SUZU

christian suzuki-orellana / aka

Growing up in the Bay Area, Suzu also spent much of his childhood and teenage years in Tokyo working under the tutelage of his grandparent’s at their restaurants あらまさ(Aramasa) and すきずき (Sukizuki). Suzu returned to California after living in Japan, applying his accumulated knowledge to his career.

Over the course of a decade, Suzu has developed an illustrious career tending bar and managing at some of San Francisco’s most iconic cocktail bars including 15 Romolo, Benjamin Cooper, and Wildhawk. In 2022, Suzu was a semi-finalist on the hit bartending competition show, Drink Masters, exclusively streamed on Netflix. In 2024-2025, Suzu took his Kagano Pop-Up (estb. 2019) on tour around North America, covering the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada.

NOTABLE WORK

Wildhawk, General Manager (2020-2024) + Bartender (2018-2020); Benjamin Cooper, Bartender (2016-2020); Tradition, Bar Manager (2016-2018), 15 Romolo, Assistant Manager (2013-2016) + Bartender (2011-2013); Delica Rf-1, General Manager (2010-2011)

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Kagano North America Pop-Up Tour, USA, Caribbean, Mexico, Canada (2024-2025); Tales of the Cocktail / Spirited Awards, Nomination for Bartender of the Year (2022, 2023); Netflix, Semi-finalist on Drink Masters Season 1 (2022); World’s 50 Best Discovery, Wildhawk, San Francisco (2022); StarChefs Magazine, Rising Star Award (2022); Imbibe Magazine, Imbibe 75 Honoree (2022); PUNCH, Bartender in Residence (2021); Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender, National Finalist (2020); Bacardi Legacy, National Finalist (2018)