Lal Muan Puia (Gekko, Yangon)
Puia (left), bar manager for Gekko in Myanmar’s capital of Yangon, has come up trumps and is making sure he puts his developing cocktail market on the map. He was selected as the Wildcard Finalist (Asia Pacific) for Bacardi Legacy 2020, meaning he’ll be competing in the global finals in Miami. But before that, he’ll be heading to Milan next month, as he was the winner of the Campari Bartender Asia 2019 Myanmar finals, meaning he’ll be on yet another global stage.
These are huge achievements for a young gun coming out of a capital that isn’t known for its cocktail scene, but is definitely beginning to grow with some notable new openings this year – and Puia is set to spread the word as he travels for competitions.
