Know Your Singapore Cocktail Week Bartender: Amanda Wan, The Envoy
PUBLISHED March 2nd, 2015 04:30 pm | UPDATED June 24th, 2020 01:21 am
Armed with a degree in International Hotel Management (First Class Honours with a dissertation on the Evolution of Mixology) and the 2010 crown of the Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year, Amanda Wan’s accomplishments are undeniable. Currently bar mistress of The Envoy, one of Hong Kong’s hottest bars, this Malaysian native is in town lending her support to the inaugural Singapore Cocktail Week. From cocktails as an artistic medium to trendspotting in Hong Kong – we give you more reasons than one to catch Amanda Wan in action during the Week!
The Envoy
Hi Amanda! Tell us more about your mixology journey. How did it feel to win Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year Competition 2010 in Athens?
I started mixing with colours on a palette, before mixing with spirits on a palate.
During a foundation programme in art, I got to play with a lot more mediums apart from the traditional pen and paper, gaining a better understanding between the perception of beauty and sensory experiences. The idea that I could take the same thing and present it in different manners, appealing to multiple human senses could greatly alter their perception of it, got my creative juices flowing.
My foray into coffee was drawn by the awe of discovering different varieties of coffee beans, their origins, producing methods, and the best brewing techniques to showcase their defining characteristics. As each coffee bean has a story, each bottle behind the bar has its own engaging tale. Under the guidance of my late mentor, Frankie, I started tasting from every bottle and learned quickly. Before I knew it, I was hooked on the endless stream of stories found just by working behind the bar.
Kaya Toast and The Merchants
From coffee to, wine, beer and spirits, I never left the beverage industry, working weekends making drinks, pouring drinks – even choosing to write about cocktails for my final year thesis. Upon graduation, my mother insisted that I put my qualifications to good use, so I applied for a job at a hotel…bar. Less than a year later, I entered Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year Competition, and surprisingly, won.
It felt like a dream come true; meeting all these talented people from around the world and judges, whose works I have only read and referred to heavily for my job and studies. The competition put me on a worldwide platform and thereafter, I started travelling to different cities globally, seeing and learning more. I never knew making drinks would’ve brought me to so many places I had never been before, and bonded over friendships that were nothing short of inspiring. My motivation stems from witnessing positive change in others through the sharing of my experiences, and busy shifts behind the bar!
Describe your cocktail making style in three words.
Clean. Evocative. Versatile.
The Envoy
Is there anything you’re really into recently, in terms of ingredients?
Milk and butter: washing spirits with them for flavour and exploring a wide variety of textures through using different milks, ranging from big and creamy to soft and silky.
Unsurprisingly, pandan remains my all-time favourite. Featured heavily in Southeast Asian cuisine, this ingredient is hard to define as a singular flavour. More aromatic than flavourful, it can be used as an enhancement in both sweet and savoury dishes. Pandan also reminds me of home, where we could readily cut a bunch of leaves from our garden at any time – hence the strong attachment to this ingredient.
What are some cocktail trends you’re seeing in Hong Kong now?
Adventure – new cuisines and flavours are being introduced and explored continually in Hong Kong, like Korean-Mexican and South African, just to name a few. Crossovers – from cuisines to techniques between kitchens and bars – aren’t new but are definitely being pursued more extensively in recent times.
Laboratory – more bars (cocktails and desserts) are seen investing in atypical equipment to produce better products, where some are even setting up their own kitchens/labs. The next wave of hires for cocktail bars might be lab assistants!
Moment of truth – what do you drink on your day off?
I rarely drink, but when I do, it’s Guinness draught. What can I say? I take after my old man.
Was there a drink you made that didn’t quite catch on?
Unfortunately, there was more than just a drink. I remember a bourbon drink with black tea syrup and Jägermeister – the saving grace, though, was that it had one loyal fan. Needless to say, it got axed from the menu soon after. Life is one long learning process!
Dewdrops of the Heart and Dinosaur
Tell us about your favourite cocktail on the menu at The Envoy and why we should try it.
It’s called Dewdrops of the Heart – a gently effervescent cocktail that features flavours of genmaicha and floral notes of jasmine and pandan. Redistilled (using a Rotary Evaporator) pandan vodka provides a clear, full-flavoured base spirit and the slow-cooked pandan syrup is made by vacuum-packing the leaves and juices of pandan in sugar and water, steeped in a water bath at a lower temperature for a few hours.
This is then paired with a double-strength green tea infused with jasmine flowers, intentionally over-brewed to draw more astringency from the tea, balanced by the sweetness of pandan syrup. Using a pressurized Perlini shaker, the cocktail is then carbonated, which lifts the flavours and provides a longer lasting aroma of the cocktail. A subtle cocktail with clean and refreshing flavours and a graceful image, I usually recommend it as a first drink of the day.
Complete this sentence: The Envoy is a bar where people go for…
…unique cocktail experiences with a colonial influence.
What can Singapore Cocktail Week attendees expect of your guest bartending stint in March?
Simplicity revisited with a touch of technology, and story-telling charm.
On top of her guest bartending stints in Singapore – see here for schedule – Amanda will be leading a cocktail tour to The Secret Mermaid, The Powder Room, FOC, and 28 Hong Kong Street on 10 March 2015.
