With Anti:dote’s Tom Hogan and Bannie Kang
The Diageo World Class Singapore Finals saw not one but two bartenders from Anti:dote at Fairmont Singapore emerge top of field – Tom Hogan hailing from the Windy City and Korean native Bannie Kang. We managed to sit them down for a chat on cocktails and Singapore’s bar scene before they head to Diageo Reserve World Class Southeast Asian Finals next week!
Congrats on your success at the Diageo Reserve World Class Singapore Finals! How was the experience?
Tom: Thank you very much! The Diageo Reserve World Class is actually my first ever competition and therefore it was definitely an exciting experience. It was actually a little daunting for me, realising the breadth of experience and creativity within the bar community here in Singapore. Seeing what these guys and girls come up with has really encouraged me to push myself even further to stretch my creativity.
Bannie: Thank you! The Diageo Reserve World Class was a really great experience and an eye-opener for me. Despite the fact that we had to constantly work under pressure, the competition proved to be a very fulfilling one, which also allowed me to meet many experienced bartenders in the industry.
Bannie, it’s not your first time competing in Diageo Reserve World Class, have you notice any differences this time around? Has the competition gotten stiffer?
Bannie: With the growing bar scene in Singapore, the competition this year has definitely become much tougher. There are many more experienced bartenders taking part in the competition this year and this has certainly raised the level of skills and techniques exhibited at the competition.
Tom, we know that you were previously helming the sophisticated Bernard’s Bar at Waldorf Astoria Chicago. What are the biggest differences between the bar scene in Singapore and Chicago?
Tom: I think one of the biggest differences would be the access to a variety of craft spirits that one can get in Chicago compared to Singapore. This is primarily due to the many different craft distillers and local brewers found directly within the community of Chicago. This access accelerated the bar scene quite quickly and gave the customers a boost in their beverage knowledge. With all these factors combined, it has given Chicago the thriving cocktail culture it has today.
However, in terms of cocktail-making creativity, Singapore is very much on par with Chicago, if not more so in some areas. I see many young bartenders here in Singapore who are determined to make a difference by constantly challenging their individual limitations. Not to say that this spirit is rare in Chicago, but the Singapore bar scene has this undeniable energy that’s quite infectious – you get this feeling that you’re part of something much bigger than yourself and that for the first time people are listening.
What’s a typical day like for you guys at Anti:dote?
Tom: A typical day at Anti:dote definitely starts with prep. We have homemade liqueurs, bitters, juices, and vermouth that require preparation that could take up to two weeks. For example, we need to peel a lot of oranges, let them macerate in sugar for a day before spicing and fortifying to make our housemade orange liqueur. On a daily basis, you’ll find us in our herb garden collecting fresh herbs that we use in our cocktails. By the end of those duties, you’ll find us behind the bar concocting cocktails for customers till the wee hours of the morning!
Bannie: I usually enter the kitchen at about 3pm and start preparation behind the bar. If time permits, I would practise my cocktail making techniques, or experiment with different cocktail ingredients. If Tom is around, we usually engage in discussions on cocktails.
We know it’s hard to play favourites, but what’s your cocktail of choice at Anti:dote?
Bannie: My choice of cocktail at Anti:dote would definitely be the Brown Derby. It’s a very simple cocktail that’s made with only three ingredients – bourbon, honey and fresh grapefruit juice. I like it for its simplicity, and to have a cocktail that tastes good with minimal ingredients requires great technique. The cocktail is very refreshing and perfectly balanced with a tinge of sweetness from the honey and the bitterness of the grapefruit.
Tom: My favourites are Mr. Seekins’ Tipple and Promintory Point. I like Mr. Seekins’ Tipple because it’s just the perfect balance for me. It has a little acidity, a healthy amount of bitterness coming off the campari and angostura bitters, but it finishes smooth with a lingering touch of citrus. It’s complex yet refreshing and I always have room for another.
The Promontory Point is a little more complex – definitely more of a sipper, but it’s surprisingly balanced despite how much alcohol is involved. The chartreuse helps to build out the herbaceous mid-palate while the sherry gives the cocktail a distinctively rustic and umami finish.
What’s your philosophy behind the bar? Do you have a signature cocktail that you’ve made or you think you’ve perfected?
Bannie: I believe in the importance of presentation skills. To me, presentation is as important as the taste of a drink. A signature cocktail I once created and was very pleased with was inspired by the movie – Lord of the Rings. The cocktail enjoyed a good balance of taste and structure, and each ingredient represented a character from the movie (Editor’s note: now that’s one cocktail we’d like to try!).
