South Korean Bannie Kang bagged the title of Mancino Bartenders’ Bartender 2021, and is the first woman to receive the honor at Asia’s 50 Best Bars. As the only peer-voted accolade in Asia’s 50 Best Bars programme, this recognition comes with added currency in the cocktail community.
“Stay humble, be real, and chase your passion,” tells Bannie to aspiring bartenders around the world.
Bannie is obviously on the rise, having won the Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year in 2019. She began her hospitality career in 2010 when she moved to Singapore and discovered her love for bartending while waitressing at City Space. After taking courses and finishing her training, Bannie joined Anti:dote in 2013. The same year, she entered the World Class competition for the first time and made it to Singapore’s top four. This started a career marked with notable achievements in several competitions: a finals slot in World Class 2014 in Singapore, a place at the global finals of Bacardi Legacy in 2016, and a win at the Black Cow global finals in 2017. After her World Class win in 2019 and 10 years in Singapore, she moved to Taipei and partnered with industry veteran Nick Wu and her chef husband Tryson Quek to open her own bar, Mu.
She credits her team and the community for her success. “Inspiration is not just from one person, it’s more from our industry and community,” Bannie shares. “We work very closely and (are) united and support each other. That’s the key success for the Asian bar scene to grow fast, and that inspires me every single day.”
The Bartender’s Bartender is the second in a series of special awards to be announced in the weeks leading up to the big reveal of Asia’s 50 Best Bars at 6:00 pm on May 6, 2021. This will be preceded by the inaugural 51-100 list, on April 29. There will also be a series of three bartender discussions entitled “Breaking The Ice” before the final countdown scheduled for May 2 – 4.
Watch the announcement of Asia’s 50 Best Bars for 2021 on May 6 at 6:00 pm via The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook page and 50 Best Bars TV YouTube channel.
