Page 9 – great drinks and the Places We Drink Them Daily.

Jan 23, 2020 Manila Philippines

Enzo Luna, Run Rabbit Run

Pulling up at a popular bar right after dinner has its benefits. For one, a bar like Makati Poblacion’s Run Rabit Run is usually packed in the evening. Arriving a little early at 8pm, we had the pleasure of chatting with the man at the bar: Enzo Luna.

Enzo is one of the city’s most personable bartenders, and that’s saying a lot. Since we had the opportunity to talk with him, we asked Enzo what his favorite thing to talk about with his guests is.

“Asking about their day is the most used opener,” says Luna. “And from there stems different interactions.” This is the key to both great conversation and great bar service: opening up discussions and listening.

“Mostly the ones I enjoy are knowing what they do as a career or hobbies they have… I get this feeling of wonder hearing stories from different paths and backgrounds. Especially if it’s from different industries.” He goes on to say that various people bring different points of view to the bar — and that’s OK. “People in business and banking to people in environmental protection. Basically, it’s knowing that everyone has their own experiences to share and learn from.”

Keep up the great work, Enzo!

Jan 21, 2020 Hongkong

Hazel & Hershey: a family run roastery and coffee lab

Among the busiest and trendiest spots in Central Hong Kong is Peel street. All the food lovers and bar hoppers gravitate towards this area because of the restaurants and bars that have popped up over the last half decade. Cafes have taken over too, of course. One of the stronger coffee brands to have rooted themselves along Peel Street is Hazel & Hershey, a family run roastery and coffee lab, fully dedicated to serving high quality coffee.

Upon entering their store, we were immediately drawn to their retail section where they have a plethora of coffee gadgets and equipment for sale. Any coffee geek would enjoy perusing their shelves too because they have great prices! But after ordering coffee, we also noticed how creatively they’ve designed and utilized their space, making it ideal for meeting with people, study as well as chilling out.

In case you aren’t familiar with Peel Street, it is a small and very steep street. The hike up can be quite grueling if you’re not used to it, so having Hazel and Hershey somewhere midpoint is quite the perfect rest stop. They’ve even set up outdoor seating and ledges with cushions so you can take it easy and catch your breath while enjoying a cup of coffee. It can be quite pleasant, too, during the chilly months in Hong Kong like right about now.

Unlike many coffee shops, Hazel and Hershey’s general look and ambiance is not serious at all. Even their logo has playful elements in it. Their storefront is chocolate brown with giant drips of teal color which is definitely a head turner. If their vibrant facade does not instantly draw you in then the smell of coffee and the idea of a quick break with a good cuppa definitely will.

Follow @hazelnhershey

Jan 20, 2020 Coffee Science Editorial

A Gentler But Still Traditional 8.4 Bar (Monday Espresso)

Continuing our gentle pressure profiles that are in our DE1PRO decent espresso machine, we tried a profile called “Gentler but still traditional 8.4 bar.” Decent describes this profile as a recipe that some professional baristas prefer to use because they believe that lowering the pressure just a little from 9 bar down to 8.4 bar produces a better espresso that’s traditional and doesn’t require 100% perfect preparation from the barista.

With 18.0 grams of coffee in, the profile starts extraction with a low-pressure preinfusion for 10 seconds at a pressure of around 4 bars and then climbs to 8.4 bar, staying at that pressure level throughout the course of the brew, for a pouring time of 30 seconds at a temperature of 89.5°C. The total weight of the espresso after extraction was at 40 ml. See the chart below.

Using our house blend beans, the DC7 blend, comprised of Guatemala Huehuetenango, Colombian Supremo, and Northern Philippines coffees, our shot produced an aroma that had a hint of dark chocolate and spices, with notes of molasses followed by a very subtle tobacco flavor, with a tad bit of acidity. The body left a smooth mouthfeel and was more or less balanced. The “gentle flat 2.5ml/second” pressure profile was smooth and sweet but did not make for a balanced flavor.

Aroma: 7.5
Flavor: 8
Finish: 8
Aftertaste: 8
Acidity: 7.5
Body/Texture: 8
Balance: 8
Sweetness: 8

Jan 18, 2020 Manila Philippines

Blind Pig

It’s been eight years since the first speak-easy cocktail bar concept opened up in Manila. Hidden in Legazpi Village is a bar called Blind Pig. Unlike many speak-easy bars, this one actually does have a sign, but it’s written in Braille. Go up to the door and knock.

