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Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Food devider His job is to create genuine memories for you and me at the bar

His job is to create genuine memories for you and me at the bar

Published Apr 23, 2022 01:00 pm

Keith Motsi, head bartender at Charles H in Seoul, wins Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award as part of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022

ALTOS AWARDEE Keith Motsi at Charles H, the speakeasy at Four Seasons Seoul

Keith Motsi, head bartender at Charles H, the standout speakeasy at Four Seasons Seoul, has been named the winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2022. This award recognizes a personality who has made a significant impact on Asia’s bar sector over the voting period and recognizes their commitment to the bar community over the past 18 months. The Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award is the only peer-judged award in the Asia’s 50 Best Bars program, collectively voted for by the bartenders of those establishments on the 2022 list.

With the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award, 50 Best reinforces its drive toward championing great bars and recognizing the talent that goes the extra mile to bring the community closer together. This award is the second of two special awards to be announced ahead of Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ live ceremony. The second-ever 51-100 list has been announced on April 21, which will be followed by the gala ceremony and live countdown on April 28. The countdown will also be streamed live on The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook and 50 Best Bars TV YouTube Channel for those unable to make it to Thailand.

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe and raised in the UK, Motsi has traveled the world as a bartender gaining a wealth of international experience, which serves as inspiration for his concoctions. With Motsi at the helm, the team at Charles H is given the responsibility to put fresh thought into self-designed cocktails, allowing them a sense of involvement and empowerment toward the menu while letting guests enjoy the experience.

After dabbling with university study in architecture, Motsi began his career as a barback at Jake’s Bar & Grill in Leeds in the UK, a high-volume cocktail bar with a fast-paced environment. Motsi then moved to London in 2014 and served as the head bartender at members’ club Soho House. Prior to Charles H, he was head bartender at Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, where he helped with the opening of Equis, a glamorous social lounge at the hotel comprising five different bars.

During his time in Asia, Motsi has achieved many accolades, witnessed the transformation of the South Korean cocktail scene, and led the Charles H team to the title of The Best Bar in Korea for the past three Asia’s Best 50 Bars.

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe and raised in the UK, Motsi has traveled the world as a bartender gaining a wealth of international experience, which serves as inspiration for his concoctions.

 “I am extremely honored and humbled to be recognized by my peers for whom I have the utmost respect,” says Motsi on winning the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award. “It is doubly special to be recognized for doing something that I love. For me, hospitality and being hospitable are not just a career, but also a state of mind. The magic of the bar industry is our ability to create genuine memories for our guests, and that is what drives me day in and day out. The biggest thank you goes to my team here in Seoul who makes me look better than I am. I would not be here without every single one of them.”

The seventh edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, will be announced on April 28. The live ceremony and countdown of the list will begin at 7.30 p.m. local time in Bangkok (6 p.m. India; 8.30 p.m. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Manila; 9.30 p.m. Japan), culminating with the announcement of The Best Bar in Asia. 

Bar and cocktail enthusiasts the world over are invited to join those attending live in a digital countdown of the list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022, through The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook page and 50 Best Bars TV YouTube channel.

Related Tags

Asia Four Seasons Seoul Bartender Award 2022 Keith Motsi
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