A local bartender on Friday reigned supreme in a Greater Bay Area mixology competition, which showcased the best flairtenders from Macau and Guangdong province.

The Hong Kong International Mixology Showdown 2024, organised by the SAR's Bartenders Association, hosted its inaugural GBA region competition in conjunction with this year's International Wine and Spirits Fair held at the convention centre in Wan Chai.

Thirty-six competitors from the two SARs, as well as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nansha, Jiangmen and Zhuhai, impressed the judges at the bar table with their flair and finesse.

Champion Kenneth Tsang, from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said he was ecstatic to win on home soil.

"I think this is a great opportunity to see other competitors from other [regions] because you can learn a lot during the competition because you can see every technique, skill and other things that you can't see in Hong Kong," he said.

"I think we can join more competitions [in the future] to make friends with each other, communicate with other bars or restaurants to build [each other] up."

The Bartenders Association's Ken Chau said the purpose of the event is to promote the exchange of bartending culture among the different regions, adding that more competitions can help elevate the SAR's status as a regional trading hub for wine and spirits.

And even though the government has relaxed duties on liquor, Chau said many bars have suffered significantly due to different consumption habits in Hong Kong. He hopes that this will change soon.

"The spirits tax doesn't help a lot of sales to be honest, but it does help start a new path, especially Chinese Baijius because Chinese Baijius will be the next big trend in Hong Kong," he added.