UAE · MENA EDITION
BAR NINJAS THE
WEEKLY
POUR
ISSUE №005
14 SEP 2026
5-MIN READ
CLASSIFIED ·READ IN 5 MIN
Every week: one honest opinion, real stories, one skill you can use tonight, jobs, trends and people worth knowing across the UAE and MENA bar scene. No fluff. Just the trade.
FILE 01 · OPINION
THE NINJA TAKE We don't have to compete to belong. We can grow together. This week's Take comes from Nidhin Narayanan. Different cities, different bars, different brands, but behind every bar we are one community. We show up for the big takeovers and the famous names, but real growth happens in the small moments too, the new bartender's first shift, the quiet masterclass, the guest shift nobody is filming.
"Don't wait for the biggest event. Don't wait for the famous name. Support them while they are building." Abu Dhabi, visit Dubai. Dubai, come to Abu Dhabi. Show up for the people, not just the drinks. The bottles will empty and the music will stop, but the connections stay. We are not just bartenders, we are a family behind the bar. NIDHIN NARAYANAN
FILE 02 · MISSION
NINJA CHALLENGE MISSION
The Coffee Spritzer: Build a highball or spritzer using coffee as a core ingredient, tapping into the modern coffee movement rather than treating it as an espresso martini afterthought. Post it: Share your build on Instagram, tag @barninjasint and use #barninjachallenge.
FILE 03 · INTEL
WHAT'S HAPPENING Speed, spice and a season finale, this week has a bit of everything. WEEKLY EVENTS & MASTERCLASSES MONKEY BAR · COINTREAU MIDDLE EAST
On Monday 7th September, eight of the UAE's top bartenders went head to head at Rematch Habibi, taking over Monkey Bar for a speed, precision and flair showdown to crown the fastest hands in the UAE. MMI BAR ACADEMY · PERNOD RICARD
On Monday 7th September, Sips Global returned to MMI Bar Academy, the latest Share, Inspire, Pioneer session focused on empowering the next generation of bartending talent, hosted by Sensei Nana. MMI RETAIL · FOCUS BRANDS
On Tuesday 8th September, High Water made a splash training the MMI retail team on brand knowledge, shelf ownership and making every sip count, hosted by our own Ninja Sensei Tauland. ROSEWOOD ABU DHABI · MACALLAN
On 7th and 8th September, Macallan Masterclasses ran at Rosewood Abu Dhabi, walking guests through the house style over pours from the shelf. HAKKASAN ABU DHABI
On 8th September, Hakkasan Abu Dhabi launched Negroni Month, putting the three equal parts classic front and centre for the rest of the month. THE TENT BY BLA BLA · JACK DANIEL'S
On Wednesday 9th September, Jack Daniel's Battle of the Bands reached its final stage, with UAE based artists competing for the win. Congratulations to Electric Bloom, taking home the trophy and a trip from Dubai to Lynchburg. MMI BAR ACADEMY
On Thursday 10th September, MMI Bar Academy's Weekly Rota training continued, bringing together the industry's emerging young bartenders, hosted by Travis, Head of MMI Bar Academy. MEI X HAWKERBOI · ROKU GIN
On Thursday 10th September, MEI Dubai and Hawkerboi brought two bar teams together for a Yum Cha and Cocktail Experience, unlimited handcrafted dim sum paired with a bespoke cocktail programme cocreated by MJ from Hawkerboi and Deepak from MEI Dubai.
SIPS GLOBAL
HIGH WATER · MMI RETAIL
MACALLAN · ROSEWOOD
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
MEI X HAWKERBOI
AROUND THE WORLD UNITED STATES · INDUSTRY
Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits has entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice, agreeing to pay 12.5 million dollars to resolve a probe into bribing alcohol buyers at major grocery chains, a reminder that distribution relationships are under closer scrutiny than they used to be. BARCELONA, SPAIN
Barcelona Hotel Bar Week returns for its second edition from 21st to 27th September, opening the doors of more than 30 hotel bars across the city with guest shifts, tastings and a citywide bar passport.
FILE 04 · SKILL DROP
60-SECOND MASTERCLASS Presentation: make the garnish earn its spot APPLY IT TONIGHT
Before you add a garnish because it photographs well, ask what it actually does for the drink. A good garnish should change the aroma the guest gets on the first sip, add a texture or flavour note, or both. If it is only sitting there for the camera, it is decoration, not craft, and guests notice the difference even if they cannot name it. Try auditing your top three sellers this week. For each garnish, ask whether removing it changes the drink. If the answer is no, it is worth asking why it is still there, especially with this issue's Bar Question on the table.
FILE 05 · RECIPE
COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK Old Fashioned WHY IT MATTERS
Marked for mid September as part of National Bourbon Heritage Month, the Old Fashioned is the original definition of a cocktail, spirit, sugar, water and bitters, first served in early 19th century American taverns. When bartenders in the late 1800s began piling on liqueurs and fruit, traditionalists pushed back, demanding their drink the old fashioned way, OLD FASHIONED
and the protest became the benchmark whiskey drink still judged against today. 60ml Bourbon or Rye Whiskey · 1 Demerara Sugar Cube (or 7.5ml rich Demerara syrup) · 2 to 3 dashes Angostura Bitters Serve in a heavy rocks glass over a solid ice block. Garnish with an expressed orange peel and a Luxardo cherry.
