5 Filipino Cocktails You Have To Try In This Lifetime

There’s so much to enjoy about Filipino cuisine. The decadent flavors of Adobo dishes, the crunch of Lumpia, the sizzle of Sisig. 

You’d be forgiven for focusing entirely on what Filipinos have to offer you to eat, rather than to drink. Don’t miss out! There are so many exciting drinks to try, and that’s especially true when you begin to try cocktails. Made with local ingredients, many you won’t find elsewhere in the world. These Filipino cocktails are so good, you simply have to make sure you try them.

The 5 Filipino Cocktails You Have To Try

It’s worth noting that for these recipes we’re using milliliters rather than ounces. Ounces can get confusing without specific measuring tools readily to hand. If, however, you need to use ounces you could always use an online calculator that will help you answer questions such as, “How many ounces in a pound?”

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Lambanog Mojito

Lambanog is a source of Filipino pride. Lambanog itself is best described as a type of coconut spirit on an equal footing to vodka. It comes from the sap of a coconut palm and is distilled using traditional methods.

There’s a slight sweetness to the drink, and there’s certainly a warmth that builds as you drink it. Drank straight, you certainly know you’re drinking an alcoholic shot. Mix it with some fruity options and you’ve got a tropical-tasting drink.

 

Ingredients – Serves 1

• Lambanog – 40ml
• A good handful of mint
• 3 or 4 Calamansi
• 10ml sugar syrup
• Soda Water

 

Method

• Muddle the mint, calamansi, and sugar syrup together.
• Pour over the Lambanog.
• Shake or stir well with plenty of crushed ice.
• Empty into a glass and top with as much soda water as you choose.

Weng-Weng

This cocktail burst into creation in the bar of the Manila Hilton at some point during the 1980s. It’s the Filipino alternative to the popular Long Island Ice Tea. It’s just as boozy but has a more tropical, fruity feel to it, especially seeing as it forgoes the cola completely.

 

Ingredients – Serves 2

• Brandy – 20ml
• Vodka – 20ml
• Tequila – 20ml
• Rum – 20ml
• Gin – 20ml
• Bourbon – 20ml
• Grenadine – dash
• Pineapple Juice
• Orange Juice
• Soda

 

Method

• Combine all of the spirits in a glass over ice
• Add a dash of grenadine
• Top with the juices and a splash of soda

 

Mestiza

The simplicity of a Mestiza shouldn’t be confused with the tastiness and refreshingness of this drink. This drink is completely versatile and you can edit it as you see fit. Try it with a different soda, see what you think, and you could even swap the rum for a different spirit.

 

Ingredients – Serves 1

• Rum – 20ml
• Beer of choice – I’d pick Red Horse – 100ml
• Soda – your choice, I like it with Sprite – 100ml 

 

Method

• Simply combine the ingredients, serve with halved calamansi, and enjoy.

 

Boracay

Named after the beautiful island of Boracay, this drink is designed to take you back to the beach and a time when you could feel the warmth on your skin and the sand between your toes. The drink itself doesn’t look anything like Boracay (being dark and brown in color) but it sure is delicious.

 

Ingredients

• Rum – 20ml
• Coffee, ideally cooled, freshly made espresso – 100ml 
• Chocolate Malt Powder – 50g
• Condensed Milk – Dash

 

Method

• Take the dash of condensed milk, powder, and coffee and vigorously blend them together. It’ll take a bit of effort but the condensed milk will blend eventually. You can do this by hand or in a blender.
• Add the rum and continue blending.
• Once all of the powder is incorporated you can serve.

Pinoy Collins

The Filipino take on a Tom Collins, with a few alterations. Instead of the traditional lemon juice, calamansi juice is used instead. Here we would suggest using a local gin, but any gin works well. You could also try it with Lambanog for even more of a Filipino experience.

 

Ingredients

• Gin – 40-60ml depending on how strong you like your drinks
• Calamansi juice – 30ml 
• Sugar Syrup – 30ml
• Soda Water – to top as much as you like

 

Method

• Pour the gin, juice, and syrup into a shaker with ice and shake well.
• Strain over ice into a glass.
• Top with soda.
• Serve

 

Key Takeaways

This list has been just a start. There are endless Filipino cocktails available for you to try and for you to enjoy. You just need to experiment, be willing to try new things, and let your tastebuds loose.

• Using local varieties of spirit gives the authentic Filipino experience.
• Many Filipino cocktails are variations of popular international ones.
• Experiment and try changing ingredients to create your own Filipino cocktails.

 

 

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