Participants taste wines at the expo. Photo provided to China Daily

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It is also no wonder that Neil Wong was a popular man. When the president of the Hong Kong Bartenders Association and the Association of Bartenders and Sommeliers Macao wasn't shaking hands with suppliers and customers, he was busy ensuring that his team of 14 bartenders was up to speed and let no glass remain empty for long.

Bartenders - and mixologists, their fancier counterparts - may be considered the opposite side of the same coin that sommeliers reside upon.

"Bartenders can't just know about spirits and how to use them in cocktails," Wong says.

"We have to be able to recommend wine and beer. We are in charge of it all."

The reality is that in Asian restaurants, sommeliers are most commonly found in high-end European establishments while any place with a liquor license requires a bartender.

With 300 members in Hong Kong and 200 members in Macao, the association is open to any bartender with one-year work experience. The association offers a series of courses that leads to a certificate for their members, and it has partnered with HOFEX in Hong Kong and FHC China in Shanghai to showcase their skills and expertise.

"Most of the spirits we were given to work with at Spirtual are samples," Wong explains.

"We rely on our experience to create cocktails to suit people's tastes. Asian weather is hot and humid. People here prefer long drinks while Europeans go for more traditional cocktails."

Suppliers also got into the act with an hourly roster of master classes throughout the day hosted by each spirit's representative, including Russian vodka Tovartich! and English gin Hayman's Distillers.

"Visitors' reactions have been very positive," Wong says. "It's exciting to see and I think people appreciate being served a refreshing, brightly colored cocktail as a nice variation. It's a win-win situation for everyone. We get to entertain new visitors and introduce new upmarket spirits."

If you go:

Vinexpo Nippon, Tokyo, Nov 1-2, 2014

Vinexpo, Bordeaux, June 14-18, 2015

www.vinexpoasiapacific.com