Once babae ung nakita mong nagfl-iflip ng tins and bottles, iba na ang tingin agad sayo.” (You usually see men flip bottles and tin cans. “Yung bumabato at nagfl-flip ng mga bottles at tin cans, mostly kasi nakikita lang siya sa lalaki talaga. “Ang galing kasi ‘pag yung babae yung nagbabartend,” she said. ‘What guys can do, girls can also do better’Īccording to Marinel, bartending is admittedly a male-dominated profession – and she used that fact to gain an edge in the industry. After two years of not making the cut, she finally won the internal competition in 2019 against 25 other Fridays bartenders, gaining her a prestigious spot in the Asia-Pacific competition. It was in 2016 when Marinel began competing with other Fridays representatives nationwide. I hold seminars on flaring and bartending to aspiring students,” she said. “I started as a bartender 5 years ago here in TGI Fridays, and then moved my way up to be a bartender coach for new hires and then a bar tour speaker. How did she get to champ status? When it comes to bartending glory, there are no bar exams – just tons of courses, training, competitions, and a whole lot of practice.
With her winning plaque, $1000 US dollars, and a thirst for victory alcohol just can’t quench, Marinel is set to represent the Philippines, competing at the global finals in Tennessee, USA in March 2020. Another twist, another throw, another catch, another steady, tall pour of liquor and a squeeze of lime juice, and suddenly, mid-trance, your freshly-made margerita is now being gracefully poured into a salt-rimmed cocktail glass in front of you.Ĭustomers don’t just come for the drinks – they’re also here for the skill and flair, which is all in a day’s work for Marinel, TGIFridays bartender and the Philippines’ 2019 bartending champion.Īside from her day job as a bartender for TGIFridays Glorietta 3, Marinel Paguia is also the restaurant’s Asia-Pacific Bartending Champion of 2019, besting other Southeast Asian competitors last October 23 in Jakarta, Indonesia. She quickly seals the tin shaker – a flip again – and gives it a quick shake. With the bottle of tequila in her hand, giddy Marinel gives it another flip, attempts a risky 360-degree turn, catches it from behind her back, and seamlessly begins to pour a 3-foot stream of sobriety’s worst nightmare into a tin shaker in the other hand. On cue, the 25-year-old bartender whizzes back and forth, reaching for various bottles of liquor from above and beyond without a moment’s pause, every bottle thrown into a sky-high spin and multi-flip with one hand and saved by a smooth catch in the other, coupled with a celebratory smile. Marinel Paguia nods and smiles from across the bar – bottles, tin shakers, glasses, and skilled hands at the ready.
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