Awards season is upon us. Yesterday evening saw the close-knit community of Singapore’s bar industry players and visiting bartenders from around the world show up at The Refinery for the second edition of the Singapore Bar Awards. And stay tuned for tonight’s announcement of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant list!
Set up last year by bartender Tron Young, the Singapore Bar Industry Accord enlisted the help of 75 local drinks and bar professionals to pick the winners for the eight awards given out at the casual ceremony. 28HKS – it placed tenth on the 2014 World’s 50 Best Bars list – won big, picking up three of the eight awards up for grabs. Operation Dagger took best new bar, and Anti:dote charmer Tom Hogan bagged Best Male Bartender, while his ex-colleague, Bannie Kang, landed the Best Female Bartender prize.
Drinks distributors Liberty Spirits Asia, William Grant & Sons, Equatorial Wines and Eastern Craft sponsored the liquor that lubricated the event, and everyone celebrated the unity of the local bartending community at an after-party at 28HKS.
Here's the full list of the winners from last night:
Contribution to the Industry by a Group or Company
Winner: Proof & Company
Contribution to the Community by an Individual
Winner: Shawn Kishore
Best Bar Food
Winner: 28HKS
Best Service Crew
Winner: 28HKS
Best New Bar
Winner: Operation Dagger
Best Bar 2015
Winner: 28HKS
Best Female Bartender
Winner: Bannie Kang, Nutmeg & Clove (and formerly of Anti:dote)
Best Male Bartender
Winner: Tom Hogan, Anti:dote