Lobster Bar and Grill at Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong welcomes two mixology maestros as guest bartenders in April and May: Monica Berg from Himkok bar in Oslo will visit Lobster Bar from 28 April to 2 May 2017, while Marian Beke from The Gibson bar in London is scheduled for a guest appearance from 11 to 14 May 2017.
Monica Berg – 28 April to 2 May 2017
A leading mixologist from Oslo, Norway, Monica Berg has an extended experience in managing bars all over Europe, some of the establishments she has worked for include
CEBAR by ICEHOTEL in Oslo; Aqua Vitae in Cheltenham, as well as the Michelinstarred Pollen Street Social, whose bar was named one of “London’s 50 best bars” by Difford’s Guide under the leadership of Monica. Her current project, Himkok, is a unique distillery bar in Oslo, which was shortlisted for the “best new international cocktail bar” at the Spirited Awards 2016 and was newly included in the “World’s 50 Best Bars” by Drinks International.
Monica is highly praised for her innovative flavour combinations. She is an advocate of minimalistic and elegant style when it comes to cocktails. In 2015, she was awarded the Linie Honorary Award – a recognition given to individuals for their great ambassadorship for Norwegian food and drink culture. She is also the co-founder of P(our), a not-for-profit organisation devoted to exploring new ideas, sharing information and exchanging inspiration within the global drinks industry.
Marian Beke – 11 to 14 May 2017
After working for two years at bars in his homeland Slovakia, in 2005, Marian Beke moved to London, a place he deemed the centre of cocktail culture, to expand his horizons in bartending. In the subsequent 10 years, he worked at a number of renowned bars, including the respected speakeasy Nightjar, where he served as the bar manager for five years. In late 2015, he decided to start a new chapter in his career and open his own cocktail bar: The Gibson – an intimate Edwardian-themed bar celebrating the classic gin, vermouth and pickled onion cocktail of the same name. Within its first year, the bar already landed in sixth place in the “World’s 50 Best Bars” by Drinks International. Marian thinks that a drink is similar to food, but with a visible chef, so the ingredients and garnishes are as important as the way the drinks are served and the vessels they are in. To let his guests have the perfect experience, he believes that simple things, such as room temperature, lights, music and service, are equally important as the drink itself.
During their respective visits to Hong Kong, Monica and Marian will work alongside Lobster Bar’s Balazs Molnar (bar manager) and Paolo De Venuto (head bartender) to surprise Hong Kong bar-goers with their innovative cocktail creations.
Lobster Bar offers a convivial atmosphere to unwind and savour a series of innovative cocktails crafted by Balazs Molnar and his team of cocktailians. The Bar ranked fourth, the highest in Hong Kong, at Asia’s 50 Best Bars Awards 2016 by Drinks International and 27th at the World’s 50 Best Bar Awards 2016. It was also shortlisted as one of the “Best International Hotel Bars” at Tales of the Cocktail’s 9th Annual Spirited Awards 2015 and was listed among the top 30 in “The Greatest Bars in the World” in 2015 by Condé Nast Traveler.
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