Bottoms Up: Exclusive interview with bartender, Amanda Wan

Ever been in a bar and just for a moment wondered how exactly do the bartenders do it? By do it, we mean remember all the varying concoctions of cocktails and mix them up within seconds. Quite the feat no doubt! But alas, when our drink arrives, that thought vanishes in a poof and we’re back to enjoying the delectable drink to reach euphoria after a busy day in the office.

So since Singapore is hosting its first Cocktail Week, starting this weekend, we figured this would be the perfect chance to finally unearth all that goes on behind the bar.

For that, we spoke to Amanda Wan, the current bartender at The Envoy in Hong Kong and who will be at Singapore Cocktail Week as a guest bartender. Having been in the industry for close to 10 years, Amanda is one bartending force to be reckoned with. Considering that she graduated university with 1st Class Honours and Class Valedictorian with her dissertation on the ‘Evolution of Mixology’, it’s no wonder Amanda feels right at home at the bar.

Further proving her mixology might, Amanda went on to win the top title at the 2010 DIAGEO World Class Bartender of the Year Competition in Athens and she was the first female bartender to do so. Now, if you’re looking to match up to her skill set, read on to learn everything that goes on behind the bar – from getting into the job to challenges faced and crazy encounters (us not included).

Marie France Asia: How did you get started with bartending?

Amanda Wan: By accident, literally! I was working as a wine retailer and had a fall, dislocating my elbow. After taking a couple months’ rest, I decided to try out for an opening behind the bar and have never looked back since.

MFA: What’s the most important skill a bartender should have?

A.W.: Quick hands, and a cheerful heart!

MFA: Do tell us one of the craziest experiences you’ve had while tending bar.

A.W.: There are too many to name. Some of the more notable ones include shaking drinks while riding piggyback on Tim Judge’s shoulders (I have a fear of heights and that guy is tall!) at World Class in India, an impromptu belting out of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ with the live band over a busy shift at the club, and once, the soda gun at work decided to throw a party on its own and sprayed Coca Cola syrup all over our bar. Cleaning up was, needless to say, the highlight of that shift!

MFA: Have you faced any challenges being a female bartender in a male-dominated industry?

A.W.: Definitely. My late mentor expected me to quit after the first day as I showed up in heels and nearly went home a cripple. The next day I came back with sturdy boots and became the fastest bar back he ever had. A few months later, he took me under his wing and showed me everything I wanted to know about working in a bar.

The stereotypical perception of girls being weaker than boys definitely butts its annoying head into the equation, but that is easily dealt with.

When it comes to physical strength, a female bartender may be no match to her male counterpart so we work on avenues like speed and organisation skills. The guys may not be quick to admit, but every bar flourishes with a feminine presence in little touches found throughout the bar and its details. Plus, the amount of boys who require assistance tying a perfect Double Windsor Knot. Tsk.

MFA: What about your family’s support? Has that changed over the years since you started your journey?

A.W.: Initially, there was a lot of resistance. Chinese families don’t naturally take to their children working in service industries, much less in an environment with alcohol and late nights. As they continued to witness the growth in my interest and professional career, they finally relented and are now absolutely supportive, with lots of herbal soups (as Chinese mothers would always insist), haha.

MFA: Generally, what inspires your concoctions? How does the process start?

A.W.: A lot of it is spontaneous and continuous, inspired by stories of travel and personal experiences. I may be reading, or doing something as mundane as filing and a flavour combination just triggers. I have a notebook to document all these sudden spurts of ideas, and when I’m back at the bar, I’ll work on them. Every process is then documented from change in recipe to methods and presentations, until the drink is finalised.

MFA: What are your favourite drinks to have on a night off?

A.W.: A fresh pint of Guinness draught, or a Reyka on the rocks – keeping it simple!

MFA: How different is the Hong Kong bar scene compared to Singapore?

A.W.: Personally, Hong Kong always had an underlying buzz running through the city. Something is always happening, somewhere, and the variety of activities and bars offered are greatly abundant. Where Singapore comes across as refined, Hong Kong brings an edge and a unique rawness to a person’s experience of the city.

MFA: What can we expect to see from your time at Singapore Cocktail Week?

A.W.: I would be having the honour to host a series of workshops, guest shifts and cocktail tours throughout the week, with other fellow guest bartenders, along with some signature cocktails of ours.

MFA: Can you share with us one of your signature cocktail recipes?

1. Dewdrops of the Heart

30ml Redistilled Pandan Vodka
20ml Homemade Slow-Cooked Pandan Syrup
60ml Double Strength Green Tea & Jasmine Flowers tea

(Carbonated in a Perlini shaker and served in a champagne flute, with a long blade of pandan leaf)

2. Old Streets” / “Kaya Toast

60ml Monkey Shoulder Whisky
30ml Homemade Slow-Cooked Pandan Syrup
30ml Egg White
25ml Fresh Lemon Juice

(Shaken and served in a coupe glass, with a traditional maltose sandwich cracker)

3. Dinosaur

30ml Reyka Vodka
30ml Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
20ml Fresh Milk

(Shaken and served in a ceramic egg, over a Milo ice cream ball and a heaping spoonful of Milo powder on top)

MFA: What would your message be to women for International Women’s Day?

A.W.: To live out this verse: “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”

Tarandip Kaur