On June 27, 2024, Joseph Pate, also known as “JoeDaBartender,” was honored by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) in Belize City for his exceptional bartending skills and his contributions to the tourism sector and community on Ambergris Caye. Pate has been devoted to the art of preparing mixed drinks since 2014 and has been creating craft cocktail drinks. He plans to continue contributing to the community by sharing his knowledge of barista skills and aims to expand his bar.
Joseph Pate shared his inspiring journey to becoming a business owner: “My journey began in 2014 at Coco Beach, where I started learning about mixology. From 2015 to 2017, I worked at Mahogany Bay Resort at Hilton Hotel to expand my knowledge. I returned to Coco Beach from 2017 to 2018. This year, I decided to become self-sufficient and opened Alibi in January. I am thankful for all the experiences and opportunities I’ve had.”
Pate commented, “I also have a couple more check marks to tick off my bucket list when competing. I’m representing Belize at the 2024 Tiki League National Competition in November in Guatemala, where we will join nineteen competitors from across Latin America. Since we are a tourism-based country, I aim to open doors for future generations. My main goal is to train students to work in Belize and have them internationally recognized and certified under the International Association, to receive a globally recognized certificate.”Joseph Pate’s dedication extends beyond his bartending skills. As the owner of Alibi Cocktails and Bites in La Isla Bonita, he currently offers $5 meals for children from low-income families, demonstrating his commitment to less fortunate children. Pate invites residents of Ambergris Caye to try his unique and exotic mixed drinks at Alibi. Regular opening hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, 11AM to 12PM.

We join the tourism community in celebrating Joseph Pate’s achievements. His dedication to mixing superb cocktails and commitment to giving back to the community are commendable. We wish him the best of luck in the upcoming tournament in Guatemala!