are tested, and that I really needed to bring my A game. I was also given advice from the judges, who run the best bars in the world. The level of expertise shown by competitors and speakers alike in seminars was phenomenal; I learnt a lot of new techniques and showmanship skills that only served to boost my repertoire of bartending know-how. To me, the bonds of friendship forged over the course of the competition are the most valuable. I now have so many places to visit and so many new friends to bartend with.

Simplicity can be the most beautiful thing ever. A couple walked in and sat down at my bar one quiet evening. After perusing the menu, the woman asked me for a gin and tonic and watched me very closely as I made it, from the hand-chipped ice right down to the point of massaging the lime wedge over the rim before squeezing it and stirring it in. At this point, she smiled and a tear rolled down her cheek and she and her partner kissed. I had to ask, and they told me that the first time they met, exactly a year earlier, his opening line to her was, “don’t you hate it when some places don’t make the effort to squeeze the lime into the drink?” They were happily married, and gin and tonics hold a special place in their hearts. This just goes to show how the simplest things can make someone’s day.

The Blueberry Walk Ingredients 50ml Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ 20ml Homemade Blueberry Maple compote with Syrup 2 dashes Rhubarb Bitters 20g Spiced Pancake foam Method Stirred Garnish 3 Mini Whiskey Pancakes Glassware Old Fashion Tumbler

A great bartender needs three things: firstly, you must love to serve, and really believe in it. Customers can see it in your eyes and the way you do things. Secondly, making customers happy should come before your own ego. Finally, you must always be hungry to learn and improve. Always question the things you do, for you never know when you will be the one to start a new trend.

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SINGAPORE

Tom Hogan Anti:Dote

Tom Hogan got his taste for the industry while working at a restaurant in Chicago and studying sculpture at university.

It all started at North Pond restaurant in Chicago where I did all the odd jobs to learn the trade: bar backing, food running and hosting. I was offered a full time bartender role and decided to approach my drinks the same way a chef would approach their dishes, with the mentality that fresh is best. I joined Elysian Hotel in 2009 and worked on the property for four years, and began to use my artistic abilities to hand draw back bar equipment setups for other restaurant venues in and around the Chicago area. This insight led into my greater expertise of helping the restaurants develop cocktail menus and spirits lists.

I moved to Singapore in October of 2013 to help launch the new Anti:Dote Bar at the Fairmont Hotel in the winter of 2013 and began competing in Diageo World Class™ about two weeks after I arrived. The Diageo World Class™ Competition is the first bartending competition I have ever competed in.

Overall, my World Class™ experience was very positive, as the competition has led me to a stronger friendship with a lot of the competing bartenders. It was especially useful for me since I was so new in the industry. The competition taught me to think more holistically about the cocktail experience rather than focus on specific components. Every cocktail has to appeal to the customer from start to finish, from introduction to conclusion. This forces the bartender to really understand their customer. When a bartender can tailor-make a drink to a specific customer, it only enhances the overall guest experience. The same applied to the judges of the competition. The more I could talk to them and relate their specific preferences to the drink I was making, the more successful the outcome would be.

A true bartender is someone who realises that the only reason we’re behind the bar is for the guest on the other side. Without them, we are obsolete. We live and die by the people who sit just a few feet from us. That said, the one thing I would pass on to an apprentice bartender would be to enjoy one thing about very person that sits down at the bar. All it takes is the willingness to listen and the desire to learn something about that person.

Mr. Walker’s Amber Restorative Ingredients 60ml Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ 15ml Grapefruit peel and Coriander tinture 30ml Rosemary infused Honey syrup 15ml Fino Sherry Method Stir Garnish Effervescent Grapefruit wedges Glassware Stemmed Cocktail Glass

A good cocktail has character and depth. It doesn’t always have to be a bold statement; sometimes subtlety can be far more profound and memorable. Whether it is a unique spirit, a market fresh item or a classic cocktail with a great story, a good cocktail leaves a lasting impression.

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9/25/2014 3:48:19 PM

Tequila Don Julio World’s First Luxury Tequila

Today’s finest tequilas, now recognized among the ranks of other complex and nuanced spirits of the world, are as refined and elegant as they are alluring.

Originally known as “mezcal wine,” tequila is rooted in the tradition and national spirit of Mexico, where it remains the drink of choice.

A new international tequila culture has emerged as trendsetters from the most distinguished cosmopolitan cities – New York to London to Sydney – are appreciating its complexities and versatility. Whether sipped and savored or enjoyed in drinks inspired by the cocktail revolution, tequila is much more than just a spirit reserved for quick shots.

