Asia's got a knack for knowing the best ways to unwind, and we're diving into that vibe with "All Mixed Up." You'll find us in cool bars, drink in hand, escaping the tropical heat and spicing up our nights. With this series, we're exploring Asia's hottest bar scenes, chatting with the wizards behind the concepts and drinks — mixologists, bartenders, brewers, and more. Whether you're a cocktail whiz or just curious about the craft, we're serving up the stories behind the faces that fuel our nights out. So grab a drink and relax as we uncover the secrets behind our favorite bars. Trust us, these stories are best served chilled!

As a kid, if you've ever heard these words — makulit, pasaway, sutil, suwail — and if they've ever been used to describe you, congratulations! You're a black sheep. The misfit. The problem child.

Welcome to the group. It's a label we carry with pride.

For some, however, it's more than just a label. It's the name of their bar, the Best Bar in the Philippines 2026, to be specific.

Kevin Jerrold Corales — along with his co-founders Wendy Esteban and Patrick Leyble — launched Problem Child in late 2025. Hidden behind a nondescript door just on the outskirts of Makati City's famous nightlife district of Poblacion, the low-key bar has built their identity around a cocktail menu with a rotating set of signatures based on the color of the giant light-up fabric display behind the bar. Right now, the theme is Blue. Before that came Orange, Green, and Purple.

There are classic cocktails, too, but with their own Problem Child twist, alongside bar chows that deserve their own attention. Their Caponata dip, for one, has managed to win over even the eggplant-averse, while their subtly tropical take on the Negroni remains elegant while infusing a local flavor.

"Problematic" self-labels aside, their cocktail menu offers no hassle. Cocktails are approachable, and their menu leaves room for varying tastes. Because beneath the playful branding, Problem Child isn't about causing trouble. It's about breaking creative boundaries, challenging cocktail rules, and shaking up the industry.

And it seems to be working for them. Just months after opening, Problem Child already managed to land on Asia's 50 Best Bars list in 2026, earning the 44th Best Bar in Asia spot.

For Kevin, the road to becoming a bar owner and bartender wasn't exactly straightforward. He started his career as a chef before pivoting to bartending in 2019. He quickly found his footing, however, and even became a finalist in Diageo World Class Philippines 2021 before eventually rising up the ranks to be the Executive Bartender at Southbank Café + Lounge, which placed No. 82 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024 extended list.

A year later, Kevin co-founded Problem Child, as well as a clear ice company called Hotline Cube. He kept the momentum going this year, launching Philippine Cocktail Week 2026 alongside David Ong, co-Founder of The Curator, another award-winning name in the Makati bar scene.

In this All Mixed Up exclusive, The Beat Asia sits down with Kevin Jerrold Corales to talk about being the Problem Child, the importance of clear ice, and the evolving cocktail scene in the Philippines.

You started out as a chef at an Italian restaurant before pivoting to bartending in 2019. What made you cross from the kitchen to the bar?

I just wanted to try something new. I started exploring cocktails, drinking more of them, and eventually became really curious about that world. It wasn't really one specific moment. I think I was just looking for something different, and bartending caught my interest.

How much of your bartending is still shaped by the way you think as a chef?

It's still very much the same. I've always thought that being a bartender and being a chef are quite similar.

We both work with ingredients, flavors, balance, and technique. The difference is that we mix with ice, while chefs play with fire. *laughs*

Just two years into bartending, you joined Diageo World Class Philippines. What did that competition teach you at that early stage in your career?

It taught me that competitions aren't really for me *laughs*

More importantly, I realized that competitions don't define your capabilities as a bartender. I have nothing against bartenders whose goal is to compete and win. I have a lot of respect for them. I just realized it wasn't the path for me.

There are many different ways to grow and prove yourself in this industry.

Congratulations to Problem Child for ranking in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026! Walk us through the moment you first read the email from Asia's 50.

I was at Problem Child with my wife when I saw the email. I immediately showed it to her, and neither of us could believe it. We kept reading it because it just didn't feel real. I called my partners, Wendy and Patrick, right away to share the good news. I think it took a while before it actually sank in. We really weren't expecting it.

What is it like to have built two bars that both made Asia's 50 Best?

Problem Child definitely hits differently because we had been open for less than a year, so it was completely unexpected. It's also very personal to us. Problem Child is really our "child." We built it together from the ground up, so seeing it receive this kind of recognition so early means a lot.

What do each of you and your co-founders bring to the table that makes the concept work?

We all have different roles, but we help each other wherever needed. Wendy handles service training, admin, and finance. Patrick handles business operations and also contributes to the beverage program. I handle the daily operations, as well as the beverage and kitchen programs. My wife, Tash, is in charge of the marketing and creative direction of the brand.

