The 2018 Asian bar industry wish list

These are the cocktail, bar and industry trends that these 22 industry experts are looking forward to seeing in 2018. 

      More of these types of bars, please

Kenny Hong

Fabbri

Singapore

We need more dance clubs with great cocktails, or a cocktail flair bar that offers quality food and entertainment with flair front and centre. Otherwise, it will be great if more bartenders could incorporate some working flair moves into their routine at work.

Arcadius Rybak

Zuma

Hong Kong

I'm excited about bartenders' bars – bars opened by bartenders. In Hong Kong, it's not easy for that to happen, compared to Bangkok or Singapore, as costs are higher here. A good example of this is Antonio Lai, who opened his bars like Quinary, VEA, The Envoy and Origin a few years ago, and Agung Prabowo opening The Old Man this year. 

Rizal Jr

Marini's on 57

Kuala Lumpur

It takes a lot of capital to build a bar, and that's always an issue for senior bartenders like myself who wish to set up our own bars to showcase our own brand of hospitality. I think pop-up bars offering a preview of what a bartenders' bar could be is an answer to that.

Indra Kantono

The Jigger & Pony Group

Singapore

Great craft cocktails will extend beyond cocktail bars into lively restaurant-bars. I think it's wonderful, and so very convivial to be able to enjoy great food with your friends, while sipping on those signature Negronis. And I'm not talking about rigid or formal fine dining with cocktail pairing formats. I'm talking about a fun, uplifting, full-on showcase of the craft of cocktails in restaurants serving excellent food. We started on this path in Singapore with Sugarhall, and the category has blossomed with venues like Bread Street Kitchen, Super Loco and Summerlong, among others. Regionally, I love Union Brasserie in Jakarta and The Nest in Shanghai. And, oh yes, we'll be opening one in early 2018 – Caffe Fernet at Customs House Singapore. 

Michael Callahan

Employees Only Singapore

I'd love not having to fly to another continent to experience my favourite bars, so more franchises would be good. Having expansion plans that do not dilute the brand, and can maintain the same exact look and feel of the original is challenging but extremely rewarding for the staff, owners, and most importantly, the guests who may not have the ability to visit the original. 

      Spirits trends 

Rogerio Igarashi Vaz

Bar Trench and Bar Tram

Tokyo

2017 was the year for gin in Japan. I believe that's going to grow even more in 2018, but we'll hopefully leave the G&T aside and jump for more elaborate concoctions. I'm also looking forward to the launch of more gin brands here next year too. Also, it's still not a trend here in Japan yet, but we're seeing more and more people consuming rye whisky compared to 15 years ago, and consumption of it will probably grow in these coming years. 

Michael Callahan

Employees Only Singapore

The big bourbon and rye boom happened in the late aughts and during that time, lots of stocks were being laid down as most of the aged stuff were being sucked dry. Now as we're reaching the seven, eight, nine and ten-year mark, we should start to see some really fantastic whisky coming to market.

Jacques Dejardin

Oxwell & Co Singapore

Ulu Cliffhouse Bali

I feel a rum renaissance coming on. The regional varieties popping up in Asia at the moment are really exciting. The wine world has also diversified in positive ways. On the value end, fresher, younger wines in 'bag-in-a-box' are improving at a rate, and I love the return of larger format magnum bottles, which are perfect for celebrations. 

Drinks trends 

Aaron Feder

Gan Bar

Shanghai

I would love to see more and better bar food in craft cocktail bars. I love to sit and drink amazing cocktails and far too often, food can be an afterthought. I hope to see creativity coming out of the kitchen that does justice to what’s being put in my glass – not just a plate of pre-packaged jamon or prosciutto.

When it comes to drink making, I hope we can make more simple ingredients ourselves like ginger beer and raspberry syrup. Of course, you can buy these easily but they always taste better when made in-house. In Shanghai, we also finally have decent mezcal, a range of St. George spirits and even 100-proof applejack. I’d like to see these bottles in more bars and being used to their full potential. A simple Jack Rose (applejack, grenadine, lemon juice and Peychaud’s bitters) might seem underwhelming to some, but for me, it’s the kind of classic cocktail that rounds out a beverage program. So in 2018, let’s see more classic and vintage-style cocktails getting menu placement now that we have the proper tools to make them.

Jacky Wang

Liquid Laundry

Shanghai

More “beer-tails” and cocktails on tap in China! Craft beers and craft cocktails have been gaining momentum here in 2017, so why not combine these two and offer people a brand new drinking experience? Beers can replace sparkling water or soda and bring more flavour to your cocktails.

Joshua Ivanovic

Junglebird

Kuala Lumpur

Boomerangs – I love this! Sending a signature cocktail in a bottle halfway around the world to another bar, with a travelling bartender. This has been a really fun and engaging exercise for us at Junglebird during the latter part of this year and I'd love to see more of it in 2018.

Cristobal Huneeus

La Cabane

Hong Kong

We've seen a large number of craft beer bars opening in Hong Kong and throughout Asia this year, and with that, a genuine interest for natural wines. They coexist well with craft beer and sometimes share similar philosophies (small batch, seasonal, fresh and yeasty, unfiltered, etc). We look forward to more of this in 2018. And more orange wines throughout Asia please – they fit every palate at any time of the day. 

Low to non-alcoholic drinks are in

Charmaine Ann Thio

28 Hongkong Street

Singapore

The low abv cocktail thing has been trending for about two years now, and we've gone one step further in the pursuit of no abv “cocktails”. I'm not talking about fruit juices free-poured into a glass and topped with soda or lemonade, but drinks that possess enough actual structure to be reminiscent of an alcoholic beverage. There have been a few non-alcoholic distillates making the rounds internationally the past few months, but I've yet to try a neat pour of one that's left me thinking, "Wow, who needs gin/whisky/vermouth when I've got this," but it's an intriguing start, and I'm sure with the right supplementary ingredients, one could use these non-alcoholic distillates as a base for more elevated and structurally complex mocktails.

