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Axios
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
A toast to heritage: AAPI Cocktail Week returns to SF
San Francisco's AAPI Cocktail Week returns this year with a series of events showcasing the community's cultural influence on the hospitality industry. State of play: The five-day celebration runs from May 25-29 and features happy hours, educational panels, tastings and pop-ups featuring local and international guest bartenders from the World's 50 Best Bars list. Most events also feature live music and bites from local AAPI-owned restaurants. Catch up quick: Kevin Diedrich, the owner of Pacific Cocktail Haven, founded the event two years ago in an effort to resurrect cocktail week in the city after more than a decade since the annual tradition had gone dormant. Diedrich, who is Filipino, said he wanted to help revive the city's post-pandemic cocktail scene and center it around AAPI Heritage Month as an homage to the community's roots in the city. What they're saying:"We want it to be a destination-worthy cocktail week," he told Axios. "We want to grow it so it's able to highlight more than just my businesses, because it's about this community and the culture in San Francisco and contributing to making it better." Top events include: 🎉 Opening Party at Pacific Cocktail Haven with guest bartenders from Jigger and Pony, a Singaporean bar recognized for its inventive take on classic cocktails. Sunday from 7-11pm at 550 Sutter St. 🛥️ Sunset Boat Luau invites guests to sip tropical cocktails while partaking in a Hawai'i-inspired boat ride along the bay, with close up views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Monday from 5-10pm. Boat departs at Jack London Square. 👋 Fastest Hands in the West is a speed competition that pits bartenders against each other in a head-to-head race to make the best cocktail under a strict time crunch. Wednesday from 3-5pm at 550 Sutter St. 🌿 Pandan Party celebrates the fragrant, tropical plant from Southeast Asia that Diedrich describes as "the vanilla of the East," with a curated cocktail menu crafted by bartenders from across California. Tickets include unlimited cocktails and pandan-inspired eats. Wednesday from 9pm-12am at 550 Sutter St. 🥡 Night Market at Splash closes out the week-long event by bringing the Asian night market tradition to Thrive City, showcasing 25 of the Bay Area's best bars and restaurants, including Good Good Culture Club, The Progress, Abacá and Trick Dog.
Time Out
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
How to experience the World Class Cocktail Festival in Singapore
The challenges As the first phase of the competition, Singapore's top bartenders kickstarted with a high-stakes shake-off on April 2, challenged to craft two showstopping cocktails in one day. The first was a tequila-based creation using Don Julio, followed by a rum-based concoction featuring Zacapa. The Don Julio challenge called for bold tequila-based drinks using both local and Canadian-inspired ingredients – a nod to the grand finals in Toronto. Think pandan and gula melaka meet maple syrup and Hawaiian pizza – a wild, multicultural flavour ride. But it wasn't just about taste – bartenders had to bring storytelling, technique, and creativity to the table, paying homage to Don Julio's legacy dating back to 1942. Then came Zacapa's dreamy Above the Clouds challenge, featuring Asian ingredients like kaya, Japanese yuzu, and even Himalayan sea buckthorn. We saw everything from using dry ice to create a foggy effect to fluffy foam that mirrored the puffy clouds. Sitting on the judging panel were the global winner of World Class Bartender of the Year 2019, Side Door's Bannie Kang, and two-time World Class Bartender of the Year Singapore winner, Jigger and Pony's Aki Eguchi. They were joined by industry leaders, including the director of Diageo Bar Academy Asia Pacific, Lam Chi Mun; the brand ambassador of Diageo Philippines, Rian Asiddao; Bar Convent Berlin's Henry Stonham; and Augustman's Indran Paramasivam. The competition was fierce, the cocktails phenomenal, and the crowd were full of excitement. Now, the top 20 are prepping for round two – taking on Tanqueray and The Singleton – before the next challenge with Johnnie Walker. Here are the top 20 