News from Scout supporter Market by Jean-Georges

Vancouver, BC | Award-winning, veteran bartender, Jay Jones, joins the team of Market by Jean-Georges as lead bartender.  Jones, who has been at the forefront of the local bar scene for more than a decade, brings his signature stylings to Market to showcase bar service at one of Vancouver’s destination restaurants. Jones goes behind the bar at Market, located in Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver on Friday, January 14, 2011.

“Jay is a terrific addition to the team and he is literally going to raise the bar in Market,” said Bruno Valentino, general manager, Market by Jean-Georges. “His beverage savvy and his reputation for being an industry leader will no doubt make the Market bar a must for locals and visitors.”

A Vancouver native, Jones has developed and lead cocktail, wine and beer programs for the city’s top restaurants and bars, including West, Nu, Salt Tasting Room, the Donnelly Hospitality Group and Voya. Most recently he co-created and opened Pourhouse.

“Global cocktail culture has been defined in some of the great hotel bars around the world, where the focus is on warm hospitality and refined drinks,” said Jones. “I am excited to continue the development of cocktail culture at Market by Jean-Georges and hone the definitive hotel bar experience in Vancouver. I am a cocktail classicist – inspired by history, but always to looking create new classics of my own and share my passion for cocktails, spirits, wine and beer with my guests.”

Jones is a Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) and holds diplomas and certification in wine and beer studies. He is an Advisory Board Member with the BC Hospitality Foundation and a driving force of Vancouver Craft Beer Week. As Founding Director of the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association, Jones is working to enhance the art of bartending across Canada.  His skill has also been acknowledged with numerous awards including locally, Urban Diner’s 2009 Bartender of the Year and the 2010 Westender Readers’ Choice “Best of the City” – Best Bartender. His work in cocktail culture has been featured in several publications, including Imbibe Magazine, while his passion for all things consumable can be followed on Twitter @Barjonesing.

About the Shangri-La

Opened January 24, 2009, Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver is set in Vancouver’s downtown core, located at 1128 West Georgia, at the intersection of West Georgia and Thurlow Street. The hotel occupies the first 15 floors of a new 61-storey landmark building, a multi-purpose complex built incorporating innovative residential living, high-end retail shopping, signature restaurants and an outdoor public art space curated by the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages 65 hotels under the Shangri-La and Traders brands with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services. Shangri-La hotels are located in Australia, Canada, mainland China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. The group has over 40 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Macau, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Seychelles, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information or reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

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