I have to say it was the best Friday after work event to attend! Hosted by Heineken, the Star Serve Bartender Final just happened on the 6th of September, attracting a lovely crowd to visit The One’s L16 The Air venue for the event. Sitting relaxed with a cup of Heineken in hand, guests including me listened closely to Heineken Beer Master Franck Evers as he explains to audiences the art of beer serving with local celebrity Ella Koon demonstrating the 5 steps of serving.

Apparently, there are a lot of details and techniques when it comes to beer serving. Steps including The Rinse, The Pour, The Skim, The Check and The Serve are all vital to a good glass of beer; making it also the assessment criteria for the Star Serve Bartender Final.

To ease up the intense atmosphere, a cooking session was also held, pairing the beers with finger good such as BBQ skewered chicken, fried hot dogs and Korean seafood pancake with sauce.

Winner of this final will be going to Amsterdam, Holland; the birth place of Heineken to attend the final competition, facing other representatives from around the world. It is my first time seeing a beer bartender competition, and I have to admit it was much more exciting than I anticipated it to be. With only two chances, the bartender must deliver their profession with quality under pressure. The pouring might just be worth a few seconds; but the outcome most likely will vary each and every time. The stability in performance and practice is vital to ace their cup, and it was quite interesting seeing contestants so focused when they pull the leverage.

Chose by “Goed Getapt Programme” founder Franck Evers who is an enthusiast in training quality beer bartenders; our best of luck goes to the Hong Kong winner as she pursues her serving dream in Holland this November. 

For more information, visit their website at http://www.heineken.com/nz/star-serve/star-serve-game.aspx

Written by Joyce Tsang