KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — As the founder of Fluid Academy, Ben Ng knows what it takes to be a mixologist, bar owner, and train bartenders.
Besides running his Penang-based Mish Mash bar on Muntri Street in the George Town Heritage Zone, Ng also conducts talks to educate drinkers on the finer points of cocktail and whiskey appreciation, which he recently did at The Bee’s Whiskey Festival on March 8.
We sat down with Ng to get his thoughts on the booming cocktail scene in recent years, prediction for future trends, and more.
The last few years have seen a strong demand for craft cocktails. Why do you think that is? Was there a particular moment when it became a hit?
Cocktail culture is an American product, and was popularised here during the 90s with Jump in Jalan Ampang, and later TGI Fridays. Then, it wasn’t so much about the taste and refinement, but more about the flair that came before it.
Then in the early 2000s, we started to see a focus on refined craft cocktails, starting with mojitos. At that point too, European bartending started to focus on the use of fresh ingredients, herbs, and bitters, which were different from the basic and simple American cocktails.
So from that point on, a more discerning cocktail culture emerged, using unusual ingredients like sweet basil around 2003. The Internet and cocktail competitions like Diageo World Class also help spread the culture, and allowed bartenders to explore and experiment with new ideas and ingredients.
What are some of the ingredients that cocktail makers are using in their drinks today?
In the last two years, Western cocktail culture has exhausted the use of European ingredients, and is looking towards Asia for inspiration, like Gula Melaka, cloves, and pandan. Japanese bartending culture has become big too — which is why we see a growing use of Yuzu that started a few years ago in London.
One of the major difficulties we’re having is finding consistency in cocktails. We have good ingredients, fruits and spices, but they’re exported out to countries that pay more. And people don’t care enough to know where their ingredients come from, or how good they are. I’m trying to educate drinkers on that aspect, such as creating my own ginger ale at Mish Mash.
How do you judge a good cocktail bar from a bad one?
I don’t drink cocktails when I’m out; usually spirits or beer. But the first thing I note is the service, because if the bartender can’t be bothered to serve you genuinely, then why would he bother to make a good drink?
The other thing is that bartenders aren’t there to be worshipped or praised for their drinks; when I started as a flairing bartender, we always had a saying: Service first, flair last. Make sure everyone gets served first, then do the fancy things later.
What are the qualities you seek out in grooming a bartender or mixologist?
Passion and drive are two of the most important qualities — capabilities to make drinks can be built up over time. Many have passion but no drive, which is what’s needed when the going gets tough. I give my staff free reign, but they must know how to drive themselves to get the job done.
Are there any underrated spirits that you think deserve more attention in cocktail making?
In the last few years, mezcal has been getting a lot of attention, and the diversity of gin is growing. Although gin is an established spirit, we’re seeing a lot more small batches coming up, as well as more obscure American moonshines. In the whiskey sector, there are many young whiskeys that have edgier, and intense flavours.
