Jakarta’s best bartenders were out in force for the city finals of the World Class Competition. The View’s high impact bar at Fairmont Jakarta was the venue for the competition which saw each bartender present two different creations featuring Diageo reserve brands.
The two challenges for this year were entitled “Mindful Drinking,” which called for contestants to create light cocktails with low ABV (alcohol by volume), and “Fruits & Plants,” which inspired the bartenders to think about nature, the seasons and the indigenous plants, fruits, spices and herbs available right here in Indonesia.
NOW! Jakarta’s Alison Pace teamed up with the winner of the South East Asian finals last year, Steve Leong of Tess Bar in Singapore, to judge at the “Mindful Drinking” bar. Notable creations included Henry Maraben’s (E&O) tropical cocktail featuring Ron Zacapa and a host of indigenous fruits like jack fruit and mangosteen, and Julian Decreane’s (Potato Head), “Milady,” a cocktail inspired by his fiancee, featuring Tanqueray 10 gin with hits of Japanese tea and rose.
Congratulations to all of the semi finalists from Jakarta: Upay from Union PIM 3, Rizky Sanjaya from Artoz, Yosi Pranantaka from Cork & Screw, Julian Decraene from Potato Head, Kiki Moka from Cafe Milano, Muhammad Fadli from Lincoln American Bar, Albert Yacob from Bluegrass; and Sabda Adamyah, Widya Prasetyo and Henry Maraben from E&O. After the scores from both bars were tallied up, Kiki Moka and Upay came out on top to compete in the South East Asian Semi finals in Bali in May alongside the victorious competitors from Bali, I Gede Hary Wahyudi (Katamama), Kenny Soetomo (Katamama) and Eko Prabowo (The Tavern).
