This year’s DRiNK Awards ceremony was held on November 23, 2020 at the Jing An Shangri-La in Shanghai, gathering the trade together to celebrate the achievements of the China and Asia bar scenes. The fifth edition of the renowned bar industry awards recognised this year’s leading people, venues and brands across 23 awards categories.
Jigger & Pony Singapore were big winners on the night taking out Bar Team Asia and Bar of the Year Asia. This is hot on the heels of winning the Best bar in Asia in the World’s 50 Best Bars. Other winners included Flavor Tiki in Chongqing for Cocktail Program, KOR in Shangai for High Volume Bar and 2020 also saw Bannie Kang crowned as the first female to win Bartender of the Year Asia.
The winners for China’s categories were revealed to the live audience of over 650 guests, while the winners of the Asia awards were presented virtually. Winners of the China awards were decided by a voting panel of over 200 industry professionals, with the exception of two awards, Entrepreneurship and Founders Award, which were decided by specialist panels. Winners of the Asia awards categories were decided by a panel of 150 industry professionals in the Asia region. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the bar industry, all judges were asked to carefully consider what it meant to be a leader in each category this year.
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After the many challenges of 2020, DRiNK Awards 2020 was particularly meaningful. As the rest of the world continues to struggle with the pandemic, it was an evening full of reflection and gratitude amongst all who were lucky to be able attend and join together with the members of the community. Theo Watt, founder of DRiNK said: “A year reminiscent of turbulent seas, the global industry has had to sail in whatever conditions we were given. To hold the DRiNK Awards and the first edition of DRiNK Street and DRiNK Fest this year was always going to be. Not knowing whether it would happen until a few days before has had our whole team on tenterhooks. Now it’s been able to happen, we are very proud, and hope we showed the rest of our bar industry family out there that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Being able to put fresh ideas into action in such a year is a blessing and it cannot have been done without an amazing team and supporters around us. There is only love here.”
For the full list of winners, click here.