Clyde Ferrer, a 25-year-old bartender fresh out of college, won the Dewar’s Highball Challenge National Championship, besting over 20 professional contenders with a sustainable watermelon-based cocktail.
Ferrer, a graduate of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Hospitality Management Program, impressed judges with his cocktail, What If…, featuring Dewar’s 12-year-old scotch whisky, carbonated watermelon juice, lemon extract, watermelon seed orgeat, and balsamic vinegar.
Inspired by childhood memories of eating fresh watermelon, Ferrer said he wanted to highlight sustainability. “What if, in the future, watermelons are engineered or faked, and that pure, natural sweetness is lost?” he said.
Representing Fat Cat, a jazz and cocktail bar in Makati, Ferrer was mentored by owner Ron Cruz and head bartender Vernie Peña. His drink was judged on inspiration, quality, presentation, aroma, taste, and technique by a panel of professional bartenders, including Kaye Varona-Alday, Michael Oshea, and Kelby Uy.
Ferrer won a cash prize and a spot on the Dewar’s Highball Challenge tour in Tokyo, where he joined winners from India, Malaysia, and Thailand for a five-day immersion in mixology, including ice carving and ingredient sourcing at Ueno Market.
