Perhaps for many people, bartenders are still seen simply as the people behind the bar – surrounded by bottles of alcohol, late-night drinking and a nightlife culture that can seem complicated. It is also because of this perception that many parents have worried, or even objected, when their children chose bartending as a career. But perhaps that perception would change if they had the chance to sit in the audience at the Flavour Masters Grand Final. Because there, each cocktail is far more than a drink. It is a combination of knowledge, talent and creativity, with every bartender using flavour to tell a story. And those standing behind the bar, as it turns out, are doing something much greater than mixing drinks: they are becoming cultural ambassadors in their own way, taking the flavours, ingredients and spirit of Vietnam beyond its borders, while sharing the stories, memories and deeply personal journeys of the people behind the bar.
More than a Professional Bartending Competition
On June 4th, at the Sheraton hotel, the third season of the Flavour Master final – organized by Mathieu Teisseire and An Nam Group, brought a months-long selection journey to a close, one that had drawn bartenders from across the country. Fifteen of the finest talents, representing cities nationwide, were called up for the final day of competition. But as the day wore on, one thing became clearer than ever: at Flavour Master, technical skill was never the destination it was simply the raw material these young competitors used to tell their stories.
This year’s judging panel brought together four names closely tied to the bar industry in Vietnam and the region: Maxence Piattelli, Flavour Masters Global Champion 2024 and Global Judge 2025; Nguyễn Thành Công, General Manager of The Haflington Hanoi, a Hanoi bar ranked among Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024; Nguyễn Phú Cường, Founder of Jack in Bartender and one of the most influential bartenders on social media; and Huy Hồ, Brand Ambassador for Mathieu Teisseire Vietnam. This blend of international perspective and local market insight helped the competition stay both professionally rigorous and closely attuned to the realities of Vietnam’s bar scene.
One day, three challenges, one spirit
Flavour Master was built as a complete journey into flavor discovery. The first challenge tested blending – contestants had to understand flavor structure, name and separate layers of aroma, a test of a bartender’s own sense of taste and smell.
The second challenge shifted the pressure toward instant creativity: in just 45 minutes, given available ingredients and a surprise theme, each contestant had to build a recipe true to that theme’s spirit – no time to hesitate, only instinct and a feel for flavor could speak.
And the most important round, the one that repeatedly hushed the room that day: this year’s theme, Unlock Your Flavour, gave each contestant 10 minutes to present a drink prepared in advance, along with their own personal story. This was no longer a technical exam – it was a stage, where every cocktail became a vessel for telling a cultural story, a memory, or a piece of personal identity.
Vietnam, through the eyes of young bartenders
What surprised the international judges most wasn’t technique – it was the way Vietnamese bartenders proudly carried their homeland’s culture onto the stage.
Ngọc Huy took the audience to Hội An through the flavor of Cao Lầu.
Mai Phượng Hồng Đào won over all four judges with a skit introducing Vietnam’s street culture – the familiar plastic stools and Tré, a specialty of the south and swept both the Runner-up and Masters of Viral awards.
Contestant Nguyễn Tùng Lâm chose to recreate the spirit of Bắc Ninh’s Quan Họ folk singing in his performance and took home the Masters of Decoration award. From Quảng Ninh to Hội An, Bắc Ninh to the Mekong Delta, the audience that day traveled the length of Vietnam through 15 stories, 15 distinct ways of seeing the flavors of home.
Maxence Piattelli, Global Flavour Master 2024, shared: “I find Vietnamese bartenders unique. You proudly showcase local ingredients and culture that I haven’t seen in any other country. I was truly impressed by the contestants’ performances today.”
That remark reflects a notable shift taking place within Vietnam’s bartending scene. Rather than copying international trends, many young bartenders are now actively drawing inspiration from what’s closest to them: home-cooked dishes, native fruits, traditional spices, or childhood memories. They’re not just crafting a good drink they’re telling a distinctly Vietnamese story.
For Nguyễn Phú Cường, Founder of Jack in Bartender, who has sat on the judging panel for all three seasons, the surprises never seem to run out: “Vietnam’s contestants are so talented and creative, and every year brings something unexpected.”
When the competition touches something deeper
But perhaps what lingered longest after a long day at the Sheraton wasn’t the technique or the skillfully told cultural stories, it was the very human, very real moments that unfolded behind the stage lights.
Mr. Huy Hồ, Brand Ambassador for Mathieu Teisseire Vietnam, shared that for him, Flavour Master’s greatest goal has always been education: giving every bartender the chance to explore flavor more deeply and grow further in the craft. For the winner, the journey doesn’t end on finals night – it opens a door to deeper learning, a trip to France, the chance to work alongside global champions, and experiences they can bring home to support Vietnam’s bartending community on the long road ahead.
“But for me, the competition’s real success is in the way it touches people’s emotions,” he said. “I was genuinely moved when one contestant, in the middle of their performance, called their father just to ask him not to drink so much, and to hope he would believe in the path they were pursuing. Or a young female bartender who shared her journey of balancing her career with being a mother to a one-year-old.”
These are stories that appear in no judging criteria, and yet they’re exactly why a bartending competition can move people to tears. Being a bartender, it turns out, is never just about standing behind a bar – it’s about the choices made, the sacrifices, the loved ones who need convincing, and a love for the craft strong enough to keep going even when it isn’t easy.
A trophy named after a story of a lemon
After a long day of emotion and creativity, the title of Flavour Master Season 3 champion went to Quốc Việt, a bartender from Mellow Six. His performance didn’t reach for exotic or elaborate ingredients – it began with something so familiar it’s easy to overlook: the lemon. Yet from that humble ingredient, Quốc Việt drew out unexpected layers of flavor, crafting cocktails that left a strong impression on the entire judging panel – a reminder that sometimes, the best stories are found in the things closest to us.
When the bartender becomes a cultural ambassador
Flavour Masters 2026 closed with a single champion, but the competition’s greatest value lies in what remains after the stage lights go down. It is the inspiration for a generation of bartenders to keep exploring native ingredients, honoring local culture, and telling distinctly Vietnamese stories in the language of flavor. And it is also an opportunity for more people to discover the talent of Vietnamese bartenders and to hold this craft in even greater regard.
A cocktail can be enjoyed in a matter of minutes, but the story it carries can linger in someone’s memory of a place for far longer. And as more and more bartenders choose to tell these stories, they are doing more than crafting drinks, they are helping bring Vietnam’s culture and ingredients closer to friends around the world, in a way that is subtle, and deeply felt.
Picture: Organizer
Phuong Maxy began her journey as a storyteller, sharing untold stories about people in the wine industry on her personal blog. She also contributes to international publications, bringing perspectives from Vietnam’s emerging wine culture to a global audience.
With over 10 years of experience in wine marketing and communications, Phuong is passionate about connecting people, culture, and knowledge through the world of food and wine.
Her work has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Influential Women and awarded Writer of the Year by Women in Wine & Spirits Award 2025.
