Three Filipinos are set to represent the country in the 2017 Draught Masters regional finals, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand on July 19, 2017.

Draught Masters Competition — Image: Stella Artois (Booze Online, Inc.)

At the second Draught Masters Philippines Competition held at Fairmont Hotel, Makati City, Jason Laurio, Shiela Roa Poderanan and Michael Angelo Mallari bested 16 contenders last June 22 to earn the chance of a lifetime.

The competition evaluated contestants’ precise execution of Stella Artois’ nine-step ritual in serving the perfect beer. It was comprised of two rounds, with all 16 performing in the first and then eliminated to seven. In the second round, the contestants demonstrated their skill again and answered a question from one of the judges.

Each step in the ritual sounds like something straight out of a medieval novel, starting with the Purification, where the chalice is bathed in cold water to reach the same temperature as the beer, until the Bestowal, when the beer is served on a coaster with a drip catcher at the base.

The Belgian brand maintains its reputation for quality by serving its beer in the Stella Artois Chalice, said to enhance the beer’s flavor as aromas are released when beer is poured. Drinkers hold it at the stem, so that the beer will stay cold for a longer time.

Poderanan, 29, was one of two women who joined the competition. Despite only two months’ experience in the bar industry and no prior experience in bartending, she proved that hard work and motivation helps one stand out from the rest.

“Our world is rapidly changing, and women can join this kind of competition. I’m proud and so thankful that I was given the chance to be in this kind of competition,” said the Bicol native who is a server at Draft Gastropub Ortigas.

Watch a quick video of the winners’ performances here:

While all three representatives work in Metro Manila, they each hail from different provinces.

Laurio, 23, is from Quezon province and has been bartending for a year at Pablo Bistro, Salcedo.

During the question-and-answer portion, he told judges that he would like to have an ice cold beer with Stella Artois founder Sebastien Artois: “I would like to ask him questions, like how did he become successful, how to make a good beer.”

Of his upcoming trip abroad, he looks forward to learning new ideas and meeting bartenders of other nationalities.

Pampangueño Mallari, 28 is a server at Draft and only bartends when it is his colleagues’ days off at Draft Gastropub Greenbelt. Still, he had the calm and finesse to win the competition on his first try.

“It’s nice to win,” he relates, even if joining was a joke at first.

“Actually biruan talaga yun. Siguro napansin [ng management] na ako yung may lakas na loob na sumali (Actually it was a joke. Maybe the management noticed I had the guts to join),” he shares. “‘Di ko pinalampas ang opportunity (I didn’t let the opportunity pass).”

Among the three, he was the only one who had family present to cheer him on.

Laurio’s manager came to support him, while Poderanan came solo as her family was in Bicol for vacation. However, she was a crowd favorite and received roars of cheers and applause.

“Pakiramdam ko na andami kong kasama (I felt I had so much support),” she said.

She’s enjoying her career shift so far from a desk job to the service industry and promises to do her best in Bangkok. “Magpapractice talaga ako dahil hindi lang Draft Ortigas ang nirerepresent ko, parang buong Pilipinas na (I will practice hard since I’m representing not only Draft Ortigas but the entire Philippines),” says Poderanan. JB