Tricky Questions with Carina Soto Velàsquez

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 […]

Phirun 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 […]

Explore 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 […]

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 […]

Thanesh 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 […]

Hiroyuki 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 […]