Stay Up Espresso Bar

 Caffeine fix with a dose of entertainment

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Stay Up espresso bar invites coffee lovers to their newly opened branch at the heart of Kapitolyo in Pasig City. The beverage hub is here to give aficionados a cafe experience that will definitely keep their energies up.

"We want to give coffee lovers a different dining experience with our concoctions. Plus, we are a pet friendly outlet, so fur parents can tag along their babies anytime," invited China Tanchanco, who conceptualized the bar's set-up with nine other business partners.

Drag Race Philippines' first season winner, Precious Paula Nicole, led the drag queens in a bevy of performances that stalled the busy rush hour traffic of Kapitolyo district. The O Bar veteran dished out Ru Paul's "Sissy That Walk," while sashaying through a stop light to the coffee shop, as spectators enjoyed their cups of No Sleep (Spanish latte), Skywalker (Caramel machiato), and Wide Awake (their version of Cafe Americano).

Marina Summers also brought the house down with a superb rendition of Ru Paul's "Call Me Mother" as guests partook of Off to Mars (an affogato concoction), Wakey Bakey (hazelnut flavored coffee), and Hello Good Morning (white choco mocha blend).

Miss Congeniality Lady Morgana created an impact by splicing two Shirley Bassey hits - "I Who Have Nothing" and "This Is My Life" - in between spoken dialogue from a TV show, while cups of Up All Night (cafe latte), Awakening (espresso with white choco), and Psycho Flip (a fusion of Brevé, espresso, and condensed milk) were proffered to adventurous palates.

Viñas de Luxe brought guests to their feet with her rendition of Beyonce's "All The Single Ladies" as young gals tried the bar's drip-based concoctions. There's Mr. Fly High (Vietnamese black), Matcha latte, and Daydreaming (Ca phe sua).

There are no frappes here, just hot or cold coffee blends. They also serve hot or iced non-espresso blends. Nothing fancy, one may say, just like Brigiding's performance of Barbra Streisand's "Don't Rain On My Parade" from the Broadway musical "Funny Girl."

Non-coffee drinkers can still enjoy their piping hot cups of Honey Lemon Ginger Tea, a popular choice as mainstream as Eva Le Queen's upbeat essaying of Whitney Houston's dance classic "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."

As Drag Race Philippines' Season One grand champion, Precious Paula Nicole will be joining Ru Paul's Drag Con UK on January 6 to 8 with other drag queens from all across the globe. Meanwhile, Drag Race Philippines is gearing up for its second season. The search ended auditions early this month to determine the new season's aspirants.

Stay Up is on the lookout to host themed events all throughout each year, henceforth, and what better way to celebrate its launch than with the popular drag queens in the country. The beverage brand wants to be as inclusive and as fierce as the performers who regaled the cafe's guests, as well as the passers by who chanced upon their lip sync numbers.

Stay Up Kapitolyo is located at #16 United Street, right across Ace Water Spa. Coffee lovers in the north can check out their outlet in Katipunan, while those in the south may visit their branch in Las Piñas.