ALL ROADS LEAD TO ASIA’S 50 BEST BAR AWARDS: HONG KONG SET TO BE THE PRE-AWARDS HUB THIS JULY
- Midnight Espresso Communications
- Jul 2
- 4 min read
Hong Kong’s coveted bars The Old Man, Dead Poets, Cassio Social Club, and Friday After Class welcomes global talent for the 50 Best Bar Awards 2026 from Paris, Singapore, Seoul, New Delhi, Jakarta & Vietnam.
[HONG KONG 30 June 2026] - With the regional bar community descending upon Asia for the upcoming 50 Best Bars festivities, Midnight Espresso announces a curated lineup of 7 international guest shifts. Serving as the pre-awards hub, Hong Kong will be bringing a roster of world-renowned bartending talent to our city's most beloved venues.
THE OLD MAN
LG/F, 37-39 Aberdeen Street, Soho, Central, Hong Kong
July 26, 6pm: AABBCC (New Delhi, India)
Featuring: Aditi Singh & Jairaj Singh Solanki
About: AABBCC is a concept laboratory from New Delhi, recently named the only Indian establishment on TIME's World's Greatest Places list. Co-founder Jairaj Singh Solanki was also named in Robb Report India's inaugural Masters of Luxury list. Their team brings a retro-futuristic philosophy, deconstructing ingredients like honey-bred black ants to push the limits of experimental mixology.
Accolades: Co-founder team previously achieved a Top 10 ranking on Asia's 50 Best Bars with their former concept, Lair.
July 27, 6pm: The Golden Tooth (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Featuring: Kenny Soetono & Reyhan Gymnastiar
About: This South Jakarta speakeasy specializes in cocktails and chats concept, helmed by Kenny Soetono, who placed 2nd nationwide in the 2016 Diageo World Class Competition. The bar is celebrated for its New York loft-inspired vibe and a menu that balances creative craft mixology with humor and approachability.
Accolades: Ranked #98 on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars extended list and named to the Tatler Best Indonesia 20 Bars list.
A SPECIAL NOTE TO EDITORS & MEDIA
The Old Man 9th Anniversary 7 bar takeover event: Before the official 50 Best Bars celebrations kick off, do not forget to RSVP for The Old Man's 9th Anniversary party on July 21st! Release is here.
DEAD POETS
G/F, 41-49 Aberdeen Street, Central
July 26, 8pm: Bar Middle (Singapore)
Featuring: Gavin Teverasan
About: Gavin Teverasan, a veteran of Singapore’s iconic 28 HongKong Street, returns to the regional stage with his debut solo venture, Bar Middle. The concept is built on a philosophy of balance, where Gavin explores living "in the middle" of everything he has learned throughout his career blending the high-octane energy of American-style cocktail bars with the quiet discipline, precision, and restraint of Japanese technique he cultivated during his tenure at Nutmeg & Clove.
Accolades: A rapidly emerging force in the Singapore scene, Bar Middle has quickly become a highly anticipated, top-rated destination among locals and industry insiders alike.
July 27, 8pm: Burnt Ends Bar (Singapore)
Featuring: Jimmy Liam & Neil Simon Claudio
About: Dead Poets welcomes the powerhouse duo from Singapore's illustrious Burnt Ends Hospitality Group. Jimmy Lian Jhi Ming, Assistant Bar Manager, brings over 15 years of industry experience across Australia and Singapore including a notable tenure as Captain at Zouk Singapore paired with a competition background as a finalist in Diageo World Class and Woodford Reserve challenges, he brings a signature intensity to the cocktail program. He is joined by Neil Claudio, the 2020 World Gourmet Summit ‘Sommelier of the Year,’ whose elite background spans Hong Kong’s Black Sheep Restaurants and Frantzén Group
Accolades: Burnt Ends currently holds One Michelin Star, is ranked No. 38 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants (2025), and is No. 93 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list (2025).
July 29, 8pm: M+MS (Seoul, South Korea)
Featuring: JJ Lim
About: M+MS blends traditional Hanok architecture with ultra-modern fashion inspired mixology. Owner JJ Lim is a South Korean cocktail legend, having placed 4th globally at the 2009 Diageo World Class competition.
Accolades: JJ Lim is a founder of Le Chamber, a long-standing fixture on Asia's 50 Best Bars.
CASSIO Social Club
2/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central
July 29, 9pm: STIR (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Featuring: Lam Duc Anh (Leo) & Hoài Bảo
About: Cassio’s sophisticated terrace hosts STIR Vietnam’s Best Bar (B.A.R. Awards) and an Asia’s 50 Best Bars (No. 61) ranked institution. Co-founder Lam Duc Anh (Leo) and Bar Captain Hoài Bảo will highlight Vietnam's modern cocktail movement. Leo is a respected brand ambassador for the Campari Group in Vietnam and he is the strategic architect behind the success of STIR Modern Classic Cocktail Bar and SAVOR Cocktail Club in Ho Chi Minh City.
Accolades: Ranked #61 on Asia's 50 Best Bars and previously crowned the Best Bar in Vietnam at the B.A.R. Awards.
FRIDAY AFTER CLASS (F.A.C.)
52 Peel Street, Central
July 30, 8pm: Bar Danico, Mace, Wacky Wombat (Global)
Featuring: Nico De Soto
About: Friday After Class welcomes Parisian-born mixology pioneer Nico de Soto on July 30th. Nico’s bartending career began in Paris in 2005, followed by stints in Melbourne and a return to Paris where he managed Mama Shelter and worked at Experimental Cocktail Club and Curio Parlor. In 2010, he joined opening teams at Dram and PKNY (formerly Painkiller) in New York, then became head mixologist for the Experimental Group, launching Experimental Cocktail Club locations in London and New York.
His decorated career includes experience at 69 Colebrooke Row and Happiness Forgets in London, and in 2015, he opened his first bar, Mace in New York’s East Village. In 2016, he opened Danico in Paris with partners Julien Ross and Alexandre Giesbert, followed by Kaido in Miami in 2018. Returning to London in 2023, Nico opened Daroco Soho and the basement cocktail bar Wacky Wombat, later launching his own pandan liqueur, Kota, in 2024. Inspired by global travel and cuisine, Nico employs modern techniques like sous-vide, centrifugation, and rotovap distillation to achieve precise flavor profiles.
Accolades:
Danico: Ranked No. 30 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2025.
Mace: Ranked No. 18 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2023; No. 35 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2022; previously ranked on The World's 50 Best Bars for four consecutive years.
Wacky Wombat: Top 10 Honoree for Best New International Cocktail Bar in Europe at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
MEDIA INVITATIONS & RSVPS
We invite members of the press to join us for these exclusive sessions. Whether you are looking for an interview with these visiting industry icons, a behind-the-scenes look at the technical process, or simply a taste of these regional powerhouses, we are here to facilitate your coverage.
Tiana Ludhani
+852 9516 6547