Revolution and rum: 18 drinks inspired by the Philippines

Cheryl Tiu, for CNN
8 minute read
Updated 9:52 PM EDT, Tue July 8, 2014
Manila bars are pouring new drinks that celebrate local flavors and history. The Fierce Pinay is a tribute to today's modern Filipina -- "fierce and sweet," say its makers at The Bottle Shop in Makati.
Fierce Pinay —
Manila bars are pouring new drinks that celebrate local flavors and history. The Fierce Pinay is a tribute to today's modern Filipina -- "fierce and sweet," say its makers at The Bottle Shop in Makati.
Gerry San Miguel/Dude4food.blogspot.com
Sofitel's tribute to the Philippines, the Philippine Myth, is made of coconut, pandan and lychee. It can be served with rum or vodka but the bar also does a non-alcoholic version.
Philippine Myth —
Sofitel's tribute to the Philippines, the Philippine Myth, is made of coconut, pandan and lychee. It can be served with rum or vodka but the bar also does a non-alcoholic version.
Courtesy Softel
The Mango Mojito isn't a typical mango fruit shake. Instead of being the actual base of the drink, the mangoes -- which come in large juicy slices -- are used to accent the cocktail, which is made from Don Papa rum, calamansi, syrup and garnished with mint.
Mango Mojito —
The Mango Mojito isn't a typical mango fruit shake. Instead of being the actual base of the drink, the mangoes -- which come in large juicy slices -- are used to accent the cocktail, which is made from Don Papa rum, calamansi, syrup and garnished with mint.
Cheryl Tiu/CNN
What makes the Manila Sunshine distinctly Filipino is the base of lambanog, or coconut wine, an ingredient produced mainly in the province of Quezon. It also has pineapple and mango with a tinge of triple sec and dark Tanduay rum.
Manila Sunshine —
What makes the Manila Sunshine distinctly Filipino is the base of lambanog, or coconut wine, an ingredient produced mainly in the province of Quezon. It also has pineapple and mango with a tinge of triple sec and dark Tanduay rum.
Courtesy Makati Shangri-La
To make an Ube Martini, ube (purple yam) is blended into a light, slightly milky liquid, then mixed with cranberries and vodka.
Ube Martini —
To make an Ube Martini, ube (purple yam) is blended into a light, slightly milky liquid, then mixed with cranberries and vodka.
Cheryl Tiu/CNN
Made with vodka, sugar syrup and muddled lime, the Mojito de Mayon is a tribute to the Mayon Volcano. Drinkers can add strawberry, cherry, passion fruit or mango purees.
Mojito de Mayon —
Made with vodka, sugar syrup and muddled lime, the Mojito de Mayon is a tribute to the Mayon Volcano. Drinkers can add strawberry, cherry, passion fruit or mango purees.
Aracama
The Makati Sling, a pinkish version of the Singapore Sling, is a lime- and pineapple-juice concoction with Tanqueray Ten gin, cherry blossom, Grand Marnier and Benedictine with Angostura bitters whipped into foam and topped with 24k gold flakes ... and served in a Singapore Sling glass!
Makati Sling —
The Makati Sling, a pinkish version of the Singapore Sling, is a lime- and pineapple-juice concoction with Tanqueray Ten gin, cherry blossom, Grand Marnier and Benedictine with Angostura bitters whipped into foam and topped with 24k gold flakes ... and served in a Singapore Sling glass!
Cheryl Tiu/CNN
Gin Pom Pi is a refreshing mix of pomelo-infused gin, fresh calamansi (Philippine lime) juice, cucumber juice, Palawan honey and fresh pomelo shreds.
Gin Pom Pi —
Gin Pom Pi is a refreshing mix of pomelo-infused gin, fresh calamansi (Philippine lime) juice, cucumber juice, Palawan honey and fresh pomelo shreds.
Cheryl Tiu/CNN
Cocktails inspired by the Philippines

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Story highlights

A wave of new cocktails is shaking up Manila's bar scene

Popular local ingredients being used in Manila cocktails include panutsa, calamansi and lambanog

The Manila Sunshine was created to define Manila and promote the Philippines as a destination

CNN  — 

San Miguel may be the Philippines’ national beverage, but there’s more to the islands’ drink culture than a 100-year-old beer.

The flavors of the Philippines – its tastes, ingredients, even tributes to landmarks – are increasingly being used in craft cocktail concoctions.

Here are 18 bar favorites now being served in Manila.

1. Mojito de Mayon

Created in honor of the Mayon Volcano, a famous cone-shaped volcano in the Philippines province of Albay, Aracama’s Mojito de Mayon is made with vodka, sugar syrup and muddled lime then topped with a cone of shaved ice.

It comes in strawberry, cherry, passion fruit and mango flavors, but the strawberry is recommended as it makes the drink look like there’s lava erupting from the “volcano.”

Aracama, The Fort Strip, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; +63 917 861 2702; P280 ($6.50)

2. Panutsa Old Fashioned

The Raffles Makati Long Bar has given the classic old fashioned a twist.

Along with the usual bourbon, orange bitters and orange peel, bartenders throw in some panutsa, a local palm sugar commonly found in the province of Batangas.

The panutsa is melted into liquid and used as a sweetener, which adheres to the hotel’s mantra of being “locally authentic.”

Raffles Makati, 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue, Makati; +63 2 555 9777; P380

3. Gin Pom Pi

This concoction served at Museum Cafe/Kabila features pomelo-infused gin, fresh calamansi (Philippine lime) juice, cucumber juice, Palawan honey and lots of fresh pomelo shreds.

Garnished with two cucumber sticks, it should fill at least one serving of your daily fruit and veggie requirements.

Museum Café/Kabila, G/F Greenbelt, 4 Makati; +63 2 757 3000; P225

4. Mango Mojito

Mango Mojito at Las Flores.
Mango Mojito at Las Flores.
Cheryl Tiu/CNN

Hong Kong-based bartender Giancarlo Mancino, known for his cocktails at 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana and Il Milione, created his first Filipino cocktail for Las Flores, a Spanish tapas restaurant.

His mango mojito isn’t a typical fruit shake.

The mangoes – which come in large juicy slices – are used to accent the drink, made from Don Papa rum (a premium local rum aged for seven years in oak barrels of Mount Kanlaon in the sugar capital of Negros), calamansi, syrup and garnished with mint.

Las Flores, G/F, One McKinley Place, 25th Street, Fort Bonifacio, Global City; +632 552 2815; P1,800 per jug

5. Halo-Halo

Named after the beloved Filipino desert, which means “mix mix,” the cocktail version blends ube (purple yam), jackfruit, beans, jellies and condensed milk.

What makes it more fun than the original is the addition of lambanog (coconut wine).

Fun, filling and you get a slight buzz from the coconut wine.

Salon de Ning and The Bar, Peninsula Manila, corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues, Makati; +632 887 2888; P290