The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta has announced its full 2026 programme, bringing bars, bartenders, chefs, hospitality professionals, media and cocktail enthusiasts from across the Philippines and Asia to Cebu from November 13 to 15, with additional industry events on November 12 and 16.
Supported by the Department of Tourism – Central Visayas and the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, the 2026 edition marks the festival’s first move outside Metro Manila and the start of a rotating host-city programme. Nearly 40 venues across Cebu City, Mandaue City and Mactan will participate, alongside 25 guest shifts and cocktail pairings. The festival will also introduce its first Bar Congress and conclude with Asia Icons: The Fiesta Closing Party, bringing nine award-winning bars to NUSTAR Resort Cebu, the official host partner, on November 15.
The programme aims to introduce leading Asian bar talent to the Philippines while showcasing Cebu’s bars, bartenders, chefs, food and hospitality to visiting industry professionals and media.
“What started in Manila last year has grown into something much bigger than a single-city festival,” says Tatum Ancheta, Founder of DrinkCollectiv and Festival Director of the Philippine Cocktail Fiesta. “Moving the Fiesta to a different city each year allows us to introduce different Philippine destinations and their bar communities to people from across the region. This year, we’ve also expanded through Fiesta Exchange, which takes Filipino talent to leading bars across Asia for guest shifts and collaborations, creating new opportunities for our bartenders and bars to build relationships across the region.”
Barhopping Across Cebu
The barhopping programme begins in Mactan on November 13, followed by Cebu City and Mandaue City on November 14. Guest shifts and cocktail pairings will run alongside month-long promotions at nearly 40 participating venues.
Throughout November, guests can find festival cocktails, special menus, discounts, buy-one-get-one offers, complimentary treats and limited-edition merchandise. A free Fiesta Passport featuring participating bars and offers will be available at participating venues and partner hotels.
Among the international guests are KT Lam and Bright Panawit of Lennon’s Bangkok, ranked No. 7 at Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 and recipient of the Highest New Entry Award, who will head to Cowrie Cove. Sean Halse, Beverage Manager at Hanoi’s The Hudson Rooms (No. 46), will appear at Tipsy Dog, while Alvin Sung Jaya and Arya Priambudi from Jakarta’s Carrots (No. 21) will take over Buhi. Mark Lloyd, Director of Bars at Macau’s Wing Lei Bar, is scheduled for Spiaggia.
Summer Chen, co-founder of Taiwan’s Vender (No. 14 and The Best Bar in Taiwan 2026), will head to The Vault Room, while Kenta Aoyama, Senior Bartender at Tokyo’s Punch Room, will take over The Lost Unicorn.
The Philippine lineup includes Apartment 5 Coffee & Cocktails from Dumaguete, Bar Principal from Siargao, Blackfish from Pampanga, Taste of Home Davao and The Ugly Bar from La Union. Manila will be represented by The Curator Coffee & Cocktails, Bar by East, Big Fuzz, BRB, Fat Cat, The Grasshopper Bar and Malagihay Cocktail Club.
Several guest shifts will pair visiting bartenders with Cebu-based talent. Fan Zhu, co-founder of Beijing’s Bar Long Fong, ranked No. 96 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 extended 51–100 list and organiser of Beijing Cocktail Week, will collaborate with Jay Natividad, Head Mixologist at Mott 32. Singapore’s MOGA, represented by Bar Supervisor Danica Rubio, will join Gab Carlos of The Basement. Another collaboration brings together Ron Cruz of Fat Cat, World Class Philippines Bartender of the Year 2026, and Pet Pasumala of Luna Bar + Tapas.
Cocktail Pairings Bring Cebu Chefs and Asian Bars Together
Four cocktail pairing experiences will connect visiting bartenders with Cebuano chefs and restaurants, combining cocktails with each venue’s culinary identity.
On November 13, Maltail from Kaohsiung, ranked No. 75 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and represented by co-founder Tonic Liu, will join Chef Masahiro Kinoshita at AKA Mactan at Crimson Resort and Spa. The contemporary Japanese cuisine pairing runs from 6pm to 9pm.
Later that evening, Hong Kong’s Filipino bar Dara, represented by Head Beverage Manager Jon Bunoan and bartender Jay Brodit, will collaborate with Chef Marcel Ramos at Davos from 7pm to 10pm, pairing Filipino-inspired cocktails with the restaurant’s coastal Filipino cuisine.
On November 14, Manila’s The Grasshopper Bar, led by Head Bartender Jonathan Matienzo, will work with Chef Joanne Sakai at Balai Brunch by Cafe Plus from 5pm to 8pm, bringing Filipino comfort food together with ingredient-driven mixology.
That evening, Sidecar from New Delhi will visit Anzani Restaurant for a collaboration running from 7pm to 10pm. Sidecar co-founder Yangdup Lama, recipient of the Industry Icon Award at Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024, and Head Bartender Souvik Rana Lama will work alongside Chef Chris Navarro, combining Sidecar’s contemporary Indian cocktail craft with Anzani’s New Mediterranean cuisine.
