When the Covid-19 pandemic forced people into lockdown and halted operations for food & beverage businesses the world over, it seemed like the bar and cocktail industry was going to take a heavier beating. But bars were quick and agile to pivot their business operations to meet their customers’ needs. Pre-packaged cocktails for delivery and take outs, virtual bartending masterclasses and even international collaborations held over Zoom, and the accessibility of a plethora of craft spirits, all made it easy for consumers to partake in their favourite cocktails in the comfort and safety of their homes.
The continuing battle to contain the pandemic may have limited business operations but what it hasn’t done is curb the cocktail drinkers’ enthusiasm for high quality and sophisticated tipples. Charmaine Thio, committee member of Singapore Cocktail Bar Association and brand ambassador for Hendrick’s Gin notes that “conscious drinking” is becoming more widespread. Aki Eguchi,
Shangri-La Hotels Bee’s Knees Gin
Created by the Shangri-La Hotel Group at their Fort Bonifacio location, Bee’s Knees lays claim to being distilled and bottled on hotel property, inside Shangri-La s own gin lab. General manager John Rice says, “Our journey is not only rooted in providing our guests with the experience they have come to know and love, but to embrace the community and ecosystem that surrounds our environment. In this case, we pay tribute and uplift the talent already present in the Filipino bar community. What better way to do so than to bottle that in a Filipino-raised spirit?”