We like to drink sweet juice in spanish

Drinking in the Philippines: What You Need to Know

Unlike other countries where it is customary to have some wine or beer while eating meals, inuman in the Philippines is most often a planned and separate session in itself. And here are some of the drinking customs that make inuman distinctly Filipino:

Tagayan

Photo by Tortuga PH

When drinking in groups in the Philippines, do not expect to be given individual glasses. Tagayan, or simply tagay, is the name of the game here. Drinkers share a common glass, passed around in a round-robin sequence.

The tanggero (also called the “gunner”), leads the pack, and pours the drink every time, measuring the liquor by eye.

It is frowned upon to take a pass, but when a drinker is already really buzzed, someone from the group must drink the shot for him or her — not all heroes wear capes, you know!

Also, there is no direct translation for “cheers!” in the Philippines. Many contest this and say that “tagay” is our local version — so yes, just say “tagay!” when in an inuman, and glasses and bottles go clinking for sure.

Karaoke

Photo by Monkey MIC

It’s no secret that Filipinos are great singers. And whether you’re a belter ala Celine Dion or Lea Salonga, or someone completely out of tune, nobody cares! Inuman sessions are usually accompanied by a karaoke machine, especially in rural areas.

Mid- and high-end KTV bars are also all-around in cities, with rooms that can fit up to 10 people or more. When you hear “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” sung with a choked voice and with teary eyes, the night is probably far from over.

Alay sa Demonyo

This literally means “offering to the devil.” As absurd as it sounds, this custom is still being practiced up to today.

When a new liquor bottle is opened, the tanggero pours the first few drops into the bottle cap and tosses it to the ground. Urban legends say this is to appease the spirits or unseen elements around, especially when the chatting becomes louder as the night goes on.

Chaser

It’s customary to have “chasers” when drinking hard liquor in the Philippines. These are beverages, mostly sweet ones, that are drank immediately after downing a shot to relieve the bitter taste or strong kick of the alcohol.

Most popular chasers include soda, orange juice, and iced tea. But some would swear by plain, cold water as the best chaser, saying it helps avoid having a bad hangover the next day — talk about balance!

Drinking on the streets

Photo by El Chupacabra

Titos (Filipino term for uncle or any adult man) or a barkada (friendship groups) in a circle, sitting on monobloc chairs by the streets with bottles of liquor on a make-shift table, have long been a common sight in the Philippines.

However, a national order has been passed prohibiting drinking in public places. But in most provinces and rural areas, this is still being practiced, and expect to be invited for a shot or two by the locals. It’s considered an insult to refuse — unless you say you are allergic to alcohol.

Legal drinking age

Photo by Colt 45 Philippines

The legal drinking age in the Philippines is 18 years old, and selling liquor to minors is not allowed.

Drinks

Now that you know the customs of drinking in the Philippines, read on to learn the choice of drinks that you can indulge on during inuman sessions:

Beer

Photo by Elina Krasteva

Beer is the go-to drink for most Filipinos, mostly because it is cheap. A single bottle can be bought for PHP40 or less than $1, while bigger ones for sharing is only around $2.

San Miguel Beer is the dominant player, with varieties such as Light and Pale Pilsen as the most popular. But their Red Horse Beer is also a favorite because of its high alcohol content and strong kick — Filipinos like to get their money’s worth, especially when it comes to drinks.

Many restaurants and bars offer beer by the bucket, usually sold as a promotion of 5 beers plus one free bottle. Others offer a combo of a beer bucket and one dish, pushing their products and enticing groups to stay and order more.

Hard Liquor

Photo by Tanduay Rhum

Proof that Filipinos take drinking seriously? The Philippines is the world’s largest gin market. Ginebra is the country’s leading brand and is widely referred to as gin bulag (bulag is Filipino term for blind, and myths say this gin is so strong that it can lead to blindness).

As for rum, Tanduay has overtaken Bacardi as the world’s best-selling rum. Emperador continues to be the world’s best-selling brandy in terms of quantity sold. Its Emperador Light variant is a household name, especially to the younger generation, because of its sweet taste and relatively light kick.

Local Spirits

Local and indigenous spirits are also still popular in the country, especially in provinces and rural areas.

As the second-largest producer of coconuts in the world, Filipinos utilize every part of this amazing tree. Fermented sap from the tree’s young flowers is called tuba, and is enjoyed by locals for its sweet and fresh taste.

A distilled version of the coconut sap becomes lambanog, which has become a hit for the younger generations, especially the flavored ones. There was a time that blue-colored, bubble gum flavor lambanog was the thing!

In the Ilocos region up in Northern Luzon, basi is the favorite and has been consumed even before the Spanish conquerors came to the country. Basi is a beverage made from sugarcane, boiled in vats, and stored in earthen jars until it becomes the fine wine that it is.

Pulutan

A drinking session in the Philippines won’t be complete without food. Call them beer matches, bar chows, or tapas, but food accompanying drinks are called pulutan here.

The term comes from the root word “pulot” which means to “to pick up” or “grab”, as drinkers usually grab small bites in between drinks.

Pulutan can be as simple and cheap as corn chips or potato crisps and can go as fancy as gambas al ajillo or wagyu cubes. Usually salty, crispy, and oily, here are the most popular pulutan dishes you can find in Filipino inuman:

Sisig

Made from parts of a pig’s head and chicken liver, Sisig is an all-time favorite for Filipinos that originated from the province of Pampanga.

This dish with minced meat and skin is combined with onions, chili peppers, and calamansi (native lime), served on a hot plate. The resulting dish is crunchy, salty and sour, and usually spicy — perfect textures and flavors to cut in between strong alcohol tastes.

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