Widely revered as the best, and currently the most popular selling luxury tequila in Mexico, Tequila Don Julio is the choice for the savvy spirits and cocktail connoisseur. Beginning with the pioneering agricultural principles of Don Julio González and his personal pursuit of perfection, Don Julio revolutionized the tequila industry and set the standard for ultra-premium tequila.

In 1942, at the age of 17, Don Julio González, who spent his youth learning the ancient methods of making mescal wine in underground ovens, founded his first tequila distillery in his hometown of Atotonilco el Alto. The Los Altos region of Mexico offers the rich, clay soils and perfect microclimate for growing the sweet blue agave used in Tequila Don Julio. As one of the oldest tequila makers in the region, Don Julio recognized the region’s unmatched resources to cultivate the best agave.

Don Julio originally named his tequila Tres Magueyes (“maguey” being another name for the agave plant) and spent the next few decades perfecting his art of tequila making to achieve the highest quality standards. His devotion to excellence is evidenced by his distinct method of planting signature prime agave farther apart than most distilleries to yield larger and sweeter plants. With further patience and determination, he cultivated a product worthy of bearing his name, Tequila Don Julio, and became the first to give a tequila the name of “Don,” a traditional title of respect.

His artisanal methods are still utilized today and can be seen during the harvest at the estate fields of Tequila Don Julio’s distillery, La Primavera. An expert team of jimadors selects individual, fully mature agave ripened for eight to 10 years, while many other distilleries harvest full fields after only six to seven years without care to the maturity and ripeness of each agave plant. The jimadors use skill and precision to hand cut the agave leaves and bitter parts from the “piñas,” ensuring only the sweetest juices are later extracted.

The uniformly cut piñas are then slowly steam-cooked in masonry ovens for three days and left to rest for a cooling period. To preserve the characteristic flavor of Tequila Don Julio, the sweet honey juice from the cooked agave is

fermented with Don Julio’s own proprietary and unique, all-natural yeast strain derived from his own agave fields.

Enrique de Colsa, the Master Distiller, oversees the small batch, doubledistillation process in pot stills, which removes the “head and tail” impurities from the spirit, leaving only the “heart” of the distillate behind. Three final pot stills of the resulting 100 percent blue agave tequila are then blended to maintain the consistency of Don Julio’s unique taste profile.

Tequila Don Julio Blanco is bottled and immediately released and the aged tequilas – the Reposado, Añejo, 1942 and Real – are matured in American white oak barrels. A testament of Don Julio’s dedication to creating only the most premium tequilas, all aged tequilas are matured for longer periods of time than required by the Mexican government. Before leaving the distillery, the Master Distiller conducts thorough tastings to assure that each spirit adheres to the quality standards, as set forth by its founder.

In 1987, 45 years after Don Julio began his mission of setting the benchmark of excellence for the tequila industry, his sons released a special bottling – Reserva de Don Julio – in his honor. Originally reserved as gifts for friends at a family celebration, his sons made this special tequila tribute available to everyone, officially creating the ultra-premium tequila segment. While Don Julio retired in 2002, he still consults with and grows agave for Tequila Don Julio and his legacy is carried on with each smooth, consistent and distinguished tequila produced today at La Primavera.

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PHILIPPINES

Joma Rivera

The Curator Coffee and Cocktail Bar Like many bartenders, Joma Rivera got his start as a flair bartender at university before finding himself swept up into the world of craft cocktails. He must have been on to something, as this is Joma’s first World Class™ entry.

I started out as a flair bartender while studying at Lyceum of the Philippines University, and eventually became president of the Lyceum Flair Bartappers organisation. Through this organisation, I have trained students and won awards while representing the university in bartending competitions. My first job was at The Curator Coffee and Cocktail bar, where I started as a bar back and eventually learnt to make authentic and classic cocktails. It was there that I gave up flair-tending for the joy of mixology.

This is my very first World Class™ entry, which is very exciting, and it is a huge honour to have made it this far.

I learnt a lot at World Class™ this year, the competition pushed me to be more creative in my cocktails and allowed me to gain a better knowledge of the ingredients I use. I can say with absolute certainty that the competition made me a better bartender. I really enjoyed presenting my cocktails to the judges, while sharing my experiences and stories about the cocktail I made. It was also a great opportunity to get to know my fellow bartenders, and to exchange and share ideas with some of the most talented people in the industry.

Quality bartenders are not only measured by the cocktail they make and how well they make it. In my opinion, it is all about being hospitable, being a good host and having a great knowledge of what you’re doing, not just the process of making a cocktail and products used.

For me, the most satisfying moment working behind the bar is when I see my guests enjoying their drinks and recommending it to their friends. It’s a great feeling when you watch a customer take the first sip, turn to their friend and say, “wow, try this”.

