KIN+ONE brings together rum lovers at ‘Bangkok Rum Cocktail Week 2018’, with seminars by world-class experts, cocktail tastings by top-notch bartenders
Kin + One Co., Ltd. is treating rum lovers to a new drinking phenomenon at the Bangkok Rum Cocktail Week 2018, a week of knowledge and enjoyment. The goal is to keep rum lovers pleased and sated with great drinks, lift the standards of Bangkok’s bar scene and add color and excitement to the local cocktail world.
The cocktail week is a gathering of rum producers, entrepreneurs, mixologist, business owners and consumers that seeks to promote an open exchange of knowledge, information and experiences in a chilled-out atmosphere.
High on the agenda of the cocktail week is a series of seminars that brings together a multitude of speakers including rum experts and guest mixologists from Thailand and across the world. They will be on hand to share knowledge, ideas, experiences and techniques in mixing up great tasting cocktails. Other activities include tasting sessions to introduce a range of rums such as white rum, gold rum, aged rum, flavor rum, spiced rum and local rum.
Newly concocted original rum cocktails will be served at 37th-floor Abar of the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park from July 31 to August 5, 13.00-16.00.
Up to 34 guest bartenders from across the world will stage cocktail-mixing demonstrations in which special-recipe drinks with a rum base will be concocted for tasting. The guest bartenders will be on hand at Bangkok’s top 26 bars.
The program is as follows:
31 July 2018: The opening day of the rum week consists of 3 parts: “Rum History” (45 minutes), “Rum Experience” (30 minutes), “Thai Bartender” (90 minutes).
Part 1: A talk by rum expert Fabrice Lee Guitteaud on the origins, history, production of rum, lands of rum and other interesting facts about rum.
Part 2: Natalie Lau, Manager of The Old Man bar (ranked among the top 5 of the 50 Best Bars in Asia rankings) and a former team member of The American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London, will share her cocktail experiences and unveil her techniques of mixing up and creating drinks.
Part 3: Three well-known Thai bartenders will be on hand to create rum activities. Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn will stage a bartending performance. Natakorn Changrew will create a cocktail with a rum base using organic Thai ingredients. Nik Anuman. Ronnaporn will create a special rum cocktail for tasting.
Guest shifts on July 31 are as follows:
Sim Szw Wei of Bunker under the Mekhong brand
Lorenzo Antinor of Vogue Lounge under the Havana Club brand
Paolo De Venuto of Sorrento under the Havana Club brand
Chanel Adams of Revolucion Bar Cocktail under the Havana Club brand
Samuel Kwok of Dag under the Havana Club brand
Boo Jing Heng and Bell Paradee of Vesper under the Ron Zacapa brand
1 August 2018: Aged Rum
Part 1: A blind tasting of aged rum (Phraya) led by David Cordoba (30 min).
Part 2: A talk on “What’s Aged Rum?”, followed by an aged rum tasting (Phraya, Dipomatico, Zacapa, Plantation) led by David Cordoba (45min). Part 2 wraps up with a talk by Phraya’s brand ambassador.
Part 3: Focusing on “RUM Experience”, this part sees Dinos Constantinides sharing his techniques and creating cocktails using aged rum (45 min). Constantinides is the owner of Lost & Found, ranked 29th on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2017 rankings.
Part 4: This part titled “Thai Bartender” (60min) has two famous bartenders – Jamie Rhind and Supawit Muttarattana – on hand in tasting sessions in which they will share experiences, ideas and techniques and create special cocktails.
Guest shifts on August 1:
Ondrej Pospichal of The Eighty-Eight Bar under the Plantation Rum brand
Nico de Soto of Abar under the Ron Zacapa brand
Natalie Lau of Q&A under the Phraya Rum brand
Andreas Sanidiotis of Sorrento under the Kraken Rum brand
Hideyuki Saito of Baan Suriyasai under the Mekhong brand
2 August 2018: Dark and Spiced Rum
Part 1: A dark and spiced rum blind tasting (Mekhong) by David Cordoba (30 min).
Part 2: A talk on “What’s Dark and Spiced Rum?” is followed by a tasting of dark and spiced rum (Mekhong, Captain Morgan, Kraken) led by David Codoba (45min). Then, a Mekhong talk by Mekhong’s representative Suwincha Singsuwan.
Part 3: Titled “Rum Experience and Techniques”, this part sees a talk by Philips Bischoff, Bar Manager of Manhattan Bar in Singapore. Bischoff will also concoct drinks for tasting (45min). Manhattan Bar secured the top spot in The Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2017 list and was ranked 7th in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2017 list.
