The Drinking Culture of the Philippines

"While there aren't festivals that formally revolve around drinking, libations punctuate various cultural and religious festivities called fiestas. Towns and provinces host them annually during a season that typically celebrates a town's feast day or patron saint. These community festivals convert entire public spaces into massive street parties with parades, costumes, street vendors and concerts during the course of several days."

"Pulutan is non-negotiable when drinking. Meaning "to pick up," it refers to the snacks served alongside alcohol, often fried, salty and unapologetically oily. Think bowls of chicharon (fried pork rinds), calamares dipped in spiced vinegar or the cult-favorite Boy Bawang (crunchy garlic corn). But pulutan isn't limited to finger food - it can just as easily be heartier fare like inihaw na liempo (grilled pork belly), sisig (minced pork on a sizzling plate), lumpia (fried spring rolls) or kilawin (Filipino ceviche)."

"Growing up with a dad active in Manila's food and beverage scene, my weekends often meant tagging along to bars - mocktail in hand - without realizing I was witnessing the dawn of the Philippine craft cocktail movement. One of those spots was Blind Pig. Opened in 2011 and modeled after New York's legendary Milk & Honey, the bar is often hailed as the godfather of the local cocktail scene."

Filipinos express boisterous joy through sharing drinks with friends. Libations punctuate cultural and religious fiestas that convert entire public spaces into massive street parties with parades, costumes, street vendors and concerts over several days. Households host friends and families for all-day communal feasts that invite drinking and eating throughout the day. Pulutan denotes the snacks served alongside alcohol and ranges from fried, salty items like chicharon, calamares and Boy Bawang to heartier dishes such as inihaw na liempo, sisig, lumpia and kilawin. The Philippine craft cocktail movement emerged in bars like Blind Pig, modeled after New York’s Milk & Honey, shaping modern drinking culture.

Read at InsideHook