The Stella Artois Master Draught Malaysia is an annual event brought to Malaysia by Luen Heng F&B Sdn Bhd since 20010. “She is a thing of beauty” refers to the Belgian beer brand served with the perfect 9-step pouring ritual which was established since 1997.
The event brought together 20 top pourers around the country at the Temptation Restaurant in Berjaya University on the 6th September 2012. They were to compete for the chance to represent Malaysia in the Global World Draught Master 2012 in Montreal, Canada in October.
“Stella Artois 9-Step Pouring Ritual is an art in itself where we place great emphasis on this to ensure the beer is served just the way it was intended to be: perfectly. The local drink scene has embarked in a totally new landscape and we want to serve and present the product to the consumers with the same care, consideration and craftsmanship Stella Artois has exhibited in centuries of brewing.” Kenneth Soh, General Manager of Luen Heng said in his speech before the competition.
“We want to create a benchmark for the service by local bars and Stella Artois Master Draught Malaysia does exactly that by encouraging the local bartenders to practice their skills daily. There is criteria for bars to participate in this competition, therefore providing opportunities to bartenders as the bar owners are more willing to invest in training their stuff. Plus, this event gives exposure to the bar.” said Philip Tan, Regional Director - South Asia, Anheuser-Busch InBev International.
When asked about his view on the performance of the bartenders comparing past years to this year, Soren Ravn, Managing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia said: “It has definitely improved and the bartenders are getting more enthusiastic. This is good because we want to prepare the market and bring in more quality brands to Malaysia.”
(Winners: 2011 - Liew Siew Chin, 2012 - Leong Kar Fei and 2010 - Dehvyn Chan)
Winners for the past 2 years have been female barmen and this year, we saw one out of the four female contestants entered the final who delivered the 9-step presentation smoothly and skilfully. The event provides great learning opportunity for the winning bartenders and also a chance to meet bartenders from around the world. “The training and support I have received helped me develop my skills as a bartender.” winner of Malaysia Draught Masters 2011, Liew Siew Chin commented about her experience during her trip to Buenos Aire, Argentina last year.
(From left: Tang Kum Loong, Lee Chung Ern (Ivan), Leong Kar Fei and Liew Si Kay)
The four finalists not only had to repeat their 9-step pouring during the final, they were also asked questions relating themselves to their profession and the brand. Leong Kar Fai stood out by showing passion in what he does as a bartender; also, understanding Stella Artois brand and what it represents.
Sean Soh - Commercial Manager of Luen Heng F&B Sdn Bhd will be mentoring Leong to Montreal this October. Sean has been the mentor to the Malaysia winners of the past years and said that it was a rewarding role and he was looking forward to seeing Leong through this year's global competition in Canada.
The winner of the Global World Draught Master will embark on a quest through the visits of more than 20 different countries as a Stella Artois brand ambassador and share his/her passion and dedication to the craft of the perfect pour.
(2012 winner: Leong Kar Fei)
Winners for Stella Artois Master Draught Malaysia 2012:
Winner (Cash of CAD500 + a trip to Global World Draught Master 2012 @ Canada): Leong Kar Fei
1st Runner-up (Cash of RM1000): Lee Chung Ern (Ivan)
2nd Runner-up (Cash of RM500 each): Tang Kum Loong (David) and Liew Si Kay
(From left: Rawin Suphavanij, Kenneth Soh, Philip Tan, Leong Kar Fei, Soren Ravn and Kristian Dahl)
The judges for the competition were:
Soren Ravn, Managing Director, Carlsberg Malaysia
Kenneth Soh, General Manager, Luen Heng F&B Sdn Bhd
Kristian Dahl, Supply Chain Director of Carlsberg Malaysia
Philip Tan, Regional Director - South Asia, Anheuser-Busch InBev International
Rawin Suphavanij, General manager - Brewberry Co., Ltd, Thailand
The 9-Step Pouring Ritual
I) The Purification – The chalice is washed and rinsed in a bar tub, then dunk in ice cold water for to reach the same temperature as the beer
II) The Sacrifice – The first foam from the tap is not to be poured into the chalice to ensure that the beer is fresh
III) The Liquid Alchemy – Angle the chalice at 45° for the liquid to circulate smoothly for the right proportion of foam
IV) The Crown – Towards the top of the filling, straighten and lower the chalice to preserve a 3cm foam to prevent the air from coming in contact with the beer. This ensures to not lose the original beer flavour.
V) The Removal – Remove the chalice from the tap and closed the tap without allowing the last drop into the chalice.
VI) The Beheading – Hold the knife at a 45° angle and cut the foam while it is still flowing out of the chalice. This is to take away the bigger bubbles which can cause the beer head to flat out quicker.
VII) The Judgment – Check that the beer head remains at 3cm.
VIII) The Cleansing – Rinse the bottom and outside of the chalice in the water filled bar tub.
IX) The Bestowal – Place the drip catcher at the bottom of the chalice. Viola, the beer is now served with the Stella Artois logo facing the customer!
The 9-step can be seen on the video here.
There is also an iPhone app which you can use to assess the step by step ritual and compete against other players online. Have fun!