The bar is dimly lit, and in the dark, you may miss some of the finer details of the space. Walls and ceilings are paneled with metal paneling. Lamps have hidden notecards inside of them. All of which tell a story that’ such longer than. Just eight years. You feel like the founders built a location that was “what they always wanted.” And perhaps that’s why. Little has changed here over time. It was already what they wanted it to be: a secluded and quiet spot in an office district where to sit for hours sipping straightforward, fine cocktails with friends. Sounds good to us.

Ordering off of the menu, we had “The Vision.” Gin, Cointreau, black sesame syrup, celery bitters, egg white, and a little bit of citric acid from a freshly squeezed lemon. From the menu description, it would appear that the recipe actually called for calamansi. But as the bartender explained, they always serve their ingredients fresh at Blind Pig. That means that a freshly squeezed lemon is a better option than batch-squeezed calamansi that was prepped before the start of the evening’s service.
The drink itself was delightfully complex. Balanced and creamy, with acidly hits peeping out from under the black sesame flavors and aromatics. It was also surprisingly strong. A drink that can give you an almost immediate buzz, especially if you’re visiting the bar before having dinner.

All in all, Blind Pig fits into that “oldie-but-goodie” category. Which is perfect. It’s for old-souls. It’s non-sensational. But really? It’s pretty darn sensational.a

Jan 17, 2020 Singapore

28 Hong Kong Street

28 Hong Kong Street in Singapore opens at 6 p.m. sharp, so it’s a good spot to find a drink immediately after work. During our previous visit, we asked the bartender for a challenging drink and the they pointed towards this drink called the Medicine Man, which has Michter’s Rye, Jamaican rum, Averna, Fernet, and Angostura bitters.

It’s a very boozy but refreshing little drink which capped off our day nicely. Beyond their incredibly high standard of quality drinks, it’s a joy seeing how much the bartenders care for the bar and how well their team works together. They always look like they’re having a good time and are in love with their job, which translates well to their service approach. Even when you’re with a group of people, all of your drinks arrive at the same time and none sit at the bar for long. This way everyone can finish at the same time. 28 Hong Kong definitely has one of the most in-tune and solid teams in Asia.

12am, 2am, 4am. The world’s finest cocktails bars close at different times, but the scenes are always a little familiar. Bartenders clearing their station. A test for a new cocktail recipe or two. Coasters drying on a single table. Laughter at the end of a good night. For the crew of Singapore’s 28 Hong Kong Street, the night isn’t quite yet. After clean up, they take a walk across a couple city blocks, to end the evening with a couple more beers among colleagues and friends.

Jan 16, 2020 Manila Philippines

Habitual Coffee

Habitual Coffee has been hard at work, raising the standard of specialty coffee in Manila. Over the years they’ve grown in experience, skill, and excellence in service. The owners have kept themselves very much involved in the process of building and expanding the brand from the very start.

Throwing back to 2015. It was a simple coffee bar in the front section of an interior design and lifestyle accessory store in the home depot area of Pasig. And though Habitual did have baristas, it was very much owner-run. Pictured here is Kaye Ong and her then boyfriend, TJ. Two of the brand’s three founders. The third is Raph Garcia, who is the partner who handles Habitual’s day to day business until today. Did we mention that this coffee bar was Aeropress-only? For those who have come to know and love the brand all these years later, know that the dream started like this. It’s very true to the fighting spirit of the Aeropress, that little brewer that could.

Today in 2020, Habitual has three branches. One in Quezon City, one in BGC, and the flagship store in Salcedo Village Makati. You can still order a pretty mean Aeropress brew.

Jan 15, 2020 Philippines

Evening Star at PDT HK

A PDT drink that you can’t get in New York. That’s what I was told when the bar manager recommended this beverage at PDT Hong Kong. Short for “Please Don’t Tell,” PDT New York was the tip of the spear for the speak easy and craft cocktail revolution that’s been running for the past decade. Many who visit for the first time are looking for that authentic PDT NY experience. So it’s interesting to get recommended a recipie that’s unique to Asia.

