This Baguio Distillery Makes Whiskey That Is 'Distinctly Filipino'
Call it instinct. Call it talent. There's no doubt now, even to this writer's untrained eye, that Jackson So knows his stuff. He introduces himself as a chemist, then quips "Ke misis, umaasa..."
When, more than a decade ago, he first seriously entertained the possibility of becoming a distiller—and by seriously entertained, meaning he sunk money into a small distiller and started aging concoctions—his wife Cristina was a bit confused: "Seryoso ba ito?" was her unverbalized thought. She wondered how Jack, who comes from a family of hoteliers in Baguio and had explored various businesses, including water delivery, could suddenly shift to something so…specialized.
But wanting to be a supportive wife, Cris humored him. That is until she joined him on a tasting tour in Australia where, to her surprise, her husband was able to identify the subtleties and nuances of the drinks they sampled to the satisfaction and sometimes bewilderment of the tour guides. "He must really have a talent for this," she concluded.
Jackson So is passionate about his craft as a distiller, brewer, and drink-mixer. He gamely exchanges knowledge and experiences with whiskey-tasting customers. Photo courtesy of L’Atelier du Grain.
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Jackson So: Building on Passion
To hear Jack tell it, he had long nurtured a desire to own a distillery, dating back to about 14 years—but not to make it a business, just as a hobby, to produce whiskeys and other spirits to give as gifts to friends and family. "It started as a passion project. Something to do after I retired," he thought.
But then, the pandemic happened. Jack, locked down in Baguio with their businesses stalled, had more time to experiment and to open some barrels he had stashed in their house. Not to his complete surprise, each batch he tried satisfied his palate.
Years prior, Jack had spent some time in Bulgaria learning from a friend whose family had made Rakija (distilled fruit brandy) for generations. He took what he could learn from the process and focused it on whiskey-making. What followed was hands-on experimentation, working on precise measurements and combinations.
Baguio-made whiskey lineup by Witchcraft Distillery
Witchcraft Distillery
This year, Jack revealed that Witchcraft Distillery will release a 10-year-old single malt whiskey.
His lineup of single malt whiskey is impressive in its diversity. Avallach, mixed from two barrels, with one more charred than the other, has a distinct vanilla aftertaste. Spectre 431 gets its strong oak flavor from a heavily charred single barrel. Phantom has a sweet, fruity, creamy taste with dark chocolate aftertaste.
This writer’s first whiskey tasting was highly educational. Jack pointed out that the glass was small and narrow to concentrate the smells because each nostril can detect different scents. Noting that I was not used to hard drinks, he suggested mixing each in a glass with ice to better surface the flavors.
Asked to define what kind of whiskey he makes, Jack says that it is distinctly Filipino. Baguio, he said, is a very good place to age whiskey because, though the nights are always cool, days warm up almost without fail. And these are optimal conditions, in his opinion, for making good whiskey.
All the raw ingredients are imported—after all, barley isn’t cultivated in the Philippines. All of his drinks, however, start with cool, fresh spring waters flowing into Baguio and Benguet. All ingredients are organic, and he guarantees he does not add any chemicals.
His line of gin, Ghost, uses imported juniper berries as a base, but is then combined with florals and botanicals from all over the Cordillera region, including osmanthus, rose, and hibiscus. The Elyu Ghost Gin, inspired by the beautiful coasts of La Union, features butterfly pea flowers to give it that distinct hue–that changes when you mix it with citrus, for example.
It's a delicate process to achieve gin-high botanicals at 40% alcohol without the gin becoming hazy. But this, and a flavorful experience from sniff to sip, Jack and his team have achieved.
Then, there’s the vodka, named Igor, which is a simple and smooth spirit meant to be a good base for people to mix different drinks, depending on their preferences and spirits of innovation.
Headlines about people going blind or suffering worse fates after drinking different kinds of alcohol are not new. However, Jack, who is very hands-on in the production process, guarantees that he takes extra care and is even the first to try all his products. They have also gained approval from the Philippine Food and Drug Administration.
The name Witchcraft Distillery tips a hat to the early tradition of beer brewed and sold by women, called alewives, in England and Europe during the Middle Ages. They wore black, pointy hats so customers could easily pick them out of a crowd, they labored over cauldrons to come up with their brew, and they would hang ale poles (or brooms) outside their windows when a new batch was ready. However, gender and societal norms led to them being accused of witchcraft and persecuted.
Expanding to Fine Dining
Most of his clientele are friends who buy in bulk. The products are also available through Flasked, an online liquor store based in Makati, and Retail Lab, a multi-brand lifestyle store with branches at Power Plant Mall, Estancia, and Ayala Circuit. And, of course, at The Gallery by Witchcraft.
According to Cris, the idea was originally to open a tasting room to showcase Jack's various spirits. But as they were in the midst of constructing the place in 2023, they got wind of a tasting room in Baguio that opened in mid-2023. Thinking on their feet, they expanded the concept to a restaurant with proper food, mostly Mediterranean, that would pair well with beers and spirits.
The cozy space on the ground floor, originally intended as a ramen place–"Because after a night of drinking, you want something hot and soupy, right?" Cris quipped–had to make way for L’Atelier du Grain, where Chef Didier Derouet produces handcrafted breads and pastries. Even prior to the pandemic, the Sos and Didier, with his wife Merna, were already talking about collaborating on an establishment–but no details had been ironed out when the Derouets decided to go to Manila to spend their lockdown days there.
Soon after the Sos decided that they would open a restaurant, they immediately sent a message to the chef, who came back to Baguio almost immediately.
Then, the brewery was born. It only took Jack some additional knowledge to pivot and work with another friend who happens to be an award-winning brewer from the United States of America.
"Everything just fell into place immediately," Cristina and Merna agreed.
Pastries by L’Atelier du Grain and caffeine-free cappuccino made from barley by The Gallery by Witchcraft
On Chinese New Year in February 2024, The Gallery by Witchcraft and L’Atelier du Grain opened at Military Cut-Off Road in Baguio City.
The partnership has extended beyond just The Gallery hosting customers of L’Atelier who want to enjoy their pastries immediately with some coffee or tea. Aside from serving Opera Cake, which is the main dessert on the menu, Chef Didier also provides input on the rest of the menu, consistent with the collaborative relationship they have established.
Innovation drives many of the decisions that are made in the restaurant. Jack roasted barley, which has no caffeine, to make tasty cups of coffee. (This writer had it as a cappuccino base and was thoroughly satisfied!)
During the Ibagiw Creative Festival’s Gastro and Art Creative Crawl in November 2024, they came up with an extensive menu incorporating Cordilleran flavors and ingredients, including betel leaves, rhubarb, strawberries, gipah tea, and kiniing (smoked meat). Speaking of kiniing, Jack created the Kiniing Beer from smoked grains.
The team is motivated to make the list of travelers’ must-have food and drinks, including pasalubong items from Baguio. Judging from the full house at the spacious restaurant and the fact that almost every day, there is at least one special occasion that a table of diners is celebrating (whether a birthday, engagement or anniversary), the aspiration is within reach.
Enthusiasm and passion for innovation drive Jack to come up with even more kinds of drinks (especially liquor) using different ingredients–perhaps local rice?
He is fascinated by how alcoholic drinks lubricate conversations and extend and deepen relationships during social gatherings. “I have yet to see hours-long conversations fueled just by soft drinks,” he joked. He looks forward to encouraging more people to enjoy the experience of drinking and bonding with each other, all in aid of better social cohesion. Maybe it's a lofty aspiration, but not a bad one at all.
The Gallery by Witchcraft is at 37 Military Cut-off Road, Baguio City.
