Clarity at Seventy Floors: The Quiet Precision of Solla Park
Name: Hyun Jung Park
Alias: Solla
Current Role: Head Mixologist
Venue: SKAI Bar at Swissotel The Stamford
Country: Singapore
Instagram:@solla_park
The Discipline of Curiosity
At eighteen, in South Korea, Hyun Jung Park aka Solla was already balancing full time work in F&B with hotel management studies. Discipline came early. But passion came later.
Her turning point did not happen in a glamorous cocktail bar. It happened in a Japanese restaurant in Robertson Quay. A bottle of watermelon liqueur was placed in her hands, and she was asked to create a cocktail.
She had zero knowledge. No classics memorised. No technical foundation. Just curiosity.
Instead of shrinking, she leaned in. On her days off, she visited cocktail bars. She studied the choreography of bartenders. She followed industry figures online. She watched videos obsessively, especially the YouTube channel “Mr. Tolmach,” which taught her that bartending is not only craft but presence, performance and control.
What began as confusion turned into obsession. What began as a task became a calling.
She eventually stepped into hotel bartending, seeking structure and proper training. That decision marked the beginning of her serious commitment to the craft.
Structure Meets Emotion
Solla’s approach today is shaped by two powerful environments: discipline and refinement.
Her training at Le Chamber instilled standards, humility and the understanding that bartending carries philosophy and legacy. Later, her time at Jigger & Pony expanded her vision to a global stage. There, excellence was not optional. It was expected.
Exposure to internationally respected bartenders pushed her beyond technical execution. She began thinking about identity. About how Asian bartenders contribute meaningfully to the global conversation. About how precision becomes a signature.
Now at SKAI Bar, seventy floors above Singapore, she finds a different kind of clarity.
The skyline demands refinement. Guests do not simply come for a drink. They come for a moment suspended above the city. For Solla, that means drinks must match the altitude.
Her philosophy is simple but exacting: Clarity. Structure. Intentional balance.
A cocktail should feel effortless. But behind that effortlessness must be deliberate detail, precise dilution, and controlled flavour definition.
SHAKA: Balance in a Glass
Her signature cocktail, SHAKA, captures this philosophy in liquid form.
SHAKA was the national winning cocktail at the Giffard West Cup 2024 Singapore. But beyond competition, it is deeply personal.
Inspired by surfing mornings in Bali, by spicy grilled corn and cold beer after hours in the ocean, SHAKA reflects contrast. Warmth and lift. Intensity and calm.
Bourbon provides backbone and structure. Mango and fresh lime bring brightness. Giffard Piment d’Espelette and Ginger of the Indies create warmth and layered spice. A beer foam and savoury corn garnish introduce umami and texture.
It is tropical but disciplined. Playful yet grounded.
The name itself references the Hawaiian gesture of ease and gratitude. For Solla, SHAKA represents movement, harmony and lifestyle balance. It is both her competitive edge and her personal story.
Seventy Floors Above the City
SKAI Bar is not just another rooftop venue. Perched at Swissotel The Stamford, it sits seventy floors above the city.
Sunset service is sacred here.
As daylight fades into neon, guests sip Singapore Slings against a panoramic skyline. The energy shifts. Conversations soften. The city glows.
For Solla, this is when structure meets emotion.
Highballs are her current love. Whisky. Tequila. Clean profiles that showcase texture and clarity rather than sugar. She is refining dilution control, exploring subtle infusions inspired by Korea, Singapore and beyond, always keeping flavours composed and intentional.
She is especially inspired by the global shift toward minimalism and thoughtful storytelling. Guests are seeking less excess and more meaning. Cleaner flavours. Deeper connection.
Asian bartenders, too, are gaining recognition on the world stage. And she feels the momentum.
In Motion
In a Korean MV-style feature, Solla moves through a lineup of cocktails with quiet intensity.
Sharp cuts. Clean builds. Controlled pours.
The Human Connection
One guest returned night after night for the same cocktail. Not because it was flashy. Not because it was complex.
Because it reminded him of home.
That moment reaffirmed something essential for her. Bartending is not about ego or technical display. It is about emotion. About memory. About creating a feeling someone wants to relive.
That is the real craft.
Off the Clock
On her perfect day off, there is no alarm.
An iced coffee. A slow morning. A K drama or mukbang video in the afternoon. And later, perhaps a simple highball or an extra dirty Martini.
Quiet. Balanced. Calm.
The opposite rhythm of service.
What Comes Next
As Head Mixologist at SKAI Bar, Solla is focused on building a thoughtful, structured drink programme shaped by her competition experience and world class training.
Her ambition is not loud. It is steady.
She believes growth comes from consistency and staying open to learning. No matter the title, no matter the stage, she approaches every shift with focus and respect.
Seventy floors above Singapore, clarity is not just in the glass.
It is in her mindset.
Experience It in the Sky
There is a certain stillness seventy floors above the city.
At SKAI Bar inside Swissotel The Stamford, Solla’s philosophy of clarity and balance unfolds nightly against the Singapore skyline. The drinks are structured. The energy is composed. The details are intentional.
If SHAKA represents her competitive edge, it also represents her spirit. A glimpse of that journey can be seen in her featured video appearance, where she shares more about her craft and perspective behind the bar. Her competition moment is also captured in a recent Instagram feature, offering a visual snapshot of the discipline and confidence that define her work.
But the real experience is not online.
It is at sunset.
It is in the lift ride up.
It is in the first sip as the city turns from gold to electric blue.
To understand Solla’s approach to balance, you have to taste it.
Visit her at SKAI Bar and experience it firsthand.
Follow the journey:
@swissotelthestamford
@skai.bar
Seventy floors up, clarity tastes different.
