My Weird Date With Strawberry Sago and Kare-Kare Cocktails

Rum is one of the few things about the Philippines that actually makes sense. We may be an archipelagic nation of contradictions and forgotten memories and confused destinies, and yeah it's as polarizing a time as any in the modern age, but at the very least, we can all agree on the beauty of our rum.

Call it a tropical inclination. Rum, much like mangoes, carabaos, ube, and cyclical corruption, is second nature to Filipinos. For better or for worse, we've always been a sugarcane country (the Philippines is still the second-largest producer of sugar in the world right now). This somewhat tropical, sometimes melancholic sweetness is coded in our food, beverages, and relationships, as well as in this detestable oligarchy system that has been the scorn of Filipino sugarcane farmers for centuries.

Ah, good, old rum, brimming with a certain socio-historical and -political milieu. A sight for sore throats. Such vibrance in a buzz effectively lent itself to the calls of centuries' worth of pirates, paupers, and punters that made rum such a delicious treat after another long day of colonial blues.

We can't talk about rum without mentioning Tanduay, a brand that's been around since our grandparents were planning on being born. These days, it's gone global. And so has our local cocktails scene. Whether it's the successes of The Curator or mixologists like Claude Delima, Alyssa Lorenzo, or Enzo Luna, the nation has had a thriving cocktail culture as of late.

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It's a Friday night and nobody's coming. So you might as well down a couple of wildly familiar cocktails for the first time.

In early July, I had the chance to stop by oto in Poblacion for the Tanduay Signature Masterclass Event. Here, we were presented some of the finest rums the brand has to offer. With Tanduay's rum, after all, we tend to get that distinct fruitiness and woodiness, along with notes of caramel or butterscotch; somewhat buttery and toasty, too. Arguably, it's the best dancing partner for those reckless nights out. It's just fun as hell, especially if we know how to toy around with it (think cocktails and cuisine pairings). Just don't talk to us in the morning.

Recently, Tanduay has been pretty active in promoting our local cocktails, especially with the introduction of the Cocktail Culture Series. Here, the rum makers collaborate with bartenders from The Spirits Library, Polilya, Pablo Bistro, Japonesa, and 205 BGC to craft uniquely Filipino cocktails, they say, using Tanduay's most celebrated rums.

At the Spirits Library, Enrico Adolfo prepared An Ode to the Sun, made with Tanduay Asian Rum Silver. Evident with this drink are its hints of Spanish bitters, Poire William Eau de Vie, and Cocciti Americano. Esse Magsino from Polilya, on the other hand, came up with Dear Maria, with Tanduay’s premium Especia Spiced Rum. I was fond of this because of the pandan and pineapple syrup, which, juxtaposed with the lime and angostura bitters, made for a rewardingly rich taste. It's as Poblacion as it gets, really.

During my masterclass, however, I was pleasantly surprised by four Filipino-fied cocktails that seemed gimmicky when I first heard of them. And maybe they were. So what. Sometimes, a good gimmick is better than the truth anyway. A good gimmick can get us by as a matter of sustenance. David Abalayan and Alex Javier made us the following: Strawberry Taho Fizz, Kare-Kare Kraze, Guyabano Ginger Tea, and Champrado at Tuyo, all glorious names for cocktails, I'd like to believe. Some wacky mad scientist stuff. Suffice it to say, these cocktails were more interesting than advertised. 

Winners: Strawberry Taho Fizz and Kare-Kare Kraze

Strawberry Taho Fizz.

Strawberry Taho Fizz is just as maniacal as it sounds. It's cotton candy in rum form. Made with Tanduay Asian Rum Silver, the drink, you guessed it, primarily consists of strawberry, soy milk clarified, and soda, plus some caramel boba for the heck of it. Talk about being real fruity. It enjoys a light to medium body that is both crisp and satiny in many ways. It's what you'd imagine strawberry taho would be as liquor. Most evident here is the cream soda with a bit of zest. The dry yet sweet finish is exquisite.

Now let's talk about Kare-Kare Kraze, which, likewise, makes use of Tanduay Asian Rum Gold. Admittedly, it doesn't sound like the most appetizing thing in the world, considering how nutty and savory Kare-Kare can be. But this is a cocktail that's meant to weird you out in the best possible way, kind of like tasting color or something to that hazy effect.

Kare-Kare Kraze. Yes, with the K.

This drink has peanut butter, roasted eggplant, and maraschino liqueur at the heart of it, with just a splash of fish sauce to really bring out the vitality of the peculiar combination. It's actually... great. There's a nice balance here of sweetness, expressed by way of the vanilla, coconut, and nutmeg. The woody, caramelly finish certainly caught me by surprise, again, in a good way.

Runner-Ups: Guyabano Ginger Tea and Champorado at Tuyo

Guyabano Ginger Tea.

Give Guyabano Ginger Tea a fair chance. It's sort of a faux-medicinal concoction that's pretty tame. With a base made up of ginger, osmanthus, and calamansi, it's a respectable attempt at an earthier ginger cocktail. You can really tell the aged rum (blended with Tanduay Double Rum) and the caramelized pineapples and cherry. The finish possesses the same woody notes plus raisin and citrus, as well. It feels more like a post-hangover drink to me for some reason, if such a drink should ever exist. The lollipop was neat though.

Champorado at Tuyo. Insanity.

Finally, Champorado at Tuyo. Yes, it's borderline lunacy but I guess it works. Or maybe I'm just saying this because it's made of the Tanduary Especia. Anyway, not my cup of tea, but I would argue that it has its own complex identity. It has more of a smokey, roasted, somewhat sweeter profile, underlined by the cacao nibs and dashi cream. This is more of a mellower, drier drink, with honey, cinnamon, and ginger. Its caramel and spiced finish, in a way, even complements the dilis bite you may want to have at the end to cap things off. It was... an experience, I'll say.