A no-nonsense industry vanguard, Niks champions fair employment standards — and has zero tolerance for dirty bar toilets. Niks is one of Bangkok’s true originals — the driving force behind transforming Chinatown’s Soi Nana into one of the city’s most vibrant cocktail-hopping districts. Long before it became fashionable, he was shaping the area’s identity bar by bar, helping redefine how Bangkok drinks. His influence reached a global audience after being featured on Netflix’s

Maria may look serious behind the bar, but don’t be fooled — when martinis are involved, Maria can quite literally drink anyone under the table. She is the bar manager of Penrose, and while she may be relatively new to the bar world, her rise has been nothing short of remarkable. Formerly a professional dancer — and a Miss Universe Malaysia 2018 finalist — she brought discipline, stage presence, and grace into bartending, where she underwent rigorous training under Jon Lee wh

With an interesting tattoo history and an even wilder love for his dog Lola, Pae has racked up more than a decade behind the bar — all while somehow looking like he’s barely old enough to drink. Pae is the face of Funkytown, bringing his signature energy and talent to Bangkok’s cocktail scene. His journey has taken him from Shanghai to Tokyo and now back home, but bartending wasn’t always the plan — he once set his sights on becoming a chef and even studied in Melbourne for i

With her bubbly personality and a twelve-seater bar built for intimate chats, snagging a seat at June’s counter is hands-down the best way to spend your night. June hails from South Korea but has made Singapore her home, where she co-founded Hup San Social Club and quickly became a warm, familiar face behind the bar. For her, bartending is more than a craft — it’s the rare chance to connect with guests in a truly intimate, personal way. That love for genuine interaction shine

Meet the ex-engineer and globetrotter whose latest passion project is a cocktail bar where he explores flavor pairings together with his wife and his adorable Munchkin cat named Whisky. Chong Hau has a knack for reinventing himself every few years. He began in IT, then shifted through a series of new pursuits before landing on his latest obsession: flavour exploration. His extensive travel and dining experiences opened his eyes to how ingredients can be elevated when treated

Dave swears he’s done with running Bar Stories at least once a week — but after 20 years behind the stick, he knows he’s far too in love with bartending to ever walk away. Dave is the man behind one of Singapore’s OG cocktail institutions, Bar Stories — though he’ll be the first to admit he didn’t start out with noble intentions. In his younger days, he got into bartending because he thought it’d help him meet girls. Fast-forward more than 20 years in the industry, and while

She might look fierce with her tattoos and that semi-permanent long-sighted squint, but behind the bar Shirmy turns out some seriously mean cocktails. Shirmy is one of Kuala Lumpur’s pioneering female bartenders, a trailblazer who has spent years proving her mastery of the craft. After cementing her reputation as a cocktail maven, the pandemic pause gave her the chance to recalibrate and finally realize a long-held dream: opening her own bar. Today, she helms Bar Terumi, wher

Patty loves her cocktails, and she knows her limits, which is why bartenders who are familiar with this bubbly barfly would never give her straight shots. Patty is one of Bangkok’s most beloved barflies — the kind whose smile gets her recognized in cocktail bars across the city and beyond. While rumors swirl about her owning some mysterious bar, she’s quick to set the record straight: she runs a bakery, not a bar. Still, her genuine love for great drinks and the people who ma

Vijay may champion regional spirits — but he’ll tell you straight up that milk punches should disappear and that most modern cocktails all simply look the same. Vijay is the driving force behind Native, a bar built on a steadfast, sustainability-led philosophy that champions local and regional ingredients. For nearly a decade, he has pushed the boundaries of what a truly rooted cocktail program can be, earning Native repeated recognition for its thoughtful approach to flavor,

Jon is best known for putting Penrose — and Kuala Lumpur — on the cocktail map, thanks to his steadfast commitment to elevated classics (and never selling just bottles). Jon brought his Singapore-honed cocktail experience home to Kuala Lumpur when he opened Penrose in 2022. The bar quickly earned a place on Asia’s 50 Best Bars, cementing his role in pushing KL’s cocktail scene forward. His mission hasn’t slowed since. With the launch of Lavantha, Jon continues to introduce ne

