Frequenters of Poblacion favourite Oto may recognise this friendly face. With experience in a range of competitions for the past nine years, JV Naive has steadily climbed the ranks at this well-known watering hole, and currently leads the bar as its newly minted head bartender—an impressive feat, considering Oto is among Asia’s Best Bars 51-100 list.

This talented mixologist wasn’t always found behind the bar—in fact, Dan Santos first embarked on his beverage career as a barista in 2016. In pursuit of his brewing fascination with cocktails, he learned much of his bartending know-how from The Curator Coffee and Cocktails—a celebrated destination featured in Asia's Best Bars 51-100 list, where Santos presently serves up delicious drinks.

Capping off our roster of 12 top mixologists is World Class Philippines 2022 Bartender of the Year, Claude Delima. While Delima can often be found at The Spirits Library whipping up inventive cocktails to suit whatever you fancy, the reigning champion has been out and about on tour, fulfilling guest shifts in top bars across Singapore and Hong Kong, with more exciting events to come for the talented mixologist.

Now the chief mixologist at Salt and Ice, Abby Quilal-lan holds time-earned experience at popular bars such as ABV and Bar-10—not to mention, she was crowned champion at the Don Papa Cocktail Competition 2017 and La Maison Cointreau 2019. Leading Visum Ventures’ dedicated craft cocktail bar, Quilal-lan tantalises guests with her adventurous and innovative creations that keep you coming back for more.

Formerly found behind the bar at Samba and Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar, Kent Llorico is now the senior bartender at The Back Room, Shangri-La the Fort, Manila’s snazzy speakeasy. Featuring a hidden gin laboratory, a collection of unique homemade infusions, and even its own Bee’s Knees gin, the Prohibition-themed bar is consistently top of mind among serious cocktail drinkers thanks to the tasty tipples by Llorico and the team.

Diageo World Class, La Maison Cointreau, Glenfiddich Most Experimental Bartender—these are just some of the country-wide competitions Faye Fernando has joined, advancing to the finals in each. Formerly spotted behind the bar at The Curator and Cove Manila, Fernando is now the head mixologist at Solaire Resort, leading the teams at the luxury destination’s many bars.

As the cook-turned-mixologist behind the innovative bottled cocktails at Some Young, there’s no doubting Royce Pua’s creativity and expertise. Formerly the 2017 Diageo World Class Philippine champion as the bartender at 12/10, Pua has since worked as beverage consultant for Made Nice and can now be found at Recraft, a quaint but thriving neighbourhood bar in New Manila.

As the executive bartender of Southbank Café + Lounge, Kevin Corales draws from his unique culinary background to create unconventional drinks with surprising flavours. While he may be among the freshest faces on the scene, his commitment to his craft is undeniable, inspiring him to curate memorable experiences for his guests with every sip. In fact, though he had just started bartending in 2019, Corales went through to the top six finals of Diageo World Class Philippines 2021.

Any discussion surrounding bars in Metro Manila must include Blind Pig: one of the country’s oldest, honest-to-goodness speakeasies, which opened its braille-laden wooden doors back in 2011. Tog Exconde is among the institution’s first roster of bartenders, and the last of the cohort still working the bar. Trained by Michael McIlroy of Milk & Honey, the famed New York City speakeasy that inspired Blind Pig, you can rest assured you’re in for a treat with Exconde around—he’s even trained and consulted for a slew of bars throughout the city.

Jason Nuqui started out as a self-taught mixologist on a cruise ship in 2000, picking up bartending books he’d encountered in ports across the globe. Fast forward over two decades later and Nuqui can now be found at the ever-popular Bank Bar—a tenure that has enabled him to hone his craft under Marek Vojcarcik and learn from collaborations with some of the world's top talents, including Agung Prabolo (Penicillin), Alex Pun (Whisky & Words), and Otis Florence (formerly Attaboy).

Boasting a colourful resume that includes bar manager at The Cufflink Club (Singapore), consultant for Dusit Thani and Hilton hotels, and business development manager for Campari Southeast Asia, Aaron Goodall is currently the program development manager APAC for Don Papa Rum. Captivated by the young but promising F&B industry in the Philippines, the half-Australian, half-Filipino talent has been steadfast in championing the proudly local beverage since joining the brand in 2020. More recently, Goodall has taken this drive across the world, illuminating the wonderful world of Don Papa Rum on a global scale.

Drawing from 15 years of beverage industry experience (and counting!), Clayton Munar consistently stuns his guests with innovative, well-made drinks that open up a new world of cocktails. Currently the beverage manager at Alibi Lounge & Bar, a speakeasy tucked within Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Alabang, Munar was previously the beverage manager for Makati Shangri-La and brand ambassador for Destileria Limtauco.