Mixologists from Korea, Singapore fly to SF to bring world-renown cocktails for AAPI month

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The third annual SF AAPI Cocktail Week concluded the five-day event on Thursday, May 29. The event showcased bartenders from more than a dozen AAPI-owned bars and restaurants in the Bay Area, including some from world-renowned establishments.

The event drew hundreds of people across 12 events in a variety of San Francisco establishments — which even included bartenders from their home countries of Singapore and Korea, respectively.

The mixologists hail from two of the 10 best bars in the world, according to 50Best. No. 5 Jigger & Pony (Singapore) and No. 9 Zest (South Korea) were among the esteemed bars featured.

Local Bay Area bartenders teamed up to serve drinks throughout the week. There were even some flying from Hawaii who came to guest bartend at Monday’s Sunset Luau Cruise.

KRON4 was at three events to get a first-hand look at the week-long celebration of the AAPI community through cocktails.

Opening Party featuring Jigger & Pony

To begin the week, eventgoers were treated with a bartender from one of the highest-rated bars in the world. Bar operations manager Martin Villareal represented Jigger & Pony at the party inside Pacific Cocktail Haven (P.C.H.) in Union Square.

The event was on Sunday night, but with the three-day Memorial Day weekend, it was a packed house at P.C.H. For those who paid for the roughly $85 ticket, it appears they got their money’s worth. It was an all-you-can-drink event, and folks couldn’t get enough of Villareal’s Jigger & Pony signature cocktails.

So much so that Villareal and staff ran out of ingredients, including to make their famed espresso martini.

“By the time that you came in, some of them were already sold out,” Villareal told KRON4. “I was quite sad. I actually asked ‘can I make anything else? That you’ll allow me to make.’ I feel so bad for the people who came late.”

Villareal hoped everyone could try Jigger & Pony’s signature espresso martini. He says the accents of the cacao tuile on top make this bar staple a distinguishable Jigger & Pony drink. Despite running out of ingredients, Villareal was happy with the turnout and the opportunity to showcase his culture from Singapore.

“It’s a great opportunity to be, you know, being Asian myself, to be part of this festival and just really, you know, celebrate different cultures,” Villareal said. “Deliver hospitality and networking and sharing our culture from Singapore as well.”

Bar Zest at Cold Drinks

Despite being open for only five years, Zest in Seoul is already a globally acclaimed bar. SF AAPI Cocktail Week attendees were treated with drinks from South Korea’s best bartenders.

Zest co-founder Demie Kim and co-owner Noah Kwon both made the trip from Seoul for this special event Wednesday night at Cold Drinks in Chinatown. This was Kwon’s first time in San Francisco.

“We haven’t had many opportunities to show our drinks and what we are doing,” Kwon told KRON4 as he started preparing his work station minutes before the rush of people was set to enter. “The one thing I’m looking forward to is showing what we are doing.”

Kwon says Zest’s best drink is their gin and tonic.

“We change ingredients every season,” Kwon said. “We have a contracted farm. The way we make our house gin, we need to change the herbs and fruits every season because we have strong four seasons. So every time we change our season, we spend time to balance. The result is very good.”

Diedrich said it is “very special” to have these bartenders fly into SF and showcase their culture through drinks.

“In the cocktail world, to create these moments for everybody,” Diedrich said. “To share their culture, their community with us and vice versa. I think it’s a very special moment for everybody to create that international, build that bridge to Asia from San Francisco.”

Pandan Party at P.C.H.

When asked by KRON4 on opening night of AAPI week, Diedrich said the event he was looking forward to the most was the Pandan Party on Wednesday. Diedrich turned his bar into “Pandan Cocktail Haven” for the night, even replacing the front signage of the establishment.

All drinks that night were made with pandan — a tropical plant from Southeast Asia that is used for many desserts and savory dishes. In addition, there was food and desserts being served with pandan.

Michelin Guide restaurant in San Francisco, Abacá, sent their crew to serve pandan drinks and dishes. Although known more for its Filipino cuisine, Abacá served its own pandan cocktail called the “Batarate,” which is not served on their menu.

“You just look around (at the crowd) — a beautiful thing to bring everyone, bring people out,” said Abacà Bar Manager Spencer Vios.

Events throughout the week brought in people from all over the Bay Area. Wednesday night’s pandan party brought folks from San Jose, Dublin, Burlingame and Oakland.

Cris Mendoza is a San Jose resident who made the drive to the Pandan Party from the South Bay after getting off work. Mendoza has attended every SF AAPI Cocktail Week since its inception, saying every year the event gets bigger and better.

“I feel like the events escalate annually. I was lucky enough to attend the first year,” Mendoza tells KRON4 while sipping on a pandan-infused cocktail. “I feel like as it goes, the events get bigger, more fun, more dynamic. I see industry friends once a year, and I get to make new friends.”

“It’s really cool. It makes the globe a little smaller,” Mendoza added..

“We want to open the cocktail community to the larger Bay Area community,” said AAPI Cocktail Week Co-Founder Rhys Alvarado. “The Bay Area is so well-represented in AAPI bartenders, trade. We really want people and the community, consumers, to enjoy our world.”