Winners at the Bar Awards
The awards recognise new and upcoming talents, and extend to the cocktail scene in Penang.
THE winners of the 2018 Bar Awards was announced in an industry-only ceremony at APW Bangsar last Sunday.
Unlike other ceremonies in Malaysia, which tend to be popularity contests voted by the public, The Bar Awards are judged by a panel of professionals from the Malaysian F&B industry including bartenders, bar owners, restaurateurs, distributors, and members of the media. This gives extra credibility to the awards, as it is voted on by the people who know the industry best.
Coley Cocktail Bar was crowned Kuala Lumpur Bar of the Year at The Bar Awards for the second year running. Funnily enough, the bar had moved to a new location not long after its first win last year, so you could say that a different Coley won this year. Still, the bar may have moved, but the people behind it remained the same, and the quality of that team shone through in the end. Heck, three of its bartenders were nominated for the Bar Awards individually as well – founder Kho Chee Kong (better known as CK) and Alvin Nirmal George, or ‘Loco’, were both nominated for the Bartender of the Year award, while Caden Chua Hui Chan the Rising Star award, which recognises young and talented people (28 or younger) who recently joined the F&B industry.
Speaking of rising stars, Bar Trigona of Four Seasons Hotel turned out to be one of the big winners of this year’s awards, scooping the awards for Best New Bar and Best Hotel Bar, a new category. Opened just less than six months ago, the beautifully designed bar has garnered a reputation for creative cocktails that use ingredients and produce sourced from local farms, including its signature Trigona honey, which features heavily in its cocktail menu.
It wasn’t just about the new boys though – pioneering cocktail bar Omakase + Appreciate, co-founded by Shawn Chong and Karl Too, won Most Creative Cocktail Programme, and Chong himself won the coveted Bartender of the Year award. The small, unassuming bar on Jalan Ampang, which was No.10 in Asia’s Best Bars list in 2016, was instrumental in kickstarting the current cocktail bar scene when it opened in 2013.
For the first time ever, the awards were extended to the Penang cocktail scene, with two city-specific categories – Bartender of the Year and Bar of the Year – voted on by a panel of Penang-based judges. Unsurprisingly, pioneering cocktail bar Mish Mash swept both awards. Penang Bartender of the Year went to its head bartender Spencer Ezra, who had earlier this year won the Jameson Barrelmen’s Homecoming cocktail competition.
Mish Mash co-founder Ben Ng was also named one of the two inductees into the first ever Bar Awards Luminaries for KL and Penang, which recognises individuals, groups or and initiative that has greatly contributed to the growth and development of the Malaysian bar community. The other inductee for 2018 was Kim Choong of online drinks portal Thirst. Besides her reporting on the beverage scene in Malaysia, Choong also recently tracked down the original creator of the Jungle Bird, marking the first time a detailed origin of Malaysia’s only internationally-recognised classic cocktail has been documented.
In the other categories, craft beer specialists Taps Beer Bar won the Best Beer Bar award for the second year running, while Vintry won Best Wine Bar, another new category. The recently opened Joloko won Best Restaurant Bar (given to a restaurant that appreciates that diners want great beverages to accompany great food, and understands how a wellthought-out beverage programme will enhance an already memorable dining experience), and Coley’s sister outlet, gin bar Pahit, won Best Specialist Concept (which recognises an establishment that offers a unique, specialised and focused concept as well as a well curated experience). Best Hospitality Ambassador, for the individual who embodies the greatest values of hospitality, went to Andrew Tan of whisky bar 61 Monarchy, while PS150 won Best Hospitality Team.
The Bar Awards also featured a five-day-long programme of events that included guests shifts by winning bars and bartenders from the other cities where The Bar Awards are held, namely Singapore, HoKong, Manila and Bangkok, as well as brand ambassadors from Diplomatico rum, Iron Balls gin, Perrier water, and House of Angostura.
Here is the full list of winners: The Bar Awards Luminaries: Kim Choong (Thirst Magazine) and Ben Ng (Mish Mash).
Bar of the Year – Kuala Lumpur: Coley Cocktail Bar
Best New Bar: Bar Trigona Bartender of the Year – Kuala Lumpur: Shawn Chong (Omakase + Appreciate)
The Rising Star: Caden Chua Hui Chan (Coley)
Best Restaurant Bar: Joloko
Best Beer Bar: Taps Beer Bar
Best Wine Bar: Vintry
Best Hotel Bar: Bar Trigona (Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur)
Best Specialist Concept: Pahit (Gin) Best Hospitality Ambassador: Andrew Tan (61 Monarchy, Hyde) Best Hospitality Team: PS150 Most Creative Cocktail Programme: Omakase + Appreciate