Tricky Questions with Carina Soto Velàsquez
It’s back! The “Tricky Questions” interview comes to you with a new protagonist: Carina Soto Velàsquez, owner of Quixotic Projects, which includes staple bars such as Candelaria and Le Mary Celeste, both located in Paris. How will she perform on Campari Academy’s tricky quiz?
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Drink Like a Local: Chiang Mai with Pim TaveesinsuvanExplore Chiang Mai with Pim, to discover a city where mountain air softens the pace of life, ancient Lanna traditions sit comfortably alongside modern creativity, and food and drink are woven naturally into daily social rituals. Chiang Mai moves to a rhythm that feels distinctly its own. Set against a backdrop of mountains, the city […]
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Drink Like a Local: Tokyo with Atsushi SuzukiExplore Tokyo with Atsushi Suzuki, to experience a city where centuries-old traditions and restless creativity meet over late-night ramen, meticulously balanced cocktails, and the constant hum of movement that never truly fades. Tokyo is a city defined by contrast, but never contradiction. Ancient shrines sit calmly beside glass towers, neighborhood streets open into overwhelming intersections, […]
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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: 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 […]
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How four bartenders turned the soda business on its headFrom working behind the bar to researching soda recipes and signing a €45m deal, the Three Cents journey has been a successful one. So, how did four Greek bartenders turn their curiosity into big business? In the midst of dark times, such as the ones developing during the Great Depression at the beginning of 1930s, […]
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Seven Yi on playing with guests’ emotions, memories and sensesThe owner of Taipei’s ROOM by Le Kief takes sensory exploration to new levels. He explains what’s behind his creative process for creating a theatrically immersive hospitality experience From the beginning of my journey until now, the transformations I’ve been through have included tasting, smelling, seeing, and, finally, imagining. Tasting is, no doubt, a very […]
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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 […]
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The Future is Yours to Create: Aashi BhatnagarOur third interviewee in our new series is Aashi Bhatnagar, innovation artist at Cobbler & Crew bar in Pune, India. She talks to us about being inspired by women in the industry, falling in love with the stories of classic cocktails, and how a fake injury got her behind the bar A little bit about […]
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Jim Meehan: When it comes to bar design, we all have the power to work with itThe author of ‘The PDT Cocktail Book’ and ‘Meehan’s Bartender Manual’ knows we can’t always choose our dream bar design. But we can work with it. He explains how for owner, management and bartenders After 12 years working behind other operators’ bars – including Audrey Saunders’ Pegu Club and a little-known landmark in Madison, Wisconsin, […]