Asia Icons Closing Party Brings Nine Award-Winning Bars Together
The festival will conclude with Asia Icons: The Fiesta Closing Party at the Grand Ballroom of NUSTAR Resort Cebu on Sunday, November 15, from 7pm to 1am. The event will bring together nine award-winning bars and bartenders from across Asia and the Philippines.
Tickets cost PHP 1,999 and include unlimited drinks, with food available for purchase. A buy-10-get-one-free ticket offer is also available.
Leading the international lineup is Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame, ranked No. 1 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 and named The Best Bar in Asia and The Best Bar in Mainland China 2026. The bar will be represented by Eagle Cheng and Geumseong Liu.
Bangkok’s Bar Us, ranked No. 6 and recipient of the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2026, will send Bar Manager Beer Akarabunditsakul and bartender Noon Sitinatesakul. Hong Kong’s Coa (No. 24), a three-time consecutive winner of The Best Bar in Asia from 2021 to 2023, will be represented by co-founder Jay Khan and Carmen Wong.
Kuala Lumpur’s Three X Co (No. 32 and The Best Bar in Malaysia 2026) will send co-founder Angeline Tan and Bar Manager Rachel Hor. Singapore’s BOP (Bartenders of Pony), ranked No. 52 on the extended 51–100 list, will be represented by Creative Director Uno Jang, recipient of the World’s 50 Best Bars’ Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2025, and Senior Bartender Alexa Low. BOP belongs to the Jigger & Pony Group, whose namesake bar ranks No. 9 in Asia and was named The Best Bar in Singapore 2026.
Four Manila bars complete the lineup. Problem Child, ranked No. 44 and named The Best Bar in the Philippines 2026, will be represented by Head Bartender Xyrus Santos. The Spirits Library (No. 98 on the extended list) will send General Manager Mark Edward Reyes and Junior Bartender Hengie Arboleda. Recraft, represented by co-founder Cedric Mendoza and Clyde Ferrer, and Raion, represented by co-founder Kate Osmillo and Head Bartender Ichi Itoh, are both featured on 50 Best Discovery.
The First Philippine Cocktail Fiesta Bar Congress
On Sunday, November 15, NUSTAR Resort Cebu will also host the inaugural Philippine Cocktail Fiesta Bar Congress, a one-day programme for the food and beverage and hospitality industries.
Running from 10am to 4:30pm, with doors opening at 9:30am, the Congress will bring together bar owners, bartenders, hoteliers, distillers, brand professionals and industry leaders from across Asia for panel discussions, masterclasses and a showcase of Philippine-made spirits. Admission is free with advance registration.
The panels will cover four topics: What’s In, What’s Out: Elevating Your Bar and Cocktail Program; Philippine Artisan Products: Packaging Local Flavors for Global Competitiveness; The Future of Asian Cocktail Culture; and Pouring Forward: Leadership, Wellness & Sustainable Hospitality. Speakers include Yangdup Lama, Angeline Tan, Jay Khan and Uno Jang.
Four masterclasses will run alongside the panels: Craft Without Limits: The Sustainable and Profitable Power of Artisan Vodka; The Rum Cocktail Upgrade: Introducing Bonifacio Rum’s Bold Profile to a Sweet-Saturated Market; Decolonize Your Backbar: Authentic Craft, Local Terroir, and Better Margins; and Tanduay’s Craft & Heritage: A Journey of Rum & Mixology.
The Congress will also feature The Philippine Craft Spirits Showcase, highlighting locally produced spirits and their makers.
Fiesta Exchange Connects Filipino Bartenders With Asia
The international participation in Cebu forms part of Fiesta Exchange, the Philippine Cocktail Fiesta’s Asia-wide programme connecting Filipino bartenders with leading bars across the region throughout 2026.
Launched in May at Sidecar in New Delhi, the programme continued with collaborations at MOGA in Singapore and Dara in Hong Kong before moving to Beijing and Bangkok. Its most recent stop brought Cebu talent to Bangkok, where Gab Carlos, co-founder of The Basement, and John Park, owner of The Lost Unicorn, took over Lennon’s at Rosewood Bangkok.
Fiesta Exchange will continue around the Cebu festival with further collaborations in Manila. Beijing’s Bar Long Fong will visit Raion on November 10, followed by Jakarta’s Carrots at Malagihay Cocktail Club on November 16 as part of Malagihay’s Dayo Series Ep. 2. On December 12, Hanoi’s The Hudson Rooms will visit BRB, extending the programme beyond the main festival weekend.
The Cebu edition is supported by a local committee comprising bartenders, bar owners and members of the city’s hospitality community: Gab Carlos, John Orozco, John Park, Eugene Dy, Kevin Obach, Fred Obach and Adrian Muntuerto.
According to the organisers, much of the festival’s work is volunteer-driven, with sponsorship support directed back into staging the event and its programmes.
“There are so many people contributing their time, experience, and connections because they believe in what the Fiesta can do for the Philippine bar industry,” adds Ancheta. “Beyond bringing great bars and bartenders together, we want to create connections across the region while giving more people the opportunity to discover the Philippines through our bars, food, and hospitality.”
