HAWKERBOI LAUNCHES PALOMA WEEK WITH NEW BAR MANAGER

Hawkerboi has appointed Maria Jose “MJ” Urmeneta as its new Bar Manager, and she’s starting strong with Paloma Week, a two-week cocktail takeover running from 18th to 31st May.

Priced at AED 45, the limited-edition menu sees MJ pushing the classic Paloma into an experimental territory, while keeping the essence of the Mexican favourite intact. Guests can expect flavour-forward twists built around savoury, saline, herbal, and fruit-driven palates across three exclusive creations designed for Dubai’s late-night crowds.

Leading the line-up is the Thai Pomelo Paloma, combining Derrumbes San Luis Potosi mezcal with peach mango black tea, coriander cordial, lemon juice, and grapefruit soda finished with a coriander salt rim. Ningxia Nights brings together blanco tequila, Midori, honeydew and rock melon with grapefruit soda and a Maldon sea salt rim. Lastly, but still unmissable, the Classic Paloma stays closer to tradition through a blend of mezcal, blanco tequila, grapefruit cordial, lemon, grapefruit soda, and smoked salt.

“The Paloma is simple, but that’s what makes it exciting and actually hard to get it done properly,” says MJ. “It’s a cocktail you can really play with by making small adjustments that create a completely different drinking experience.”

The activation marks a new direction for Hawkerboi, as the venue continues to build an ingredient-led and cocktail-focused programme, alongside its Asian-driven flavours and familiar neon-energy atmosphere.

MJ joins Hawkerboi with a standout track record across some of the region’s most recognised bars alongside internationally awarded venues featured in The World’s 50 Best Bars list. Her career highlights also include Top 5 UAE at the Monkey Shoulder Ultimate Bartender Championship and Top 10 UAE at the Cointreau Margarita Challenge, positioning her as one of the UAE’s standout female bartenders.

With formal training through WSET in Wines and Spirits and experience across high-energy, award-winning bar environments, MJ is known for balancing technical precision with bold, expressive flavour combinations.