Tom: The most important philosophy for me behind the bar is ‘fresh is always best’. Maintaining the freshness of my cocktails is of utmost importance. Using fresh ingredients increases the quality dramatically as opposed to store-bought juices, syrups, etc. that often taste flat and are filled with preservatives. Fresh ingredients give bartenders the opportunity to share the true flavour of those items.
Although going fresh may be difficult at times due to inconsistencies of the product, it puts the burden on the bartender to balance the drink using his/her skills. You have to understand your material, understand your intention or direction, and balance that personal direction with the desires of your audience or customer. From there, it’s simply making small decisions at a time till you meet your goal.
I always shy away from naming a signature cocktail because I think all of my cocktails have room for improvement – even classic cocktail recipes sometimes need modifications. I’d rather stick to a signature style, which I’d say is ‘market fresh cocktails’ – meaning an appreciation for the classics, and a passion for experimentation.
Bannie, you’re the only female bartender in the top 10 (which is a great feat!). We’re really interested to know how you fell into this male-dominated industry.
Bannie: I started out at City Space as a waitress and got to experience working behind the bar during my period of work there. At that point in time, my mentor was attending a competition and I was very inspired by how he made and experimented with drinks, as well as his passion for the industry. I then went back to Korea and took up two short courses and came back to City Space after a year, before the opportunity to join the Anti:dote craftsmen team came along.
Tom, you’re a graduate of the School of the Arts Institute of Chicago, a trained sculptor, and you also drew the pretty illustrations in Anti:dote’s drinks menu! Do you still work on art in your spare time? We‘d love to see them!
Tom: Thank you. I haven’t had the chance to work on art in my spare time of late; however, I am really looking forward to practising it once I have more time on hand! In the meantime, I have been putting all my creative energy into my cocktails.
The bar scene in Singapore is thriving, are there any other local bars that have caught your eye?
Bannie: Bar Stories, mainly because of its lovely ambience. I love the warm and cosy atmosphere it offers. What really got my attention was the fact that they don’t have an actual menu. Guests can choose their cocktails simply by sharing their taste preference and thereafter enjoy a specially crafted cocktail. This practice ensures a surprise in every drink you order.
Tom: 28 Hong Kong Street definitely caught my eye. It’s a great bar, with great energy, great spirits, and a great community. Ah Sam’s Cold Drinks Stall is another bar that caught my attention. Despite its location (in one of the bustling tourist hotspots), it retains its great ambience and atmosphere. It’s like a cocktail escapist’s haven and it just feels like home.
You guys should know that Singaporeans take their food very seriously. Have you discovered your favourite local dish? And tell us a little about your favourite dish back home.
Tom: I love Mee Goreng! It’s salty and spicy; it’s kind of like comfort food after a really long day for me. As for my favourite dish back home, it would definitely be Buffalo Chicken Wings (not the sweet but really crispy, spicy type), which I grew up eating and it’s the one thing I always crave. Add a great beer to that and I’m just shy of perfect.
Bannie: Sambal Kang-kong! The chilli used in the dish has a very unique spicy taste as compared to the spicy dishes I usually eat back home. My favourite dish back in Korea would definitely be Bo-ssan – steamed pork in miso and bailey that’s eaten with Kimchi.
The Diageo South-East Asia Finals are just around the corner, how are you guys prepping yourselves for it?
Bannie: I’ve been practising my verbal skills, as we are required to explain how we concoct our cocktails. In addition, I have also been experimenting with different pairings of ingredients in my free time, as a key component of the competition requires us to create cocktails using a variety of mystery ingredients.
Tom: We are definitely experimenting more and, of course, practising whenever we have the time to do so. It does get pretty busy at Anti:dote on most days!
Guys, we just have to ask: how does it feel competing against each other?
Tom: Bannie is a real talent and I actually enjoy this opportunity to explore and learn together with her during the process of the competition. We don’t hesitate to share with each other our creations because ultimately, we are representing Anti:dote as a whole. Bartending to me is also not just about winning a competition, but building an experience and a community for all cocktail lovers together.
Bannie: I wouldn’t consider my participation in the finals as competing against Tom. In fact, it’s more of an honour for me to be able to compete on the same stage as someone like Tom, who is so much more experienced than I am. It’s a great learning process for me and my greatest challenge is not my competitors, but myself.