Post-pandemic Southeast Asian drinkers are thirsty for high-quality booze
REPORT
14 Nov 2023
Post-pandemic Southeast Asian drinkers are thirsty for high-quality booze

Post-pandemic Southeast Asians are enjoying nightlife again. This new era is defined by inclusivity in bars with a preference for no and low-alcoholic options and a push for more inventive drinks. These patterns signal a refinement in local expectations, driving toward ‘better drinking’ overall.

Peter Chua

Peter Chua is a familiar face in the Singapore bartending community. With 17 years of working experience, he has been part of the 28 HongKong St and Proof & Company team. Currently, he is the director for Composed Concepts, which owns and operates Night Hawk and Five Oars Coffee Roasters Heritage.

Aaron Limpe-Aw

Aaron Limpe-Aw is the executive vice president of Destileria Limtuaco & Co., Inc., the oldest distillery in the Philippines. He's the general manager of Manille Beach Bar in El Nido, Palawan. Limpe-Aw represents the company in local and international initiatives to promote Destileria Limtuaco’s Philippine Craft Spirits. In 2023, through his company – Drinks Be With You Inc. – he successfully launched the country's first bar-focused trade show, The Philippine Bar Scene, with the World Food Expo, the largest food and beverage trade show in the country.

Jamaal Santos Omamalin

Jamaal S. Omamalin holds a master's degree in anthropology from the University of San Carlos, Philippines. His research focuses on the culture, heritage, religious practices, and ethnic experiences of local cultural communities in the Philippines. He has worked with various cultural players in the identification of socio-cultural trends amid modernisation and popular culture and has engaged with traditional trade practitioners in the determining and translation of the socio-economic and cultural implications of the pandemic. He published the paper 'Tagay ta, Bai!: The Social Dynamics of Filipino Social Drinking', and co-authored the paper 'The Hermeneutics of the Gozos for Señor Santo Niño de Cebu'.

Kara Ortiga

Kara Ortiga is a PhD candidate at Macquarie University in Sydney. Her research focuses on new media audiences and their relationships with technology, politics, and information. Before jumping into academia, she was a journalist in the Philippines, covering culture and the arts. Her work has been published in Esquire, VICE, and CNN Philippines, among a few.