Sofitel Bali’s Ayip Muhammad Dzuhri Crowned Indonesia’s ‘Bartender of the Year’ At Diageo World Class Semi Finals and Bar Show 2015

Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort’s own bar expert, Ayip Muhammad Dzuhri, was recently crowned Indonesia’s ‘Bartender of the Year’ in the South East Asian semi-finals of the prestigious Diageo World Class (DWC) semi-finals and bar show 2015, part of the industry’s most respected bartending competition, held recently 1-2 July in Bangkok, Thailand.

It is the second time for Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort to participate in the event however Ayip successfully achieved the title upon his first participation in the competition. 

Upon the wrap-up of the semi-finals, Commercial Director of NAVA+ DIAGEO, Nakul Pathak, stated with much optimism, “This evening saw some of the best craftsmanship in bartending we have from Southeast Asia, and it showed that our World Classprogramme can truly groom and harness the highest level of knowledge and skills from participants, helping them elevate towards being a World Class bartender. I have seen much potential in Indonesian bartenders in the national finals held last May in Jakarta and Bali. They have such dedication and commitment to the art of mixology in Indonesia and in creating some innovative and flavour combinations.”

Throughout the DWC SEA Semi Finals in Bangkok, Ayip competed against bartenders from notable establishments in Jakarta, namely Widya Prasetyo from E&O and Yosi Pranantaka from Cork & Screw Pacific Place, and I Gusti Salit Made Ari Naryana from Woo Bar in Bali who passed the national finals stage that were held in Jakarta and Bali in May 2015. One of the cocktails Ayip created in the challenges, Old Java, was inspired by Indonesian flavours. Old Java is made up of Ron Zacapa, homemade blend of turmeric and tamarind or ‘kunyit asam’, chocolate truffle syrup, and Peychaud’s Bitters.

The exhilarating finals were a culmination of five months of Diageo’s elite bartending training programme. The extraordinary evening of competition boasted an international judging panel consisting of globally renowned mixology experts, including Marian Beke (bar manager of Nightjar, London), Dennis Tamse (Distillery Ambassador of Ketel One), Hidetsugu Ueno (owner of High Five, Tokyo), Jeff Bell (Head Bartender of PDT New York), Tim Philips (World Class Bartender of 2012), Lam Chi Mun (Asia Pacific Director, Diageo Bar Academy), Angus Winchester (Ambassador Emeritus for Tanqueray gin), Igor Hadzismajlovic (co-owner of Employees Only, New York City) and Charles Joly (World Class Bartender of 2014).

As Indonesia’s Bartender of the Year, Ayip will join Bartenders of the Year from other 24 countries, which include Antonio Lai (Hong Kong); Kenneth Bandivas (Philippines); Pongpak Sudthipongse (Thailand); Shawn Chong (Malaysia) and Steve Leong (Singapore) and Duy Tu Hoang (Vietnam). They all will be competing against in each other in the DWC Global Finals in Cape Town, South Africa in September this year.

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Sofitel, World Class Hotels & French Elegance 

Sofitel is the only French luxury hotel brand with a presence on five continents with 120 addresses, in almost 40 countries (more than 30,000 rooms). Sofitel offers contemporary hotels and resorts adapted to today’s more demanding and more versatile consumers who expect and appreciate beauty, quality and excellence. Whether situated in the heart of a major city like Paris, London, New York, Shanghai or Beijing, or nestled away in a country landscape in Morocco, Egypt, French Polynesia or Thailand, each Sofitel property offers a genuine experience of the French “art de vivre”. 

Sofitel Legend and & Sofitel So are two labels that come to enrich Sofitel Luxury hotels.

Sofitel Legend hotels are iconic and mythical; they are often centuries-old listed heritage buildings: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam and Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan, Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena Sofitel So hotels are new « boutique hotels » characterized by a stylish focus on contemporary design by famous architects and/or embellished by international celebrities from the world of fashion, design or art: Sofitel So Mauritius Bel Ombre, Sofitel So Bangkok and Sofitel So Singapore (2014).

Find out more about Sofitel at www.sofitel.com