Bartenders Pay Tribute to Their Idols in the Industry

It’s World Bartender Day! Celebrated annually on February 24, World Bartender Day shines the spotlight on the talented people behind the bar who make our drinks. With most of the bars closed due to the global pandemic, we rarely get to experience sitting at a bar after a hard day and watch our favorite bartender whip us a little, happy elixir to sort us out. While we can order tasty cocktails for delivery, having the drinks shaken or stirred right in front of you is something else. We raise our glasses to these people who have made our nights more memorable.

To celebrate World Bartender Day this year, we’ve asked some of our established bartenders — who’ve represented the country in bartending competitions abroad — who their bartending heroes, mentors, and idols are. Here’s a little tribute to the people who helped shaped them into the superstars they are today.

Jason Hussein Ali
Bartender, Grand Hyatt Manila
Bacardi Legacy Philippines Champion 2018 | Patrón Perfectionists Southeast Asian Champion 2019

“My bartending hero is none other than my former boss Erwan Huessaff. He is the first person that I’ve known who showed a lot of interest behind the bar. His effort and his passion drove all his bartenders to their limits. We (bartenders) were like freshmen students at the start of Niner Ichi Nana. He worked really hard with us and helped us to succeed. I’m also very grateful to my idols Mark Herera, Nino Cruz, and sir Edward Yuzon. They were the first people who believed in me and I’m thankful that I came to know them.”

Aldrin Ivan ‘Poch’ Ancheta
Bar Manager, Skye BGC and Skye Makati
Two-Time Monkey Shoulder Ultimate Bartender Champion

“Jericson Co (owner/head bartender of The Curator) is coach Yeng Guiao to my Beau Belga! Simply put, there wouldn’t be a Poch Ancheta if this guy has not taken me under his wing. He taught me the essentials of leadership, how to run a team, and how to train them. The fundamentals of my philosophy and ethos for the bar were based on the teachings that he shared with me. The pay-it-forward approach to my students is based directly on how he taught me. I think that the best way to thank your mentor is to impart and share that knowledge to your mentee. I owe that man greatly and I am proud to be his mentee for life.”

Kenneth Bandivas
Bar Consultant | Part Owner of The Spirits Library and Kampai
Diageo World Class Philippines Winner 2015

“David Rios is the person I look up to because of his charm behind the bar. I’ve seen him work behind the bar during guest shifts. His finesse at work really catches the audience’s attention. He is a good host and takes good care of his guests.I was privileged enough to have a moment with him during the global finals of Diageo World Class bartender of the year 2015. He was the one who handed me the award for the ‘Around the World’ challenge when I won during that run. We’ve kept in touch and occasionally exchange messages about cocktail trends and celebrations.”

Loreen Hernandez
La Maison Cointreau Philippines Champion 2018

“There are actually a lot of bartenders and mentors whom I learned many things from and have high respect for. But there are three people who really made an impact on my career. One of them is Giancarlo Mancino, in terms of the craft itself. I became so interested in creating cocktails by just watching how he made the menu in my previous job, when I first became a bartender. The second one is Aldrin ‘Poch’ Ancheta. He was the one who pushed me to take the next step from what I usually do and discover my own potential. He really believed that I could pull it off, and I couldn’t believe that I did. And third is Michael O’Shea. He’s one of the best people I’ve worked with. Watching how he leads the team and create every opportunity for a bartender and barback to grow is really amazing. His humility and passion have influenced me as well. He is the person I look up to and I will definitely apply his principles.”

Kate Osmillo 
Bar Manager, OTO
Philippines’ Glenfiddich World’s Most Experimental Bartender 2019

“Everyone has a mentor, idol, and inspiration and it creates a huge impact in our lives in many ways. When I started my bartending career, I was so blessed to have a lot of co-workers who were willing to train and teach me everything that they knew. Kuya Billy Garma, Anthony Dave Banda, and Cedric Cello were the people who guided me and taught me the fundamentals and classics that became the good foundations of my bartending knowledge. I was also blessed to have another team when I was hired at OTO. I was mentored by my ‘Daddy’ (haha) David Ong, who guided and taught me to see bartending in a bigger picture, and also helped boost my confidence.”

“My idol in bartending is Monica Berg, though not just in bartending. I love how she cares a lot for our industry. She created a digital platform for the hospitality industry to raise concerns regarding discrimination and harassment. Meeting her in Scotland and having her as one of the judges in the competition that I joined is one of the memories that I won’t forget. I got so kilig when I was included in her stories and when I read the good comments from her.”

