On the lookout for Metro Manila’s best cookies? Then be sure to stop by Scout’s Honor. They’ve earned a high reputation as a great place to find scrumptious cookies, but they’re not stopping there. They also dabble in specialty coffee, handcrafted milkshakes, and curating their own line of craft milk—obvious pairings for their cookies. We sampled their Horlicks milk, which is basically sweet malted milk, and paired it with their ultimate triple chocolate cookie. It’s a combination that brings to mind the typical Filipino childhood memory of drinking Milo (powdered malted chocolate milk drink) before bedtime. They also have interesting creations like charcoal-infused craft milk. And if none of the pre-made treats pique your interest, you can try your hand at crafting a personalized cookie. It’s one of the few places around the Metro where you’re free to be in tune with your inner child.
Bar Pun in Taipei is a hidden gem in a city full of them. One of the partners, Kero, was kind enough to play host for us during our trip there. According to him, their bar functions on the belief that there are always two meanings to a word. One of the best examples of this is the name Pun, which means incense in the local language but in English is a play on words with multiple meanings. The bar is known for using incense and other ingredients heavily influenced by Taiwan’s different cultures and merging them with Western concepts. Kero explains that everything they do is very deliberate and packed with meaning. When you read through their menu or drink their signature cocktails, you can feel the amount of care, attention to detail, and focus on storytelling. They’re head and shoulders above many other bars, not only in Taipei, but across Asia.
When visiting a hype and new cocktail bar, the tendency is to order one of the bar’s signature beverages. To see the creativity of the artists behind the bar, and what they’ve been able to pull off that is fresh and new. “I think you should have the negroni,” says Bar Pun’s champion bartender, Kero. “I know you’ve had many negronis, but you haven’t had ours. Ours is different.” He was right. Slight alterations from the standard recipe — including an aromatic utilising the bar’s Chinese namesake: incense — made for a cocktail that was both satisfying and surprising.
Winter is here, and this? This is Jon Snow. Made with Pear Brandy, Fauchon Tea Liquer, Early Grey Tea, lemon, and egg white which makes for a great “snow” in the form of foam. Finally, garnished with incense which also serves as an aromatic for the cocktail. This is one of the crowd favorites at Bar Pun, both because of the name but also because people feel they can relate to it. Once you’ve had one, you’re most likely to get another one because its such a sweet and tasty drink. There’s a variety of texture to it, as you enjoy peeling through the layer of “snow” on top you’ll find a refined and royal flavor coming out of the brandy and tea flavors lining up underneath. Another cool thing about Jon Snow is that if you’re from Taipei, you’ll recognize that the ingredients of this drink all come from the north of the country, which shows how thoughtful the bartenders were when designing the Jon Snow.
Glenfiddich Philippines’ Most Experimental Bartender 2019 is the craziest and most creative whisky industry event in the country, and we’re here celebrating tonight’s huge gathering.
This is the best year they’ve had so far, full of concoctions like “scotch” tape, pastries, salmon garnish with homemade vinegar, soy curd, milk teas, and doughnuts—all paired or infused with Glenfiddich 12-year-old scotch of course.
There are also artists pairing the scotch with tattoos, pomade, and photography.
This year’s winner gets to fly off to Scotland and compete internationally at the global finals where they get a chance to be crowned the World’s Most Experimental Bartender of 2019, one of the industry’s most prestigious titles. We’re excited to see who the top three contenders are that make it to the next step. Stay tuned for more updates!
Aeropress Championship is one of the most awaited events in the Philippines’ continually developing coffee community. It’s filled with people passionate about coffee and hungry for knowledge to learn more about coffee brewing and the industry.
Characterised by loud music and developing stronger ties in the scene, this event brings hundreds of people together, united in that same passion for brewed black coffee. Despite it being a competition, there is no vibe of hostility. Instead, camaraderie prevails because of how closely knit the coffee community is.
This year, Daily Drink Magazine’s base of operations, Honeycomb Manila had the honor of hosting the event as a preview into the new collaborative studios. Daily Drink had a free button pin making station and the space also hosted a new addition to the event, a pop-up tattoo studio.
Here, baristas could get new ink expressing their love for coffee. We are happy to report that the day felt like one big party where people met to catch up with each other, brew great coffee, cheer on their friends, and in turn, we saw the community grow.
Classic cocktails with a Filipino twist. This is C-Lounge’s M.O. So let’s zero in on two of our faves. First is the Manggarita, which stands out not only for its dope name, but because it’s made with a chamomile-infused tequila and mixed with mango and pink guava nectar. Then they rim the glass with colored salt and top it off with a dried mango garnish. Mwah. Next up is the Sampaloc Mule, which is made with Sampaloc syrup, Limoncello-infused vodka, and ginger ale—adding very simple but effective kick to the traditional Moscow mule. C-Lounge does all their infusions in-house, which is why they have so many original spirits on the menu. There aren’t a lot of great options for an afternoon drink in the Philippines, but these guys are ahead of the crowd. And thankfully so, because their location up high in the Conrad Hotel offers great views of the iconic Manila Bay sunset. There isn’t a much better way to toast Philippine Independence Day than this.
