An Afternoon of Booze, Books and Bhutan
Asia Society served up Booze, Books, and Bhutan last Saturday, September 10 at ABV (Alcohol by Volume) Cocktail and Absinthe Bar.
Suyin Lee, Executive Director of Asia Society Philippines, opened the program with an introduction to the organization and its network. Asia 21 Young Leader and Library Renewal Partnership (LRP) Founder Quintin Pastrana invited the audience to participate in Books for Bhutan, a unique opportunity to explore the beautiful Kingdom of Bhutan, and also open LRP’s inaugural library outside of the Philippines.
ABV’s own Kenneth Bandivas, 2015 Diageo Philippines Bartender of the Year, and Lester Ligon, 2016 Diageo Philippines South East Asia Finalist, conducted the mixology class. The class started with an introduction of the basic mixing equipment, and an explanation of shaken vs. stirred. For Shaken, Bandivas demonstrated his award-winning Bitter Felipe, a Bourbon-based cocktail flavored with ampalaya or bitter gourd. For Stirred, Ligon demonstrated a Negroni, a cocktail with gin, vermouth, and Campari. Everyone had a chance to be behind the bar, and make either their own Bitter Felipe or Negroni.
Participants paired up and tested their newfound skills in a competition to make their own signature cocktail. Bandivas and Ligon judged and awarded the grand prize – a bottle of Don Papa Rum and a bottle of Russian Standard Vodka courtesy of Boozeonline – to the team of Alex Ward and Mel Apolinario. Two lucky winners each took home a set of cocktail mixing equipment from Gourdo’s.