Enzo Luna 
Bar Manager,La Vie En Rose
Don Papa Chef and Shaker Competition Winner 2019 

“It’s Kath Eckstein! I learned a lot from her — not just about bartending, but with life, and food and beverage in general. I consider a lot of my experiences now as direct results from what she taught me initially, such as service and hospitality (the root of a great guest experience), and the cocktails. She also taught me balance in between building a family while still pursuing her passions in our humble industry. I am also thankful to her for opening my eyes on the challenges a woman faces in this male-dominated industry and a whole lot more! If I ever have mentees of my own, I hope I’ll have the same effect on them as Kath had on me. If Kath sees this message, I’d like to thank her from the bottom of my heart for accepting me in this industry and to tell her I’ll always support her. Love you, Kath! Happy Bartender’s Day!”

Ian Libang 
Head Bartender, Kermit La Union
Brockman’s Gin Brocktail Competition Philippine Champion 2019
Campari Bartender Competition Philippines Winner 2019

“Kudos to all bartenders around the world for surviving this tough era in the hospitality industry! I can say that my bartending hero is Tristan Stephenson, the author of the book “The Curious Bartender,” which sparked my interest and opened my eyes to the craft of bartending and the craft of cocktails. The book is perfect for beginners and bartenders who want to know more about the craft and the science of bartending.”

Ralph Allen Santos
Bartender, The Spirits Library
Ramsbury Single Estate Cocktail Competition Winner 2019

“Ian Osillo is my bar hero because I like his style of bartending. He has this great personality and is very humble. I have competed with him during the Bacardi Legacy and Ramsbury competitions and I learned a lot from him during those times. We became close friends and I’ve liked him even more! I see that he has a lot of potential and that’s probably why he became the Campari brand ambassador. He’s also helping the bartending community.”

Cedric Cello
Bar Manager, A’Toda Madre
La Maison Cointreau Philippines Champion 2016

“I owe my bartending career to Ms. Icy Marinas. I applied as a dining supervisor at Hooch, her bar, but there was no vacancy. Ms. Icy asked me if I wanted to apply for a bartending position instead and asked me to create one signature and one classic cocktail. That’s where my bartending adventure started. She saw something in me. I found my true self while working behind the bar, creating cocktails, and honing my craft. I thank my mentor for pushing, guiding, and patiently explaining to me what I needed to learn. Now I’m paying it forward to those who are interested in the bartending industry.”

Ji Agunat 
Freelance Bartender
Bacardi Legacy Philippine Champion 2019

“My bartending hero is David Wondrich. He is well-versed in our craft and the effort he puts into writing his books is quite stupendous. I would like to be like him someday and write my own book. Locally, the barkeepers I look up to are Nino Cruz, Kenneth Bandivas, Yoma Rivera, David Ong, Rian Asiddao, Shinichi Itoh, Ian Osillo, and Lester Ligon. These are some of the guys who inspired me. Seeing them succeed in this craft motivates me and makes me want to work even harder.”

Richie Cruz 
Content Creator, Toma Sessions
Bacardi Legacy Philippine Champion 2016 

“Tobin Ellis is one of my heroes in the business. He’s the owner of Barmagic.com. I’ve followed him since 1998. He is very articulate, no-nonsense, and intelligent in terms of the bartending business. He made me look at the profession in a different way since his posts were geared towards the reality of the business. Fast forward to 2020, I was able to get him as a guest for Toma Sessions and pick his brain. He is still pretty much the “Jedi” of bartending. One of my takeaways from my talk with Tobin is the “We before Me” mentality. Collectively, nothing is impossible. Everybody should buy-in. A platform such as a hospitality board is one that the Philippine bar industry can learn from.”

Auie Benisano
Head Bartender, Agimat at Ugat Foraging and Distillery Bar
Opihr Gin Global Cocktail Competition Philippines Winner 2019 

“I have been inspired by a lot of people in the industry. But if I have to think of one, it’s none other than chef Kalel Demetrio, the Liquido Maestro. I admire him because we have the same passion and goal, to make a mark in the bar industry worldwide. I know that everybody in the local industry is eyeing to do that as well but I don’t see anyone who wants it as bad as Kalel does. He really has the grit to succeed.”

Cheers to bartenders all over the world!

Cover image from Unsplash | Images courtesy of bartenders or DrinkManila archives unless indicated