One of the Best Asia-Based Bartenders to Serve Cocktails at Good Bait, Aug 16
"Get jazzy, get tipsy" – these are the simple instructions issued to guests of Good Bait's upcoming evening with world-renowned bartender Chris Lowder. Good Bait, whose name is taken from the 1930s Gershwin jazz standard, has been enjoying a growing reputation throughout the wild and boozy streets of Sanlitun as a high-class late-night jazz venue.
They already have over 90 original cocktails on their menu, but that's obviously not enough for these thirsty purveyors of booze and so on Wednesday night, master mixer Lowder will take the reins to provide a rare, educational, and intimate drinking experience. To complement the whole experience, the duo of Korean pianist Sejin Bae and saxophonist Nathaniel Gao provide live jazz to make each sip just that much smoother.
Lowder currently works at Proof & Co in Shanghai and has been crowned one of the best bartenders in Asia having worked with venues around the world. Originally from Baltimore, Lowder worked as a cook at the age of 15, then a translator in China and Japan for almost five years, but his pining to return to hospitality during that time sent him on the path to becoming the bartender he is today.
Now with impressive praise and awards from around the world in his pocket, Lowder seems to be all about giving and does his fair share of philanthropic deeds. The master bartender is a generous tipper for new bartenders and trainees, encouraging them to be more focused and to stick with one job (since word-of-mouth goes a long way in the bartender world), and to make fewer, but higher-quality cocktails. When working in the luxurious Four Seasons hotel in Seoul, he put together a manual for bar training – that he still uses himself to this day – along with 178 cocktail recipes, hoping to save time and help aid the service of budding new bartenders. The manual-recipe book has received hundreds of likes on Facebook and has been shared dozens of times, with fellow bartenders swearing by the published piece of mastery.
Come Wednesday, Lowder will be mixing five classic cocktails and leading attendees through the spirits' history. Every cocktail has a story behind it, and he will be sharing them while mixing the drinks. Having tended bar at the NoMad hotel in New York, he can surely be trusted to bring the strong spirit and passion of the cocktail's homeland.
During the event, Lowder looks to highlight the many facets of Curaçao and Triple Sec, which, even though both are established and loved as ingredients in beachside drinks, have perhaps never really been considered "serious" liquors.
So, book your spot, dig out a bowtie or a glittery cocktail dress, and head down to Sanlitun for a master class in cocktail making 2-4pm on Wednesday. The bartending session commences at 7pm on the same day and each cocktail will set you back RMB 120.
For more information, click here or follow Chris Lowder on Instagram for the newest behind-the-bar tricks, radiating smiles, and perfect hairdos.
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Images: Bartender Atlas, Munchies
