Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Mitchell Kai Lum, Bacardi brand ambassador for Southeast Asia, is a strong believer in paying it forward. “You do good, and maybe karma will have something good happen,” states Kai, who is also the creator and owner of Cocktail Critters, a quirky apparel brand that features unique designs that bring out the fun side of cocktails. Kai reveals that he was thinking of ways to make a relevant contribution to the bartending community during these trying times when an idea came to him. “I’ve been so lucky to have this job (with Bacardi) for the last four years and I got to meet all these wonderful bartenders, and all these wonderful people,” Kai shares. “And so, why not look into face masks? It’s something that’s relevant and required everywhere you go.” Mitchell Kai Lum He thought of using some of his designs from Cocktail Critters and make face masks for the food and beverage sector, which has been among the most devastated by the pandemic which is still affecting the whole world. “I had no idea then that anyone would want to buy these. It was just something that I wanted to do to help,” Kai clarifies. The first 2,000 pieces made were paid from his own pocket and these were sent to several countries in Asia through his friends in the industry and with the help of the Bacardi local ambassadors. By the end of the first run, they had distributed masks to 550 bars across Asia. What started out as a way to help his fellow bartenders in the region has now grown into an initiative that has covered three continents. The Cocktail Critters face masks have been well received, especially in the United States. This made it possible for him to make more masks to give away, thus creating a snowball effect. “I take the proceeds from the masks, and I put it right back,” he reveals. Cocktail Critters face masks Cocktail Critters donated another 1,000 masks to bars across the United Kingdom with the help of the organization Healthy Hospo. They’ve sent 2,000 face masks in the US, which were equally divided between bars in New York and California, with another 2,000 pieces are set to be donated to bars in Florida and again in California, through various organizations. Kai’s ultimate goal for this year is to donate a total of 10,000 masks to the bartending community and he is just 3,000 pieces shy of achieving that. You can help make this possible by purchasing your own Cocktail Critters mask from these two designs: The OG reversible mask features a colorful design on one side and plain black on the other. This was the original design created for bartenders since they could use the black side when they’re working and wear the colorful side outside of work. These reversible masks are the pieces being donated to bars around the world. Fortunately, these ended up being popular with regular folks as well. The other design is a three-layered, non-reversible face mask with a filter pocket. Cocktail Critters mask designs These beautiful masks, along with other cool merch (the lapel pins are adorable), are available at CocktailCritters.com. And for a wonderful treat, DrinkManila readers get a special discount! Click here to get 30% off on all mask items! (The discount is automatically applied once you check out) Follow Cocktail Critters on Instagram for exciting updates on the launch of new products (cellphone cases, stickers, and more) next month.