HCCM REGIONAL CHALLENGES ASIA
15.07.2025
REGIONAL CHALLENGES ASIA
Havana Club was at the centre stage for one day during the SIP Supernova Asia Competition that took place in April 2025, in Shanghai. This was the path for Asian teams to qualify to the global stages of the second edition of Havana Club Cocktail Maestros. The Havana Day, hosted on at the Fosun foundation, overlooking the Bund in the heart of the city, gave an opportunity to some of the best bartenders in Asia to play with Havana Club, the day started with a masterclass from our friend Simone Caporale, who would keep on guiding the teams through the day.
The 10 teams composed by national winners coming from all Asia, as far as Dubai & Seoul, then discovered the now classic Cuban Mode challenge:
With limited resources and time, to foster their creativity and trigger their resourcefulness, teams had to come up with a signature Cuban inspired cocktail, creating their homemade ingredients in a two-hour timeframe and sourcing ingredients to express their skills as well as showcasing their team spirit.
Teams had the opportunity to shop ingredients at a local market as well as to source from a limited pantry in order to unleash their creativity and taste mastery.
Each pair then had five minutes to present their creation to the expert jury officiating in the SIP Supernova competition followed by a three-minute Q&A session. The atmosphere was electric as participants demonstrated their creativity and expertise, all while an audience of regional & local industry leaders were observing and cheering for them.
Once all 10 teams had the opportunity to present their creation to the jury, the public session opened for the night’s guest to come and try our champions’ creation.
In the end, three teams emerged victorious, thanks to their innovative cocktails, shared spirit and proper Cuban Mode shining through to earn them a spot in the global final.
These talented bartenders will now represent Asia in the ultimate showdown, set to take place in the heart of Havana, Cuba.
Congratulations again to all the bartenders involved for their dedication to magnify Havana Club’s unique versatility and making their stories shine during this special day.
Here are the three teams that have qualified and will get to compete in Havana Club Cocktail Maestros Global Finals in April 2026:
Jake Quang from 2 Lam Son Bar, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam & Cynthia Li from Quinary, Hong Kong.
Jack Li from Epic Bar, Shanghai, China & Pitt Punpiputt from Asia Today Bar, Bangkok, Thailand.
Nikita Jein from Tamoka, The Ritz Carlton, Dubai & Alain Kim from Zest, Seoul, Korea.
The event was not only a competition but also a celebration of the camaraderie and passion within the mixology community. As we look forward to the global final, we raise our glasses to the winners and to the enduring spirit of Havana Club! Cheers to an unforgettable journey ahead!
