Beijing Gets Multiple Nods in DRiNK Magazine's Bar Awards 2018
Shanghai-based DRiNK Magazine has just released their nominees in this year's Drink Magazine Bar Awards (DMBA) with Beijing making a strong showing via a number of popular contenders from the capital.
Now in its third year, the categories for this year's awards each consist of up to 20 nominees divided across subcategories such as individuals (ambassadors, bartenders, teams etc.), venues (design, sustainability, innovation, service, music etc.), and brands (wine, beer, cocktails etc.) across the Chinese bar industry.
Notable Beijing nominations this year include:
- Best Bar Design: Equis, Four Seasons Hotel Beijing; Il Bar, Bvlgari Hotel Beijing; MEI Bar, Rosewood Beijing; The Black Moth
- Best Cocktail Program: Equis, Four Seasons Hotel Beijing; The Black Moth
- Best Beer Program: Jing-A Brewpub, Panda Brew Pub, Slow Boat Brewery
- Bartenders of the Year: Keith Motsi (Equis, Four Seasons Hotel Beijing), Kevin Song (Scandal)
- Bar of the Year: Equis, Four Seasons Hotel Beijing; Janes & Hooch; The Black Moth
Equis at Four Seasons has a particularly strong showing among this year's competition. Opening at the end of summer last year, the huge 3,600sqm bar and restaurant has attracted crowds for its multiple rooms and terrace, each with a particular vibe of their own, as well as, of course, the cocktails. Keith Motsi, head bartender at Equis and also a runner for Best Bartender of the Year, has garnered a reputation for creative takes on classic drinks with Chinese twists. Read what we thought of the bar when we visited last year here.
Elysia Bagley, editor at DRiNK Magazine Shanghai, says that most of all the team are "thrilled with the fact that bars across China are getting recognition – spots in Chengdu, Chongqing, even Tianjin are being put forth by their industry, rather than the typically dominating Shanghai and Beijing."
Theo Watt, founder of Thirsty Work Productions, echoed that sentiment, saying: "I’m very happy that people are coming out of the woodwork and starting to realize that nominations can be made by anyone, and we’ve had nominations made around the country and not just the key cities. It’s nice to see other cities popping up."
"I think China-wide beer and cocktail trends are simply just the fact that everyone is trying, hoping and endeavoring to drink better. You’ll probably see a bit more consumption of craft beers, and people investigating into those different categories as well. Better quality cocktails coming out; more polished cocktails coming out of certain bars," Watt added.
And finally, faced with the age-old question of which city, Beijing or Shanghai, has the country's best cocktail scene, Watt handled himself very diplomatically, stating, "Beijing has a great vibe, but Shanghai has a better cocktail scene, and Beijing will agree with that. It's just got more opportunity. It’s more cosmopolitan and has got more opportunity to bring in more types of bars, more investment, less strict rules, fewer closures."
The final four nominees in each category will be selected by 140 insider experts and released on Nov 12, ahead of DMBA's big award ceremony blowout in Shanghai on Nov 19.
See the full list of this year's nominees here.
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Photo: DRiNK Magazine
