After months of fierce competition, Singapore has crowned its new World Class Bartender of the Year. At last night’s finale held at Baia, Tryson Quek, the affable chef-turned-bartender and owner of Side Door, emerged as the winner of one of the country’s most prestigious cocktail competitions.
He beat out a strong field of finalists: Marco Maiorano (КОМА), Zana Möhlmann (Manhattan), Kelvin Saquilayan (Republic Bar), Ooi Foo Giap (Last Word), and Sam Pang (Night Hawk), who each brought their own distinct style and skill to the competition.
This year’s final unfolded in two parts, designed to push the boundaries of innovation, speed and bartending finesse. First up was the Drink to the Future challenge, which asked contestants to imagine what the world of cocktails might look like in the decades to come. Their creations had to incorporate either Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Don Julio 1942, or Zacapa XO, and make use of technology.
What we saw was a forward-looking display of imagination: plants turned into music to suggest a future where we might converse with our food, magnetic stirrers and ultrasonic infusers aimed at improving bar efficiency, and thoughtful ingredients like hydroponically grown tomatoes and carbon-capturing seaweed that point towards a more sustainable approach to drinking.
Next came The Showdown, a speed challenge that tested both composure and technical skill. Finalists had five minutes to shake, stir and present five elevated classic cocktails: a highball with Johnnie Walker Blue Label, a Paloma with Don Julio 1942, an Old Fashioned with Zacapa XO, a Manhattan using Singleton 15 Year Old, and a Martini with Tanqueray No. Ten. They were free to interpret the drinks, as long as the core of each cocktail remained intact. It was a tight, high-energy round where each finalist had to work with precision and pace while demonstrating showmanship and brand knowledge.
The judging panel comprised Ervin Trykowski, Diageo's global brand ambassador for New Age Whisky; Pedison Kao, Taiwan’s World Class Bartender of the Year and global third-place winner; Adam Bursik, director of beverage at Shangri-La Singapore; and Nicole-Marie Ng, Time Out’s regional content director for APAC. Together, we assessed a strong showing of ingenuity, technical precision and excellent drinks.
In the end, it was Tryson’s blend of bold flavours, charming confidence and relentless creativity that earned him the top spot. While he hasn’t been behind the bar for long, he used his background as a chef to his advantage. His win also marks a full-circle moment for Singapore's cocktail scene. The last time World Class was held in Singapore was in 2019, when Bannie Kang, Tryson’s wife, took home both the national and global titles. Now, five years on, she passes the baton to her husband to represent Singapore at the World Class Global Finals in Toronto this September.
Good luck, Tryson, fly the Singapore flag high and make us proud.