Up Close & Personal: Guoyi Gan and Indra Kantono, Jigger & Pony Group
The second instalment of our new video series sees us talking to Guoyi Gan and Indra Kantono, co-founders of Jigger & Pony Group. They share their past management mishaps, why they don’t like rules, and always remembering that a bar is a business
More Articles
Article
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 […]
Article
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 […]
Article
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 […]
Article
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 […]
Article
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 […]
Article
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 […]
Discover More
Article
The future is yours to create: Maite CabreraOur sixth bartender in our series is Chile’s Maite Cabrera. Currently travelling around Europe, Cabrera talks about constantly learning, why a fair wage matters, and having a legacy of making bartending fun A little bit about me I am 28 years old, I’m from Chile and I’ve always been interested in everything around food and beverages. […]
Article
The future is yours to create: Julian ShortFrom Sin + Tax bar in Johannesburg, our seventh interviewee in our series is beverage director Julian Short. He chats about life-changing travel experiences, talking more about the impact of working with alcohol, and sharing our failures A little bit about me I have been bartending since 2014. I started bartending because quite simply, I […]
Article
The Future is Yours to Create: Christina ChaeMeet the fourth interviewee in our new series: Christina Chae, co-owner of plant cocktail bar, Moonflower, in Portage Park, Chicago. She talks about creating safe spaces, not looking at each other as competition, and leading by example A little bit about me I’ve had many odd jobs as a young adult, but when I started hosting […]
Article
Jean Trinh talks human sustainability, community and being fearlessDuring the pandemic, Jean Trinh turned the role of a bar leader on its head. The founder of Alquímico explains why caring for a community drives everything he does in his business – and how it taught him not to fear anything Don’t get me wrong, I love Paris, where I’m from. But the thing […]
Article
The future is yours to create: Keith MotsiKeith Motsi, head bartender at VIRTÙ and head of beverage operations at Four Seasons Hotel Toyko at Otemachi is the sixth in our series. He tells us how he loves to see other people flourish, why the term ‘role model’ has become obsolete, and what we should encourage the next generation to do A little […]
Article
The Future is Yours to Create: Emilio ValenciaThe second interviewee in our new series asking bartenders how they can shape the future of the industry is Emilio Valencia, group beverage development manager for Soho Luxury Restaurants in Dubai. He tells us the most helpful career advice he’s been given, what a good role model means to him and the one thing he […]