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The list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 is finally out! Announced at a live awards ceremony on July 16, 2024 in Hong Kong, the list features 18 cities across Asia, including 15 new entries, culminating in Bar Leone in Hong Kong being named The Best Bar in Asia.
And, there is good news for India. One of the country's much-loved mixologists and bar gurus, Yangdup Lama, was awarded the 'Roku Industry Icon 2024'. A bartender, entrepreneur and author, Lama, is the owner of New Delhi's Sidecar and is considered pretty much a legend in the bar scene in India. Under his leadership, Sidecar has earned several placements in Asia’s and The World’s 50 Best Bars rankings. Lama inspires with his creative cocktails and advocacy for regional ingredients, and as a mentor and trainer, he showcases India’s bartending talent on the global stage with much pride and expertise.
But Lama's accomplishments go beyond Asia. In October 2022, he was inducted as 'The Keeper Of The Quaitch' in Scotland at Blair Castle in Perthshire. In his statement on social media, he'd said, "The fact that a young man from Darjeeling, who became a bartender in Delhi thanks to unique circumstances, can be welcomed into this collective celebrating Scotch Whisky is nothing short of a dream. I hope this inspires others in the fraternity to keep doing the good work."
Now, Keepers Of The Quaitch is an exclusive international society to recognise, reward and celebrate those who have shown outstanding commitment to the Scotch whisky industry and is a pretty prestigious, not to mention cool, clique one can be part of.
The other nugget is that Bengaluru-based ZLB23, the upscale speakeasy at The Leela Palace Bengaluru snagged a spot at number 40, thanks to its delightful menu that's heavily inspired by Asian flavours.
The place offers fabled food, curated to reveal the lost recipes from the East. You’ll find that the ingredients, measurements, and methods unite to tell a flavourful narrative buried in time. The skilled mixologists have crafted a menu of prohibition cocktails, each with its own unique flavour and story. These might sound classic but are futuristic in taste, look and sense such as the Paleman, inspired by the well-known Halloween monster, or Kyoto Sunrise which pays homage to the Land of the Rising Sun. And for those who want a taste of the good life, the menu also features a selection of rare and premium spirits.