Featured Bartender November 2025: Kevin Pérez Castillo, Semiprecious, Denver

Born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from El Salvador, I was raised in the 818 to be exact. Shout out to my peoples. I was introduced to the hospitality scene by way of my dad. I worked for my dad building bars and restaurants all across California. He’s the reason I love this industry so much. As a kid I remember stepping into restaurants full of people and feeling the energy. I was hooked, it was like poetry in motion.

I’ve been in the industry for over a decade now. Pushing 13 years. Throughout my career I’ve been fortunate to have learned and worked under some of LA’s very best. During my time over at Thunderbolt LA, I made my break in the world of bartending and hospitality. I am truly humbled to have been a part of the best bar in the west on North America’s 50 Best 3 years in a row. Including new entry at the time, Mirate who continues to climb the rankings and making waves.

This year I decided to pack my bags and move to a city I had never visited. You can find me in Denver Colorado nowadays. I am the bar lead over at Semiprecious, the sister bar of Night on Earth and Thunderbolt LA. My goal is to create a space for the community and contribute as I did back home, where they can come and enjoy delicious cocktails without the pretentiousness of our fancy tech. It’s very simple but I just want to be a neighborhood bar, their neighborhood bar.

Moving to a new city teaches you so much more about yourself than you think. And now more than ever I embrace my Latino heritage. Here in Denver I volunteer my time bringing awareness to knowing your constitutional rights in a hospitality setting. In my spare time I help my friends pass out legal resources to restaurants and bars. Times are tough right now and it’s already hard enough economically. I have to use my voice and stand up for those who can’t or are too afraid. But I have faith in our industry and community to stick together and persevere through these dark times.

I hope to continue to learn and create new experiences for myself and our community. I hope to inspire the next generation of young talent and show them that hard work does pay off and that the world of hospitality is limitless.