Liquid Asset

Key Figures in the Local Beverage Industry Deliver the Drinking State of the Nation— From the Role of Pulutan to Responsible Alcohol Consumption

- Michael Karlo Lim

“Shot?”

I’m yet again greeted by the regular group of tambays outside the nearest convenience store. The usual suspects are gathered around the table with local brandy, taking shots from a single cup. I’d politely say no with some excuse and the understanding that, culturally, the offer is also made with some expectation of a decline. This time, I said yes and a mad scramble to free up space for me ensues.

There was no occasion. It was just what they do. Nightly, mind you. I sat listening to animated exchanges of anecdotes from their daily lives. The mundane made momentous. Braggadocio and booze. I sat in silence, smiling ear-to-ear in acknowledgment of their stories, sipping from the cup on my turn. It was just good to be alive I guess.

MIXED DRINKS

“Filipinos drink to bond with friends after work, party on a weekend, or during celebrations. Most of us don’t drink alone,” says Dunstan Dy, account manager of Moët Hennessy Philippines, Inc. The Western archetypal drinking image of a lone figure hunched over a bar is always joined by a motley crew around these parts, each one playing both the lead character and supporting role in these overlapping plots. Pinoys drink with and for friends. He notes, “Drinking is part of Filipino culture. It’s present in every gathering.”

According to Dy, citing Euromonitor.com, Filipinos mostly drink beer. He explains, “Although trends show it was recently on a slight decline due to the availability of new ready-to-drink bottled cocktails and low-priced domestic spirits.” Cebuano restaurateur and chef Jan Rodriguez of restaurants bars Ilaputi and The Weekend adds, “Most drink ice-cold cheap beer and liquor mixed with juice or soda to mask the flavor.”