Three young bartenders showcase their creativity as they reinvent mixology classics at the 2021 Maker’s Mark Cocktail Competition in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s cocktail scene has picked up considerably over the past few years, with a host of specialty cocktail bars opening up across the city, many advocating category-specific themes or sustainable practices while also acting as nurseries for emerging mixological talent.
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A highlight event of the mixology circuit this season was the Maker’s Mark Cocktail Competition, which recently took place at Tell Camellia. Highlighting creativity, an understanding of Maker’s Mark’s flavour profile, and the best ways to adapt the small-batch American bourbon into reinvented classics, the competition saw over 70 submissions from local cocktail bartenders, from which 15 finalists were chosen to shake and stir their creations before a panel of judges.
We sit down with second runner-up winner Prasantraj Gurung; first runner-up winner Jo Lo; and winner Jeffrey Liu to discover the creative process that led to their victories.
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Prasantraj Gurung, Barcode
At age 24, Prasantraj Gurung already has a decade of experience in the hospitality business, culminating in a full-time mixologist role at Barcode – Gagan Gurung’s day-cafe-night-cocktail-bar concept in Central – early this year. For his creation, the Nepalese native was inspired by a quote from Maker’s Mark founder T. William Samuels Sr, directed to his son and successor Bill Samuels Jr.: “Don’t Screw Up The Whiskey”.
With that mantra in mind, Gurung created Whiskey Not Screwed by not infusing the bourbon and instead, pairing it with oolong tea-infused sweet vermouth; dried pepper jerky-infused brown sugar syrup; and a dash each of orange Angostura bitters and peppermint extract.
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The pepper jerky syrup paid homage to Kentucky, bourbon’s heartland, by adding both heat and smokiness, both essential characteristics of the American barbecue, as well as a touch of sweetness similar to a hickory-laden barbecued sauce.
A strawberry garnish added a touch of flame-red, aesthetically resembling the wax seal of a Maker’s Mark bottle in a definitive first-competition cocktail Gurung felt reflected his understanding of the prized spirit.
Jo Lo, Room 309
Helming a cocktail bar that places emphasis on minimalist yet innovative cocktails and great service, 29-year-old mixologist Jo Lo is a regular in the Hong Kong cocktail competition circuit.
“The cocktail making is not the hardest part for me, it is the part where I have to face the crowd,” says Lo. Inspired by a recent development at The Envoy, sister establishment of Room 309, Lo designed the Big Jet Plane, a rendition of the classic Paper Plane cocktail.
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Lo’s competition entry combined Maker’s Mark with fresh lemon juice, honey syrup, and orange bitters. This floral combination was married with Campari slow-cooked with cedarwood, and Fernet Hunter slow-cooked with a combination of cacao nibs and coffee beans. “Slow cooking brings out the flavours in a shorter time,” says Lo.
The shaken concoction has a coral hue, and fruity notes upfront, followed by a build-up of woody accents that capture the essence of the barrelling process and which complements Maker’s Mark’s rye-rich profile and slightly spicy finish.
Jeffrey Liu, Draftland HK
Twenty-one-year-old Jeffrey Liu drew inspiration for Baker’s Journey, his competition entry, from childhood memories of bread made by his father, a baker by profession.
“I grew up eating a lot of bread, and when I decided to make a cocktail for the competition, I immediately thought of buttery croissants, which would go well with Maker’s Mark bourbon whiskey,” shares Liu.
He constructed his winning libation by cooking butter with brown sugar and honey, resulting in a soft caramel syrup. The addition of toasted Hojicha tea, used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies but in this case brewed with bourbon, added complexity. Liu whisked the fine Hojicha tea to create a viscous, foamy texture with an aroma resembling Maker’s Mark’s signature oaky profile.
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Presentation played an important role in Liu’s competition-winning cocktail. The use of a wooden mug hinted at the oak barrels in which Maker’s Mark bourbon is aged, while the shaken cocktail was topped with a slice of crisp waffle coated with butter syrup.
The result is sweet alchemy: the earthy flavour of Hojicha and bourbon whiskey enriched with silky butter. Baker’s Journey will soon appear at Draftland as a limited edition cocktail on tap as part of a seasonal selection set to launch this winter.
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