Food, Drinks & New Orleans with Kermit Ruffins
Nicknamed the “Big Easy” and home to one of the biggest trade events of the year, Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans is also the birthplace of jazz, home to countless classic cocktails and a vibrant culinary scene. We sat down with iconic trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, a New Orleans native deeply connected to all three, to talk about his city and neighbourhood, before joining him at his Mother In Law Lounge for a session with his Barbecue Swingers.
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The future is yours to create: So-yeon Kim (Alice)So-yeon Kim, also known as Alice, is a bartender based in South Korea whose approach to hospitality is rooted in emotional awareness and quiet observation. Drawn to bartending through curiosity rather than convention, she sees cocktails as moments shaped by memory, mood, and human connection. As a Campari Red Hands APAC 2025 finalist for South […]
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The future is yours to create: Phirun LekPhirun Lek is a lead bartender at SORA Phnom Penh, a venue that marked both the beginning and the foundation of his bartending career. Starting in hospitality through service roles before finding his place behind the bar, his journey reflects steady growth shaped by curiosity, practice, and people. With a mindset rooted in learning and […]
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Drink Like a Local: Macau with Frankie LeongExplore Macau with Frankie Leong, to discover a compact city where Chinese and Portuguese cultures meet through layered histories, late-night rituals, comfort-driven food, and a quietly evolving cocktail scene. Macau is often described through contrast: a city shaped by centuries of exchange between East and West, where Chinese traditions and Portuguese heritage coexist in daily […]
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The future is yours to create: Liu Yuan (Kim)Liu Yuan, also known as Kim, is a bartender at Wing Lei Bar in Macau whose journey into hospitality began with curiosity rather than convention. Drawn into the world of cocktails through a single, formative experience, she approaches bartending with a balance of discipline, creativity, and openness to discovery. As the first bartender from Macau […]
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The future is yours to create: Thanesh JoelThanesh Joel is a bartender whose relationship with hospitality is shaped less by ambition and more by curiosity. Based in Penang and deeply rooted at Backdoor Bodega, his work reflects a mindset driven by understanding, of flavour, systems, and human behaviour. As the Campari Red Hands APAC 2025 finalist for Malaysia, he approaches competition not […]
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The future is yours to create: Hiroyuki YamadaHiroyuki Yamada is a bartender at Bee’s Knees in Kyoto, whose path into hospitality began quietly during his student years. What started as a part-time job at an izakaya became a long-term commitment to service, shaped by daily human interaction and cultural exchange. As the Campari Red Hands APAC 2025 finalist for Japan, he approaches […]
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Tricky Questions with Leo RobitschekSerious questions, funny answers and vice versa: it's Campari Academy's Tricky Questions, and Leo Robitschek sat down with us to face them!
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Hospitality Wears White: Alex Frezza and L'AntiquarioRight by the Gulf of Naples, L'Antiquario is bringing old school hospitality back to the city. Find out the importance of a White Jacket with Alex Frezza
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Culture, history and people: The key to understanding drinks better, with Dr Anna Sulan MasingSeeking to articulate her indigenous Iban identity, writer, poet and academic Dr Anna Sulan Masing discovered the importance of understanding the value systems behind our food and drinks Memories of childhood are always viewed through a soft lens; timelines are out of sync, everything is bigger, and possibly brighter. In adulthood, flavours are etched into […]
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Tricky Questions with Ryan ChetiyawardanaWorld class bartender and enterpreneur Ryan Chetiyawardana faces Campari Academy's Tricky Questions: how did he perform?
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Parabere Forum: How Maria Canabal is giving women a voice in the industryWith an 8,000-strong database of professionals and a visionary global conference, the award-winning journalist has shown the power of engaging women across the hospitality industry with Parabere Forum. We speak to Maria Canabal about what drives her, and hear testimonies from three of those voices When facing the ever-present question about how to empower women […]
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Drink like a local: Seoul with Laki YooWe caught up with Keepers’ bar owner and long-time bar advocate, Laki Yoo, to talk about what you simply can’t miss when visiting South Korea’s capital, from somaek and local market, to traditional barbecue and much, much more Where enormous buildings in the business district meet the quiet historical neighbourhood not far away, Seoul is […]