If you’re conversant in the Malaysian cocktail bar scene, you would have seen that there was fairly a variety of “guest shifts” occurring in quite a few bars recently. But what are these guest shifts and why has there been such an inflow of them recently?
A guest shift basically signifies that that specific bar is internet hosting a guest bartender who can be taking up the bar for the evening, and serving his or her personal drinks there. This can both be a bartender from a distinct bar (native or overseas), a model ambassador of a specific model, and even somebody who isn’t even a bartender within the first place.
Marini’s On 57 welcomed again its former head bartender Junior Utto for a guest shift final week. – Photo: THE STAR/Michael CheangThere are many explanation why a bar would host a guest shift. One of the commonest causes is when an outlet is celebrating a sure event or anniversary
For occasion, Kuala Lumpur nightspot Marini’s On 57 is celebrating its tenth anniversary this yr with a sequence of guest shifts this month, together with its first ever head mixologist Junior Utto final week, Martell model ambassador Bastien Michaud earlier this week, and another by Campari model ambassador Symphony Loo this Thursday (20/10).
ALSO READ: 6 new cocktail bars that are shaking up the scene in the Klang Valley
Customers first
Sometimes, a bar can additionally take their very own initiative to have interaction an acclaimed bartender from overseas to carry a guest shift.
One of Three X Co’s hottest shifts was by famend bartender Hiroyasu Kayama of Tokyo’s Bar Benfiddich. — Photo: Facebook/Three X CoFor occasion, certainly one of Bangsar bar Three X Co’s hottest shifts was after they invited famend bartender Hiroyasu Kayama of Tokyo’s Bar Benfiddich for a guest shift.
Three X Co, which itself was named within the Asia’s Best 50 Bars checklist in 2021, is likely one of the most avid advocates for guest shifts within the Malaysian cocktail scene.
“When we started our bar in December 2017, we had always intended to have a regular guest shift program to promote the craft of cocktails and to bring excitement to the local bar scene,” mentioned its bar supervisor Angeline Tan, including that the bar will at all times attempt to have at the very least one shift every month.
“Our bar has always been very inclusive. If any bartender or bar reaches out to us and we are available to host them, we will gladly do it.”
According to her, the suggestions from their prospects is kind of constructive, and they get a number of help from their regulars.
“The best shifts are those where we see new faces and our own customers filling up the seats and enjoying themselves,” she mentioned.
Koh Chee Keong, founding father of Bangsar bar Coley and gin bar Pahit, additionally agrees that the shopper ought to come first on the subject of organising a shift.
Jay Khan of COA was amongst Coley’s latest guest bartenders. – Photo: THE STAR/Michael CheangHis philosophy on guest shifts is that the guest shift ought to provide one thing new that the host bar has by no means had earlier than.
“We always try to find some kind of new element for our guest shifts to create new and different experiences for our customers, and so we can learn new things as well,” he mentioned, including that Coley even works with cooks on guest shifts generally, in an effort to spice issues up.
Coley has additionally performed host to a variety of acclaimed bartenders previously, together with lately, Jay Khan, proprietor of COA, the present No. 1 bar on the Asia’s Best 50 Bars checklist.
These type of shifts give Coley’s regulars an opportunity to expertise drinks and hospitality from different prime bars all over the world with out having to go away the consolation of their neighbourhood bar.
“At the same time, by working with these top bartenders, our own bartenders can also learn from them, share knowledge and inspire each other,” Koh mentioned.
Brand help
Hendrick’s Gin regional model ambassador Charmaine Thio at a latest guest shift in Three X Co. – Photo: THE STAR/Michael CheangThen there are additionally guest shifts that are held by the manufacturers themselves in an effort to promote merchandise. These usually contain a model ambassador or bartender that may use solely merchandise by a sure model.
These types of shifts assist not solely the model to advertise their merchandise, but in addition assist the bars maintain prices low throughout a shift.
According to Ho Boon Leong, Food & Beverage Manager of Four Points by Sheraton, which homes the cocktail bar Jann, they actively discover sponsorships with manufacturers to make sure logistics and bills are viable.
“We try to ensure our drinks are of the best quality while aiming to keep them under RM50 despite the increase in the cost of ingredients. The past two guest shifts at Jann offered cocktails priced at RM40 each,” he mentioned.
