Find out who, what, where and when this month. By Holly Graham.

It’s not just guest shift-a-go-go in Singapore this week, the rest of the region ain’t slowing down either. Check out who’s appearing where this month below. And meanwhile, if you do need the rundown of guest shifts and other events happening during Singapore Cocktail Festival, click here.

Zdenek Kastanek (Proof & Co) at Coa (Hong Kong)
28 Hongkong Street alumnus Zdenek Kastanek divides his time between Hong Kong and Singapore as part of his role at Proof & Co. And as ever he likes to keep himself busy: in his upcoming Hong Kong stint, he’ll be taking the helm at Jay Khan’s agave-focused bar Coa, serving drinks as the Asia’s 50 Best Bars announcement is live-streamed at the venue.
When: May 3, 8pm-midnight.
Where: Coa, 6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong.

Sexy Fish (London) at Lobster Bar (Hong Kong)
Mayfair’s Sexy Fish bar crew will be taking over Lobster Bar – Hong Kong’s best hotel bar according to last year’s Bar Awards – in the Island Shangri-La Hotel. Drinks from the evening’s menu include the Sichuan Highball (green Sichuan pepper infused St Germain, wakamomo, Darjeeling and soda) and Golden Rivera (chipotle infused Yagura cachaca, herbs de provence, peach and champagne).
When: May 3, 6-11pm.
Where: The Lobster Bar, Island Shangri-La, Level 6, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Erik Lorincz (formerly of The American Bar, London) at Quinary (Hong Kong)
As part of his first project since leaving The American Bar, Erik Lorincz has collaborated with The London Essence Company for the “London to Asia” tour. Lorincz will be stopping off at Hong Kong’s Quinary for a shift after an appearance at the Asia’s 50 Best Bars ceremony to serve low abv cocktails using The London Essence Company’s tonics and ginger ale as mixers. If you can’t make it to his shift, he’ll be stopping by The Old Man beforehand for an industry catch up, from 4-6pm.
When: May 5, 7-11pm.
Where: Quinary, 56-58 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Martin Hudak (formerly of The American Bar, London) at Interval Coffee Bar (Hong Kong)
Another alumnus from The American Bar, Martin Hudak, champion of World Coffee in Good Spirits 2017, will be serving delivering a masterclass and serving cocktails at Hong Kong’s Interval Coffee Bar. Catch him between 3.30-6.30pm for his masterclass before he slings drinks from 7.30pm onwards.
When: May 8, 7.30-11pm.
Where: Interval Coffee Bar, 33 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong.

Antonio Lai and Samuel Kwok (Quinary, Hong Kong) at Motif Bar at The Four Seasons (Tokyo)
Antonio Lai and Samuel Kwok, the main men at the helm of Hong Kong’s decorated Quinary, a long-standing feature on both the World’s and now Asia’s 50 Best Bars lists, will be taking turns to guest at Motif Bar at The Four Seasons Tokyo, serving their iconic cocktails including the Earl Grey Martini.
When: May 15 (Antonio) and May 16 (Samuel), 6-11pm.
Where: The Four Seasons Marunouchi, 1 Chome-11-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan.

Sam Egerton (Merivale Group, Sydney) at Potato Head (Hong Kong)
Sam Egerton, group bar manager for Merivale Group in Sydney joins his younger brother and Potato Head Hong Kong’s bar operations manager Tom Egerton behind the stick at the Sai Ying Pun bar. Both are sustainability advocates known for getting multiple uses out of ingredients that are often single use, and will be demonstrating some of these cocktails in their first guest shift together, dubbed the “Green Hours”.
When: May 16, 7-11pm.
Where: Potato Head Hong Kong, 100 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong.

The Bar Awards Hong Kong and Macau festival calendar
The Bar Awards Hong Kong and Macau has released its line up of who’s on shift where in the lead up to the awards party at Zuma on May 20:

Kelvin Saquilayan & Yeonju “Sophie” Kang (Manhattan, Singapore) guest shift at Aqua (Hong Kong)
Bartenders from the best bar in Asia two year’s running jump behind the stick at the Tsim Sha Tsui bar with a view.
When: May 16, 8pm-midnight
Where: Aqua, 29/F and 30/F, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

The Bar Awards Opening Party featuring bartenders from #FindTheLockerRoom (Bangkok), Nutmeg & Clove (Singapore), Omakase + Appreciate (Kuala Lumpur), The Penthouse (Yangon), The Bamboo Bar (Bangkok), 61 Monarchy (Kuala Lumpur), 28 Hong Kong Street (Singapore) and Manhattan Bar (Singapore) at Lily & Bloom (Hong Kong)
Asia’s finest come together under one roof at Hong Kong’s Lily & Bloom to kick off a week of stellar guest shifts.
When: May 17, 6pm-2am.
Where: Lily & Bloom, 5/F and 6/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong.

