Remember the good ol’ days, when the city would be buzzing with international chefs, gourmands, mixologists and food critics? Through masterclasses, pop-ups and discussions with our local culinary talents, they would stir their unique flavour into the cultural melting pot that is Mumbai. We’re almost heading back to that era now. Take for instance, mixologist Bryan Bonifacio from Singapore, who is in town to whip up cocktails as part of Cinco de Mayo celebrations which mark the victory of a small Mexican troupe over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The mixologist who heads the team at Employees Only (EO) Singapore — which was ranked no. 77 by Asia’s 50 Best Bars — will take over the bars at Koko, The Living Room at Masque and Soho House. The culinary exchange is initiated by a collaboration between wine and spirits importer Anggel’s Share and tequila-makers Código 1530. Before getting behind the bar, we caught up with the award-winning bartender from The Philippines.

What attracted you to the world of mixology?
I fell in love with bartending at the age of 18, when I saw some seniors at my university practising the art of flair bartending. After that, I never looked back and focused on building my skills in actual bartending.