FILE 06 · PROFILE
NINJA OF THE WEEK Eight years, one barback, and the belief that the ground floor is worth remembering. BRYAN GAMIAO · ASSISTANT BAR MANAGER, FRNDS RESTAURANT Bryan Gamiao started his career the hard way, as a barback, and has spent the eight years since working his way through the industry one step at a time. What motivates him is the people he works with, the guests he serves, and the challenge of getting a little better every day. For Bryan, bartending was never just about the drinks. It is about building connections and helping the people around him grow, the same way his own mentors helped him. He is proud of the distance travelled, and even more excited about where it goes next.
BRYAN GAMIAO · FRNDS
FILE 07 · OPPORTUNITIES
JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES Twenty bar-focused roles hiring across the UAE right now. 1. ALICA Deli & Wine, Abu Dhabi
2. Palm Jumeirah Venue
3. Cello Group, Dubai
FOH Supervisor, Bartender, Cashier, Waiters, Food Runners
Mixologists, Bartenders, Hostesses, Waiters/Waitresses
Captain/Order Taker, Waiter, Barista
careers@alica.ae
sendyourcvs4@gmail.com
4. IWAAN Group, Dubai
5. China Tang, Dubai
6. AMAYA, Dubai
Head Waiter, Commis Waiter, Runner, Hostess, Bartender, Barback
Waitress, Female Bartender
Hostess, Senior Waiter/Waitress
hr@chinatangdubai.com
hr@amayaintl.com
7. Kinsu, Dubai & Abu Dhabi
8. McCafferty's Bars, UAE
9. O'liv UAE
Supervisor, Waiter, Waitress, Japanese Cuisine Commis
Male Cashier, Hostess, Waiter/Waitress, Barback, Drinks Runner
Barista, Mixologist, Head Waitress, Catering Coordinator
Kinsu.recruitment@gmail.com
careers@mccaffertysbars.com
catering@olivuae.com
10. Tattu, Dubai
11. Chez Wam Restaurant & Bar, UAE
12. Nell Gwynne British Pub
Servers careersdubai@tattu.me
Waiter/Waitress
leo.nellgwynne@marinabyblohotel.com
Cellogroup2020@gmail.com
Careers@iwaangroup.com
Bar Waitress
recruitment@chezwam.ae
13. Hard Rock Cafe, Dubai Festival City
14. High-End Restaurant, Dubai
15. SUPA, Uzbek Culinary House Hostesses, Waiters, Chefs
Bartenders, Servers, Retail Associates
Arabic-Speaking Reservation Agent/Hostess, Bartender
sales@hardrockdubai.ae
zeinedine.mazen@gmail.com
16. Zea Restaurant, DIFC
17. F&B Group Companies, Al Ain
18. The Espresso Lab, UAE
Head Bartender, Bartender, Barback, Hostess, Waiter, Runner
Arabic Hostess, Waitress, Barista
Barista, Waiter, Cashier
hrmanager@margin.ae
justine.delcastillo@theespressolab.com
humanr@supadubai.com
hr@zeadubai.com
19. Ribambelle Dubai Waiters/Waitresses, Runners, Head Hostess
20. ThirtyFour Restaurant, Dubai Marina
hg.novaworkspace@gmail.com
Waiters/Waitresses, Food Runners, Hostesses hr@clubist.ae
APPLYING THIS WEEK? READ THIS FIRST
Put a photo on your CV. Hospitality is a guest facing industry, and hiring managers are picturing you on the floor or behind the bar before they even call you in. A clear, well lit headshot, smiling, in something you would actually wear to work, tells them more in two seconds than another line of bullet points. FILE 08 · KIT CHECK
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK Chilean Pisco. Production traces back to the 16th century, when Spanish settlers brought distillation to the arid valleys of Atacama and Coquimbo, and Chile now holds the oldest denomination of origin in the Americas, recognised in 1931. Grapes, mainly Muscat, Torontel and Pedro Ximenez, are hand harvested, crushed and fermented into a wine before distillation in copper pot stills. Unlike its Peruvian cousin, Chilean Pisco is diluted before bottling and can be rested in neutral stainless steel for a clean, transparent style, or aged in wood, sometimes native Rauli rather than oak, for a rounder profile. Chile's national spirit CHILEAN PISCO
and the backbone of the Pisco Sour, it is worth a proper look beyond that one classic serve.
FILE 09 · DEBATE
THE BAR QUESTION Drop your answer in the community
AS SOCIAL MEDIA CONTINUES TO INFLUENCE WHERE AND WHAT PEOPLE DRINK, ARE VISUALLY STRIKING COCKTAILS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT THAN TASTE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP?
A COCKTAIL CAN GO VIRAL FOR HOW IT LOOKS. IT SURVIVES ON THE MENU FOR HOW IT TASTES. LAST POUR
BAR NINJAS
UAE / MENA
ISSUE №005
BAR NINJAS CREW · CONTRIBUTING EDITORS & INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTORS
TAULAND HYKA FOUNDER & EDITOR-INCHIEF
IULIIA MARKINA
TAHA ELOUAZZANI
SUNNY NIGREL
VITALI OVCHARENKO
KEYUR DHARKAR
CHANNA M. RODRIGO
SHYAM KRISHNAKUMAR
NANA SECHERE
TRAVIS KHUN
LULUA SULTAN
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