Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest DrinkManila launched #TipYourBartenderPH as a way to help out our local bartending community during these trying times. Every Friday, for #DMHappyHour, we’re showcasing a bartender who will share a tasty cocktail recipe that viewers can do at home, as well as give them a platform to promote their small business. People can show their love by supporting the featured bartender’s business and directly sending them a tip. This week’s featured bartender is Larry Guevara. With over 15 years of bartending experience, Larry has gone through and seen it all. From being in the seminary, working on cruise ships, consulting on bar programs, and joining competitions, Larry has become a respected figure in the industry. Larry is a natural performer and is a gifted flair bartender. He’s become a finalist at prestigious competitions like Bacardi Legacy and Diageo World Class. He and his wife Sharleen have even gotten to the semifinals of Pilipinas Got Talent. He and his wife, Sharleen Antonio-Guevara, were working at Manille Beach Bar at beach destination El Nido, Palawan when the pandemic hit. What makes their experience more intense was that Sharleen was set to give birth right as quarantine was being implemented. It was stressful for them to be able to get to Manila in time for the birth of their son, but they made it in time. Larry has decided to focus on their YouTube channel at this time. “This pandemic really gave us the opportunity to work on content that we’ve been dying to put out but couldn’t do before due to loads of work,” Larry shares. “Likewise, because of the lockdown, the ECQ, and the liquor ban, there was really nothing much we could do but stay at home, so we took advantage of that. Personally, it was also my opportunity to look after and take care of my wife and our baby.” .” They didn’t really have a clear-cut vision when they started their YouTube channel. “All we wanted was to document our simple life in the barrio and our life “behind bars” and create videos that we could watch again when we get older,” says Larry. “Although we are known to be a bartender couple, we tried to move away from the obvious and tried to focus more on our relationship, our lifestyle, and, recently, about family life. Bartending, mixology, and flair tutorials are still a huge part of our content but we also wanted to touch on the human side of bartenders like relationships, family, and the like.” Being a bartender has sort of prepared Larry for fatherhood. “Being a new dad is like being in the weeds during your very first shift as a novice bartender: so much chaos, a long line of tickets, loud environment, and endless complaints from difficult guests,” Larry recounts. “Honestly, being a first-time dad did not only hone my bartending skill but it actually elevated it to a much greater and higher purpose. And it’s great because my baby’s daily routine keeps my bartending skills sharp in terms of speed and efficiency, hand-and-eye coordination, and, for the most part, guest relations. But hey, I’m a bartender and bartenders know how to roll with the (rum) punches.” The biggest takeaway Larry has gotten from this experience is being prepared and resilient. “I think that one of the biggest lessons we can learn from this pandemic is about preparedness and being able to adapt to any given situation,” he says. “More than anything else, we can all learn that making it through this pandemic is more about mental and emotional toughness rather than just the financial or material aspect of life. On top of it all, health is definitely wealth.” “After all, life is not about how you survive the storm,” Larry muses.”It’s about how you dance in the rain.” Catch him on a special pre-Father’s Day #TipYourBartenderPH at 5:00 pm on June 19, Friday, on DrinkManila’s Facebook page. Show your support by following Larry on Facebook and Instagram, following Liquid Concepts on Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and tip him directly through GCash: 09471986931. Destileria Limtuaco is giving a special gift pack to the highest tipper for this program. Take a screenshot of your tip to Larry, and send the pic via DM to DrinkManila and the highest tipper will get the special prize!