David Posada/Caya House/Bodegas Papiamento
David credits his first mentor, an award-winning Dutch master mixologist, with inspiring him to focus on distilled spirits in his food & beverage career. While still at school, David enrolled in a mixology course, then furthered his knowledge in wine by completing a level 2 sommelier course that helped him explore wines.
David is currently behind the bar at Caya House, a restaurant popular for its innovative cocktails. He is eager to delight guests with imaginative crafted drinks, aiming to become the best bartender in Aruba, balancing traditional knowledge with creative ideas. He sees himself as part of the next generation of bartenders that will take Aruba from beach-bar frozen libations to sophisticated and complex drinks with layers of taste that evolve with each sip.
Yokasta Feliz/The Lobby at Marriott Aruba Resort & Stellaris Casino/Pepia Est
Yokasta started her career at Marriott Aruba as a server at one of the beach restaurants, occasionally relieving a colleague at the bar and discovering she liked mixology and the fascinating art of mixing and matching to create an exciting drink. Her natural instincts about flavors, textures, and aromas drew the attention of the food & beverage department that was happy to help develop her intuition and understanding of distilled spirits in a formal course.
Flavor balancing comes natural to her and she is also an easy conversationalist. Guests appreciate her showmanship and adaptability, matching her recipes to different audiences with varying tastes. Yokasta is also the winner of two earlier Marriott’s Masters of the Craft competitions.
Nelson Molina/Blu Bar at Renaissance Aruba Resort/Tropical Bottling
Nelson is no stranger to bartender competitions. In 2017, he received the most votes from guests at the Bartenders’ Brawl event and earned the People’s Choice title with a modern punch-style “Tropical Shades of Grey,” representing Tropical Bottling, who he is also representing in this year’s Bartenders’ Brawl.
Nelson has been working at Renaissance’s Blu Bar since opening day and counts a total of 19 years with the Renaissance.
Nelson loves the challenge of creating new cocktails and surprising guests with a fresh version of their classic favorites. Vodka and rum are his preferred spirits, knowing by experience when to add sour to sweet, and how much bitters is needed to cut through richness to reach that ultimate Umami.
Giovanny Tromp/Waves Restaurant at Marriott Aruba Resort & Stellaris Casino/Arion Wine Company
For the 2017 edition of the Bartender’s Brawl, Giovanni concocted a lusciously decadent dessert-style cocktail featuring Hennessy Cognac balanced with a hint of pistachio and topped with coconut toasted à la minute and cream. We should expect another memorable performance from Giovanni in 2024.
As one of our most experienced bartenders, Giovanni also runs his own bartending school, Bartenderzone4life, where in addition to comprehensive training in bartending techniques, mixology, and flair bartending skills, he provides students with an in-depth understanding of the tools and equipment used in the industry.
Giovanni believes that a bartender must uphold a set of principles and guidelines that help him maintain the highest standard of professionalism, skill, and service.
Carlos Perez/JOIA by Iberostar/Divino
Carlos started his career as a barback for Gianni’s Group, working his way up the ladder to become their top bar manager overseeing several bars and mixologists, focusing on craft cocktails and specialty drinks. He is currently looking forward to joining JOIA by Iberostar, a new Eagle Beach resort set to open in December 2024.
Carlos participated in the 5th annual Bartenders’ Brawl receiving the most points and earning the Instagram influencers’ award with his gin-based cocktail called “Elephant in the Room.”
Esneider Tuñon/Sales Rep Romar Trading/Pepe Margo Distillery
Esnneider is a Sales Representative at Romar Trading, having worked as a bartender for that company for many years. He is comfortable in front of the camera, as he frequently stars in Romar Trading’s promotional videos introducing the popular brands in their portfolio. Esneider is also an in-demand private bartender, helping locals and visitors organize small celebrations in homes and businesses.
Luisa Rivero/Campeonas Cantina & Tequila Bar at Marriott’s Ocean Club/Romar Trading
Luisa is the Ambassador of Romar Trading’s fine line of Tequilas and Mescals, with a selection of more than 100 spirits made from the famous Blue Weber Agave plant. She regularly prepares the cocktails on Campeonas’ fresh and vibrant margarita menu and frequently serves the four curated Tequila flights, to patrons at the bar. She was in charge of the first tequila pairing, at the Marriott.
At the beginning of her career at the Marriott Aruba Resort & Stellaris Casino, she was a server in one of the hotel’s busy restaurants and after taking a few courses, and graduating successfully, she found that she had a knack for mixology, tailoring cocktails to customers’ tastes.
She participated in Marriott’s in-house Masters of the Craft contest before, but has yet to win. For Bartenders’ Brawl she is aspiring to rise to the occasion!
Orlando Navas/ Hoya Lush Café/Aruba Trading Company
Orlando, a bartender at Hoya Lush Cafe in downtown Oranjestad, reports his most popular cocktail is the mojito—in all its tropical versions—served at the hip al fresco bar every day to visitors to the island. Originally from Venezuela, Orlando went to school in Aruba and upon graduation, joined the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino where he trained as a bartender, successfully completing the in-house programs and delighting guests at the resort with his inventive cocktail creations,
Orlando was then recruited for an event company affiliated with craft cocktail specialists Apotheek Remedy Bar and Apotek Speakeasy, Last year, Orlando happily transitioned to daytime hours at Hoya Lush Café. His friendly and charismatic personality suits this daytime downtown bar’s clientele perfectly.
The Bartenders’ Brawl, October 12th, 6pm, Plaza Nikki Habibe, Oranjestad. Get tickets for the Autentico Culinary Festival on line!
