The city-state’s most anticipated cocktail competition culminated in a thrilling finale at Baia, naming Tryson Quek of Side Door as Singapore’s bartending champion.
Last June 16, the Singapore Finals marked the culmination of the Diageo World Class Singapore Bartender of the Year 2025, with six of the country’s top bartenders vying for the ultimate title through challenges that tested innovation, speed, and storytelling. Tryson’s standout performance, marked by technical precision and heartfelt storytelling, earned him the top prize, as well as the honor of representing the country at the upcoming World Class Global Finals in Toronto.
The evening also marked an incredible personal and professional milestone for Tryson as his wife, Bannie Kang, won the same title in 2019. The couple co-founded Side Door, which has now become the first bar in Singapore to have two World Class Singapore champions!
Rounding up the top three is Marco Maiorano of KOMA and Samuel Pang of Night Hawk, who also showcased exceptional performances and finesse behind the bar. Additionally, this year’s competition recognized camaraderie and venue excellence with Ooi Foo Giap of Last Word voted “Bartender’s Bartender” by his fellow competitors, and SUSHISAMBA Singapore, represented by Daniel Fong and Josh Goh, awarded the “World Class Cocktail Festival Experience of 2025.”
The final showdown put the finalists to the test through two dynamic challenges namely “Drink to the Future,” which tasked them to create the cocktail of tomorrow, and the high-intensity service round, “The Showdown,” which challenged the bartenders to craft five cocktails in five minutes, each inspired by a classic serve and showcasing the artistry behind five iconic World Class spirits: a Highball with a Twist using Johnnie Walker Blue Label, a Don Paloma with Don Julio 1942, a Zacapa Old Fashioned featuring Zacapa XO, a Singleton Manhattan with The Singleton 15YO, and a Martini made with Tanqueray No. TEN.
For more updates on the global bartending scene, follow World Class Global on Instagram. You can also learn more about Side Door by staying tuned to their Instagram page. Reservations at the bar can be made here.
