This Lawyer Found His True Calling in Brewing Beers

Traditional Filipino families are known to have a high regard for stable, respectable, and financially secure careers, thus the preference for professions such as medicine, law, engineering, nursing, and teaching.

Raised by doctors, Virginia-born Fred Calope initially pursued a Civil Engineering program at the University of Illinois. But wanting to return to the Philippines and realizing that engineering wasn't his cup of tea, he decided to take up Law at Ateneo. He thrived in the field, eventually practicing at the renowned United States law firm Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen and Loewy.

Already married with two kids, Calope and his young family decided to return to the Philippines in 2010, wanting their young ones to reconnect with their Filipino roots. It was then that the beer enthusiast noticed the beer landscape in the Philippines.

Calope with his supportive wife Patricia

"Coming from the States, I observed that there weren't a lot of good beers here in Manila. I remember when I was asked what I missed about being in America, I said craft beer," he recalls.

Since he used to brew beer during his college years in the U.S., someone suggested that he make his own beer at home. "I tried brewing in college because I had the mistaken notion that I'd save money by brewing my own beer," he shares, smiling. "So I bought a homebrew kit and brewed a few times. Back then, it wasn’t good because all I wanted was to make something that could get me drunk and I wasn’t focused on proper processes."

He set aside his interest in beers while attending law school, and it wasn't until he began his law practice that he was able to enjoy high-quality craft beers.

Boondocks craft beer is available in four variants.

Business brewing

Missing good craft beers when his family moved to Manila, Calope started brewing again on his stovetop in 2011. Encouraged by the fine beers he was able to make, he and his wife began contemplating starting a business.

"Are we going to turn this into a business? Because the beers you're making are really good," Calope remembers his wife telling him. "Perhaps you should consider doing this full-time and stop your law practice. Let's do beer."

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That was music to his ears and encouraged him to take a leap of faith. He left his law practice, purchased a 1BBL brewhouse and three 2BBL fermenters, and rented a small townhouse in Cubao, Quezon City, which doubled as his brewery and office.

After three challenging years, Boondocks Brewing Company officially launched in October 2016. He chose this name to honor his Ilocano heritage. "It's a way for me to embrace Philippine culture without being too obvious about it," he says. His parents hail from Laoag, Ilocos Norte, and he also spent some of his growing up years there. Boondocks—an English term used to describe a place that feels isolated, rural, and provincial—is derived from the Tagalog word bundok.

By September 2018, Boondocks Brewing had relocated to its current facility in Marikina City with a 30 BBL brewhouse and fermenters, which can produce 3,500 liters of beer per or 120,000 liters per month.

Calope with guests at his Marikina brewhouse 

Gateway to Craft Beer

Like the majority of businesses, Boondocks faced a difficult time during the Covid pandemic. But Calope is happy to share that the brand has experienced a steady growth since 2021. "It means that the market is embracing craft beer more and more," he says.

Calope, who's the president of the Philippine Craft Brewers Association, is also happy that the craft beer industry in the Philippines is "a very collaborative, collegial industry. We actually have a lot of synergies with other breweries like Engkanto, Papa Bolo, and Elias. We came together, brewed a beer together, and released it in the market together."

Boondocks offers four distinct beer variants: Summer Ale (5.2% ABV), a crisp and clean beer perfect for hot days; Wheat Ale (5.4% ABV), a naturally cloudy, full-bodied beer with a refreshing citrus finish; Strong Ale (8.5% ABV), a robust beer with malty and fruity notes; and Session Ale (5.4% ABV), an easy-drinking pale ale ideal for socializing.

Two of these variants have already garnered awards—Summer Ale was a Winner of the Chairman’s Selection at the 2021 Asia Beer Championships, while Strong Ale was awarded Bronze at the 2021 Asia Beer Championship and Silver at the 2023 World Beer Awards.

You won't miss the Boondocks booth in events and food bazaars. 

"Receiving these awards was very gratifying, and it also showed my partners that their trust in me is warranted and that my vision for Boondocks is not just a pie in the sky," he says.

Unlike other craft breweries that offer a wide variety of beers, Boondocks focuses on only four core beers. "We want to establish ourselves as the gateway for craft beer among Filipinos. That's why the pricing of our beer is below 100 pesos per can. Most craft beers you'll find in the market are over 100 pesos," he says.

Their sales mainly come from bars and restaurants, which offer their beers on tap. "Right now, 80 percent of our beer is packaged as kegs, and only 20 percent is in cans. So we're trying to find retail establishments to have our beer more widely distributed," he says.

Boondocks beers are available at Fred’s Revolución in Cubao Expo and Escolta; Beach Hut Bar in Boracay; Locavore (most branches); Chili’s (most branches); Smoke Bar and Restaurant in Paoay, Ilocos Norte; Gastro Station in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Royal Duty Free shops in Subic; Tap Station (all branches); Batala in Intramuros; Los Indios Bravos in Boracay; Alamat in Poblacion; Drink It Now Pare in San Juan; and other craft beer taprooms.

"Our strategy is to start people off on their craft beer journey, nurturing their curiosity and passion for craft beer. We aim to build a loyal customer base who not only choose us but also become dedicated supporters of the craft beer industry at large. As they explore other breweries, we hope they always think of us as their first love and return to us time and time again," says Calope.