After enduring hours under the blazing hot sun at an outdoor bar perched in one corner of the newly-renovated CÉ LA VI showing off their mad cocktail skills to a panel of judges, Bannie Kang of Anti:Dote was announced as winner of the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition’s Singapore finals out of five contestants and will represent Singapore at the upcoming grand global finals in San Francisco on 24 April 2016.

Bannie Kang’s Hwachae – an alcoholic version of a traditional Korean flower and fruit punch that marries Bacardi Carta Blanca with muddled watermelon, pineapple juice, lemon juice and a dose of beer – may have helped refresh the judges – previous Singapore winner Peter Chua of 28 Hong Kong Street, Zdenek Kastanek of Proof & Co, D.Bespoke’s Daiki Kanetaka and Philip Bischoff of Manhattan Bar – but it was the normally shy pint-sized Kang’s sudden outburst of singing that revealed her inner confidence and practised flair. She beat out Satoshi Iwai of Orgo, Stuart Danker of Sugarhall, Jigger & Pony’s Sin Kim Shin, and Adonis Reyes from Bread Street Kitchen for the top honour.

“Everybody worked really hard, and I think I won based purely on luck,” Bannie Kang tells SpiritedSingapore.com. “I just let myself go on stage; all I tried to do was to be myself when sharing the history of the cocktail,” she added.

“I would like to thank Bacardi for this wonderful opportunity, but most importantly special thanks to Tryson (Quek, chef de cuisine at Anti:Dote) and Tom (Hogan, head craftsman at Anti:Dote) for helping me refine my cocktails, even though Tryson turns red every time he drinks. Tom even sat through one session where we tasted 30 different versions of Hwachae!” Bannie remembers.

Do visit Bannie at Anti:Dote in Fairmont Singapore to try her winning Hwachae cocktail – if you’re in Bali you can even find it at Baker Street Social the whole of March – otherwise here is her recipe for making it at home:

Hwachae

bannie kang hwachae

Ingredients

  • 60ml Bacardi Carta Blanca
  • 50gm fresh watermelon
  • 30gm fresh pineapple
  • 1-1/2 bar spoon (7ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 15ml maple syrup
  • 45ml BrewDog Punk IPA (or any hoppy IPA will do)
  • Dehydrated pineapple chips or lemon peel as garnish

Method

  1. Combine the Bacardi rum, watermelon, pineapple into a shaker and blend with hand blender.
  2. Add 1-1/2 bar spoon fresh lemon juice.
  3. Add the maple syrup.
  4. Add ice and do a hard shake.
  5. Double strain into a chilled glass.
  6. Top up with the beer.
  7. Garnish.
  8. Post a picture of yourself with your Hwachae, and hashtag #blccsg #hwachae #bacardilegacy.
  9. Enjoy.

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