ISSUE 24
SUMMER 2017
ISSN 2052 0603
THE ASIA ISSUE
Who to know, where to go and what to drink in: Singapore, China, Bali, Seoul, Hong Kong, Tokyo, The Philippines and Thailand…
- Photos: Fotolia
PUT A SPELL ON YOUR COCKTAIL
Caribbean Pineapple Premium Liqueur Product of France
www.giffard.com GIFFARD – 49240 Avrillé (Angers) - FRANCE / Tel: + 33 2 41 1885 00 – contact@giffard.com
P S S S S T ! CAN WE TAKE A MOMENT
TO TALK
ABOUT
THE BA R SCENE IN
ASIA? Well, more than a moment actually – we’re devoting this entire issue to it. When you consider that Asia is the most populous continent, covering a whopping 44.58 million km2, our tiny gesture hardly does the region justice.
There’s a reason why an increasing number of the world’s greatest bartenders are packing up and heading over to this part of the world. It’s young, it’s fresh, it’s vibrant and the weather takes some beating, plus and it’s a big plus, there’s investment. And the potential for huge growth. As Chris Lowder, a US drinks guru now based in Shanghai says, “If each of China’s adult population were to purchase just one 70ml bottle of spirit each, it would be 33 times Beefeater Gin’s global sales this year.” And Beefeater ain’t small fry that's for sure. We’ve unwrapped the people to know, places to go and of course, what to drink and where in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Tokyo, Bali, The Philippines, Seoul and Thailand. And there are plenty more gems where those came from. Watch out for part two…
Happy imbibing! Ms S & Mr G
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The Cocktail Lovers - 3
THE DRINKS PACKAGE Unwrapping the layers of Asia's growing cocktail scene
12.
In the hotseat – David Cordoba
26.
Portfolio Director at Proof & Company, Singapore
16.
What's all the fuss about Asia?
We find out from Theo Watt, founder of DRiNK Magazine, who's been documenting the region's growth for the past 10 years
Singapore slingers
How Singapore became the most exciting cocktail destination in the world
30.
Going Native
Vijay Mudaliar's inspiring new spot offers a true taste of Southeast Asian hospitality
18.
A light on the locals
Jane Ryan sings the praises of Asia's bartending heroes
36.
Oriental expressions
Our pick of new products for the bar inspired by ancient traditions of the East
38.
Chinese whispers China is booming and its potential is limitless. Chris Lowder puts forward the case
4 - The Cocktail Lovers
46.
60.
Hong Kong calling!
What's hot on the Hong Kong cocktail front by Ondrej Pospichal
50.
Editors: Sandrae Lawrence Gary Sharpen
His master's voice
Masato Sukurai on why he's preserving Japanese bartending tradition by apprenticing under a master
70.
The Philippines is a must-visit for cocktail enthusiasts, Micaela Piccolo tells us why
74.
Photography: Rob Lawson roblawson.com
All Thai'ed Up
Travelling through Asia? Keep your cool with one of the locally brewed beers
52.
Contributors: Lorenzo Antorini Natalie Compton Lena Leo Chris Lowder Micaela Piccolo Ondrej Pospichal Jane Ryan Masato Sukurai
Everything you need to know about chilling, cocktail in hand, in Phuket. By Leno Leo
78.
Seoul scene
With thanks to Speciality Drinks, Gerry's and See Woo London for supplying the bottles photographs throughout this issue
Lorenzo Antorini writes about being part of the first Golden Age of South Korea's bar scene
56.
For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact: mail@thecocktaillovers.com 020 7242 2546
Bali highs
thecocktaillovers.com
The lowdown on Bali with Lena Leo
Tokyo tales
Creative Director: James Cheverton at Burnt Studio burntstudio.com Illustrations: James Cheverton Katie Rose Johnston katierosejohnston.com Mark Reihill markreihill.com
Philippines in focus
Beer necessities
Sub-editor: Sally Briggs
Plus...