For me, a good cocktail is simple, yet complex. It should be properly executed in terms of the way it is made and presented, and should be consistent in terms of flavour and style; every detail down to the glass and garnish should be consistent with the style of cocktail and the story behind it.

Pacman’s Punch Ingredients 900ml Tanqueray® No. TEN™ 720ml Watermelon Juice 360ml Cucumber Water 270ml Brown Sugar (with pandan) 60ml Calamansi Juice 180ml Tonic Syrup 320ml Soda Water

Method Build Garnish Cucumber Lemon Pandan Glassware Rock Glass

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PHILIPPINES

Rian Asiddao Long Bar, Raffles Makati

Another talented bartender who started out performing flair, Rian had a few great bars under his belt before entering World Class™.

My passion for bartending first started when I studied hotel and restaurant management at the University of Santo Tomas in Manilla, where I found myself focusing on the beverage side of the course, which is when I started flairtending and entering flair competitions. I started properly bartending during my practicum at T.G.I. Friday’s and continued after graduation as a bar waiter at Sanctuary nightclub in Atlantis, Dubai. I was only 20 at this stage, so I was transferred to the bar when I turned 21. After two years in Dubai, I returned to Manilla and spent two years behind the bar at Salon de Ning at the Peninsula before ending up at Raffles and Fairmont Makati, where I am working at Long Bar. When I was living in Dubai, I desperately wanted to join World Class™ but I was too young being only 20 at the time. Long Bar was offered the opportunity to join World Class™ 2014, which was an incredible honour, and I volunteered myself immediately.

Being part of Diageo World Class™ 2014 was a real honour and a dream come true. I learnt a lot and I can truly say that I have reached a new level of skill. During the competition, I learnt a lot of new and different techniques and

flavours during the competition and found the trainers, judges and different personalities to be a huge inspiration to my work and my cocktails. I must say that for me, the most enjoyable part was making so many new friends; that part is just priceless. Being part of the greatest competition of your industry as well as gaining lifelong friends who share your passions, what more could you want?

I have had the incredible privilege to serve sporting legends such as Ronaldinho, Peter Crouch, David Beckham and Michael Jordan. Not to mention a few other celebrities, which is pretty special.

I don’t know about particular moments, but every time I receive a smile from a guest, and every time a guest comes to me and compliments the cocktail I have made for them, I am extremely satisfied with my job.

In my opinion, a ‘bartender’ is an umbrella for many other terms, and a ‘mixologist’ is under that umbrella. Personally, I consider myself a bartender as this is a general term for an all-rounder, while the word mixology is simply a modern term for mixing cocktails or drinks.

SPEED CHALLENGE COCKTAILS Smoked Daiquiri (twist)

Cosmopolitan

Ingredients 45ml Ron Zacapa® 23 30ml Lime Juice 15ml Sugar Syrup Spray Lagavulin

Ingredients 45ml Cîroc® 15ml Orange liqueur/ Triple sec 15ml Lime Juice 45ml Cranberry Juice

Method Shake Garnish Lime wedge Glassware Martini/Coupe

Negroni Method Shake Garnish Flamed Orange peel Glassware Martini/Coupe

Ingredients 30ml Tanqueray® No. TEN™ 30ml Sweet Vermouth 30ml Italian Bitters

Old Fashioned Smoke (twist)

Cuba Libre (twist)

Cape Cod

Ingredients 45ml Bulleit® Bourbon 25ml Sugar Syrup Dash Bitters Spray Lagavulin

Ingredients 45ml Ron Zacapa® 23 Fill with cola Garnish Lime Wedge

Ingredients 45ml Ketel One® Fill with Cranberry Juice Garnish Lemon peel

Method Stir Garnish Orange peel Glassware Rock Glass

Glassware High Ball

Method Stir Garnish Orange peel Glassware Rock Glass

Glassware High Ball

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9/26/2014 6:46:40 PM

Syrian Ebdane

Snaps Bar, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Syrian got his start in the industry as a keen bar back, and would get all of his jobs done early so he had more time to observe the senior bartenders.

I have worked at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza since 2007, which is where I got my start in the industry as a bar back at 7 Pecados before being transferred to Spiral for its reopening in 2012. At the moment, I’m bartending at Snaps sports bar.

I joined the first batch of World Class™ participants in 2013 and won second runnerup which was a huge honour, so I decided to enter again in 2014. I have been incredibly lucky to be part of the finals this year and represent the Philippines with four other bartenders.