 Victor Yang (AHA Saloon, Taipei) and Tony Lin (East End,Taipei) guest Shift at Vida Rica (Macau)
Two Taipei heavyweights go head-to-head in a joint guest shift at the Mandarin Oriental Macau’s Vida Rica bar.
When: May 17 and 18, 9pm-1am.
Where: Vida Rica, Mandarin Oriental Macau, Avenue Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, Macau.

Lukas Kaufman (28 Hongkong Street, Singapore) guest shift at Quinary (Hong Kong)
Lukas Kaufman swaps 28 Hongkong Street in Singapore for Hong Kong to take over Antonio Lai’s decorated Quinary for the evening.
When: May 18, 6-9pm.
Where: Quinary, 56-58 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Pan Ying Lee (Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore) guest shift at Zuma (Hong Kong)
Pan Ying Lee brings Nutmeg & Clove’s Singapore inspired drinks to Hong Kong’s Japanese hotspot Zuma.
When: May 18, 6-10pm.
Where: Zuma, Level 5 and 6, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong.

David Ong & Jericson Co (OTO / The Curator, Manila) guest shift at Mrs Pound (Hong Kong)
The men behind OTO and The Curator in Manila will be slinging drinks in Sheung Wan’s hidden bar and restaurant Mrs Pound.
When: May 18, 7-11pm
Where: Mrs Pound, 6 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

Nitisak “Noom” Laphirun & Wattunyu “Mickey” Mukmongkon (#FindTheLockerRoom, Bangkok) guest shift at Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour (Hong Kong)
After having to find a new home earlier this year, Bangkok’s #FindTheLockerRoom finds a new home for the night in Hong Kong, tucked in Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour.
When: May 18, 8pm-midnight.
Where: Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour, Shop B31A, First Basement Floor, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Wannagan “Tum” Cherdchoo (The Bamboo Bar, Bangkok) guest shift at Coa (Hong Kong)
The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok’s The Bamboo Bar will be guesting at Jay Khan’s recently opened shrine to agave on the steps of Hong Kong’s Shin Hing Street.
When: May 18, 8pm-midnight.
Where: Coa, 6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong.

Joe Wee Kwong Ngui and Karl Too (Omakase + Appreciate, Kuala Lumpur) guest shift at The Woods (Hong Kong)
The only Kuala Lumpur establishment to feature on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2017 will be shaking up drinks at The Woods.
When: May 18, 8pm-midnight.
Where: The Woods, 17-19 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Shirmy Chan (61 Monarchy, Kuala Lumpur) guest shift at Foxglove (Hong Kong)
KL’s speakeasy shrine to whisky takes up residence at hidden jazz den Foxglove for the night.
When: May 18, 8pm-midnight.
Where: Foxglove, 6 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong.

Francesco Moretti (The Penthouse, Yangon) guest shift at Honi Honi (Hong Kong)
Repping Myanmar, straight from the capital comes The Penthouse to Hong Kong’s tiki paradise Honi Honi.
When: May 18, 7-10pm.
Where: Honi Honi, 3/F Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong. 

The Bar Awards on Tour featuring Omakase + Appreciate (Kuala Lumpur), OTO/The Curator (Manila), The Bamboo Bar (Bangkok) and #FindTheLockerRoom (Bangkok) at Vida Rica (Mandarin Oriental, Macau)
The Bar Awards goes on tour bringing the best of Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Bangkok to the Mandarin Oriental’s Vida Rica in Macau.
When: May 19, 9pm-1am.
Where: Vida Rica, Mandarin Oriental Macau, Avenue Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, Macau.

The Bar Awards Perrier Wrap Up Party featuring Sandeep Hathiramani and Tron Young at Coa
The self proclaimed “Rarest cocktail bartenders in Asia” and The Bar Awards founders Sandeep Hathiramani and Tron Young promise slow service and simple drinks to conclude The Bar Awards Hong Kong and Macau.
When: May 22, 8pm-midnight.
Where: Coa, 6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong.


If you have further details of other guest bartender shifts in May or June, please contact holly(at)drinkmagazine.asia