The Ultimate Guide to the Philippine Cocktail Fiesta 2026

Cebu becomes a meeting place for some of Asia’s most celebrated bars, with nearly 40 venues and bartenders from 13 international cities gathering for guest shifts, cocktail dinners, masterclasses, and a closing party featuring nine award-winning bars  The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta, happening November 13 to 15, is not just a chance to try drinks from some of the region’s best bars. It brings bartenders, bar owners, chefs, and hospitality professionals together, putting Cebu’s own bar community in conversation with their counterparts across Asia. The bigger ambition is to build connections that last beyond the festival and give Philippine bars, food, and hospitality a wider audience.

The festival’s events will unfold across Cebu City, Mandaue, and Mactan, bringing visiting bartenders into local bars and restaurants through guest shifts and cocktail-pairing dinners. A new addition is the inaugural Fiesta Bar Congress, a full-day gathering of bar owners, bartenders, hoteliers, distillers, and other hospitality professionals. Its program includes panel discussions, masterclasses, and a showcase of Philippine-made spirits, creating a forum to discuss the future of the region’s bar industry. The festival closes with Asia Icons, a party featuring nine award-winning bars.

Now in its second year, the Philippine Cocktail Fiesta is holding its first edition outside Metro Manila in Cebu. The city has a well-established food and hospitality scene, alongside a growing bar community with its own identity. The festival puts that community at the center of a regional gathering

Organized by DrinkCollectiv and Drinks Be With You (DBWY), with support from the Department of Tourism–Central Visayas and the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, the festival also introduces a rotating host-city program. Future editions are intended to bring the event to other Philippine destinations, giving regional bar scenes their own turn in the spotlight

A festival built by the bar community

The inaugural Philippine Cocktail Fiesta, held in Metro Manila in 2025, drew thousands of cocktail enthusiasts, with 38 guest bartenders from abroad and nearly 100 bars across 10 cities taking part. This year’s edition builds on that foundation, with Cebu’s own bartenders and bar owners helping bring the festival to the city.

Much of that work has been community-driven. Local bartenders, bar owners, and supporters Gab Carlos, John Orozco, John Park, Eugene Dy, Kevin Obach, Fred Obach, and Adrian Muntuerto helped bring Cebu’s venues into the program.

“The biggest question for us was whether the same sense of community we experienced in Manila would translate to Cebu,” says Tatum Ancheta, founder of DrinkCollectiv and festival director of The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta. The organizers had wondered whether venues would embrace a shared city-wide program rather than organize separate events. “The response was much stronger than we expected.”

Here is where to go, what to look out for, and how to plan your weekend.

Barhop across Cebu

The guest shifts are organized by location, so you can plan your evening around nearby venues rather than spend it crossing the city. The schedule moves from Mactan to Cebu City and Mandaue, with the festival’s industry program and closing party on the final day. Here are some of the highlights.

November 13: Mactan

The first night brings international guest shifts to Cowrie Cove, Buhi Cave Bar at Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort, and Spiaggia. Among the visiting talent are KT Lam and Bright Panawit of Bangkok’s Lennon’s at Cowrie Cove; Alvin Sung Jaya and Arya Priambudi of Jakarta’s Carrots at Buhi; and Mark Lloyd of Macau’s Wing Lei Bar at Spiaggia.

Two cocktail-pairing dinners bring visiting bars together with Cebu-based chefs and restaurants. At AKA Mactan at Crimson Resort and Spa, Maltail from Kaohsiung, ranked No. 75 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025, joins Chef Masahiro Kinoshita from 6 to 9 p.m. Co-founder Tonic Liu represents the bar in a pairing with the restaurant’s contemporary Japanese cuisine.

At Davos, Hong Kong’s Filipino bar Dara collaborates with Chef Marcel Ramos from 7 to 10 p.m. Head Beverage Manager Jon Bunoan and bartender Jay Brodit bring Filipino-inspired cocktails to the restaurant’s coastal Filipino cooking.

November 14: Cebu City and Mandaue

The second night moves to Cebu City and Mandaue, with guest shifts at Tipsy Dog, The Vault Room, The Lost Unicorn, and The Basement. Visiting bartenders include Sean Halse of Hanoi’s The Hudson Rooms at Tipsy Dog, Summer Chen of Taiwan’s Vender at The Vault Room, and Kenta Aoyama of Tokyo’s Punch Room at The Lost Unicorn. Singapore’s MOGA joins Gab Carlos of The Basement for a collaborative shift.

