Female bartenders show off mixology skills

There was no ignoring the female-friendly vibe during the second annual Women &Whiskey cocktail showcase at Bevy Bar in Kakaako last week.

Eight bartenders took part in the event Nov. 8, which debuted last year with a more traditional format. Liquor company Beam Suntory, which co-hosted the competition along with the bar, first envisioned the competition as a way to determine the most talented female mixologist in Hawaii, complete with a speed round and written test to determine each bartender’s technical prowess in addition to creative talent.

“We also did a full drink competition with three judges,” said Brian Concagh, Hawaii state manager for Beam Suntory. “The feedback from the women was they liked the collaboration aspect of them all working together and helping each other, so we went in that direction this year.”

Watching a woman make a quality drink is nothing new for this columnist. About a decade ago the old Pipeline Cafe on Pohukaina Street (now UFC Gym BJ Penn) and O Lounge on Kapiolani Boulevard (now The Republik) employed some of the hardest-working female bartenders in town. Thousands of party people passed through those nightclubs each week, including yours truly, and more often than not it was a female popping caps off beer bottles and imploring her male barbacks to keep clean glasses and buckets of ice coming for customers’ drinks.

There was also a stretch back then where local bartenders had more opportunities to see how they matched up with their peers when it came to creating cocktails. Brands like Bacardi and Bombay Sapphire used to spend considerable promotional dollars producing and publicizing events like the annual Iron Bartender contest and the United States Bartenders Guild’s Most Imaginative Bartender competition. And one of my all-time favorite mixologists in the 15-plus years I’ve covered the local bar scene is Amie Fujiwara, who co-wrote “The Cocktail Handbook: Cool Drinks From Hawaii’s Hottest Bartenders” with her husband, barman Jesse Greenleaf, in 2008. She can still be found behind the bar at Duke’s Waikiki, where I first met her years ago, holding her own among younger co-workers of both sexes.

Bevy owner Christian Self was another familiar face back then. Although he rarely enters drink contests anymore, he said Women &Whiskey was a concept he wanted to support in hopes of encouraging new generations of female bartenders to explore the creative side of the bar business.

“It’s all about the ladies and showing how talented they are,” said Self. “There’s a whole host of them out there, and they’re all rock stars in their own individual ways. This is just a way to put them on a pedestal and show off their talents, and it’s a really good intro into getting behind a show bar onstage and making a drink in front of a crowd.”

Concagh agreed, adding that the showcase format helped take even more pressure off the participants, some of whom had never taken part in such an event before. Instead of presenting one winner with a big cash prize at the end, all eight women were presented with an undisclosed honorarium for taking part in the evening. Concagh said the emphasis on collaboration was designed to empower each bartender and give them confidence to enter other contests.

“We hope eventually they move on to more prestigious competitions around Honolulu,” he said. “I think it’s more a pride thing for the girls. They’re all very supportive of each other.”

This year’s participants included some familiar names to those in the industry along with a few new faces. I’ve visited Pint + Jigger to order drinks from Jerah Mikami and watched Yooey Kim do her thing at The Republik before recently moving over to Piggy Smalls, the latest effort by the owners of The Pig &The Lady. Jen Ackrill has really elevated things as director of mixology at Sky Waikiki and Top of Waikiki, and I was happy to see Encore Saloon’s Sarah Stephens taking part in her first cocktail showcase.

“We have a lot of female bar talent on the island, and I feel like sometimes we get lost in the fray,” said Kim. “I love this event because of the camaraderie. Having shoptalk with fellow women in the industry is refreshing. It makes me want to up my game even more.”

In the end it was Kim and Maser who were recognized for creating the crowd’s favorite cocktails — Kim for her take on a traditional Old-Fashioned and Maser for her “An Apear to Remember,” made with Jim Beam Black, homemade mamaki vermouth, thyme-infused simple syrup and pear shrub — and nearly everyone in the bar was having a blast, thanks to plentiful drink samples that were handed out throughout the evening. Other drinks made that night used Beam Suntory whiskey brands that included Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s and Maker’s Mark.

“I loved seeing the growth that Hawaii’s female bartenders showed,” Ackrill said afterward. “The talent that exists and is cultivated here is on par with talent throughout the United States, and I’m honored to be in the company of these women.”