HK and Macau’s ‘World Class Champion’ crowned

Antonio Lai, of Hong Kong cocktail bar Quinary, has been crowned the “champion” of Hong Kong and Macau in the 2015 Diageo World Class cocktail competition.

Using Ciroc Vodka and carbonated grapes, ‘The Sound of Ciroc’ was the cocktail to win Antonio Lai (pictured middle) a place in the global final which will be held in Cape Town this September.

Hosted at The Landmark’s Zuma last week, the 2015 Diageo World Class competition saw eight of Hong Kong and Macau’s most prominent mixologists battle it out under pressure, tasked with creating a cocktail in under three minutes using crowd-pleasing effects such as dry ice, liquid nitrogen and popping candy.

With 18 years’ experience in the drinks industry, Antonio is renowned for pioneering the Multisensory Mixology (MM) concept in Hong Kong – a drinking experience that is described as “elevating the art of the cocktail and engaging all five senses.”

The line up included: Joao Balzani from aqua, Match Chan from Flint Grill & Bar, Charles Chiang from The Pawn, Paul Chi Lun Chan from Brick Lane, Wallace Lau from Bar Butler Shelter, Frederick Ma from The Woods and Ryan Nightingale from Ham & Sherry.

Martin Newell, brand manager of Diageo Reserve said: “They are a great symbol for the talent in HK’s rapidly emerging cocktail culture. Antonio Lai is a fantastic champion and I am confident that he can put Hong Kong on the map at the global finals in South Africa.”