bartenders: Tryson Quek – Side Door (winner of the first challenge and the Don Julio category) Marco Maiorano – KOMA (standout in the Zacapa category) Sam Pang – Night Hawk Josiah Chee – Bar Bon Funk Colin Chng – Bar Bon Funk Kelvin Saquilayan – Republic Bar Mate Csizmadia – The Bar at 15 Stamford James Dela Rosa – WAKUDA Cherry Lee – Origin Bar Anton Gornev – The Mirabilis Bar Ooi Foo Giap – Last Word Lam Ho Yung – Last Word Orman Bag-ao – CUT by Wolfgang Puck Qing Ting – Madame Fan Zana Mohlmann – Manhattan Jeeivan – The Elephant Room Kim DongJe – The Backdrop Valerie Natasha Valentine – Atlas Gabriel Gan – Gibson Joel Accad – Silly Goose SUSHISAMBA stirred up some serious love from fans, earning it March's World Class Cocktail Festival Experience of the Month. The bars to check out during the festival Now it's your turn to drink in the action – literally. The World Class Cocktail Festival is the perfect excuse to bar hop between some of Singapore's most stylish, talked-about, and downright delicious drinking spots. Whether you're partial to dimly lit speakeasies tucked behind unmarked doors or love the vibe of plush hotel bars, each venue is pulling out all the stops for this city-wide celebration. And the fun doesn't stop with the top 20 contenders. Bars all across town are joining the party, including SUSHISAMBA, WOOBAR, Sugarhall, Plume, MO Bar, and many more. Each serving up their own inventive festival-exclusive cocktails featuring the heavy hitters of the spirits world: Don Julio, Zacapa, Tanqueray, The Singleton, and Johnnie Walker. It's a full-on flavour fest – and the perfect chance to catch these cocktail maestros in their element, shaking, stirring, and serving up liquid gold right at their home bars. The festival's exclusive cocktails to try Now, let's talk about the drinks. These aren't your average cocktails – they're masterpieces crafted exclusively for the festival, and you won't want to miss any. Spice things up with The Backdrop's Pho-ntastic Ensemble ($27), a tequila-based concoction with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and a fiery chilli twist. Or, sip on Plume's PaJANGma ($25), a bold mix of Don Julio Reposado, grapefruit liqueur, gochujang, and lime for a smoky-spicy kick. For something truly unique, The Elephant Room's Indian Lion ($25) is a must-try, blending The Singleton whisky with tandoori nectar, fenugreek vermouth, and pickled onion for a savoury surprise. If you're dreaming of your next holiday, let Bae's Jungle & Single ($26) whisk you away to a tropical paradise with The Singleton whisky and vibrant passionfruit, or take a trip to Japan with KOMA's Hanami Dream ($25) – a delicate and fruity fusion of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, lychee, sakura, and peach soda. For creamy spins of Ron Zacapa 23, Last Word's Banana Punch ($27) delights with banana, Branca Menta, yuzu, and milk, while Night Hawk's milk punch-style The Hollow Glass ($25) does so with fermented honey syrup, black tea, lemon-pineapple blend, and balsamic vinegar mist. Side Door's Tiramisu ($25) – a decadent rum-based treat featuring Zacapa 23, brownie, coffee, and Baileys – and SUSHISAMBA's Velvet Pursuit ($20) with The Singleton 12, cherry, vanilla, coffee and lemon are set to perk you up. And that's just the beginning. With so many festival-only creations waiting to be discovered, the only real challenge is deciding which to try first. Pro tip: Ask for the World Class Festival menu when you visit the participating bars. Cast your vote for a chance to win a prize As if sipping exclusive cocktails wasn't rewarding enough, you also get to support your favourite bar by voting for it. Cast your vote, and you'll be automatically entered into a lucky draw with some seriously enticing prizes – think bar vouchers perfect for your next night out with friends. The voting refreshes every month after each challenge, giving you another chance to support your favourite bartender (and score more goodies). Just remember: it's one vote per month, so make it count. Haven't voted yet? Time to get started here. This is it – the cocktail event of the year, and it's one no cocktail lover in Singapore should miss. Check out the full list of participating bars and locations here, and get ready to toast to an unforgettable festival. Cheers!
