Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS™ Mixology Competition

Events held on Monday nights are usually dismissed in my mind as affairs that will be as wholesome as an oatmeal cookie, so no precautions are taken, lulled into a false sense of "security", much like the rhythm method.

Even the words Diageo, and this entire sentence in the invite, "WORLD CLASS™ is excited to announce that Kuala Lumpur will play host to the Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS™, the industry’s most prestigious and respected mixology competition" didn't seem to raise any alarm bells...all because it was a Monday night, and WHO, I ask you, above 40, parties on a Monday night.

Nevertheless, I dutifully make my way through the crawling Sprint highway, towards HYDE at 53M, Damansara Utama, venue of the event.  The Sprint is anything BUT SPRINT, at that hour.

Miraculously, I arrive on time, ahead of anyone else, and fortunately spotted a familiar famous face, that of Kelly Siew.  Who was drinking this pretty lil cocktail, that looked far too pretty for me. The cocktail, I mean.

Basically, the event is one of the industry's most prestigious mixology competitions, whereby Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS™ has trained over 15,000 bartenders worldwide, and for this particular event, 15 of the best bartenders in Malaysia are vying for the prize which will bring them to the Regional Finals in Bangkok and onwards to the Global Finals in South Africa.  Needless to say, cocktails are made using the fine quality spirits from the Diageo Reserve Luxury Collection.  The drink du jour was the Tanqueray Ten, and the theme was A HISTORY OF LONDON.

Technicalities aside, we were introduced to three of the fifteen bartenders for the night,

SHAWN CHONG from OMAKASE & APPRECIATE

INSAN SHARILY from TATE

OSMUND ILLAH, from HUBBA HUBBA

Location is everything, and by virtue of the fact that we parked ourselves in front of him, Osmund became my favourite bartender for the night.  But that aside, he's always so smiley, and I loved his Grapefruit Rickey cocktail, which was a concoction of Tanqueray No 10, grapefruit juice and lime juice.  The problem as with most cocktails, it is deceptively innocuous, but actually deadly potent.  The Tanqueray No 10 has 47% alcohol per volume.

When I heard Robin Serchan of Restaurant Nepal was going to be there, I knew it was going to be a good night.

Osmund doing his thang.

Insan's cocktail was a Southside, a refreshing combination of Tanqueray No 10, Mint, Lime and syrup, which actually is the same composition as a Mojito, but using Gin instead of rum. Again deceptively harmless, and delightfully easy to down.

Shawn's Perfect Martini, made from Tanqueray No 10 and French Vermouth.  Perfect for me because it wasn't sweet, as some tend to be, especially those made by ladies.  The use of orange peel instead of olive also added a nice twist.  Literally, as the peel twists up.

There you have it, the Grapefruit Rickey, the Perfect Martini, and The Southside.

After we were like cocktailed out, Osmund very kindly fixed us a traditional Gin & Tonic, using grapefruit instead of lemon. It was delightfully thirst quenching, back to basics kind of of drink!!!

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The Fifteen Bartenders in the competition are:

1. Arsenio Mariano Jr. - Nobu
2. Daniel Eman- Las Caretas
3. Dedi Pranata - Souled Out
4. Edward Tang - Skybar
5. Hafiz Hisham - Chamber’s Bar
6. M.Hanafi - Qba
7. Insan Sharily - Tate
8. Jeffri  Sulaiman - Mr. Brooks
9. Joel  Timis - The View
10. John Yap - Majestic
11. Khir  Johari - CuBen
12. Naresh Kumar - Qba
13. Osmund Illah - Hubba Hubba
14. Samuel Mesol - Hubba Hubba
15. Shawn Chong - Omakase & Appreciate

Wishing them all the best, and hoping they make it to the finals and make Malaysia proud, or at leat the drinking section of Malaysia.

EPILOGUE: For a Monday night, let's put it this way, .... the following Tuesday was a total write off for me.  Thanks muchly Evonne!!!