Cocktails, culture and ceremonies from the Land of the Rising Sun
25 reasons, Bed & Beverages Word Up Coming Up
Printed by Stones The Printers Limited
7 62 66 82
Reproduction in whole or part of any contents of The Cocktail Lovers magazine without prior permission from the editors is strictly prohibited. Cover illustration: By Mark Reihill
The Cocktail Lovers Issue No. 24 Summer 2017 The Cocktail Lovers are proud winners of Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication, Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2016 and The London Evening Standard Progress 1000 – London’s Most Influential People 2015
The Cocktail Lovers Magazine is published by The Cocktail Lovers Ltd. in London, UK PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
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Sharing the cocktail love… Chris Lowder
Lena Leo
Lorenzo Antorini
Our man in China, Chris Lowder speaks fluent Mandarin and Japanese and has worked in the food and beverage industry for 10 years – five in the Asia Pacific region. Here he writes about China, "A country of breakneck transformation." Read why on page 38.
"Life in Asia seems more vibrant and colourful, overwhelming at first but as you get to know the ropes and acquire local friends and meet interesting expats, the puzzle comes together," says lifestyle journalist Lena. She shares her passion for Thailand and Bali on pages 74 and 78.
Former London bartender Lorenzo has settled into his new life in Seoul with ease. "The bar scene here is experiencing its first Golden Age, and the city has real soul! Plus you get kimchi everywhere, 24/7." Read his tips for the top spots in Seoul on page 52.
Micaela Piccolo
Natalie Compton
Ondrej Pospichal
Micaela writes about The Philippines on page 70, "It's one of my favourite places on earth," says the Cognac Ferrand Ambassador for Asia Pacific. "It's full of innovation and oozing with creativity. If you want to get a feel for a booming bar community in Asia, the time to visit is now!”
Californian-born writer Natalie lived in Southeast Asia before going to Singapore to check out the cocktail scene, page 26. "I heard it was blowing up and went to see it for myself," she says. "The hype was 100% justified. Everyone should go to experience the special blend of hospitality,"
Ondrej is a Spirits Evangelist for Proof & Company in Hong Kong. "The region has so much to offer," he says. "Not only do we have many worldclass bars, we are also one of the only truly cross-cultural cities in the world, with a wide variety of influences." Read his insights on page 46.
6 - The Cocktail Lovers
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REASONS TO BE A COCKTAIL LOVER THIS SEASON Feeling fruity, going from floss to boss and hitting the happiness button, just a few of the many things we're looking forward to in the next few months…
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Powering up Forget the fact that this is one of the most seriously cool images of all time, the exhibition and what it stands for is equally compelling. 'Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power' is our cultural pick of the season. Celebrate its spirit
with Mr Black Coffee Liqueur. Pour 60ml over ice and serve with a twist of citrus – strong, smooth and seriously chic. mrblack.co 'Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power' is at Tate Modern from 12th July to 22nd October. tate.org.uk
ANDY WARHOL – MUHAMMAD ALI, 1978. SYNTHETIC POLYMER AND SILKSCREEN INKS ON CANVAS. 1016 X 1016MM. PRIVATE COLLECTION © 2017 THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, INC. / ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY, (ARS), NEW YORK AND DACS, LONDON
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2
Feeling fruity The last word in tiki chic? Ladies, consider your summer footwear conundrum sorted. dolceandgabbana.com
… don’t worry guys, All Saints have (literally) got your back. Get your pineapple fix in shirt form. allsaints.com
four …and while we’re in Piña Colada territory, it would be remiss of us not to mention Aluna Coconut, a blend of Guatemalan and Caribbean rums, kissed with natural toasted coconut. Oh, and it’s low on sugar too. Available from masterofmalt.com
