The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta reveals full 2026 Cebu lineup

The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta has unveiled its full 2026 program, bringing bars, bartenders, chefs, hospitality professionals, media, and cocktail enthusiasts from across the Philippines and Asia to Cebu from November 13 to 15, with special 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 Fiesta’s first year outside Metro Manila and the beginning of its rotating host-city program. Nearly 40 venues across Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Mactan will participate, alongside 25 guest shifts and cocktail pairings, the festival’s first Bar Congress, and Asia Icons: The Fiesta Closing Party, bringing nine award-winning bars together at NUSTAR Resort Cebu, the Official Host Partner of The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta 2026, for the festival’s final night.

For this edition, The Fiesta brings some of Asia’s leading bar talent to the Philippines while putting Cebu’s own bars, bartenders, chefs, food, and hospitality in front of visiting industry professionals and media.

Across the weekend, Cebu will welcome visiting bars and bartenders from Beijing, Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, New Delhi, Singapore, Taichung, and Tokyo, alongside talent from Manila and other Philippine destinations including Davao, Dumaguete, La Union, Pampanga, San Juan, and Siargao. Cebu’s own bars, bartenders, and chefs will also headline events and collaborate with visiting talent throughout the festival, putting the host city’s food, drinks, and hospitality at the center of the program.

“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,” she added.

🍸Barhop across Cebu

The bar-hopping program moves through Mactan on November 13, followed by Cebu City and Mandaue City on November 14, with guest bar shifts and cocktail pairing experiences taking place alongside month-long Fiesta promotions at nearly 40 participating venues. Throughout November, guests can discover venue-specific Fiesta cocktails, special menus, discounts, buy-one-get-one offers, complimentary treats, and limited-edition merchandise. A free Fiesta Passport, featuring participating Cebu bars and offers, will also be available at the participating venues and partner hotels.

Among the international talent coming to Cebu are KT Lam and Bright Panawit of Lennon’s Bangkok, ranked No. 7 and recipient of the Highest New Entry Award at Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026, heading to Cowrie Cove; Sean Halse, Beverage Manager of Hanoi’s The Hudson Rooms, No. 46, at Tipsy Dog; Alvin Sung Jaya and Arya Priambudi of Jakarta’s Carrots, No. 21, at Buhi; and Mark Lloyd, Director of Bars at Macau’s Wing Lei Bar, at Spiaggia. Summer Chen, co-founder of Vender, ranked No. 14 and named The Best Bar in Taiwan 2026, heads to The Vault Room, while Kenta Aoyama, Senior Bartender at Punch Room Tokyo, takes over The Lost Unicorn.

Bars from across the Philippines will also be part of the weekend, including Apartment 5 Coffee & Cocktails from Dumaguete, Bar Principal from Siargao, Blackfish from Pampanga, Taste of Home Davao from Davao, and The Ugly Bar from La Union. Manila will be represented by bars including The Curator Coffee & Cocktails, Bar by East, Big Fuzz, BRB, Fat Cat, The Grasshopper Bar, and Malagihay Cocktail Club.

Several shifts will put Cebu bartenders alongside visiting talent. Fan Zhu, co-founder of Beijing’s Bar Long Fong, No. 96 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 extended 51–100 list and organizer of Beijing Cocktail Week, collaborates with Mott 32 Head Mixologist Jay Natividad. Singapore’s MOGA, represented by Bar Supervisor Danica Rubio, joins Cebu’s Gab Carlos of The Basement. The night also features a collaborative shift with Fat Cat’s Ron Cruz, World Class Philippines Bartender of the Year 2026, and Pet Pasumala of Luna Bar + Tapas.

🍹Cebu meets Asia through cocktail pairings

Four cocktail pairing experiences bring visiting bartenders together with Cebuano chefs and restaurants, connecting 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, joins Chef Masahiro Kinoshita at AKA Mactan for cocktails paired with contemporary Japanese cuisine at Crimson Resort and Spa from 6pm to 9pm. Later that evening, Hong Kong’s Filipino bar Dara, represented by Head Beverage Manager Jon Bunoan and bartender Jay Brodit, collaborates with Chef Marcel Ramos at Davos from 7pm to 10pm, pairing Filipino-inspired cocktails with Davos’ coastal Filipino cuisine.

