The eighth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards ceremony, a prestigious event showcasing the top mixology talents in the region, is set to take place in Hong Kong’s Rosewood hotel on July 18. The city, having clinched the title of Asia’s No. 1 bar thrice with Oaxacan-inspired Coa and seven other bars making the top 50 in 2022, is ready to host the grand event for the first time.
In anticipation of the awards, celebrated bartenders from around the world are heading to Hong Kong for a series of guest shifts at various popular bars in the city, bringing an international mixology experience to cocktail enthusiasts.
One of the highlights is the ‘World Mixology Masters Showcase’ at Quinary, where acclaimed mixologists from Singapore, the United States, Spain, and Scotland will share their cocktail creations from July 13 to 20.
The Island Shangri-La will host the ‘Staging Best of the Best: Meet the Elite Mixologists’ event from July 13 to 20, featuring Shingo Gokan from Tokyo’s The SG Club and Gina Barbachano from Mexico’s Hanky Panky.
Meanwhile, Washington’s speakeasy Allegory is popping up at Terrible Baby for three nights, and Mel Chavez from Singapore’s Smoke and Mirrors will be presenting his unique blends of the familiar and traditional at Salisterra on July 15.
The city-wide celebrations also include a series of guest shifts at Singular Concepts’ The Daily Tot and Tell Camellia bars, a pop-up by Giacomo Giannotti of Barcelona’s Paradiso at DarkSide, and ‘The Big 6’ event at The Old Man to celebrate its sixth anniversary, featuring guest bartenders from around the world.
In addition to these, Mizunara: The Library will feature award-winning Japanese mixologists Shinya Koba and Yoshifumi Yasunaka, and The Pontiac will host an all-female lineup of international bartenders, headlined by Happy Accidents’ Kate Gerwin and Malaysia’s Junglebird’s Lolita Goh, in an event called ‘Unapologetic Rage’.
Also, Zuma is offering the ‘Tastemakers’ Izakaya Playground’ from July 19 to 21, featuring Tokyo-inspired cocktails by Neon Pigeon Singapore bar manager Mario la Pietra and an innovative spin on classic Zuma cocktails by Italian mixologist Dennis Zoppi.
Lastly, Rosewood Hong Kong will present ‘A Sense of Taste’ bar hopping journey from July 20 to September 30, featuring seven of its bars, each with a different theme, giving guests an eclectic tasting experience.
Hong Kong’s buzzing cocktail scene is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards, promising a month-long festivity of mixology magic.
READ MORE: