Q&A | Koco Widyatno – Bartender | ‘Macau still needs time to be advanced in the cocktail industry’

Indonesian bartender Koco Widyatno represented Macau in the finals of the Bacardi Legacy regional competition, which was held in Taipei on Monday.

The competition kicked off in November 2016, attracting some 20 Macau-based bartenders. Yet only Widyatno, bar captain at Ritz-Carlton Macau, was selected among the top eight competitors, the remainder hailing from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In the competition, three bartenders represented Hong Kong and four were from Taiwan.

The Indonesian bartender has previously participated in similar competitions, such as Bols Around The World, Absolut Elyx HK and Beefeater HK amongst others.

The wine and cocktail expert is set to hold a talk today in Indonesia where he will conduct a master class for some 100 young bartenders.

The winner of the Bacardi Legacy regional finals, Grace Tsai from Taiwan, will be sent to Berlin, Germany to represent the three regions in May.

Macau Daily Times (MDT) – What is the recipe of Catalan, the cocktail you submitted in the Bacardi Legacy competition?

Koco Widyatno (KW) – My Bacardi Legacy cocktail recipe consists of rum, coffee, cinnamon stick, sugar, Aztec chocolate bitter s and Drambuie, which is a forgotten honey whiskey liquor. Not many people use it nowadays.

MDT – You’re the only competitor chosen to represent Macau – does that give you a sense of pride as a non-local worker?

KW – I’ve only been here for eight months [but] I know the competition very well because I have been involved in competitions in Dubai as well. I’ve been to semi-finals. I know very well how the competition works but since I’m new here, I don’t see the cocktail scene is too big here so I have no pressure. I know it’s an [opportunity] because they choose me to move forward so I hope I can do something for the bar community in Macau. I aim to make people understand more about Macau’s bar scene and attract more visitors to come to Macau. That is the best thing I can do for the territory.

MDT- So you see this as your contribution to the local bar scene?

KW – Yes, my contribution as a bartender in Macau is to promote Macau more in the world because unlike in Hong Kong – everybody knows that Hong Kong has a big bar scene – not many people talk about Macau as their first choice if they want to have a good drink or a good cocktail.

MDT – What differences do you see between the region and the HKSAR’s cocktail and wine scenes?

KW – We need more talented people here in Macau and we also need [better] customers. You can’t separate both. We need employees who want to serve the people, then the people who love the industry. We need people who like to be served good food and good drinks. With that, we can grow together. That’s what I think.

MDT – Do you see that possibility for Macau?

KW – There is [a chance]. Especially with the upcoming opening of the Hong Kong- Macau-Zhuhai Bridge, there will be a bigger chance. There will be no more Macau and Hong Kong. It will be the same level in the next few years. […] Macau still needs time to be advanced in the cocktail industry. We are still in the early stages.

MDT – What would it take to assist the region’s progression in this sector?

KW – It should attract more talented bartenders from abroad and create more relevant events. Maybe it could organize workshops that features bar actors [or] famous bartenders who could come here to teach us, give us lessons on how to be a good bartender and how to help build the business and build customer relationships. We need more people like that.

MDT – If all bartenders in Macau go the extra mile to improve their skills, do you think this will expedite the growth of the region’s bar scene?

KW – For sure. Macau is a beautiful city. It is not really difficult for tourists to come here. People can just pop up and leave; and the gambling industry is good, it’s big. So there’s plenty of [high profile] people who come to Macau, but what we need to do is raise the game, raise the level of quality, not quantity. Have quality people with a quality
attitude and good product knowledge.

MDT – What are the most challenging situations you have experienced as a bartender?

KW – [Developing] patience, dedication and work ethic. Because those three items are very important if you want to move forward; those are the three key ingredients.

MDT – Do you see that in mixologists in the territory?

KW – Well, a few. It’s less than what we need to have. Maybe certain people understand really well what it takes to grow but for [others] it’s just bar and work.  But for us, without the bar life, we have no life because this is what we love. It takes passion. It’s a long way to go to be a good bartender.

MDT – What does one need to make it as a professional bartender?

KW – Bartending is all about the connection with your guests. It’s all about that. Not many people have the knowledge to engage with the guests. You can be a knowledgeable bartender but if you can’t treat your guests the way they want, then forget about it.

Finishing fourth

The sole Macau participant in the Bacardi Legacy regional finals, Koco Widyatno, won fourth place in the competition held in Taipei. “It’s a pretty tough decision because everybody was so good. […] It’s hard and a bit tricky. It’s an unusual bartending competition,” he told the Times yesterday. However, despite finishing fourth, Widyatno noted that he obtained the highest mark for the promotional program, a component of the judging criteria. Furthermore, his performance, which was broadcast live on the “Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition TW” Facebook page, garnered the highest number of reactions, comments and views – reaching some 4,000 viewers. Grace Tsai from The Place Tainan Bar 21 secured first place beating out the other seven finalists. She will now go on to represent Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan in the world competition finals later this year.