Sophia Kang succeeds Cedric Mendoza as Head Bartender of Manhattan
Manhattan, Asia’s Best Bar and World’s 3rd Best Bar, has named Sophia Kang as its new Head Bartender, following the departure of Cedric Mendoza who is taking on a new bartending role in Sydney.
Born and raised in Incheon, South Korea, Sophia was part of the founding team of Manhattan, having joined the bar as Food & Beverage Executive. She made the shift from floor to bar in 2015, where she received bartending training from the experienced bar team for a year. She was officially appointed as a Bartender in 2016, and subsequently promoted to Senior Bartender in 2018.
Pushing creative boundaries to further challenge herself, she participated in several regional competitions, including SpeedRack Asia 2017 and Gin Jubilee 2018, as well as numerous guest shifts at renowned bars around the world. She has also created a successful barrel-aged rendition of the Aviation cocktail, which remains a crowd favourite on Manhattan’s rickhouse menu.
Sophia is the second Head Bartender since Manhattan’s inception, and currently the bar’s first and only female bartender. “I count my blessings every day at Manhattan – to be given the opportunity to work alongside a team of motivated and energetic professionals I call family. Stepping into the role of Head Bartender fills me with much joy and pride, and succeeding my mentor Cedric is an absolute honour. He has definitely set the bar high and I am bursting with anticipation to exceed all expectations.”
“We are extremely heartened to see Sophia morph into a world-class mixologist over the past years. Her determination and natural leadership qualities, combined with creativity and humility, places her in good stead to drive the bar team to greater heights. We are excited to see her innovation in action and most importantly, spur her on to craft indulging moments for all our guests.”, says General Manager of Regent Singapore, Oscar Postma.
In her new role, Sophia will lead new menu development and oversee the spirits collection for the bar. She will also be partnering Assistant Bar Manager Gabriel Carlos in managing Manhattan’s signature American Whiskey Embassy programme to further drive advocacy and appreciation of fine American Whiskies.
When she is not coming up with new concoctions and shaking things up behind the bar, Sophia enjoys travelling, going to movies and hunting down new food and drink spots. Her favourite drink is a good old-fashioned Whiskey Sour – simple, sophisticated, and with an edgy sharpness – an apt reflection of her personality.
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