Page 53 - Thirst Magazine Issue 1 (Feb 2017)

THE RISE OF THE MALAYSIAN

BARTENDER’S HANDSHAKE

Meet the bitters with a firm grip on Malaysia’s bartenders.

By Flavia Galeotti

t the end of July 2016 a challenge Branca, which makes the former a more
spread among our local bartenders potent contender.
to participate in the MY Bartender’s From here there was an idea. Junior met
Handshake. Videos of these friendly with Yim Theng Lee and Abigail Chua from
A(and, at times, grimacing) faces Single & Available – the importer for Angostura
spread across Instagram and Facebook of in Malaysia – to brainstorm a way to spread
them downing two shots of Angostura Bitters, this idea and also share some fun with the
and nominating friends within the industry to bartending community. “The use of Angostura
do the same. bitters in cocktail mixing is a necessity in
How exactly did this strange tradition bars, but this product is hardly known by the
come about? The story goes that taking a drinkers in Malaysia. Also, it was never the
shot of bitters as the bartender’s handshake norm for Malaysian (and we think Asian too!)
originated from the bartending community bartenders to serve Angostura bitters as a shot,”
in San Francisco, with Fernet-Branca as the Yim Theng explains. “So the idea stemmed from
liqueur of choice – bartenders from different encouraging the bartenders to drink Angostura
cities across the US use different spirits as their bitters as a shot (and eventually we hope
calling card, but on the whole they are often drinkers will catch on too), and to create some
exceptionally strong spirits that’ll knock your fun in this, the challenge was born.”
socks off when taken as a shot. Junior uploaded the first video on Instagram
In this case, bitters (specifically Fernet) is on 26 July 2016, knocking back two 45ml shots
an amaro – meaning ‘bitter’ in Italian – that of Angostura, and nominated Koh Chee Kheong
is made from a selection of herbs and spices, of Coley Cocktail Bar to continue the challenge.
which gives it an intensely bitter, medicinal It spread through Malaysia, then branched
taste. Fernet was traditionally used as a out regionally to Singapore and Taiwan, and
digestive to help settle the stomach after a even further afield to Australia, US, Moscow,
heavy meal, but found its way into cocktails the Caribbean, and, to the surprise of many,
and shot glasses after Prohibition was repealed even Trinidad & Tobago, where the House of
(so rest assured there are no ill-effects from Angostura is based.
taking a shot of the black stuff). “We thought that it would go to Singapore
In Malaysia, the preferred version is and Thailand, but never thought that it would go
a bracing shot of Angostura among after international!” Yim Theng says, “The idea was to
a night at work. Rizal Junior Joe Utto of do something fun, different and on-trend using
Marini’s On 57 is credited with introducing it the social media as a tool to generate interest
following a trip to Trinidad & Tobago in 2012 for Angostura bitters. The Malaysian bartenders
for the final of the Angostura Global Cocktail are wonderful to work with and are super
Challenge, where he learned the tradition enthusiastic hence we are really grateful that our
with his fellow competitors. “I first started it little challenge has caught the world!”
[in Malaysia] during the first Heart of the Run Having spread so far and wide, it’s probably
whisky festival back in March 2015,” Junior safe to say now that the Malaysian bartender’s
says “for the same reason of course: it’s fun! handshake is firmly acknowledged in the
It’s a shot to get everyone to remember about international community. “When our bartender
the good times.” brothers visit Malaysia, Angostura bitter shot
Originally it was simply called an Ango is our goodnight call,” Junior says proudly, “and
shot, as Junior remembers, until someone I believe now people around the world already
started calling it the Malaysian bartender’s know that this is our handshake”. The Angostura
handshake, “which is good to represent KL shot has become Malaysia’s chosen symbol of
bartenders”. Angostura is 44.7 percent ABV, hospitality and fraternity in the industry, and
compared to the 39 percent ABV of Fernet- looks to be set to endure for a lifetime.

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