N5 o
Dialling up the orange Not all triple secs are created equal. Want proof? Get your tastebuds around Cointreau Blood Orange. Elegant yet flavoursome and voluptuous, it adds real zing to your glass. cointreau.com
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MORE ORANGEY GOODNESS Make like Bugs Bunnyy! You can go for pure juice or dial it up with C, Carrot Spirit from Boardroom Spirits, made with fermented and distilled carrots. (Tip: we recommend trying the latter). boardroomspirits.com
9. Hitting the happiness button Sure, we could buy a common or garden bottle opener but why would we when we can add joy to our lives with this? othr.com 8 - The Cocktail Lovers
06 PARKING OUR DRINKS IN A COOL SPOT It doesn’t get any better than this. VW CamperVan fridge. gorenje.co.uk
08
Going from floss to boss Clean teeth have never tasted so good. Single Malt and Bourbon infused tooth picks from daneson.com
10
…while bog standard milk and sugar goes from okayish to bloomin’ awesome when served from a seriously sexy sugar bowl, creamer and 18K gold plated circular spoon. Want! All on the lust list at othr.com
13
14
Being hair raisers
Checking that our jaws work
Save water and freshen
What better exercise for the cheeks and jawline than chomping on goodies with just the right amount of chew? Get your chops involved with Absinthe with Black Salt or Whiskey with Smoked Salt Caramels, both from jonboycaramels.com
N 15 o
your tresses with booze. Seriously. Elizabeth and James Bourbon Dry Shampoo gives shine and attitude to lacklustre locks. sephora.com
11 Tuning into rum Take the sunshine sounds of dance hall, reggae, soca, hip-hop and electro, add a Trinidadian DJ, infuse in Puerto Rico with a Maestro De Ron and what do you get? A new gluten-free, limited-edition rum created by Jillionaire from Major Lazer, exclusively for Bacardí, that's what. Available in the US this summer.
12
Shedding light on al fresco drinks
Forget the lawnmower and spade, the only tools this shed is crying out for are of the bartender variety. Add shelves for bottles, some shaker action for novelty value and you’ve got the coolest garden crib on the block. Shed Bar, wickes.co.uk
Following our noses
Base, top and middle notes, layering and the all-important dry down, fragrance and cocktails are inextricably linked. Which is why we advise checking out Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent, on now at somersethouse.org.uk sponsored by Peroni.
16
…which may (read should) put you in the mood for a new scent. Keeping with the booze/fragrance theme, we suggest the beguiling aromas of Whiskey or Gin. Get yours from the Black Collection at commoditygoods.com
SEVENTEEN
Making sure our library is on point
Ding dong, new books a-callin’! Make space on your shelves for three of our favourite reads of the season, 1: Straight Up: Where to drink & what to drink on every continent by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley; 2: The Curious Bartender: An Odyssey of Malt, Bourbon & Rye Whiskies by Tristan Stephenson and 3: The Way of Whisky: A Journey Around Japanese Whisky by Dave Broom, all available through amazon.com The Cocktail Lovers - 9
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Drinking in season
The next few months are all about taste overload. Make the most of the abundance of goodies in season by concocting your own syrups and infusions. Top of the list? Peaches, plums, all colours of berries and currants, peas, beetroot and apricots. Yum!
19
Taking our hats off... to the clever so-and-so’s at eto for dreaming up the coolest, cleverest wine preservation system around. Designed to decant, serve and preserve in one stylish package – it really is the biz. etowine.com
20
Finding time for a whisky ritual Sure, whisky is like a liquid hug in winter but it works a treat in summer too. Not convinced? Try the fab, new bespoke 200ml whisky rituals available at Swift and you soon will be. barswift.com
21 Mixing up our mixers
Shhh! You know who’s got some serious competition on the mixers front. Liven up your glass (and your palate) with the offerings from the London Essence Co, Britvic, Franklin & Sons, Lamb & Watt and Sekforde – there’s never been a better time for a tonic.
