STAND UP PINOYTENDERS

Our day usually starts by reading the newspaper. After the headlines, we turn the page to the Lifestyle and Entertainment section . What do we see? Browsing along, a full two-page article on food, articles about different cuisines(Japanese, Chinese, American, Mexican, Portuguese, and of course, Filipino) and about this famous chef who came to Manila to conduct a one-week cooking workshop together with a Filipino in-house chef of a newly opened resto in Quezon City.

Wait a minute? Readers might choke themselves upon reading too much about FOOD & CHEFS. No offence meant, but what about DRINKS? People like to eat but they also like drinking a lot. We have been so educated about food just by reading these articles but we haven’t really learned that much about what we are drinking. Have we? Well, there are a “few” drops of articles regarding drinks, but they only appear once in a blue moon or after a rain dance. There are some pictures of “Drinks of the Month” of some of the five-star hotels here in Manila and we have read this very successful article about red wine being good for the heart and about an anniversary of this famous bourbon whiskey giving a brief description of its history and that's it. We give credit to those who contributed these articles for at least we readers have something to sip while gobbling up the other articles.

But what about the people behind these exciting, colorful, exotic and at times intoxicating drinks? If the chefs are given credit for the creations they have made, don't they deserve an article as well? When one goes to a bar or restaurant, who dispenses those drinks, and who does the cocktails? Who whips up the frappuccino? Did anyone notice them? It’s about time that they’d be given equal recognition as well since not only do they concoct drinks but they concoct them infront of the guest, thus making them elite in the industry.

Let’s call them PINOYTENDERS. Who are they? Technically, they are the Filipinos who tend the bar. In the industry, they are known as bartenders and baristas. They are the ones who come up with those specialty drinks and “drinks of the month” that we long for. They give us a shot of Tequila, a double on the rocks, and a well-crafted blow job. They are the ones that we approach whenever we need someone to talk to. And of course, they are the ones who do those death-defying bar flairs and mind-boggling tricks behind the bar that after you leave the place you’d still be wondering how they were able to do that. I was even surprised that there’s a bar in Manila that has its own version of Coyote Ugly.

No offense again, but maybe it’s time to focus on the beverage aspect of F&B since this is the more profitable side of the Industry if given the proper attention…right Mr.Cost Control?

We raise a glass of SHERIFF that we drink at THE BARN as a toast to all Pinoytenders that we’ve talked to, laughed with, encountered, and befriended. May you continue to whip up those drinks to quench our thirst. Cheers!!!!!!