We'll all need to look local, but in new ways

Dean Li

Le Baron

Shanghai

I hope to see more cocktails made with Chinese ingredients or elements. Local bartenders should get more exposure to baijiu and huangjiu, or consider using traditional Chinese sweets like dragon beard candy in your drinks. 

Indra Kantono

The Jigger & Pony Group, Singapore

We've done lots of "importing" these past years with bars celebrating things like New York's Roaring '20s or Europe's grand traditions. That's all good as Asia matches international expectations, but the time is now ripe for more expressions of what makes bars in Asia uniquely special. We've seen this expressed in bars like Native going all-in with a regional concept, Potato Head sourcing from local artisans for serving ware and uniforms, to Hiroyasu Kayama rethinking classic liqueurs with local botanicals. Even in service and hospitality, we'll see greater appreciation for the unique character of where the bar is at – from Japanese omotenashi (the customer is god) to Taiwanese uber-friendliness to Singaporean grace. 

Minway Chi

Bootleggers Trading Co

The 88 Surawong

Bangkok

We've seen a move towards cocktails using more regional flavours, including savoury ingredients like curry pastes, chillis, uniquely Thai fruits, as well as an embrace of kitchen techniques. There's been a strong move towards updating and localising classic recipes, and I think that's going to continue to grow. 

Rachel Tann

Remy Cointreau

Singapore

I'm definitely looking forward to more "glocalisation" – the exploration of local culture in flavours, design, stories, menu curation, and so on. In the past, we used to all be about globalisation, but as the market matures, how can we make something foreign our own, while telling telling Singaporean and Asian stories in our bars? We've seen bars like Nutmeg & Clove, Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall and Native push this, but it will be interesting to see how it develops, perhaps through foraging, or the use of less accessible local herbs and spices. The USA and Europe have had hundreds of years to develop their drinking culture, while it's beginning to take shape here in Singapore right before our very eyes. It will be interesting to see how it develops in 2018. 

      On the international front...

Tree Mao

Mingo

Shanghai

Chinese bartenders have grown so much in the last few years. We see so many talents in the world of bartending and they are experimenting with Chinese ingredients in their drinks. I hope this will get covered by more international drink media in 2018, so that the world can see how great Chinese bartenders are. I also hope Chinese bars and international bars will collaborate more for guest bartending nights. In the meantime, Chinese bartenders should be more active in attending international industry events and communicating with their peers overseas at bar shows and cocktails weeks. 

Sam Wang

Ciao Amici

Shenzhen

Shenzhen is a special city and it’ll become a cradle for cocktails this year for sure. I hope Shenzhen doesn’t become another Shanghai or Beijing though, but builds its own character when it comes to bars. The pace of life is slower here and people know how to enjoy themselves. Our geographic location is Shenzhen’s biggest advantage. I hope we’ll get more bartenders from Hong Kong and Macao working here, and that together we’ll build our own customer base.

Colin Chia

Nutmeg & Clove Singapore

Find the Locker Room Bangkok

I really wish that the so-called international bar awards, which claim to be global, will include more representation from Asia. We're the fastest growing continent for bars and alcohol brands, plus we have so many great bartenders and more important, great Asian bartenders. It was great to see bartenders like Shingo Gokan and Vijay Mudaliar have a significant breakthrough this year, and also legends like Hidetsugu Ueno and Antonio Lai continuing to be recognised globally. But, there are so many more great Asian bartenders out there like Agung Prabowo, Nick Wu, Angus Zou and more. 

Paul Gabie

Proof and Company

Asia rising! 2017 was a banner year for Asia's creativity and recognition in the global cocktail scene. The region is getting attention like never before, and deservedly so. We hope, and expect, this will continue in 2018. There are so many wonderful, creative things going on in so many Asian drinks cities right now. From Chongqing to Taipei to Penang, this region is hot right now. 

      Sustainability will be sustained

Shah Dillon

40 Thieves

Bali

I'd like to see less waste and more responsible bartending. Living and operating in Bali has opened my eyes on the need to be responsible to the environment, after living in bigger cities such as Singapore, Shanghai and Sydney. The amount of plastic waste we produce is unbelievable. 

      Here's how we can all be better on a personal level

Yugnes Susela

Smoke & Mirrors

Singapore

I would like to see more talks and events revolving around career advancement for the bar community. It's more than just about making drinks and drinking them. Also, more health-related events for the bar community please. 

Ronnaporn "Neung" Kanivichaporn

Backstage Cocktail Bar

Find the Locker Room

Bangkok

I love seeing bartenders making drinks with a "working flair" style. You don't have to practise like Marian Beke or Luca Cinalli – they each have their own style – just be yourself! 

Charmaine Ann Thio

28 Hongkong Street

Singapore

I'm really interested to see how Tales of the Cocktail pans out next year. Given the controversial year the organisation has had, and the resultant changes in management and ownership, I'm curious to find out how these changes will impact next year's event. As a Cocktail Apprentice Program (CAP) alumna, my career and personal development has undeniably benefitted from the two times I've worked there. Even though the CAP is run independently of TOTC management, Tales is undoubtedly one of the biggest events in our industry globally and CAP works well at an event of that scale. 

Colin Chia

Nutmeg & Clove Singapore Find the Locker Room Bangkok

I hope Asia can have our own version of Tales of the Cocktail. I believe Asia is big and mature enough as a market to be able to organise something like this. We've got to start somewhere. 

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