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MANILA, Philippines — Roniel Lopez is bannering the Philippines at this year's World Bartending Championship taking place in Orlando, Florida.
A bartender for restaurant TGIFriday's Philippines, Lopez won last year the establishment's Bartending Championship last year allowing him to represent the restaurant and the country at the global tilt.
"My goal is to bring something different to the world bartending stage, creating new tricks instead of simply copying existing routines," Lopez said in a statement. "My performance is designed to be the whole package, flair, personality, energy, confidence and showmanship."
Lopez discovered bartending in elementary school when it was offered as a subject, immediately enamored by its flairs, flips, spins, and throws.
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Despite having no complete kit at home, he made use of empty bottles wrapped in tape and other materials he could find.
He joined competitions and learned the fundamentals of traditional bartending and mixing from a a three-month TESDA bartending course.
Since 2023, Lopez has taken part in the annual TGIFriday's Bar Tour, which allowed him to share his own skills and expertise with fellow bartenders and enthusiasts.
Lopez topped Best Corner Bar In Town competition in 2024 after scoring low the year before en route to the 2025 grand prize that set him on his way to Florida.
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