Each year is a serious amount of competition, especially when things heat up during the finals. All participants gave an astounding performance and that really pushed me to do my best so I could reach the finals. Attending all of the trainings really helped me to level up from a bartender to a mixologist. I learnt how to express myself through my cocktail creations, how to build tastes in the mind of my guest, and how to get their attention, and I learnt that attention to detail really is the key to a well-balanced drink. I can honestly say I enjoyed the entire competition from start to finish; every challenge had a new group of people and a new group of friends. And of course I enjoyed the World Class™ finals, because it’s the first time I was exposed to the wider bartending community on an international scale.

Mama’s Boy Ingredients 60ml Tanqueray® No. TEN™ 60ml Grapefruit Juice 30ml Pineapple Juice 50g Red Bellpepper 50g Green Bellpepper 30g Celery 20ml Three Tea Syrup

Method Throwing Garnish Celery Stalk Green, Red Bellpepper Glassware Footed Highball

While I was working as a bar back at 7 Pecados, a senior bartender taught me to always taste my drinks before serving. He told me it was important to have a final taste of the drink to ensure the quality, while familiarising yourself with the flavour of the cocktail on a personal level, not just from the recipe.

A good bartender should be welcoming to their guests, make them feel at home, provide a great atmosphere and performance for guests, and pay extreme attention to detail.

I started working behind the bar in 2007, when Sofitel Philippine Plaza hired me as a bar back for the opening of 7 Pecados. At first, I simply assisted the senior bartender with whatever they needed; preparing garnishes, stocking beers, refilling juices and replenishing glasses. I made sure all these things were finished before opening so I had more time to watch the others make cocktails, talk to customers and serve drinks.

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Cîroc®

Vivre le rêve with Cîroc® Ultra-Premium Vodka Launched in the USA in 2003, Cîroc® vodka is the first global French vodka to be made from grapes. Created for the provocateurs and visionaries of the world, Cîroc® vodka is only found at the most exclusive and sophisticated celebrations.

Cîroc® vodka believes it’s time to re-write the rules and liberate luxury experiences. After all, it has already shaken up the world of luxury spirits. Unlike most vodkas that are distilled from grain, at the heart of Cîroc® vodka lies fresh, succulent French grapes. The result is an exceptional, luxury vodka worth celebrating the world over.

The Cîroc® vodka distillation process begins with fine French grapes harvested in France to create the wine distillate. A small portion of fine French grapes undergoes cold maceration, cold fermentation and cold storage processes, until now only practiced by top fine wine producers. The grape distillate then undergoes advanced column distillation to create a grape-neutral spirit of supreme quality.

Cîroc® vodka is distilled five times with the fifth distillation taking place in custom-made copper pot stills at the historic Distillerie de Chevanceaux in Southern France, under the direction of the Master Distiller. The French Master Distiller, born from generations of wine-makers and distillers, combines his distilling expertise and his skill as an oenologist to create an exceptionally smooth vodka, with a fresh and vibrant taste.

Cîroc® has four distinct flavours and taste offerings. Like the original Cîroc® vodka, these are all made using fine French grapes.

Cîroc® Red Berry oozes aromatic fresh berry flavours with a smooth and silky finish that warms the palate; whereas Cîroc® Peach is loud from the outset, packed full of punch with an intense sweetness. Cîroc® Coconut is exotic in nature complementing the luscious, sweetness of the coconut, yet lively in spirit, creating an impactful serve. Finally, Cîroc® Amaretto is gentle in character with lingering almond notes, leaving a lasting silky impression on the palate.

Cîroc® vodka is enjoyed by the men and women who bring their own stylish touch to the good life, by celebrating in ways that are more lively, more colourful, more vibrant. They’re future-facing, diverse and daring, with an entrepreneurial spirit; and they’re unafraid of a little experimentation. Cîroc® vodka is for the modern elite who seek new and exciting ways to live the dream.

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INDONESIA 96

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9/29/2014 3:53:10 PM

I Gusti Salit Made Ari Naryana Woobar, W Retreat and Spa Bali

I Gusti Salit Made Ari Naryana, who sees himself as a ‘beverage architect’ has been entering World Class™ since 2012, and has moved his way up the ranks each year.

I started out as a flair bartender in 2005 and started learning about classic cocktails at my first bar job at Venue @ the Moon in 2006. From there, I moved from Kudos Bar and Lounge before deciding to study food and beverage management at STP Nusa Dua, where I participated in a few flair bartending competitions. After that I worked at Ice Bar before settling into a supervisor role at Woobar.

Chocolate Honey Zacapa Ingredients 45ml Ron Zacapa® 23 15ml Honey Chocolate Syrup 2 dash Orange Bitters 20ml Lemon Juice 15ml Honey Spice Syrup Method Stir Garnish 2 tsp Dried Choco Nibs 1 tsp Icing Sugar Glassware Old Fashion

I joined Diageo Reserve World Class™ for the first time in 2012 and was a finalist for the Indonesia region, in 2013 I was awarded runner-up, and this year I am honoured to have received first place for Indonesia.