With a firm dislike of Fernet shots and a soft spot for cats, Amanda’s playful spirit hides the depth of her experience as a globetrotting veteran of the bar industry. Amanda’s bartending journey began in Malaysia, where her talent quickly set her apart before taking her across the world. She went on to hone her craft in Singapore, New York, London, and Hong Kong, building a global résumé shaped by some of the industry’s most dynamic cities. Now back in Kuala Lumpur, she’s ch

Shen is a stalwart of the Penang cocktail scene, known for putting the island on the map when Backdoor Bodega earned a spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars. His influence has only grown since. He remains a driving force in Penang, championing its distinctive owner-operated bar culture and creating platforms like Penang Cocktail Week to showcase the city’s talent. Shen’s steady leadership continues to shape Penang into one of the region’s most characterful cocktail destinations.

With a focus on technique-driven methods of creating cocktails, Rich's ethos at Workshop14 has always been about using all-local ingredients. Rich’s colourful journey from Ghana to Vietnam eventually brought him to Hanoi, where he founded Workshop14 — now one of the city’s most exciting bars. His cocktails are deeply technique-driven, blending local ingredients, regional spirits, and a flair for creative experimentation to deliver fresh, unexpected experiences in every glass.

Meet Nel, who loved cocktails — especially martinis — so much that she left the corporate world behind to focus on running the cosy bar above her styling studio. Nel is the founder and owner of Kravat in Phnom Penh, one of Cambodia’s rising names in the cocktail scene. Her path to bartending was anything but conventional — she began in the corporate world, working in a life insurance company before her passion for cocktails inspired a bold career shift. What started as a hobb

Meet the effervescent Ronnie, whose background in entertainment sparked a colourful journey into bartending — eventually leading him to found a string of standout cocktail bars across Bangkok. Ronnaporn (or 'Ronnie') is the charismatic founder of Mahaniyom in Bangkok. Before stepping behind the bar, he was in front of the camera as an actor in the entertainment industry. His journey took a turn when a growing passion for cocktails led him to enter — and win — his very first c

From trained engineer to experimental bartender, Abhishek's rollercoaster journey into the cocktail world is nothing short of a series of entrepreneurial hustles. Abhishek is the gregarious force behind some of Singapore’s most beloved bars, including Sago House and The Spiffy Dapper. A serial entrepreneur with an unshakable drive, his path hasn’t been smooth — he’s weathered tough times, including going broke — but his perseverance and inventive spirit have kept him moving f

As a teen, Tamaryn wanted to be a tattoo artist, but an unexpected win at a bartending competition set her on a career path in the cocktail industry Tamaryn’s bartending journey began early in Thailand, where a strong showing at a cocktail competition sparked her passion for the craft. Alongside her love for mixology, she’s also drawn to the art of tattooing — a creative outlet that mirrors her expressive personality behind the bar. Since making her Netflix debut, Tamaryn’s s

One of the cocktail pioneers in the Southeast Asian region, Michael tells all about the Singapore scene, the sacrifice, and his charismatic cocktail shaking style Meet Michael — a tour de force behind the bar whose story began in San Francisco and took root in Singapore back in 2011. As the founding head bartender of 28 Hong Kong Street, he helped propel it onto the World’s 50 Best Bars list and, in doing so, put Singapore firmly on the global cocktail map. Now, more than a d

Meet the charismatic Italian bartender whose journey to a long-term career in Southeast Asia began with "Where is Singapore exactly?" Silvio’s journey behind the bar began as a part-time job during his student days in Napoli — a humble start that would eventually take him around the world. After hearing about Singapore at Tales of the Cocktail while working in London, he took a leap of faith and moved halfway across the globe to join its rising bar scene. Since then, his care