TWENTY THREE Savouring the moment
22. Keeping our cool
No sipping drinks from low rent chairs for us, oh no! Cocktail Hour deserves lounging on something special. Like this Cloud Chair in Merlot velvet. Even looking at it makes everything taste better. rockettstgeorge.co.uk
Maple Bacon Bourbon, Chocolate Stout and Pretzel, Red Velvet Martini – these are just a few of the seriously delicious sounding liquor infused ices from Tipsy Scoop. Available from their Barlour in New York or by mail order at tipsyscoop.com
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Drinking green Fixing up
and feeling sharp. Mikey Enright combines both his businesses – gin bar and barbershop – in Enright’s Original Gin collection – he’s got all your shaving needs sorted. enrightsgincompany.com 10 - The Cocktail Lovers
Rosemary is for remembrance and we’re betting you won’t forget the cool, refreshing green taste of this No. 1 Rosemary Water – it’s like all of your Mediterranean holidays in a bottle. Available from harveynichols.com
IN THE HOTSEAT
DAVID CORDOBA
The man they call Mr Daiquiri talks Asia and the many jewels in its crown
12 - The Cocktail Lovers
First off, why is Asia, Singapore in particular, attracting so much attention on the drinks front?
Five years on, how has the company evolved and how has this impacted on the Asian market?
Singapore has always had the ingredients to become a world-class drinking city: a vibrant economy, a “crossroads of Asia” status (like New York and London in their respective continents), a long standing and rich food culture, an openness to outside talent, and a welleducated and talented local workforce. All that was missing was a spark to set the cocktail scene on fire!
Five years on, we’ve benefitted from the amazing energy and positivity of Asia. The same cocktail wave that swept through Singapore is now sweeping the rest of the region. We’ve grown along with the market and see a very bright future ahead.
How much has Proof & Company had to do with this do you think? We benefitted from good timing, as much as anything else. We had the good fortune to set up 28 HongKong Street as one of the pioneer bars in the local drinks scene in 2011. That same year, four or five other great bars opened and Singapore’s cocktail landscape changed forever. Which leads us on to this: tell us the rationale behind Proof & Company, how it was set up and why? Proof & Company was set up to spread the love of fine drinking that inspired 28 HongKong Street. In opening 28 HongKong Street, the team found that there were big gaps in the supply of independent spirits, quality cocktail ingredients and fine barware in Southeast Asia. Proof & Company was born out of this insight.
You joined the company after six years travelling the world as Bacardí Global Ambassador. What was it about Proof & Co that made you pack up for Singapore? Good question, I wasn’t looking for something specific, like moving to another brand. I thought for a long time, and decided I wanted to open my own place, but where? In Singapore I found what I thought was one of the most interesting places in the world. I’d visited several times before making the decision to move, and was almost ready to seal a deal and establish my own place, but I didn’t have enough investment to go ahead, and my dream was shattered.
In Singapore I found what I thought was one of the most interesting places in the world
Who was in the team then? It was founded by the partners behind 28 HongKong Street – Spencer Forhart, Snehal Patel and Paul Gabie. They brought together a talented group from around the industry: Michael Callahan and Joe Alessandroni from the US, Zdenek Kastanek from London and Jason Williams from Australia. I joined the team in late 2014 as Portfolio Director. What about now? Proof & Company has grown quickly to about 50 people, working out of offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. From these bases we spread the joy of fine drinking and modern bars by working closely with clients across Asia – from the Maldives and Bangkok to Macau and Chongqing.
However, I had a great relationship with Paul Gabie, and one day he reached out to me and told me that Proof & Company was ready to make the next step, and he asked me to join them. Was it a difficult decision to make? Yes, it wasn’t easy to leave one of the best jobs that any bartender could wish for, and even harder to leave a brand that I love dearly, but it was time for me to start a new chapter. Tell us about your role as Portfolio Director? My main role is to curate our spirits portfolio, building strong relationships with distillers to establish their brands in the Singapore and Hong Kong markets. This role is a combination of strategy, marketing and guides. I’m always looking out for creative opportunities to activate new upcoming brands and ensure that mature brands maintain a continued presence on the market.
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