This year was particularly difficult, not just the challenges, but also the standard of talent from the competitors. I learn a lot every year; my methods, presentation and knowledge are constantly improving which is great, and I love to learn from the other bartenders. It sounds silly, but I really enjoy the fame that comes with World Class™. A lot of people know me as a good bartender, and now I can share my experience with guests and educate them about cocktails and spirits, which is really interesting.

In my opinion, there are three things that make a good bartender: first of all is skill; you need a lot of talent and experience in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, methods, people skills and general bar cleanliness. Secondly, a good bartender must have knowledge of their products, ingredients, drink histories, and cost controlling. Finally, a good bartender must have a good attitude, without it the skill and knowledge is nothing. No matter how perfect your skill is, or how brilliant your knowledge is, nobody will respect you if you have a poor attitude.

In my opinion, a bartender is someone who works behind the bar and makes cocktails based on recipes. A mixologist is a bartender as well, but they have more understanding of taste and are able to create more beverages with more knowledge behind them. Personally, I like to be called a beverage architect. Because not only am I making a drink and I know about the flavours, but I love to build and strengthen the beverage industry through my work.

Good ingredients are essential to a good cocktail in terms of the right quantity, the correct method and give the best service possible.

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9/29/2014 3:53:15 PM

INDONESIA

(Tom) Budiman Atmaja Loewy

After realising a desk job just wasn’t for him, Budiman made a drastic lifestyle change and found his calling behind the bar.

In my opinion, there isn’t enough of a drink culture in my country, especially when it comes to cocktails, so we have to do a lot of guesswork with our drinks. I am currently working at Loewy, which I truly believe is the best cocktail bar in Jakarta. My colleagues Kiki Moka and Harli Gurnawan taught me a lot about the art of bartending, including how to speak to guests and correct bar etiquette. It’s easy to be a rock star for one day, but can you be a rock star every night? Only with consistency, attention to detail and passion.

Simply joining World Class™ and being put in the same category as the other contestants is a huge honour. Every second has been so much fun and completely worth the hard work and effort. I was very nervous at the beginning of the competition and I felt a little out of my depth, but I settled down as soon as I met the other bartenders. I learnt a lot about my fellow competitors, it was great to see everyone else’s culture shine through their drinks, right down to the garnishes, attire and even the way they speak.

It was really enjoyable to work hard in the day and appreciate my free time in the evening, go to a few bars and learn more about our craft.

I actually came from a different background originally; I mostly studied travel and that’s where I got my first job, but I soon discovered that working behind a desk wasn’t for me. I’ve always been a bit of a night owl; so working in the evening suited me very well, not to mention the social aspect of bar work. I started off as a bus boy in a small bar, although I moved around a lot so I could be challenged and learn as much as possible.

Passion Berrys Club Ingredients 50ml Tanqueray® No. TEN™ 25ml Lemon Juice 15ml Passion Syrup 20ml Egg Whites Method Shake Garnish 2 Raspberries 1 Mint sprig Glassware Coupette

Usually when I’m stuck on flavours I get inspiration from food. It can be street food or restaurant quality, but I try to adapt something from the kitchen for use in the bar. For example, I like to pair a smoky whisky with a savoury cheese, a sweet and sour martini with apple, cinnamon and thyme, or even a tiki cocktail with banana, vanilla, coconut and citrus.

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INDONESIA 100

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9/29/2014 3:52:59 PM

Willy Gunawan Loewy

Willy Gunawan is a firm believer that hard work and dedication are keys to a successful career. He is adamant that in order to succeed, it is important to learn from failure.

I am currently working at Loewy Bar & Bistro in Jakarta, a cocktail bar with a French bistro concept. We have a great selection of spirits, wine and creative cocktails on offer.

This is the first time I have joined World Class™, and I am so happy to have made it this far. I have made so many new friends in my field; I can’t wait to come back again next year to gain more experience and continue to improve my skills.

For me, the best part has been learning from some great names in the industry such as Marian Bekey, Hidetsugu Ueno, and Jeff Bell. I learnt the technical ways to make drinks with speed. I really enjoy learning anything about how to make cocktails in the correct way, as well as being able to spend time with contestants from the other countries; getting to know them and forming relationships with them.

The best advice I have been given was from Kiki Moka and Harli Gurnawan. They told me that winners are not people who never fail, rather, people who never quit. Every time you fail, just get up and continue learning from that and keep trying. I find those words to be incredibly motivating in my work.