And what makes it so special? Apparently, it’s a sake — namely, the Senkin “Modern Muku” Junmai Daiginjo Sake — and a plum, which are difficult to acquire stateside. The drink also features a Belvedere Lake Bartezek Vodka, and the Yagi “Tsukigase no Umegenshu” Umeshu. It’s basically inspired by the Vesper, the drink that James Bond “designs” on the fly in Casino Royale, except with a plum and sake twist. The name “Evening Star” is actually the Latin translation of “Vesper.”

Just like a Vesper, it’s strong and packs quite an alcohol punch. The plum notes are very present, rounding out a traditionally aggressive drink, and you taste all of the elements in layers and in harmony.

Jan 14, 2020 Packaging Design Singapore

Homeground Coffee Take-Home Tins

Homeground Coffee is one of those companies that give importance to good design, perhaps just as much as they pay attention to the quality of the coffee they produce. They are known for coming up with creative and playful illustrations and images for their coffee packaging. It’s also interesting to see how often they experiment with different styles and color schemes without losing their identity.

We appreciate it when coffee companies put effort in their packaging design. It shows that they care and pay close attention to how their product comes across from the shelves. Whether we are aware of it or not, design and aesthetics do affect and influence how we choose and buy almost anything.

Let’s take these tins, for example. These are what Homeground Coffee use for their regular roasts. The tin itself is already nice. They chose a gunmetal color that looks basic but classy and covered it with a label in almost the same shade. Text is very minimal but they added tiny illustrations showing the different flavor notes you’ll get from the beans inside. The illustrations are colorful so they really pop out. It’s the kind of design in which they only show you what you need to know and does it well. It’s straight to the point without being too serious.

It also looks modern but is easily appealing to any person of any age. Another detail worth taking note of is how they’ve kept font sizes very readable and not too small, which is usually a problem with minimalist designs. Nothing is compromised. And these are things you only think of when design is important to you. Homeground Coffee sure does show us that.

Jan 13, 2020 Coffee Science Editorial

6 bar at 2.5ml per second (Monday Espresso)

A Gentle, Flat 2.5ml/second. Continuing our weekly take on the same beans, same machine, but different pressure profile, we find ourselves looking into yet another gentle pressure profile.This time, it’s the “gentle flat 2.5ml/second” profile which is part of our DE1PRO decent espresso machine’s pressure profiles. According to the description, this profile was created by Adrien Sénac of Cafeism. He’s a french barista, and he designed this profile to create great and consistent shots from lightly roasted coffee beans that are very aromatic.

With 18.0 grams of coffee in, the profile starts extraction with a low-pressure preinfusion for 9 seconds at a pressure that directly goes to 6 bar and stays at that pressure level throughout the course of the brew, for a pouring time of 44 seconds at a low temperature of 91.1°C. The total weight of the espresso after extraction was at 40 ml.

Using our house blend, DC7 (comprised of Guatemala Huehuetenango, Colombian Supremo, and Northern Philippines coffees) our shot produced an aroma that had a hint of cacao and spices, with notes of nutmeg followed by a subtle nutty flavor, with very low acidity. The body left a smooth mouthfeel but it lacked balance. The “gentle flat 2.5ml/second” pressure profile was smooth and sweet but did not make for an exciting flavor.

Here’s the numerical breakdown on a 1-10 scale:
Aroma: 7.5
Flavor: 8
Finish: 8
Aftertaste: 7
Acidity: 7
Body/Texture:
Balance: 7
Sweetness: 7.5

Jan 12, 2020 Philippines

Clarified Piña Colada at The Shrine of Satisfaction

The piña colada is a staple for any respectable beach side bar. But a special bar deserves a special take on the classic, and this is exactly what La Union’s The Shrine of Satisfaction brings to the table with their Clarified Piña Colada. All the flavors you would expect are present: the rum, the cream of coconut, and — of course — the pineapple, but it appears that all of the ingredient have been through some sort of clarifying process in order to engineer a fully transparent cocktail. It also tastes tighter than a traditional Piña Colada, a traditionally long drink. What does it pair well with? The scent of the fresh sea breeze.

P.S. Also a must try is the Tanqueray Gin and Tonic.