5 Filipino Alcoholic Spirits You Should Try At Your Next Party
Filipinos love to sing, dance, eat, and at times, throw down at the mahjong table. Most of our parties are centralized around food but let's be honest, a little “liquid courage” is always the catalyst to the most epic magic mic concerts you’ve ever seen in your living room. We are all familiar with San Miguel and Red Horse but how often have you had Calamansi liquor or Alcohol made from lava rocks in the Philippines? Well maybe it’s time to shake up your next get together with 5 Filipino alcoholic spirits you should try at your next party.
1. Kasama Rum 40% alc, $29.99
All rum is made from sugar cane although it's commonly misconceived to be made from the Caribbean to be considered “rum” and the Philippines is known to have some of the finest sugar cane in the world. Kasama Rum is distilled and aged in the Philippines then shipped to Poland to be bottled before being sold in the U.S. market. Creator Alexandra Dorda expresses how “It is very special to connect the three countries that I am from in this unique way.” during an interview with paste magazine. Aged for 7 years in ex-bourbon American oak, giving it vanilla petal fragrances and a rush of pineapple flavors to the tongue. Available for purchase in over 2000+ locations nationwide, head to their website kasamarum.com to find where you can pick up a bottle today!
2. Manille Liqueur de Calamansi 27.5% alc, $24.99
Nothing is more Filipino than adding a little calamansi to your drink. Well let’s make it spiked with Manille Liqueur de Calamansi, Filipino Liqueur. Taking actual calamansi fruit from the farms of Mindoro, Philippines, this citrus aromatic digestif can be added to a cocktail, taken as a shot, or used as a palate cleanser in between courses. An all natural product with no added flavoring whatsoever, it can be easily mistaken for ordinary calamansi juice due to its resemblance in color and how easy it goes down. Not commonly carried in stores but can be ordered from Oldtowntequila.com.
3. Don Papa Rum 40% alc, $39.99
One of the most well known Filipino spirits, Don Papa Rum is made from noble cane found growing from the volcanic soils of Mount Kanlaon from the island of Negros in the Philippines. From “Black Gold” molasses, it’s distilled and then aged in ex-bourbon American oak barrels that are so climate unique that it “breathes flavori into the rum” according to their website. Specifically larger-than-life vanilla aromas and flavors of vanilla, honey, and candied fruits with a hint of citrus. Best of all, it’s available in most major spirit stores like Bevmo! Time to try some of the Black Gold volcanic goodness for yourself.
4. Kanto Salted Caramel Vodka 20% alc
Not one of the easier spirits to obtain on this list but nonetheless very worth mentioning. Considered one of the best selling Craft Flavored Vodkas in the Philippines, they have 2 award winning flavors from the 2021 SIP awards (Spirit International Prestige), Salted Caramel and Perya Popcorn. It’s said that Kanto was created to pay homage to the Filipino’s unique tagayan drinking style, by making the most delicious drink for all Pinoys to share with friends. Grab a glass of this award winning Filipino vodka and enjoy it with some friends as it was intended.
5. Archipelago Lava Rock Vodka 45% alc
Archipelago comes from Full Circle Craft Distillers Co. Touted as the Philippines' first authentic craft distillery, having both a gin and vodka line. However today I want to highlight the Archipelago ARC Lava Rock Vodka which is copper distilled 8 times and filtered 3 times. However what makes ARC Lava Rock Vodka special is the 2 filtration cycles that use lava rocks foraged from the volcanoes of Taal Volcano (Batangas City) and Mayron stratovolcano (Bicol Region). What is more Filipino than the subtle hints of mineral filtration from some of the volcanoes that helped forge the islands of our homeland, a true taste of the Philippines.
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