Altogether, I think we make a really good team. Everyone brings something different to the table, but at the end of the day, we help each other out and work toward the same goal.

Problem Child's menu rotates around a new color every quarter. How does starting from a color change the way you and the team build a drink or a menu?

With our concept, which is actually very broad, having a specific color to work with actually helps because it gives us a starting point. Having that makes it fun; you just have to think outside the box.

A color doesn't necessarily mean the drink itself has to be that color. It can represent a feeling, an emotion, a certain dish, a memory, a character, or even an ingredient that resonates with that color. There are so many directions you can take it.

But honestly, sometimes a drink starts with something as simple as a garnish, and then we build the whole drink around it.

A lot of our inspiration comes from nostalgia and how we personally interpret the color we're working with.

You're still behind the stick at Problem Child every night. What does a night on the floor give you that you don't get from looking at the bar industry as a whole?

I'm still a bartender after all. I don't think I'd be able to fully understand how the operation is running if I weren't there experiencing it firsthand.

Being behind the stick isn't just about observing the operation, either. You get to interact with guests and meet new people. You hear what they think, what they like, and what they're curious about. At the same time, you get the opportunity to share some of your knowledge and experiences with them.

That connection is something you don't really get from looking at the business purely from an owner's perspective.

Talk to us about Hotline Cube. For guests who've never thought twice about the ice in their drink, what's the case for why it matters just as much as the spirits or technique?

Clear ice isn't just for show. It melts more slowly, so it helps control dilution and keeps the drink tasting the way it was intended for longer.

Imagine all the time and effort a bartender puts into creating a drink — ingredients, preparation, technique, and presentation — and then serving it with bad ice. For me, good ice gives justice to all that work. It's part of the drink, not just something that keeps it cold. The size, shape, temperature, and quality of the ice all affect how quickly a drink chills and dilutes.

Sometimes, the difference between a great drink and the same drink tasting completely different a few minutes later can simply be the ice.

Initially, Hotline Cube was really just made for Southbank. We already had three branches at the time, and we were having a hard time finding a reliable supplier for clear ice. So we decided to produce it ourselves. Eventually, my partners and I realized we had excess production, so we thought, "Why not offer it to other bars?"

And the rest is history.

You also co-founded Philippine Cocktail Week with David Ong. Was there a specific gap you and David felt needed filling in the local scene?

Let's face it, the Philippines isn't really on the global cocktail map yet. There are a lot of talented bartenders and great bars here, but I think we need to make more noise so people outside the country will notice what's happening here.

That was really one of the reasons behind Philippine Cocktail Week: to bring more attention to the local scene and give people more reasons to experience what the Philippines has to offer.

What do you think Manila (or the Philippines) still needs to work on to get more recognition as a cocktail destination?

I think tourism plays a big part. We need more people traveling to the Philippines specifically for food and cocktails.

We also need to invite more bartenders and bar owners from other countries to come here and experience the scene firsthand. It's one thing to hear about what's happening in the Philippines, but it's completely different when you actually come here, visit the bars, meet the people, and experience Filipino hospitality.

Hospitality, I think, is something Filipinos naturally do very well. That's what we do best when it comes to the cocktail culture.

What was the hardest part or most unexpected challenge that you ran into when organizing something at that scale?

From what we experienced during the last Philippine Cocktail Week, we realized we definitely need more helping hands, more support from brands, and more time.

There are so many moving parts when you're organizing something at that scale. You learn a lot after actually doing it, and now we have a much better idea of what we need to improve moving forward.

You've done takeovers and hosted other bars. What's the biggest benefit to participating in one or hosting one?

Learning from one another. Every bar and bartender does things differently, so there's always something you can pick up from each other.

It's also an opportunity for us to showcase our bar, what we do, and Filipino hospitality to a different audience.

Any favorite or most memorable bar takeover?

One of the most memorable for me was during Problem Child's grand opening, when we hosted Mike [Fedotovsky] from Dead Poets Hong Kong. That was a crazy night.

What made it even better was that we stayed friends after that. We eventually got to host each other for takeovers, and I think that's one of the best things about doing these events. Sometimes you start with a collaboration and end up with an actual friendship.

Now that you're the Best Bar in the Philippines, where to or what's next?

As we always say, we'll just keep doing what we do and see where this takes us.

The recognition is amazing, of course, but we don't want it to change why we started Problem Child in the first place. We'll keep experimenting, keep improving, and most importantly, keep having fun with what we do.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

To learn more about Kevin Jerrold Corales, follow him on Instagram. For updates, follow Problem Child on Instagram.

Enjoyed this article? Check out our previous All Mixed Up articles here.