A CENTRE FOR CONNOISSEURS From being on the fringes of the world of whisky, Asia is now right at its centre, with producers in Europe, Scandinavia, the Americas and Australasia all keen to break into the market. In the region’s smarter bars a good selection of whiskies is now viewed as a minimum requirement, and venues with a specialist whisky focus, which were until recently a rarity outside Japan, now proliferate. “Every city in Asia now has a small coterie of decent
Right and below: Alchemy’s owner- bartender Angus Zou conducts a malt whisky masterclass; the opulence of Auld Alliance
whisky bars,” says Martin Newell, Hong Kong brand manager for the Diageo’s Reserve range of spirits, which includes Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Platinum Label and Gold Label Reserve Scotch whiskies. “A lot of them are in the small, intimate Japanese style, where you often sit at the bar and choose from a generous selection of whiskies.” In many countries the term “Japanese-style whisky
bar” is regarded as shorthand for “good whisky bar”, but Newell argues that the Australian bar scene has also had a significant influence on the new generation of temples to the spirit. “You can’t talk about whisky bars in Asia without referring to the Baxter Inn in Sydney (
thebaxterinn.com). It’s one of those bars that is often copied. They have a tall back bar with ladders going up it, and the bottles are impressively displayed. That has had a big influence on places like Stockton (
stockton.com.hk) in Hong Kong. The other trend that’s happening with whisky bars comes from the Boilermaker House in Melbourne (boilermakerhouse. com), which also has a bar in New York. They’ll have 500 whiskies and about 150 craft beers, and they will pair a dram of whisky to a beer so you drink them concurrently and they complement each other,” he says.
FROM HIGH-END CHIC TO BACKSTREET HIDEAWAY Perennially popular is the clubby, classic style of whisky bar that reflects Asia’s colonial history, one example being the Long Bar at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund (
waldorfastoriashanghai.com). Once the bar of the Shanghai Club, it is now noted for a connoisseur’s collection of rare whiskies. “I think when people come in, if they see the right
glassware and they see the bottles displayed properly, they get a good feeling about the place and confidence in the drinks,” says Charlene Dawes, owner of the traditionally styled The Angel’s Share whisky bar and restaurant in Hong Kong (
angelsshare.hk), one of the few bars in Asia to serve whisky from the cask. “People like that sense of order.” But for some whisky lovers the less formal the
environment the better. “One of my favourite bars in Shanghai is Constellation [86 Xinle Road, French Concession],” says Newell. “It’s not particularly fancy, but I think that’s one of the nice things about whisky bars. They are about the enjoyment of the whisky. It’s a humble spot – just a narrow bar with an eclectic range of Japanese and Scottish whiskies.”
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