I consider myself a bartender rather than a mixologist. To me, they are the same thing; we do the same job, and serve the same customer for the same amount of satisfaction. If I were to be more specific about the difference, I would say a mixologist’s job is to create new drinks for a company, to share knowledge and teach bartenders how to make it.

First and foremost, to be a great bartender you have to love your job.

Professional bartenders not only know how to make good cocktails, but should also know the product details of everything behind your bar. You must know how to prepare yourself properly, work on correct closing, inventory, costs, and cleanliness. Most importantly, you must serve guests in a manner that will make them want to return and tell their friends about the quality of your drinks and service.

SPEED CHALLENGE COCKTAILS Ketel One® Cosmo Ingredients 45ml Ketel One® Vodka 15ml Orange liqueur/ Triple sec 20ml Fresh Lime Juice 30ml Cranberry Juices 15ml Sugar Syrup

Method Shake Garnish 1pc Orange peel Glassware Martini

Don Julio® Margarita

Ketel One® Kamikaze

Ingredients 45ml Don Julio® Reposado 15ml Orange liqueur/Triple sec 20ml Fresh Lime Juice 15ml Sugar Syrup

Ingredients 45ml Ketel One® Vodka 15ml Orange liqueur/Triple sec 20ml Fresh Lime Juice 10ml Sugar Syrup

Method Shake Garnish 1pc Lime ring Salt rim Glassware Martini

Negroni Ingredients 30ml Tanqueray® No. TEN™ 30ml Sweet Vermouth 30ml Italian Bitters

Method Shake Garnish 1pc Lime ring Glassware Martini

Manhattan Method Direct Garnish 1pc Orange peel Glassware Rock Glass

Ingredients 50ml Johnnie Walker® Gold Label Reserve™ 20ml Sweet Vermouth 1 dash Orange Bitters

Method Stir Garnish 1pc Orange peel Glassware Martini

Zacapa Fashioned

Tanqueray Tonic

Ingredients 75ml Ron Zacapa® 23 5ml Sugar Syrup 1 dash Chocolate Bitters

Ingredients 45ml Tanqueray® No. TEN™ 60ml Tonic Water

Method Stir Garnish 1pc Orange peel Glassware Rock Glass

Method Direct Garnish 1pc Lime twist Glassware Rock Glass 101

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Tanqueray® No. TEN™ Hand crafted in small batches using a unique quadruple distillation process.

The stylish bottle shape illustrates the streamlined glamour of the Art Deco era and cocktail culture embraced in The Golden Era to bring the perfect cocktail moment to life once more. The iconic Tanqueray® No. TEN™ scarlet seal, and founder Charles Tanqueray’s signature, serve as an eternal stamp of approval that boast the liquid’s superior quality. A man whose ambition and expertise knew no bounds, Charles Tanqueray’s legacy lives on with new verve with the stylish new Tanqueray® No. TEN™ bottle.

The citrus squeezer at the base and lighter colour glass featured in the new bottle reflect the world-famous profile of Tanqueray® No. TEN™. A complex blend of fresh citrus notes and hand-selected botanicals, it is distilled in small batches by Master Distiller Tom Nichol, with whole fresh oranges, grapefruits and limes at its heart.

As the first white spirit and the only gin in the Hall of Fame at the San Francisco World Competition, the flavours of Tanqueray® No. TEN™ best shine through in a sophisticated martini cocktail – the perfect showpiece for a gin that is universally recognised by those in the know as the ultimate expression of quality.

The citrus provides a delightful first impression both on the nose and on the palate and adds a refreshing brightness to the gin. This is complemented by the herbal waves of chamomile which enhance the flavour. A considered and meticulous distillation process achieves a deliciously velvety mouth feel which lends Tanqueray® No. TEN™ to be the ultimate spirit for the perfect martini cocktail.

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Varun Sudhakar Four Seasons Mumbai

Second-time World Class™ India champion Varun Sudhakar from Four Seasons Mumbai has over four years of experience under his belt. A talented flair bartender, Varun got his first taste of fame performing flair bartending on India’s Got Talent.

I worked with Sarovar Group as a bartender for a year, and from there I moved to Four Seasons Mumbai, where I was bartender at AER bar for three years before moving to San Qi as bar and restaurant supervisor.

I have been to World Class™ trainings since 2012, and got an opportunity to represent India for World Class™ Global in 2013. World Class™ helped me to develop my skills, and motivated me to compete again, while keeping me excited about the world of spirits and bartending.

2014 was an incredibly enjoyable year for World Class™, this is the first time I have experienced this level of quality in a competition in Mumbai. I learnt a lot about the expectations of Diageo Reserve World Class™ from a bartending perspective this year, as well as how to carry myself on a global platform and how much more effort is required in order to go all the way. I particularly enjoyed the challenges and difficulties I faced this year. I feel I am at my best when under pressure. Of course, I also enjoyed the moment I won the competition, and was given the chance to represent India for World Class™ Global once more.

