Penang Cocktail Week returns for its second edition next month with plenty of events and activities spread across eight days.
Penang has always been known for its food, but what about its drinks? Well, if you always wanted to check out the island’s cocktail scene, then don’t miss next month’s Penang Cocktail Week (PCW). Happening on Sept 1-8, this will be the second edition of PCW, following a successful debut last October.
According to the festival’s founder Koh Yung Shen, Penang’s cocktail scene definitely has what it takes to be globally recognised – all it needs is more exposure, which he hopes will be accomplished through PCW becoming an annual event.
“If Penang’s food can be recognised as among the best in the world, why not our drinks?” said Koh, who is also the founder of Backdoor Bodega, which was recently named No. 52 on the extended list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars for 2024, the only Penang bar to make it on the list.
“Through PCW, we hope to not only give our city more exposure, but also elevate the standards and experience of all the bars in Penang with the help and involvement from world class bartenders and industry leaders who will be here for the event,” he said.
Penang Cocktail Week founder Koh reckons that Penang’s cocktail scene definitely has the potential to be recognised globally. — Koh Yung Shen
While the festival has shortened from 10 days to eight this time around, Koh said that this year’s festival is actually going to be bigger than the last.
“We will be welcoming over 80 guest bartenders and bar industry leaders from 17 cities, who will feature in over 60 events through the eight days, from bar takeovers, cocktail parties, food and drinks pairings, and also masterclasses,” said Koh, adding that they decided to shorten the festival from 10 to eight days as the bars were now more experienced and better equipped to host events and bar takeovers.
“It was easier to bringing in more guest bartenders this year, plus we also have new Penang bars to feature this time around, so that gives us more options in terms of venues,” he said.
The Nest is one of the returning bars that will be hosting events during the PCW.
However, Koh also adds that while the general perception of PCW is that of a week-long event of bar takeovers and guest shifts, this year’s main focus will also be on developing and improving the cocktail scene in Penang.
“This year, our main focus will be a new segment called Bar Banters, a seminar where we sit down with influential leaders of the bar industry and have discussions about various topics surrounding bartending and hospitality based on their experience. Hopefully this will help elevate the standards in our local bartending industry,” said Koh.
These sessions will be led by some of the biggest names in Asia’s bar industry, including Guoyi Gan, founder of Singapore’s Jigger & Pony, who will talk about delivering world-class hospitality every day, based on her experience in running one of Asia’s best bars for the past 12 years; and Jay Khan from Hong Kong’s Coa, who will talk about ‘Health In Hospitality’ and how bartenders can lead healthier lifestyles while working in a bar.
Other well-known industry personalities who will be taking part in the Bar Banters include Simon Ford (founder of Fords Gin), South East Asian bartending legend Colin Chia, and more.
Located in the heart of Georgeown, Biso will be hosting several takeovers during PCW.
Guests galore
This year, there will be a total of 12 partner bars in Penang which will be hosting guest shifts and have featured PCW cocktail menus, and an additional eight which will be involved in other various PCW activities.
Eight of the 10 bars from last year are back again – Backdoor Bodega, BaoBae, Biso, Chez Chez, The Mandarin, The Nest, No Bar Here, and Nomad; while four others will be making their festival debuts – Eggssy, Good Friends Club, Round, and The Cellar at Macalister Mansion.
Good Friends Club is one of the bars that will be making its debut in PCW this year. — Photo: THE STAR/Jeremy Tan
Among the renowned international bars that will be taking part are Maybe Sammy from Sydney, which placed No. 15 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list for 2023; Coa from Hong Kong, a specialist mezcal bar that topped the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list for three years in a row from 2021 to 2023; illustrious Singapore bars Jigger & Pony, Nutmeg & Clove, Employees Only and Smoke & Mirrors, as well as other award-winning bars from Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and more.
There will also be a festival-wide ‘Malaysian Invasion’ on Sept 5, featuring guests shifts by 17 bars and bartenders from all over the country, including the three Kuala Lumpur bars that made it into the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list – Penrose (No.8), Bar Trigona (36) and Reka (41).
With so many events happening, some even simultaneously, Koh reckons visitors should plan their bar hopping routes according to the areas where the bars are located. “Most of the bars in Penang are clustered together and within walking distance. Some bars like BaoBae and The Cellar are slightly further, but would be great bars to start or end the night at, as they are just a short Grab ride away.”
You can get the full lineup of events at www.penangcocktailweek.com.
Michael Cheang is looking forward to this year’s PCW, having missed out on the last one. Follow him on Instagram (@mytipsyturvy) and Facebook (fb.com/mytipsyturvy).
