MANY may think that great cocktails are defined by spectacle, like billowing smoke, elaborate garnishes or ingredients that sound almost impossible to pronounce.
For award-winning Italian mixologist Felice Capasso, however, the ultimate test is something far less dramatic. He expressed a belief that the real challenge begins when there is nowhere to hide.
The reigning 2025 Diageo World Class Global Bartender of the Year brought that philosophy to Manila during his first visit to the Philippines, headlining a one-night takeover at The Spirits Library in Poblacion before leading a masterclass with Filipino bartenders the following day.
Behind the bar, there were no flashy theatrics. Instead, guests were introduced to a menu built around balance, restraint and technique.
The menu
ONE of the night’s highlights was his signature Dry Martini. It is made with Tanqueray No. TEN, Cocchi Extra Dry and Castelvetrano olives. It was unapologetically spirit-forward, a drink that left nowhere to hide behind sweetness or heavy mixers.
Other cocktails showed different sides of his approach. A Strawberry cocktail paired The Singleton of Dufftown 12 Years with nutritional yeast and strawberry bitters, balancing fruit with whisky in a way that softened both without overpowering either.
The refreshing Cloudberry, made with Don Julio Blanco, contrasted sharply with another creation that surprised many guests-a savory cocktail incorporating mushroom notes, proving that drinks need not always lean sweet or citrus-forward to feel complete.
Even the familiar Negroni, crafted with Tanqueray No. TEN, Campari and Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino, demonstrated why classics remain timeless when executed with precision.
Yet the drinks were only part of the evening. Felice spent much of the takeover chatting with guests, cracking jokes across the bar and engaging customers between cocktails, creating an atmosphere that felt more conversational.
The beauty of less
ASKED during a media briefing to describe himself through a cocktail, Felice answered without hesitation, ‘A dry martini,’ and then he smiled, ‘You’re not going to ask me why?’
His explanation revealed more about his philosophy than about his personality. ‘A dry martini doesn’t lie,’ he said.
‘Some cocktails you can just fill with sugar, fruit and anise and people will love them. A dry martini only has two or three ingredients, so every ingredient needs to be of the highest quality.’
To explain further, Felice compared the drink to one of Italy’s simplest dishes: spaghetti aglio e olio. ‘It only has olive oil, garlic, chili and parsley,’ he said. ‘But it’s also one of the hardest dishes to make because there are so few ingredients. Everything has to be right.’
The same principle, he said, applies behind the bar. With fewer components, there is little room to compensate for mistakes. Every measurement, every temperature and every ingredient matters.
Even his answer to a lighter question, ‘What ingredient deserves more attention in cocktails?’ revealed the same curiosity. ‘Artichoke,’ he said, describing an Italian bar that distills the vegetable into carbonated soda for an Americano variation.
Learning never stops
HUMILITY has become one of Felice’s defining traits despite an accomplished career spanning multiple countries.
Originally from Naples, Italy, he began working in a neighborhood coffee bar before moving to London at 18, eventually building a career across England, Australia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Norway.
Along the way, he managed cocktail programs, became a global educator for international spirits brands, founded The Spirits Journal and Sesto Senso Academy, and was named Norway’s Industry Improver of the Year in 2023.
Two years later, he claimed one of bartending’s highest honors after winning the Diageo World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2025, emerging on top of thousands of competitors worldwide.
Yet even with those achievements, Felice appeared more interested in learning than projecting expertise.
His personal motto, which is ‘Learn. Improve. Inspire. Repeat,’ captures a mindset centered less on perfection than on constant growth.
It also explains why his first trip to the Philippines was not only about serving cocktails, but about exchanging ideas with local bartenders.
Felice may have arrived in Manila only a day before the event, but one thing immediately stood out. ‘The hospitality skills are amazing,’ he said. ‘So is the English.’
He also admitted he had not yet sampled enough local cocktails to comment on the country’s cocktail scene but said the warmth of Filipino bartenders left an immediate impression. ‘I love the sense of humor,’ he said. ‘I love to walk into a bar and laugh.’
It was perhaps a fitting takeaway from his first trip to Manila. Long after the cocktails are finished, it is often the people behind the bar, and not just what’s in the glass, that leave the strongest impression.