The Philippines, which is located in Southeast Asia, has its own special practices and drinking culture. Starting from the pre-Spanish period, to the modern drinking culture in the Philippine islands.
In this post, we will tackle the different Filipino alcoholic drinks.
12 DIFFERENT FILIPINO ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
The most commonly sold liquors in the country are gin, beer, brandy, and rum, which are usually referred to as “hard” drinks. Furthermore, native Filipino liquors, wine, and spirits are also popular in the Philippines.
Below are the lists of alcoholic drinks served during special occasions or even ordinary drinking sessions.
TUBA (COCONUT WINE)
This Filipino alcoholic beverage is made from palm tree or coconut tree juices. This delicious drink existed in the country since pre-colonial period and played a vital role in various religious rituals.
This palm wine was also called “urica“, which was first recorded during the Magellan expedition and was falsely assumed as distilled.
And unlike lambanog, tuba and bahalina or coconut red wine are not distilled drinks.
INTUS
The term Intus is an old Visayan term that means “to reduce“. This traditional pre-colonial Filipino alcoholic drink can be found in Mindanao and Visayas islands. It is made from the juice of the sugarcane, boiled until reduced to a thick syrup. Once cold, it is mixed with the bark of the kabarawan tree, then fermented.
The native in Mindanao usually flavored Intus with langkawas “alpinia galanga” or pal-a roots (Cordyline fruticosa).
This alcoholic drink though has become extinct since Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, but there are still some Lumad people who drink intus during meals or special events.
TAPUEY
Tapuey is one of the local brands created by Filipinos from Banaue, Mountain Province. It is a rice wine produced from a pure glutinous rice or both glutinous and non-glutinous rice, mixed with ginger extract, onuad roots, bubod (powdered starter culture).
Tapuey is among the Filipino alcoholic drinks that use fermentation. This clear full-bodied wine has a strong alcoholic taste with a little sweetness that leaves a lasting taste.
DON PAPA RUM
Don Papa Rum is an aged rum manufactured by Bleeding Heart Rum Company of the Philippines. It was first introduced in 2012 in Bacolod, and then in Manila in the same year. It has then become available internationally like Spain and the UK. And in 2017, Don Papa Rum became available in the United States markets.
This beverage, which has a molasses base, is made from an old strain of sugar case.
Don Papa Rum is known for its candied fruits, vanilla, honey, and fruit flavor profile.
To drink this beverage, simply pour it straight into a glass with crushed ice. Then add some lemon juice and apple juice and stir.
MANILLE LIQUEUR DE CALAMANSI
Manille Liqueur de Calamansi is known for its sweet and zesty aroma flavor. This classic cocktail is produced from calamansi juice from the Tugdaan mountains in Mindoro, and has a mixture of vodka.
It is usually served after meals which acts as a palate cleanser.
Manille Liqueur de Calamansi can also be taken as a chilled shot and/or on the rocks.
LAMBANOG
Lambanog is a traditional Filipino distilled palm liquor commonly described as “coconut vodka”. It is made from nipa or coconut palm sap. The palm toddy (tuba) is fermented for at least 48 hours. It has a clear to milky white appearance.
Lambanog has high alcohol content and has a smoothness similar to European schnapps and Japanese sake.
Lambanog’s production is centered in the Southern Tagalog region, where Quezon is topped as the number one producer of this liquor.
RED HORSE BEER
This refreshing drink is an extra-strong, high alcohol beer brewed by San Miguel Brewery. It comes in different sizes, with an alcohol content of 6.9 percent. Red horse beer has a distinctive flavor, with a combination of sweet and bitter taste.
As to date, red horse beer is one of the most famous Filipino alcoholic drinks in the Philippines.
MANILA SUNSHINE
Manila sunshine is a Filipino cocktail with a lambanog base (coconut wine). This delicious liquor is flavored with local fruits like pineapple and mango, with a shade of triple sec and dark rum from a known alcoholic drink named Tanduay rhum. The cocktail is also best garnished with lemon grass and pineapple wedge.
Manila sunshine is a signature cocktail in Manila, Philippines. In cooperation with the Makati Shangri-La hotel in Makati city, the drink was launched by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to entice more foreigners to the country.
In fact, the tourism secretary Ramon Jimenez was very pleased with this local product as he believed that this will help boost the Philippine economy. Definitely, one of the many cocktails many locals and foreigners must try.
This drink can be ordered in various bars and restaurants in the Philippines. You can also find this drink in Shangri-La hotel and Heritage Hotel Manila.
STRAWBERRY WINE
Strawberry wine is almost everyone’s favorite because of its sweet taste. This local liquor is made in Benguet, Baguio. Strawberry wine is among the healthiest types of liquors. It helps fight liver diseases, and is good for our skin.
But because of its very sweet taste, you won’t realize that you’re already drunk. So whenever offered this kind of wine when visiting the Philippines, make sure to drink moderately.
PALAWENO WIT OR PALAWAN WIT
Palawan wit is a wheat beer brewed by Palaweno Brewery located in Puerto Princesa, Philippines. It is among the signature beers of the Palaweno brewery and claimed to be the last frontier’s initial craft beer.
Furthermore, the first women brewers were featured by Palaweno brewery, so there is a guarantee that this beer is made with passion and fondness.
Palawan wit tastes refreshing, sweet, and is safe to drink. Definitely one of the beverages you should try when visiting the island.
This liquor is perfect on almost any occasion. You can even drink Palawan wit after a meal or having a dessert like halo halo, snickers rolls, and others.
AMADEO COFFEE LIQUEUR
Another hard liquor you must look forward to when visiting the Philippines is the Amadeo Coffee Liqueur. This all natural coffee liqueur is made with four kinds of coffee beans, the Arabica, Excelssa, Robusta, and Liberica (barako).
This one of a kind liquor is guaranteed natural, and no added color or preservative. But getting drunk is still possible especially when you drink a high amount of this coffee liqueur. Thus, never forget to drink moderately.
BASI
Basi is a fermented alcoholic drink from the Ilocos region. It is made from sugarcanes where the process starts from crushing and then extracting its juice. The produced juice is then boiled in drums and stored in clay jars, also known as tapayan.
The cooled juice is then flavored with java plum (duhat), ground glutinous rice, and other fruits.
There are two different types of Basi. The Basing Lalaki spirits and Basing Babae spirits. Basing Lalaki has a high alcohol content, with a strong and dry finish, while the latter has a sweeter taste and is less potent.
These refreshing beverages are available in both public markets and high-end restaurants. In fact, there’s this specific Filipino restaurant that serves modern cocktails including the Basi Spritz.
This type of basi is made from the highest quality of basi wine, elderflower liqueur, campari, white wine, and orange juice.
WRAP UP
So that’s pretty much about the different Philippine hard drinks. The native drinks like tuba, lambanog, tapuey, and intus, are usually found in the rural areas in the country.
Thank you for reading!