MIXOLOGY MASTER

The current World Bartender of the Year, has put iconic Hong Kong drink yuen yeung on the mixology map with an award-winning low ABV creation that wowed the judges.

He may have scooped three awards at the World Cocktail Championship 2023 – World Bartender of the Year, Cocktail of the Year (Low ABV Category) and Best Sensory Skill – but the Cordis Hong Kong’s director of beverage only started to drink spirits when he began working at the hotel back in 2014. “Initially, all spirits tasted the same to me. It was only when my mentor shared her wine and liquor knowledge, and supported and encouraged me, that I became interested,” he recalls.

The competition, which was held in Rome in November, saw mixologists from 68 countries and regions compete for the coveted titles. His low ABV cocktail took the essence of Hong Kong’s iconic local drink, yuen yeung – local-style milk tea mixed with coffee – and reimagined it as something that would resonate with Italian coffee culture. With a nod to the host country, Ko used Campari in his winning cocktail, which he named Came to Connect.

The first time he drank yuen yeung, Ko wasn’t that impressed. “First, I’m not a coffee person; and second, a mixture of milk tea and coffee just seemed strange to me. But when I grew up, I started to understand the unique culture behind this drink, which represents Hong Kong’s multiculturalism.” While he’s proud to bring yuen yeung to a new audience, Ko admits that he’s usually busy behind the bar mixing martinis. “After rounds of rounds of trying and learning, the martini has become my best cocktail.”

Ko’s mixology philosophy is devoid of rigid rules and recognises that everyone has unique preferences. How does he manage to craft cocktails that meet the expectations of each guest? It’s about observation and experience, says the recently crowned World Bartender of the Year. “From the moment a guest comes into the bar, I start to observe their gestures, attitudes, behaviour and facial expressions to determine their mood that day. But it’s not just the mood that affects guests’ taste preferences but also the surroundings – the atmosphere, temperature, noise and so on.”

Since winning his trio of awards, Ko is keen to promote bartending and mixology culture further in Hong Kong. His next goal for Cordis’ Alibi bar? Getting it onto the World’s Best 50 Bars list. — HELEN DALLEY