On October 17, shakers will bounce off elbows, cocktail glasses will fly, and liquor bottles will be tossed! A bottle dropped, a missed ingredient in a cocktail—these things can make or break a bartender’s chance of being chosen to represent the Asia Pacific region.
Six topnotch TGI Fridays bartenders from Taiwan, China, Japan, Indonesia, Guam and Philippines come together for the first time to showcase their bartending skills as TGI FRIDAYS Philippines hosts the 2018 TGIF Asia Pacific Bartending Championship this October 17, 6PM at TGIF Mall of Asia. After months of training, they will be judged on technical bar knowledge, mastery of TGIF cocktail recipes and creative execution. Celebrities, media personalities and the judges will witness the skill and showmanship of these finalists as they give it their best in their 8 minutes behind the bar, in true Fridays fashion. The winner of this regional competition will then be pitted against the best of the best around the world at the 2018 TGIF World Bartender Championship in Dallas, Texas.
Our very own Yohan “The Pilot” Jara of Solenad branch will represent the Philippines. He hopes to duplicate the feat of fellow bartenders Rizza Umlas and Jholan Penafiel who were proclaimed TGIF World Bartender Champions in 2015 and 2017, respectively. “It’s a tough act to follow but there is no such thing as difficult. It’s just a matter of how bad you want it. And I really want to win so I will give it my all. I’m ready to go get that title!” 25-year old Jara said.
TGI Fridays World Bartender Championship debuted in 1991 in the USA. For over two decades, the fun and excitement that surround this competition have not waned, proving that the energy around the Fridays bar and its talented bartenders is contagious and as vibrant as ever.
To know more about TGI Fridays, check out its social media sites: TGI Fridays Philippines (Facebook) @tgifridaysph (IG) and its website – www.fridays.com.ph.)