To be a great bartender, you have to love the bar you work in, and treat it as your best friend in both your happiness and sorrows, try to connect the bar with your life and feel the positive energy of the people and the place when you step inside, and win everyone’s heart, that is the best way to tend the bar; everything else will follow. Technically, a bartender should posses an in-depth knowledge of the ingredients, knowledge and equipment they deal with, follow recipes for classics, always keep the bar neat and tidy, be responsible, and always enjoy every moment.

The Mumbai bar scene is booming, and is only getting better with the increasing quality of products. People are even more excited to try a classic cocktail or a forgotten cocktail with fresh ingredients. Mumbai could improve on the time and effort put into bartender training, so we have even more World Class™ bartenders. Finally, Mumbai has a wealth of fresh ingredients such as herbs and spices; we could certainly share these around Asia.

Suryan Ingredients 45ml Johnnie Walker® Platinum Label™ 20ml Red Vermouth 20ml Orange and Vanilla Reduction 15ml Pear and Raisin Reduction 20ml Fresh Lemon Juice 6 drops Orange Bitters Method Shake well in a cocktail shaker and serve on a chilled coupe glass.

Garnish Boiled and pan dried whole vanilla pod, shaped like a feather

The Reductions Orange and Vanilla Reduction: 300ml orange juice reduced to 60ml with 1 vanilla pod and 10g of sugar .

Pear and Raisin Reduction: 300ml of pear juice reduced to 60ml with 50g of raisin and strained through a tea strainer.

Accompaniment French baguette smoked with Pu-erh tea and unsalted butter and sea salt on side

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INDIA Gaurav Dhyani Blue Ginger, Taj Palace Hotel

After seeing a teacher perform flair, Gaurav Dhyani got his first taste for bartending and knew he had found his calling. Now running the bar at Blue Ginger restaurant at Taj Palace in Delhi, Gaurav holds an affinity for food-infused cocktails.

My first bartending job was at Olive Beach, New Delhi. As spirits and mixed drinks became my passion, I gravitated towards mixology. After a year of work, I moved to Taj Palace to work at Blue Bar, where I learnt a lot of trends and techniques.

2014 is my first World Class™ entry, and the first competition I have participated in.

Diageo Reserve World Class™ competition was an amazing experience from the very beginning. As it was my first cocktail competition, I didn’t count on getting too far. In fact, I didn’t actually think of either winning or losing, I simply took it as an opportunity to learn, and saw it as a great platform to progress from. Throughout the program I got to learn so many new things in terms of products, techniques, flavours and ways I can present my drinks. What I enjoyed the most was meeting various bartenders from around the country, and exchanging my experience with them. I also got the chance to check myself in a stressful situation, and I am sure this will be very helpful when performing in any other situation. I am looking forward to the next year’s World Class™, and bringing the trophy back home.

Roots Ingredients 1/3 Beetroot (battons) 2-3 sprigs Cilantro 10ml Rhododendron Syrup 40ml Seafood infused Singleton™ of Glen Ord (lobster and salmon) 20ml Singleton™ of Glen Ord 15ml Grand Marnier® Method Muddle beetroot in a mixing glass. Add all other ingredients in glass with cube ices.

Shake well.

Garnish Salmon canapés Glassware Coupette

During one of our cocktail sessions with World Class™, we were challenged to make a cocktail with Mediterranean flavours. As I have been a vegetarian my whole life, I never knew the flavour of meat or fish, and was advised to study cookbooks. I experimented with fish and crustaceans and came up with a wonderful concoction comprising Johnnie Walker® Gold Label Reserve™ infused with scallops, mussels and prawns, and my drink got selected as the best in that round. I will stay vegetarian, but I am more than happy to experiment and enrich various spirits with new flavours.

Bartending has become my greatest passion, so doing what I really love gives me satisfaction every day. I love to play around with new flavours and to discover how various spirits and ingredients can work together to create amazing concoctions. Naturally, I love to satisfy my guests, which is really the best part of my work. At the end of the day, we are serving customers and not drinks. I am happiest when guests reorder my drinks and recommend me to their friends. I find it most satisfying to create drinks that people find perfect for the moment, and to create experiences they want to come back to.

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Dilbar Singh

Blue Bar, Taj Palace Hotel Hailing from Blue Bar, Taj Palace Hotel, Dilbar Singh had seven years of bartending experience before entering World Class™ for the first time in 2014.

I started freelance bartending when I was pursuing a diploma in hotel management.