Part 4: Noted Thai bartenders Suwincha Singsuwan and Bunthanet Direkritthikul will share their experiences and techniques and create drinks for tasting (60min).
Guest shifts on August 2:
Sam Kuan of J. Boroski under the Chalong Bay Rum brand
Philip Bischoff of Abar under the Mekhong brand
Aki Wang of Rabbit Hole under the Mekhong brand
Charlie Ainsbury of Backstage under the Ron Zacapa brand
August 3, 2018: White Rum
Part 1: A talk on “What is White Rum?” followed by a white rum tasting (Havana, Diplomatico, and Pampero) led by David Cordoba (45min).
Pass 2: A talk on the new collection by Diplomatico Distillery by Sai Charan, Diplomatico’s Asia Pacific brand ambassador (45min).
Part 3: A presentation by flair bartender Nicolas Saint-Jean, a legendary flair bartender (45min).
Part 4: A session on art cocktails by Diego Ferrari, owner of Page Cocktail (45min).
Part 5: Two well-known local bartenders – Sebastian De La Cruz and Suwan Silee – will join a talk in which they will share their cocktail experiences and ideas before creating special cocktails with white rum for tasting (60min).
Guest shifts on August 3:
David Cordoba of Vesper of the Phraya Rum brand
Dinos Constantinides of Bamboo Bar of the Phraya Rum brand
Mari Kamata of EAT ME of the Phraya Rum brand
Suman Gurang of Zuma of the Diplomatico brand
Maurizio La Spina of Tropic City of the Kraken Rum brand
August 4, 2018: Local and Asia Rum
Part 1: A tasting of local rum led by Thibault (30min).
Part 2: A talk on the production of the Chalongbay brand from Phuket (30min).
Part 3: A talk (60 min) on rum experiences and techniques of mixing and creating drinks by Nico de Soto, ranked among the top 4 in the International Bartender of the Year, Tales of the Cocktails, 2017. He will be joined onstage by Sullivan Doh, founder of Le Syndicat (ranked 34th on the 50 Best Bar in the World 2017 list). Doh was among the top 10 in the International Bartender of the Year at Tales of the Cocktails, 2018.
Part 4: A talk on rum experiences plus a tasting of cocktails by famous Thai bartender Kitibordee Chortubtim (30 min).
Guest shifts on August 4:
Nicolas Saint-Jean of The Penthouse of the Diplomatico brand
Koji Esashi of Octave Rooftop Bar of the Diplomatico brand
Sullivan Doh of Rabbit Hole of the Chalong Bay brand
Hiroyasu Kayama of Thaipioka of the Mekhong brand
Diego Ferrari of #Findthelockerroom of the Phraya Rum brand
Valentin Iulian of Backstage of the Kraken Rum brand
August 5, 2018: New Rum in Thai Market
Part 1: This part focuses on the stories about production of three rum brands Kraken (45min), Laody Rum (45min) and Captain Morgan Rum (45min).
Part 2: A talk on rum experiences and techniques by Kayama Hiroyasu, the owner of Bar Benfiddich in Tokyo, which was ranked 36th in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2017 list (45min). Hiroyasu will also create drinks for tasting.
Part 3: Well-known Thai bartenders Jane Kaew-Yod and Attapon De-silva will be on hand to talk about their rum experiences before creating rum-based cocktails (60min).
Guest shifts on August 5:
Kentaro Satoh of 204 Bar of the LAODI Rum brand
Marc Bonneton of Sugarray of the Diplomatico brand
Shingo Gokan & Nont Ketumarn of KU Bar of the LAODI Rum brand
Arijit Bose of Bamboo Bar of the Plantation brand
Datou Chang of Cielo Sky Bar of the Chalong Bay brand
During the Bangkok Rum Cocktail Week 2018, there will be a nightly presentation of special-recipe cocktails by guest bartenders from 4 to 5 bars that continues until all bartenders from the 25 complete their turn during July31-August 5, 20.00-24.00. The Rum Wild Out party will take place on August 6 at the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park’s fifth-floor Salathai Room. At the party, there will be an award presentation ceremony to bestow the following awards: Top 3 Rum Cocktail in Menu, The Ultimate Vote By Bartender, Top 5 Bartender In Bangkok, The Best Rum Brand to Support Industry.
All rum lovers are welcome to explore a new rum experience at the Bangkok Rum Cocktail Week 2018 from July 31 to August 6. For further details about the event and how to take part in activities, visit https://web.facebook.com/BangkokRumCocktailWeek/.