Leo Ko Bags Prestigious Award For ‘Bartender Of The Year’

Leo Ko, chief mixologist at Alibi — Wine Dine Be Social and Beverage Manager of Cordis, has won three awards at the World Cocktail Competition 2023 in Italy. After competing for four days from November 28 to December 1 in Italy, Ko was awarded the World Bartender of the Year 2023 title, as well as Cocktail of the Year — Low ABV and Best Sensory Skill.

Going up against other mixologists from 67 countries, Ko came out on top as the World Bartender of the Year in the Classic category and the only contestant this year to win three awards in total. He also made history as Hong Kong’s first representative to do so in the International Bartenders’ Association’s annual competition.

A locally inspired cocktail

For the competition, Ko brought the local culture to the global stage with a cocktail inspired by Yuen Yueng — a Hong Kong classic combining milk tea and coffee — and impressed the judges with his creation, winning him the Cocktail of the Year award in the Low ABV category.

According to Ko, through his cocktail, he “aimed to capture the nostalgic flavour of Yuen Yeung, a beverage that Hong Kongers enjoy on a daily basis, while infusing it with the essence of Italian coffee culture.”

What other awards were there?

The World Bartender of the Year award is divided into the Classic category, which Ko won, and the Flair category, which was awarded to Argentina’s Roman Zapata. As for the Cocktail of the Year, it is also divided into categories Before Dinner, Long Drink, Sparking, After Dinner, and Low ABV, which Ko took home the trophy for. They also award different skills, such as Technical Skills, Cocktail Design, Knowledge, and Speed Skills, as well as Sensory Skills, which was earned by Ko. 

Hong Kong’s bar scene

The past few years have seen a revival of Hong Kong’s nightlife and bar scene after the pandemic. New bars are popping up in the city each month, and many of Hong Kong’s bars made it to Asia’s 50 Best Bars list with Coa, Argo, and Darkside making it to the Top 10. When it comes to finding places for good drinks, there is no shortage of them in Hong Kong.

(Image: Leo Ko by Kaspars Dobrovolskis for Repubblica.it)

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong