There is a rousing energy presently felt in the Philippine bar scene. The Philippines has been turning heads in the international bartending competitions for a few years now. Some of the best bartenders in the world come from the Philippines. This may come as a surprise to you, dear imbibers, but not to passionate personalities in our growing and exciting industry. After all, we have a long, rich history connected to alcohol. From the Spanish, we were taught how to make cerveza or beer. Also, we can’t deny the great influence Americans have had in our culture. They brought the cocktail culture here (in army bases they had officers’ bars) and most likely taught Filipinos how to make cocktails the way they do. They passed on the skills and knowledge to Pinoy bartenders.
The Prohibition (from 1919 – 1933) did not extend to the Philippines, thankfully. And of course the Americans living and stationed here during that time were able to take full advantage of that. They introduced us to the cocktail club and Nightclub culture. Another important cocktail history that Filipinos are a part of is the Tiki Bar movement which started as early as the 1930s in America. During that time, in a famous bar called Don The Beach Comber (Los Angeles), celebrities like Charlie Chaplin were regulars. If you ordered a Martini or an old fashioned in this bar, they would make it for you in plain sight. But if you wanted to have one of their “talk of the town” tropical concoctions, it would emerge from a hidden back bar. Guests never saw who made them; today we know them as the Don’s “Four Boys,” and one of them is the legendary Filipino American bartender named Ray Buhen.
Fast forward to the present. The past few years have seen some major developments in the bar and cocktail culture. Now is the dawn of a new era. New and exciting bars and restaurants are opening left and right, offering varied yet polished drinks to suit every mood. Bartenders are the new chefs (liquid chefs), the new superstars in the F&B world; they are the rock stars, celebrities in my eyes. Today, Filipinos need not hide while preparing a cocktail. Now, we are present at front, the stage is now set! The Philippines has sent representatives to international competitions and are making quite an impressive dent in the bartending realm. One of the rising talented Filipino bartenders who is making a name in the field is Kenneth Bandivas of ABV Bar. He is the Philippines’ representative to the 2015 Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year Finals in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Diageo World Class is the most prestigious and respected mixology competition in the world. Fifty of the best bartenders from the finest establishments in the world come together to put their skills, technique and knowledge to the test, and duke it out in five days (August 31 to September 4) of what can only be described as a cocktail bonanza (each contender will have to make 23 cocktails in several challenges). I met with Ken at ABV to talk to him about the competition and to sample some of the cocktails he will make during the competition.
Ken is the embodiment of the Boy Scout. (I think I may have just given his nickname…) Motto: Always be prepared! He prepared well over 60+ signature cocktails! (Ken, here’s and idea… turn it into a book already! I’ll take my cut, okay? LOL) Apart from touching base with a variety of methods of making cocktails (stirred, shaken, etc.), as well as different flavor profiles (spirit forward, sweet, sour, etc.), his game plan is to be prepared. He has been practicing and preparing for this for months. Having the honor of representing the country has not gotten into his head. Like his favorite cocktail, the Old Fashioned, Ken is simple, straightforward, confident.
One of the challenges is to concoct a cocktail that will pay homage to the participant’s country. The first drink he presented was his entry for this category: The Bitter Felipe. This is special to him because it contains an ingredient that he hated when he was younger: the dreaded ampalaya (bitter gourd, for those not from around here; I’m sure you can tell from the name alone why this vegetable is an acquired taste). “It represents Filipinos in general,” he says. “We can turn something negative into something positive.” He makes the best out of a bad situation, so to speak, by making his own ampalaya liqueur by macerating (soaking a fruit or any object to soften and extract flavor) it in sugar and Ketel One vodka. Added to Bulleit bourbon, lime juice, and Palawan honey (for added local flavor), the Bitter Felipe is a creative twist to the whisky sour. I took a long whiff to experience the nose of this original cocktail. The fresh zest of the lime first got my attention, like an old fashioned but with a deeper complexity. Notes of the bourbon, has hints of caramel, vanilla, smoky, taste of citrus, wood, just the right amount of bitterness from the ampalaya to complement the bourbon. To me, Bitter Filipe was a perfectly balanced drink that has definitely left a “Better” taste on my tongue!
The next cocktail he prepared was the Heart and Soul, meant for the final showdown with the last top six contenders of the completion who will be advancing to the finals. Made with Kettle one vodka as base with paprika, homemade ginger syrup, lime, sage and egg whites. This to me was a beautiful symphony of flavors; fresh, savory, spicy. Shaken to perfection, resulting in a lovely foam that provided this libation a very smooth mouth feel. This drink was such a delight I could hear Tchaikovsky’s “The Nut Cracker” playing in the background!
He moved on to his favorite drink, the Elgin Bridge. It’s an intense, spirit forward drink that pairs well with something heavy, like meat. He uses something that isn’t something you normally see in cocktails: homemade cigar liqueur. Using local Tabacalera Coronas. He extracted the cigar flavor by macerating it, resulting in a bittersweet, intense flavor. It’s mixed with Bulleit bourbon, chocolate absinthe liqueur, and poured over a Marasca cherry (instead of a sugar cube) into a glass smoked with bourbon barrel chips; isn’t this drink exciting?! I was so excited to try this drink! I was getting thirsty just watching him make it! But to my surprise, “MY” drink was stolen from me! It did a Houdini! Seriously, whoever took my drink knew what he was doing. I turned to Ken and he said with much empathy that that’s the last drink he will be doing as he has to save the rest for the competition. If I were a guy, I would be claiming blue balls! I will still be expecting to try this drink when Ken returns.
Whatever the results of the competition are, Ken, you already make us proud!
We may be lagging behind in the bar and cocktail industry, but something is definitely brewing. That our bartenders are making a mark in the international scene is certainly a sign of great things to come. You can see it in all the restaurants and cocktail bars mushrooming all around town. You can taste it in the more complex and sophisticated drinks being offered. New premium liquor brands are coming here because they can see that the market is ripe and ready for what they have to offer. You can feel the momentum of something forming, emerging, evolving. It’s a privilege for me to be part of it, a witness to it and to be surrounded by this energy. Sure, we’re trailing behind other countries. We are 5th in Asia right now, but hear this – this energy in Manila presently is comparable to the horse races. Like each owner is getting their horses to enter the gates, just waiting for that bell to ring! Exciting, isn’t it? World, we are knocking on your door! To all my fellow imbibers, Manila is a great place to be right now. Let’s all raise our cocktail glasses and drink to a bright, exciting cocktail scene in the Philippines! Cheers!