Some bars, like Jann, are likely to nonetheless serve their common menus to company throughout guest shifts. – Photo: Facebook/Jann.klHe provides that the target market of the guest bartender needs to be considerably just like what Jann serves.
That mentioned, Ho additionally provides that generally walk-in company is perhaps stunned that they are having a bar takeover, so to beat this situation, they make it a degree to take care of our common menu throughout guest shifts.
“Guest shift enthusiasts and our regular guests are extremely keen on guest shifts at Jann, whereas walk-in guests usually come to our outlet for the regular menu,” he mentioned.
“Overall, guests definitely do enjoy the opportunity to enjoy concoctions by renowned international bartenders in the comfort of their regular bar.”
Behind the guest bar
Even bars exterior of Klang Valley have gotten on the guest shift wave, with Backdoor Bodega in Penang, Atas Speakeasy in Ipoh, Perak and Johor Baru’s Haiiro Usagi additionally holding common shifts whereas sending their bartenders to KL for shifts as nicely.
Joe Naik of Haiiro Usagi says he tries to have at the very least two guest shifts a month at his bar, and says that as a bar proprietor, guest shifts imply higher publicity for the bar.
Haiiro Usagi’s Joe Naik at a latest guest shift at KL bar BAC. — Photo courtesy of Fireangel80From a bartender’s perspective, nonetheless, Naik reckons that the chance to fulfill new folks and study new issues from different bars is a useful one. Naik most lately did two guest shifts in KL, one at Moon Bar in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, and the opposite at highball-centric BAC in Damansara Heights.
According to him, being a guest bartender can be tiring as nicely, as there may be much more preparation work to be carried out earlier than he even steps foot behind another person’s bar.
“First, we set a date that both my bar and the guest bar are okay with, then discuss what the guest bar would like me to do. Should we work with a brand, or do more of a personal guest shift?,” he defined.
“Then, we move on to creating a menu. I would usually create a menu with drinks that are only available during the shift, just to spice things up a little.
“I usually go to the host bar one day earlier to prep and make sure that all the ingredients that I need are sourced and prepared. When I get there, I’ll chat with the bartenders, get a quick walkthrough and get myself familiar with the bar station. Of course we will also do a quick tasting with the host bartenders to see if they think the drinks suit their regular customers – if not, I would tweak the flavours to suit them more.”
Out of their zone
Reka:Bar in Damansara Heights is one other bar that has been holding some distinctive shifts of late, internet hosting acclaimed bartenders from Singapore, whereas additionally venturing exterior of Malaysia for latest shifts in India and Thailand, amongst others. Its operations supervisor, Giovanni Andrea Magliaro, and Head Bartender Joel Poon are at the moment on a tour in Europe, doing guest shifts in a number of nations.
Most guest shifts, like this one at Reka:Bar, are designed to to present cocktail lovers one thing totally different at a specific outlet. – Photo: THE STAR/Michael CheangMagliaro says the bar’s first consideration when internet hosting a shift is whether or not it is going to be one thing cool for the company to expertise. It’s one other matter after they enterprise out of their bar although.
“When we attend a bar takeover overseas, there’s a lot of things to take into consideration like the availability of spirit, ingredients, and whether the bar that is hosting us has the equipment available for us to replicate our drinks in the same way that we do in Reka,” he mentioned.
“Consistency in the flavour of the drinks is of utmost importance but we do encounter certain difficulties in achieving this sometimes. So we find solutions and adapt to the situation.
Once they’re behind the bar however, they do their utmost best to ensure that the guests receive the same experience as they would in Reka.
“At the same time, we try to have as much fun with the hosting team. These two elements are very important to me to have a successful bar takeover overseas which represents Reka bar and the Malaysian hospitality,” Magliaro provides.
He additionally thinks that there can by no means be ‘too many’ guest shifts, as a result of it helps create a greater cocktail scene.
“As long as the guests deliver an interesting, high-quality experience, we don’t see an issue with guest shifts,” he mentioned. “In fact, we believe it’s one of the things that keeps the local community vibrant and the scene evolving.”
Michael Cheang wonders if any bar would ever let him behind the bar for a guest shift. Follow him on Facebook (fb.com/mytipsyturvy) and Instagram (@mytipsyturvy).