What impressed us most when we stumbled upon C-Lounge is how much they were doing themselves. From their cocktail recipes, to their syrup and alcohol infusions – it’s all made in-house. They also have locally sourced fruit garnishes that they opted to dehydrated themselves, like dehydrated dragon fruit, orange, and ginger. Even with traditional and standard cocktails, they prefer to use their own ingredients, which enables them to create more of their own flavors and allows them to achieve their goal of adding a more Filipino touch to their recipes. By doing this more often, it can also be a good way to enhance their skills in curating drinks and can also train their palate to taste better. Most bars rely heavily on pre-packaged ingredients, which more often than not, gives the bartender less chances to experiment with different flavors. C-Lounge is arguably one of the best places to find locally inspired cocktails.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more on your street tacos, CHINO—which was brought to the Philippines from Hong Kong—is worth the extra pesos. Their specialty is upscale Mexican street food mixed with a Japanese style of cooking, and it’s extremely easy to eat. You can pair their food with a wide selection of booze, so enjoy a couple mezcals or highballs and maybe try out their best-selling barbacoa tacos. It’s not just the food and drink that makes this place worth splurging though; it’s also the beautiful interior and their super friendly, informative staff. You can ask them anything about their menu. CHINO is certainly a fancy place but it’s still approachable and offers great service. You’ll feel right at home and comfortable enough to have a lengthy, laid-back conversation with your pals. The vibe here is the epitome of chill, so you can enjoy your stay without all the noise and the rush, unlike the Philippines’ usual crowded Mexican places.
Specialty grade matcha (green tea leaves that are finely grinded) is starting to gain traction in the Philippines, and Made In Matcha is helping pioneering it. As a pop-up matcha bar, they offer different concoctions that put the spotlight on matcha and other specialty grade teas like the houjicha. They also have premium matcha powders and nama chocolate spread that you can order online or at their pop up events. Made In Matcha gives premium teas all the respect they deserve, even using a chasen (which is a Japanese whisk usually made with bamboo, meant for mixing matcha in tea ceremonies). You’ll find them almost weekly serving drinks at different events; we’ve seen them in action during a couple of events around Metro Manila like at Pursuit Fair. It’s a refreshing sight to see, especially now that mediocre milk tea has been making another comeback in the Philippines. If you’re a milk tea lover that’s tired of drinking too much sugar, you’ll appreciate Made In Matcha because they’re focused more on the flavor of the tea than on its sugar content.
Aha Saloon had the honor of ranking in Asia’s 50 Best Bars as a new entry for 2019. Trying to find a seat here, even as early as 8:30 p.m., is nearly impossible because this Taipei bar is usually packed with patrons already. Standing in a corner beside a little shelf where you can put down your drink is still fun, because the bartenders are attentive and serve up proper cocktails, no matter how busy. It’s a good example of not compromising quality for quantity. Their quickly growing reputation seems well deserved.
It’s a breath of fresh air in a sea of American-influenced bar interiors. Instead of your typical wood and prohibition era aesthetic, they instead focus on an Asian vibe that’s reflective of Taipei’s culture and its urban scene. The country’s flag is displayed proudly at the center, beneath a rich red and gold plaque, all surrounded by an industrially designed black bar. Turn your focus toward the seating area and the furniture all has a touch of Western influence, including bookshelves piled with cassette tapes, a pretty cool vinyl collection, and jars full of ingredients from around the world. There’s also a vintage style leather couch for mingling with new people. The saloon marries both Asian and Western cultures, while still respecting its roots by curating cocktails heavily inspired by asian ingredients and at the same time, they’re also able to show an eclectic self awareness.
Have you ever heard of coffee profiling? It’s a process that only specially-designed espresso machines can do. It basically means a barista can choose what flavor comes out of the beans, and it’s mostly achieved by controlling the water pressure flowing through the coffee and with changes in time. West Town’s Coffee in Manila, which just reopened, claims to have mastered coffee profiling with their La Cimbali (an Italian manufacturer) espresso machine, so we paid a visit to find out. Although there were hiccups when we visited, they were just getting back into the swing of things, which makes them pretty excusable. The Americano was a bit too hot to really enjoy, although when cooled down, notes of milk chocolate pop out, making it taste almost like a mocha even without milk or creamer. It’s surprising how much can be done with coffee without adding anything to it like sweeteners, cream, or even syrups. Just tweaking a couple of things during brewing can really bring out the complexity.
Hong Kong’s Yardbird is the complete package. It’s a very social spot, full of very outgoing and fun people. They also have a great menu, offering a variety of yakitori sticks to pair with an abundant spirits and beers. The house cocktail we chose is called the Jolly Rancher, which we paired with chicken and meatball skewers. It’s made with shiso-infused rice shochu and fresh watermelon juice and is very refreshing. It really does taste like a Jolly Rancher candy minus some of the sugar, but it’s still one of the sweetest drinks you can have at Yardbird. The restaurant was recently name-dropped in Bobby Hundred’s book, “This is Not a T-Shirt,” which discusses community, culture, brands, and how they relate to streetwear life. A lot of restaurants neglect their cocktail menu, and a lot of cocktail bars neglect their food menu, but Yardbird hits just the right spot with both.
