How does a guest shift really work? Hong Kong bartenders spill the tea

Hong Kong enjoys a rarefied status as one of the most drinks-literate cities in the world, being home to Bar Leone (which topped the World’s 50 Best Bars list this year) as well as numerous other internationally acclaimed establishments. When the city hosted the World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony in October, the weeks either side of the ceremony saw almost every major bar in Hong Kong host a guest mixologist or a team from cities as nearby as Singapore and Seoul and from as far away as Buenos Aires, Athens and Albuquerque. For guests, these are opportunities to sample a new concept, an approach to cocktails or unique styles of service.

The high skill level of the city’s bar professionals allows for such a high frequency of guest shifts, but this may be a blessing and a curse. Hong Kong was virtually drowning in guest shifts during the week of World’s 50 Best Bars, multiplying the logistics of any single guest shift over consecutive nights in a citywide juggling act leading up to announcement day on October 8. The Savory Project hosted Sip & Guzzle from New York, then a 50 Best Bars Session titled “Off Menu”, before hosting now-World’s 2nd Best Bar Handshake Speakeasy before the big day. Courtroom hosted Barro Negro Athens and the World of Mixologists collective on October 6, before Shinji’s NYC took over early evening on October 7.

Pucci explains that it all starts with agreeing on a date, the style of the event, which sponsor brand they can bring on board, ingredient logistics and fees. In recent months, Qura Bar has hosted a wide array of concepts, ranging from Bacchanalia London on October 26, which focused on art-inspired cocktails, to Noble Roots Bar from Serbia, which focused on farm-to-table-style cocktails.

At Courtroom, co-founder Saan Dhakal says he and his team lock in their guest shifts abroad at least three months in advance. Such a long lead time is necessary for them to prepare their fermented ingredients that require a large variety of spices and herbs and the use of state-of-the-art equipment. Dhakal carries all essential niche ingredients and tools with him personally to ensure consistency, and always briefs the team on the ingredients and techniques before starting the shift.