Prost! Oktoberfest kicks off this weekend at Brewfest MNL—touted as the “hoppiest” festival that gathers the finest craft beer from all over the Philippines.
Brewfest happy hour starts at 3 p.m., Sept. 30-Oct. 2, at Century City Mall in Makati City. Look forward to over 100 beer variants from 20 microbrewers—all proudly homegrown.
The Cebruery from Cebu City is serving its best-selling People Power Pale Ale, a biscuity beer with caramel, Munich malts, Australian and American hops. There’s also the Chocolate Hills Porter, a creamy brew with hints of toffee, chocolate and coffee. And for something light, there’s Guimaras Gose, a refreshing beer brewed with salt, coriander and mangoes.
From the north, Cerveza Sagada Craft Brewery’s special brews include the Gusi Violet Ale with balantinao (Mountain Province black rice), and the Alig Wheat Ale flavored with wild sunflower honey and orange zest.
‘Puto bumbong’ ale
A local craft beer pioneer, Great Islands Craft Brewery from Imus, Cavite, is serving Pearl of the Orient Filipino Pale Ale, 7107 City Ale and Puto Bumbong Holiday Ale (pretty strong with 8.4 percent alcohol) with toasted coconut flavor.
Another rice cake-inspired beer is the Iniruban Pale Ale, a full-bodied beer from The Laughing Carabao brewers. Iniruban is a Tarlac delicacy made of sticky rice, young coconut and sugar. Also, have first dibs at The Laughing Carabao’s new brew, the Coconut Stout, which will be launched at Brewfest.
Crazy Carabao Brewing Co. from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, has equally zany names for its brews: Tuff Tuko, Tarsier Wheat, Kalinga Kolsch and Exit Wounds IPA, a malty Indian pale ale with a bittersweet finish.
Over at Pedro Brewcrafters, there’s the citrusy Endless Summer Wheat Ale or the fragrant Procrastination Pale Ale, both brewed in San Pedro, Laguna.
Oatmeal cookie stout
Like it sweet? Palaweño Brewery’s Palaw’an Honey Kolsh and Hunter Honey Nut Brown Ale are smooth beer sweetened with Palawan honey from Puerto Princesa.
How about an oatmeal cookie stout? Check out the Bakanawa Duyog beer from Alamat Craft Brewery.
From Manila, 63 North Brewing Co. presents The Cloudrunner, a fruity pale ale with tropical fruit and citrus, balanced with moderate hop bitterness.
A crowd favorite, Craftpoint Brewing Co., will be serving its classic brews: Liberation Pale Ale, Revolution Belgian IPA, Summer Session and Summer Passion Blonde Ales and Hopnosis 10 Hops IPA.
For easy drinking, we suggest these bottles from Nipa Brew of Makati: Tropic Haze Wheat Beer, Sunstoked Bonde Ale, Midnight Blur Porter and Bliss Point Brown Ale.
Completing the exhibitors list are the Baler Brewing Co., Crows Craft Brewing, Joe’s Brew, Juan Brew, Perfect Pint, Pinatubo Craft Beer, The Brewery, plus the Manila Mashers Home Brewers composed of independent home brewers.
And for the designated driver (and minors), there’s a lot of food to look forward to.
Sweet Ecstasy will be serving its glorious beef burgers (also the perfect drunk food).
El Jefe has Mexican street food. Sigs Smokehouse has ribs. Naan is serving Indian. Lokanta has chicken shawarma and rice dishes, The Olive Treat has a deadly duo of beef tapa with bagnet.
Meat Head has an awesome selection of sausages—schublig, Hungarian, veal bratwurst, frankfurter—which goes so well with the beer. Cheers!