On November 14, Manila’s The Grasshopper Bar, led by Head Bartender Jonathan Matienzo, joins Chef Joanne Sakai at Balai Brunch by Cafe Plus from 5pm to 8pm, where Filipino comfort food meets ingredient-driven mixology.

That evening, one of the festival’s most anticipated dining collaborations brings Sidecar from New Delhi to Anzani Restaurant. 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 from 7pm to 10pm, bringing Sidecar’s contemporary Indian cocktail craft together with Anzani’s New Mediterranean cuisine.

🍸Nine award-winning bars come together for Asia Icons

The weekend culminates with Asia Icons: The Fiesta Closing Party, bringing together nine award-winning bars and bartenders from across Asia and the Philippines for one night at the Grand Ballroom, NUSTAR Resort Cebu, from 7pm to 1am on Sunday, November 15.

Tickets are P1,999, inclusive of unlimited drinks, with food available for purchase. A Buy 10, Get 1 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, represented by Eagle Cheng and Geumseong Liu.

They are joined by Bangkok’s Bar Us, No. 6 and recipient of the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2026, represented by Bar Manager Beer Akarabunditsakul and bartender Noon Sitinatesakul; Hong Kong’s Coa, No. 24 and three-time consecutive winner of The Best Bar in Asia from 2021 to 2023, represented by co-founder Jay Khan and Carmen Wong; Kuala Lumpur’s Three X Co, No. 32 and The Best Bar in Malaysia 2026, represented by co-founder Angeline Tan and Bar Manager Rachel Hor; and Singapore’s BOP (Bartenders of Pony), No. 52 on the extended 51–100 list, from the Jigger & Pony Group, whose namesake bar ranks No. 9 in Asia and was named The Best Bar in Singapore 2026. BOP is represented by Creative Director Uno Jang, recipient of the World’s 50 Best Bars’ Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2025, and Senior Bartender Alexa Low.
Four Manila bars complete the lineup: Problem Child, ranked No. 44 and named The Best Bar in the Philippines 2026, represented by Head Bartender Xyrus Santos; The Spirits Library, No. 98 on the extended list, represented by 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. Both Recraft and Raion are featured on 50 Best Discovery.

🍹The Fiesta introduces the Bar Congress

On Sunday, November 15, the industry comes together at NUSTAR Resort Cebu for the first Philippine Cocktail Fiesta Bar Congress, a one-day program dedicated to the F&B and hospitality industry.

Running from 10am to 4:30pm, with doors opening at 9:30am, the Congress brings 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 Bar Congress panel program covers topics including 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, featuring industry heavyweights Yangdup Lama, Angeline Tan, Jay Khan, and Uno Jang.

Running alongside the panels are four masterclasses: 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 also includes The Philippine Craft Spirits Showcase, highlighting homegrown spirits and producers.

Visit thecocktailfiesta.com for the complete Bar Congress schedule, speakers, and registration details.

🍸Building an exchange that goes beyond Cebu

The international participation in Cebu is part of a wider network The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta has been building throughout 2026 through Fiesta Exchange, its Asia-wide program connecting Filipino bartenders with leading bars around the region.

Launched in May at Sidecar in New Delhi, the program continued to MOGA in Singapore and Dara in Hong Kong before heading to Beijing and Bangkok. Its most recent stop brought Cebu’s own bar scene to Bangkok, with Gab Carlos, co-founder of The Basement, and John Park, owner of The Lost Unicorn, taking over Lennon’s at Rosewood Bangkok.

Fiesta Exchange continues around the Cebu festival with a series of international collaborations in Manila. Bar Long Fong from Beijing heads to Raion on November 10, followed by Carrots from Jakarta at Malagihay Cocktail Club on November 16 as part of Malagihay’s Dayo Series Ep. 2. On December 12, The Hudson Rooms from Hanoi heads to BRB, extending the exchange beyond the main festival weekend.

Behind the Cebu edition is a local committee made up of bartenders, bar owners, and supporters who know the city and its hospitality community firsthand: Gab Carlos, John Orozco, John Park, Eugene Dy, Kevin Obach, Fred Obach, and Adrian Muntuerto.
For the organizers, much of the work behind The Fiesta remains volunteer-driven, with sponsorship support directed back into staging the festival and its programs.

“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.”

For the complete schedule, participating venues, Bar Congress registration, and event information, visit thecocktailfiesta.com, where you can explore the full program and save Fiesta events directly to your calendar.