{"id":23941,"date":"2024-03-04T12:57:21","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T04:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/?p=23941"},"modified":"2024-03-04T12:57:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T04:57:21","slug":"putting-a-new-spin-on-yuen-yeung","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/putting-a-new-spin-on-yuen-yeung\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting a New Spin on Yuen Yeung"},"content":{"rendered":"

The current World Bartender of the Year, Leo Ko, has put iconic Hong Kong drink yuen yeung on the mixology map \u2013 but you can usually find him mixing up martinis inside the Alibi bar at the Cordis Hotel<\/span><\/h2>\n

Having scooped three awards at the <\/span>World Cocktail Championship 2023<\/span><\/a> \u2013 World Bartender of the Year, Cocktail of the Year (Low ABV Category) and Best Sensory Skill \u2013 <\/span>Cordis <\/span><\/a>Hotels\u2019 director of beverage Leo Ko is busy establishing himself as one of the city\u2019s foremost mixologists, driven by a philosophy that\u2019s devoid of rigid rules and recognising that everyone has distinct preferences when it comes to cocktails.<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: Could This Be Your New Niseko Haven?<\/a><\/p>\n

The competition, which was held in Rome last November, <\/span>saw mixologists from 68 countries and regions compete for the coveted titles. Ko\u2019s <\/span>Low ABV <\/span>cocktail took the essence of Hong Kong\u2019s iconic local drink, yuen yeung<\/em> \u2013 local-style milk tea mixed with coffee \u2013 and reimagined it as something that would resonate with Italian coffee culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

With a nod to the host country, Ko used an Earl Grey Campari mix and Cinzano Bianco Vermouth in his winning cocktail, which he named Came to Connect<\/em>. (If you want to try something similar, opt for the Gimme Chocolate<\/em>\u00a0at Cordis Hong Kong’s Albi bar, a yuen yeung-inspired mix of tea-infused whisky, evaporated milk, instant coffee and\u00a0 tea syrup).<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: Find Out Why We Found the New Nobu Hong Kong So Disappointing\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

So, how does he manage to craft cocktails that meet the expectations of each guest when he\u2019s behind the bar at <\/span>Alibi<\/span><\/a>? It\u2019s about observation and experience, he says. \u201cFrom 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\u2019s not just the mood that affects guests\u2019 taste preferences but also the surroundings \u2013 the atmosphere, temperature, noise and so on.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

While he\u2019s proud to bring yuen yeung<\/em> to a new audience, Ko admits that he\u2019s usually busy behind the bar mixing martinis. \u201cAfter rounds of rounds of trying and learning, martini has become my best cocktail!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: Enter the Titanium Dragon<\/a><\/p>\n

Congratulations on your trio of wins. What do you think appealed to the judges about your mixology skills?<\/span><\/h3>\n

I felt very excited when the result was announced, but as soon as I got the awards, I realised that the titles bring more responsibility, and I need to be a role model for the mixology world. My foundation is steeped in Japanese bartending skills, but I incorporated ideas from the west into my cocktails, and I think that appealed to the judges.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

What does yuen yeung<\/em> mean to you \u2013 did you grow up drinking it? <\/span><\/h3>\n

The first time I drank yuen yeung<\/em> I found it very strange. First, I\u2019m not a coffee person; and second, a mixture of milk tea and coffee is just strange to me. However when I grew up, I started to understand the unique culture behind this drink, which represents Hong Kong\u2019s multiculturalism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: Exploring Japan\u2019s Finest Single Malt Whiskies<\/a><\/p>\n

What\u2019s your plan now?<\/span><\/h3>\n

After winning the awards, I want to promote bartending and mixology culture within Alibi and in Hong Kong as a whole, and bring more opportunities to the new generation keen to join the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

How would you define Hong Kong\u2019s cocktail culture?<\/span><\/h3>\n

To me, drinkers in Hong Kong tend to expect bartenders to create a good cocktail within a very short period of time because of the fast-paced life of the city. So preparation is crucial.<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: A Modern Gentleman\u2019s Guide to the Dinner Party<\/a><\/p>\n

How do you build a rapport with guests?<\/span><\/h3>\n

By talking to guests, I will remember their individual preference and their drinking habits, and can craft a cocktail that meets the guest\u2019s expectation next time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

You have been actively involved in local, regional, and international competitions. In addition to this competition, what are some other career highlights?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The <\/span>Monkey Shoulder Ultimate Bartender Championship <\/span><\/a>in 2018 is another highlight in my career. My mentee invited me to join the competition with him to gain experience. Eventually I was crowned champion and he got second runner-up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: Find Inner Peace on a Vietnamese Beach<\/a><\/p>\n

You started as a bartender with Cordis, in 2014. What do you remember about those early days?<\/span><\/h3>\n

I only started to try spirits when I was a bartender in Cordis and I remember that I found them all the same. It was my mentor who shared with me wine and liquor knowledge, supported and encouraged me so that I became interested in spirits and mixology.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve also shared your expertise through cross-training initiatives with sister properties like <\/span>Artesian Bar<\/span> at Langham London. Tell us about that<\/span><\/h3>\n

Bartending in Europe is different to Asia. I was particularly impressed with the menu design and glassware used by Artesian Bar <\/a>\u00a0(above)<\/em>. Their glassware is specially designed and tailor-made\u2026 such practice is rarely found in Asian bars.<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: A Man Who Stays\u00a0True to the Classics<\/a><\/p>\n

What cocktails do you like to drink when you\u2019re off duty?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

I like gin and tonic and High Balls. I make my G&T with one part gin, three parts tonic water, and lime.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for Alibi in 2024?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Our goal for Alibi (above)<\/em> is getting into <\/span>The World\u2019s Best 50 Bars<\/span><\/a> list.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more\u00a0<\/em>Society<\/strong>\u00a0stories click\u00a0<\/em>here<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?<\/strong>\u00a0FOLLOW ALPHA MEN ASIA ON\u00a0<\/strong>FACEBOOK<\/a>, OR\u00a0<\/strong>INSTAGRAM<\/a>\u00a0AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR HONG KONG-CENTRIC NEWSLETTER\u00a0<\/strong>HERE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Martini-loving World Bartender of the Year Leo Ko of Cords Hong Kong has put iconic local drink yuen yeung on the mixology map.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":23942,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[481,4001,20,10180,464,108],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23941"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23941"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23941\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23951,"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23941\/revisions\/23951"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alphamen.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}