Southside Parlor adds international twist to Seoul's cocktail scene

Southside Parlor / Courtesy of Robert Michael Evans

By Jamie Finn

Itaewon bar Southside Parlor has developed a reputation as one of Seoul's leading names in cocktail craft. But the team there are not content with serving delicious twists on classics to locals only. Instead, they've been touring Asia, spreading their unique recipes and bringing their bright energy with them. Here they talk to us about their passion for mixing and the current state of Seoul's bar scene.

Seoul may not be the first city that comes to mind when one thinks of upscale cocktail establishments, but that perception is an unfair one. Or so claims Southside Parlor co-owner Bobby Kim.

"The Korean bar scene is top-notch," Bobby explains as Southside Parlor staff around us prepare for the busy night ahead. "It's very underrated, and it's been exploding over the last few years. The longstanding issue with the Korean bar community has always been the language barrier. It has often meant the scene here is overlooked. But since (the pandemic), many Korean bartenders that went abroad to study bartending have started returning, so it's an exciting time for the bar scene here. We want to be a part of that and even help expose it further."

Perhaps the best evidence of the quality of Seoul's bars is their presence on the "Asia's 50 Best Bars" list (which, despite the name, is actually a top 100). While Seoul may not be as highly featured as the likes of Singapore (20) and Hong Kong (14), it is pretty well-represented with a respectable nine inclusions. Southside Parlor is among those nine, ranked as the 90th-best bar in all of Asia.

The list and affiliated events have been key components of the increased interconnectivity among those working in the Asian cocktail scene. "The bar community in Asia is really well-connected these days," Bobby says. "Bartenders from all over Asia often meet each other. Last March, Asia's Top Bars hosted a ceremony for all of the bars featured. As one of the bars on the list, we were invited to participate in the ceremony, but we were also asked to come and do some guest bartending there. There was a lot of networking done there, and we got to meet other bartenders, bar managers and people who work with alcohol brands. There was a strong drive to make the community bigger because the attendees believe there's a future for cocktails and cocktail culture."

It is through this connectivity and networking that the Southside team began planning their next project ― traveling around the world and acting as guest bartenders in various establishments. "We've been to Thailand and various spots around Malaysia as a team, and (Southside bar manager) Maria has also been to Hong Kong and Singapore," Bobby says. "We're planning to go back to Thailand soon, and we're hoping to visit some new countries, too."

Traveling to these locations is not only about having fun, although, as their social media posts show, they are having plenty of that. "We try to bring our cocktail style to wherever we go while also adapting and using their local ingredients. We try to introduce some of our Korean styles to their menu. Sometimes that means getting ingredients in different countries when possible. But it often involves bringing things with us like 'omija' and 'doenjang' and, of course, 'makgeolli,'" Bobby says.

There are some challenges you might not expect, too, Bobby goes on to explain.

"Sometimes an ingredient we need for our drink will be available, but because of their climate, it will taste very different to what we originally used in our recipe," he says. "For the kind of cocktails we're making, precision is everything, and for ingredients like cilantro and lime, the acidity levels and the color can differ greatly in different countries. We often have to adjust our recipes wherever we go."

As well as a great opportunity to network and the obvious marketing advantages it can offer, traveling to venues abroad offers an excellent opportunity to learn new skills and recipes. Bobby explains that the approach to learning, teaching and sharing is different in the bar community when compared to the food world. "We learn a lot about equipment, recipes and techniques for extracting flavor through working with these other bars, but there is an important difference between the bar world and the culinary world that people don't think about. In the culinary world, secrets are much more closely guarded. Information in the bar world is a lot more open. If someone has a particular technique, they are much more open to sharing it so that the community can grow together," he says.

Food served at Southside Parlor / Courtesy of Southside Parlor

"This stems from the nature of bar culture since bartenders are hospitality people first and foremost. Chefs are often in the back working on the food. Sometimes they go out and explain, but it's not a central part of cooking. But for bartenders, it is necessary to talk to people, explain and make sure everyone is having a good time. Drinks are usually made in front of customers, unlike food. That is an important part of the customer experience and is why a lot of know-how is public knowledge."

Not only has the Southside team been touring Asia's bar scene and promoting Korean cocktails, but they have also brought several guest bartenders from around the continent to Seoul. In recent months, guests from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and more have taken over both their bar and their kitchen. "It's been something that has been happening for a while, but because of (the pandemic), we had to stop. We've been eager to get right back into it."

The rooftop space of Southside Parlor / Courtesy of Southside Parlor

When asked about his personal highlight of the guests that have appeared in Southside, Bobby wastes no time sharing his choice. "There's this one bar in Singapore called Analogue, who we're good friends with. They really push the sustainability side of things. Everything they do is completely plant-based, and they use all local alcohol and products," he says.

"The Analogue team brought over many of the ingredients that weren't available here. They were especially memorable because they paired some amazing food with their cocktails."

It's not just an international affair, though, and the Southside team are increasing their locally based partnerships, too. "We're collaborating with more Korean bars and trying to invite more Korean bartenders. So far, we've done a good job of connecting with the Seoul bartending community, but we want to do more, so that people in this area can be exposed to the great Korean style of bartenders. The Korean style itself is not that specific and ranges from what we're doing here to a style that incorporates some Japanese elements. But it's more about being exposed to great Korean bartenders themselves."

It's fair to say that Southside Parlor is a venue that takes drinks seriously, something that Bobby doesn't shy away from. "We are a serious bar program," he explains. "A lot of work goes into producing the ingredients for our cocktails. One of our cocktails requires a lactose fermentation process that can be very labor-intensive. The amount of time it takes to make one or two of the ingredients can be several days. Making simple, delicious cocktails is great, and it's something that we do. But we also like to experiment with different methods that you won't find in just any bar."

Despite spreading their wings overseas, the Southside team did recently face a setback closer to home, as its sister venue, Pocket, closed its doors in nearby Haebangchon. It's an issue that is increasingly affecting spaces in the area. "Our lease was up, and our landlord didn't want to extend it. He wanted to take the space and do something else with it. It was as simple as that," Bobby says.

"We're sad, of course. That bar was an important part of what we do. The aim of Pocket was to show that you can make simple cocktails that are good quality and for a lower price. We tried to create a nice vibe, but also we were focused on the price, giving something similar to what we do in Southside but more affordable."

A New Year's party at Southside Parlor / Courtesy of Robert Michael Evans

But it's onwards and upwards for the Southside team, who have a lot planned for the rest of 2023. "We'll be one of the participating venues for the Block Party festival, but our big news is that we're going to be celebrating 10 years of Southside Parlor this year," Bobby says. "We'll be throwing a huge party here sometime in the fall. It's a huge landmark for us."

As they commemorate a decade of creating unique cocktails to complement their bar's vibrant energy, it's great to see them spreading their wings abroad while continuing to add to the local scene that they love.

Jamie Finn is chief editor of Platform Magazine.