Two more cocktail-pairing experiences are scheduled. Manila’s The Grasshopper Bar, led by Head Bartender Jonathan Matienzo, joins Chef Joanne Sakai at Balai Brunch by Cafe Plus from 5 to 8 p.m. The collaboration brings Filipino comfort food together with ingredient-driven mixology.

At Anzani Restaurant, New Delhi’s Sidecar joins Chef Chris Navarro from 7 to 10 p.m. 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 bring the bar’s contemporary Indian cocktail craft to Anzani’s New Mediterranean cuisine.

November 15: NUSTAR Resort Cebu

Sunday is devoted to the industry program and the festival’s closing party. The Fiesta Bar Congress runs from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with panel discussions, masterclasses, and a showcase of Philippine-made spirits. Admission is free with advance registration.

That evening, Asia Icons takes over the Grand Ballroom at NUSTAR from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Nine bars will be represented: Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame, Bangkok’s Bar Us, Hong Kong’s Coa, Kuala Lumpur’s Three X Co, Singapore’s BOP, and Manila’s Problem Child, The Spirits Library, Recraft, and Raion.

A Regional Gathering, with Filipino Bars in the Mix

The festival brings together bars from across Asia and the Philippines. Alongside the international guests are Dumaguete’s Apartment 5 Coffee & Cocktails, Siargao’s Bar Principal, Pampanga’s Blackfish, Taste of Home Davao, La Union’s The Ugly Bar, and several Manila bars. There are also collaborations between visiting and local bartenders, including Singapore’s MOGA with Gab Carlos of The Basement, and Manila’s Ron Cruz of Fat Cat with Pet Pasumala of Luna Bar + Tapas. The mix gives Cebu’s bar community a chance to connect with peers from around the region while putting Filipino talent in the same conversation.

Fiesta Bar Congress: The Business Behind the Drink

Bar owners, bartenders, hoteliers, distillers, and hospitality professionals have a full day of industry discussions and masterclasses at the inaugural Fiesta Bar Congress, on November 15 at NUSTAR Resort Cebu. Running from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (doors open at 9:30 a.m.), the event is free to attend with advance registration.

The program has four panel discussions on the issues shaping the bar industry: how to improve bar and cocktail programs; how to make Philippine artisan products competitive internationally; where Asian cocktail culture is headed; and how to build healthier, more sustainable hospitality businesses.

The speakers include Yangdup Lama, co-founder of New Delhi’s Sidecar; Jay Khan, co-founder of Hong Kong’s Coa; Angeline Tan, co-founder of Kuala Lumpur’s Three X Co; and Uno Jang of Singapore’s Jigger & Pony Group.

Four masterclasses offer more practical sessions, covering artisan vodka and sustainable bar operations, new ways to use rum in cocktails, local ingredients and terroir, and Tanduay’s rum heritage and mixology. The Philippine Craft Spirits Showcase will also put homegrown spirits and producers in the spotlight.

For the complete program, speaker details, and free advance registration, visit the official Bar Congress page.

Asia Icons: Nine Award-Winning Bars Under One Roof

The festival closes with a rare chance to sample drinks from nine celebrated bars in one evening. Asia Icons: The Fiesta Closing Party takes place November 15 at the Grand Ballroom of NUSTAR Resort Cebu, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The international lineup includes Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame, ranked No. 1 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026; Bangkok’s Bar Us (No. 6); Hong Kong’s Coa (No. 24); Kuala Lumpur’s Three X Co (No. 32); and Singapore’s BOP (No. 52 on the extended 51–100 list).

Manila sends four bars: Problem Child (No. 44 and The Best Bar in the Philippines 2026), The Spirits Library (No. 98 on the extended list), Recraft, and Raion, both featured on 50 Best Discovery.

Fiesta Exchange: Taking Filipino Bars Beyond the Philippines

The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta extends beyond Cebu through Fiesta Exchange, which sends Filipino bartenders to work alongside their peers in New Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Bangkok. The initiative builds relationships across the region that can benefit Philippine bars long after the festival.

The exchange also brings international bars to the Philippines: Beijing’s Bar Long Fong at Raion on November 10, Jakarta’s Carrots at Malagihay Cocktail Club on November 16, and Hanoi’s The Hudson Rooms at BRB on December 12.

For festival founder Tatum Ancheta, the aim is to build a network that benefits Philippine bars beyond a single event. The project remains largely volunteer-driven, with sponsorship support going toward staging the exchanges and developing the program.

“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,” she says.