Tanduay is expanding its efforts to educate the next generation of bartenders and hospitality professionals about rum, combining lessons on Filipino heritage and craftsmanship with practical training in beverage service and responsible drinking.
Through its Tanduay Rum Masterclass, the homegrown rum brand has been bringing product education, sensory appreciation and bartending instruction to students and industry professionals across the Philippines.
“Tanduay is very active in building appreciation for rum through grassroots engagement and education. It is our way of investing into the future, as students and young professionals are the next generation that will be shaping not just the rum industry, but the bartending, hospitality, and tourism industries as well,” Tanduay Brand Manager Gem Leonard Boy said.
The latest masterclass was held at the University of Perpetual Help Las Piñas, drawing more than 100 freshman and sophomore students preparing for careers in the hospitality and beverage industries.
Tanduay resident bartender Jake Alano led the session with assistance from the Band of Young and Outstanding Bartenders (BYOB) and Soilo Productions. Participants were introduced to bartending fundamentals, cocktail preparation and the characteristics of rum.
“The Tanduay Rum Masterclass was developed to introduce and deepen students’ appreciation and excitement in the bar and beverage industry and understanding of rum, not simply as a beverage that is part of the subject but as a product shaped by Filipino heritage, craftsmanship, sugarcane, aging, blending, and innovation,” Alano said.
Masterclass traces roots to 2016
Tanduay has been conducting its rum education program since 2016, with Alano saying the earliest documented session was held at the Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST) in Manila.
Initially known simply as a Tanduay class, the program eventually evolved into the Tanduay Rum Masterclass. Sessions cover the basics of bartending and flairtending, along with rum tasting and the evaluation of a spirit’s color, aroma, body, taste and finish.
The program has since reached private and state universities and training institutions in Metro Manila, North and Central Luzon, CALABARZON and the Bicol Region. Masterclasses have also been conducted for mobile bars, companies and private groups.
“We usually facilitate masterclasses for a minimum of three institutions per month,” Alano said.
Schools offering hospitality, tourism, culinary arts and beverage-related programs are among the program’s main targets.
“For schools in particular, we want to reach future hospitality professionals early in their careers and give them an educational experience that complements what they learn in the classroom,” Alano said.
From rum appreciation to bartending
The masterclass combines basic bartending instruction with lessons on rum production, tasting, product appreciation, practical applications and responsible alcohol service.
According to Alano, participants learn where rum comes from, how its character develops and how differences in aroma, flavor, body and finish can be identified. Students also see how rum can be creatively incorporated into cocktails.
“What makes the Tanduay Rum Masterclass different is its combination of education, Filipino rum heritage, sensory appreciation, and practical bartending application,” he said.
Hands-on activities include cocktail demonstrations and return demonstrations, cocktail mixing and flairtending exercises, allowing students to apply classroom concepts to situations they may encounter in the beverage and hospitality industries.
Responsible drinking part of the lessons
Alongside product and bartending education, Tanduay said responsible alcohol consumption and service are emphasized throughout the program.
“Participants are reminded that alcoholic beverages should be consumed responsibly and only by individuals of legal drinking age. The masterclass also emphasizes the responsibility that future hospitality professionals have when serving alcoholic beverages to guests,” Alano said.
For Alano, who has spent 15 years in the industry, understanding spirits is an important professional skill rather than simply knowing how they are consumed.
“For future bartenders and hospitality professionals, knowledge of the product allows them to make better recommendations, create better cocktails, communicate with guests, and appreciate the craftsmanship behind what they serve,” he said.
Beyond the masterclass, Tanduay conducts distillery tours, mixology and flairtending competitions and other industry-oriented activities aimed at expanding knowledge and appreciation of rum.
Alano said feedback from participants has been positive, particularly on the sensory and hands-on portions of the program.
Students, he said, learn that rum can be evaluated and appreciated in much the same way as other premium spirits while gaining practical experience through tasting, cocktail preparation and flairtending.
Ultimately, the program aims to encourage students to see rum — and Tanduay in particular — as more than an alcoholic beverage, but as a product connected to Filipino heritage, craftsmanship and creativity.
“We want them to leave with greater appreciation for Filipino rum and with knowledge that they can carry into their future careers in bartending, hospitality, and the beverage industry,” Alano said.