The National DRiNK Awards 2023 is only one week away! Are you ready to join the celebration? Here is a list of things you need to know before showing up at the awards ceremony on the coming Monday.
LOCATION
Just like last year, the National DRiNK Awards 2023 will be hosted at Shanghai Centre Theatre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, Jing’an District, Shanghai.
Please check in and claim your DRiNK Awards pin at the Shanghai Centre Retail Plaza before heading up to the theatre. (Check-in info is as follows.)
TIME
The cocktail reception will start at 5pm on Monday, March 18. There will be around 20 ECOBars overseen by internationally acclaimed bartenders serving cocktails, mixed drinks, wine, beer and soft drinks. Expect an all-star line-up of guest bartenders, including Shingo Gokan (Sip & Guzzle, New York), Nico de Soto (Danico, Paris), Daniele Dalla Pola (Kaona, Miami), Terry Kim (Alice, Seoul), Alastair Burgess (Happiness Forgets, London), John Nugent (The Diplomat, Hong Kong), Nikita Matveev (The Old Man, Hong Kong), Allen Fang (DreamSicle, Shanghai), Chris Peart (Drinks99, Singapore), Filippo Sanchi (Lennon’s, Bangkok) and more.
he awards ceremony will start at 6.30pm sharp. Theatre doors will be closed during the ceremony, so please make sure you arrive on time. There will be an intermission at 7.30pm where you can enjoy more drinks, food and socializing before the second half of the ceremony starts at 9pm.
CHECK-IN
You can’t miss it this year – a 4-meter-tall illuminated DRiNK Awards sign will be set up next to the check-in desk at the Shanghai Centre Retail Plaza. Just look for it when you arrive!
Note: Guests will only be able to access the awards ceremony from the check-in area. There is no access to the event from the hotel or other lifts. For a speedier entry, scan the QR code on your ticket, register in advance and show us the screengrab at the check-in desk.
DRESS CODE
The theme of DRiNK Awards 2023 is ‘voyage’, a celebration of exploration and adventure as international travel is back and we’re free to roam the world again. That’s why the dress code this year is black tie with a flourish of adventurous spirit. Think bold accessories, exotic patterns and dramatic headpieces. Just no parrot on your shoulder, please…
GREEN CARPET PARTY
In spirit of St. Patrick’s Day which proceeds DRiNK Awards this year, we’re teaming up with Jameson to bring you a Green Carpet Party at the Shanghai Centre Retail Plaza from 3.30pm to 5pm. Guests with a DRiNK Awards ticket can mix and mingle while enjoying a series of Jameson cocktails crafted by John Nugent and Zhang Peng (No Filter, Shanghai).
TICKETS & SEATING
DRiNK Awards is an invite-only event. All the tickets have been delivered to our sponsors who will make their own decision on the guest list. If you want to come to the event and do not have a ticket, please contact your spirit partners first before contacting us. Anyone who shows up without a ticket will not be admitted.
Please take your seat according to the number on your ticket (the seating plan is printed at the back of the ticket) after the theatre doors open. For an easier navigation, the seating areas will be distinguished by seat covers printed with sponsor logos this year.
FOOD CHOICES
A wide selection of food will be provided by The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai – thank you, Executive Sous Chef Davide Mastrangeli and the team – including risotto, meat station, gua bao and more during the cocktail reception and the intermission.
We will have guest chefs coming from Bonica, Teng, Cuivre and High Yaki, four popular resaurants in town, and London Food Co. will be serving some tasty cheese and olives just like at the Regional DRiNK Awards.
Note: No food and drinks in the theatre.
AFTERPARTY
The official DRiNK Awards afterparty will take place at the Ritz Bar & Lounge at The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, starting immediately after the awards ceremony. The lovely bar team from Barbary Coast, Singapore will be welcoming you behind the bar while its co-founder Michael Callahan takes over the DJ decks.
LIVE STREAM
The event will belive streamed on WeChat Channels (account name: DRiNK饮迷) and Bilibili at 5pm on Monday, March 18. Tune in and cheer for China’s bar industry with us!