After completing college I joined Taj Palace Hotels in 2007, and worked at Masala Art for over four years. In 2011, I secured first place in an inter-hotel bartending competition and was given the chance to work at the Blue Bar, where I am currently working as a bartender.

This is my first time entering World Class™.

I have had a wonderful experience in World Class™ 2014. Since the program started, I have met bartenders from different parts of the city and we have shared knowledge and experience with each other. This really helped me to improve myself personally as I learnt about drink trends and presentation skills. I enjoyed the final stage of World Class™ as I met the top 20 bartenders in the country and I got to know them on a personal and professional level.

I really enjoy it when customers get to know me by name as a bartender. Making drinks is my passion; working behind the bar as much as possible and spending time behind the bar gives me ample space to create new drinks and receive feedback from customers. Guests of the Taj Hotel are often well travelled and help me come up with new ideas to improve my drinks.

It was always my dream to work behind the bar, and I waited for that day until I was assigned to Masala Art. It was then that I knew I would be living out my passion and pursuing my dreams behind the bar. Later, after I was transferred to Blue Bar, I knew I would be expanding my horizons and learning many new things. It was at Blue Bar that I met my friend and Mentor, Joel Scholten.

First of all, a bartender must have knowledge of the product they are selling to their guests, and a respectable attitude towards guests and colleagues. A bartender must have eagerness and curiosity to learn and gain knowledge whenever possible, and the desire to create new and different concoctions. A bartender needs to know how to multitask and be flexible in their respective work and professional lives.

The Affair Ingredients 60ml Johnnie Walker® Platinum Label™ 15ml Homemade Lavender Vanilla Syrup 15ml Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice 2pcs Short Bread 120ml Stout Beer 60ml Grand Marnier® 45ml Fresh Orange Juice 5 Egg Whites Method Foam: Put all ingredients in mixing glass.

Dry shake all ingredients.

Put in a foam bottle.

Give it a single charge.

Shake well before use.

Cocktail: Filter Johnnie Walker® Platinum Label™ with short bread in a mixing glass.

Add lavender syrup and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Add ice and shake well.

Serve in sherry coupe glass.

Top up with Stout foam.

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Bulleit® Bourbon Whiskey The Dry Rye Flavour Re-born

The story of Bulleit® bourbon whiskey goes all the way back to the 1800’s when Augstus Bulleit made the long journey from France to the USA. The Western frontier was opening up to anyone tough enough to take a gamble on this unforgiving expanse. Augustus wasn’t afraid of a challenge, he found his way to Louisville, Kentucky where he picked up work as an inn keeper. He served bourbon, lots of bourbon, and while he understood that the rough and raw spirit matched the palate of the working man, he had a taste for a more refined spirit, such as Brandy. So, he set about developing a more subtle recipe, one that would borrow methods from the brandy making craftsman of Europe.

The result was a hit and news of this new style of whisky spread fast through Kentucky and Indiana, business boomed and Augustus continued to refine his recipe, that is... until he disappeared. He was on a trip along the Mississippi, transporting his spirit to New Orleans, but he never made it to his destination. His fate is still a mystery today - for the next 120 years the Bulleit® bourbon name remained dormant.

The Great-Great Grandson of Augustus was Tom Bulleit and he was responsible for breathing new life into the Bulleit® brand. The year was 1988 and Tom felt it was time the Bulleit® bourbon whiskey stills were fired up once more and he would use a recipe that was almost 175 years old. The original mash bill had been passed down through the generations

and, with the full weight of his family’s expectations, he took on the role with a fierce dedication to producing only the finest spirit.

A key distinction with Bulleit® bourbon whiskey is its high rye content.

The modern incarnation has a slightly lower rye content than that of the original brew, but at the present level of 28% rye it makes up more of the mash bill than any other bourbon whiskey on the market - making Bulleit® bourbon the driest available. A further point of difference is in the distillation where the hotter tasting phenyl alcohols are removed in place of phenyl alcohols. This offers a fresh, clean nose and with a relatively long period of ageing the result is a complex, spicy bourbon whiskey that has a flavour all its own.

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“

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I started my bartending career in Ginza, Tokyo, and to this day I only work in

Ginza. After many years of bartending, I still love it for the same reason: simply to see the smiles on my customers’ faces.

I can’t explain where my inspiration comes from; I think it just fell from the sky.

The best way for a customer to impress me would be to take in over 10 drinks and not get drunk.

World Class™ Asia is fantastic, but I think we have a long climb up the mountain ahead of us compared to other parts of the world.

Hidetsugu Ueno Bar High Five Tokyo World Class™ Global Judge

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facebook.com/WorldClass

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PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. For more information about responsible drinking visit DRINKiQ.com

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