Interested in trying out the lambanog, gulaman, halo-halo, and Barako coffee? Find out more about this in our exclusive list of popular Filipino drinks in today’s post. You see, part of the reason why our team decided to work on this topic is that most of us are looking to entertain ourselves at home and are willing to try out different recipes from across the globe. One of the Asian countries with distinct refreshing beverages is the Philippines.
The Philippines is undeniably one of the countries with a lot to offer regarding tourism, its people, and its cuisines, making it an ideal tourist destination for foreigners. It is the home to several islands, and what sets it apart is that almost every place has its own delicious local specialties and amazing food.
Since it is a tropical country, you can expect that almost everything served to you will feature the taste of fresh fruits such as coconuts, strawberries, mangoes, calamansi, and pineapple. Since Pinoys have sweet tooth, you can also expect that almost all these are served cold with ice or made into shake coolers perfect for the summer weather. To make things extra interesting, some of these drinks also include a syrup of your choice, brown sugar, sago pearls (starch from palm trees similar to tapioca pearls), or condensed milk.
But of course, there is so much more to Filipino-style drinks that are sweet, as there are also alcoholic options usually sold in bottles. If you are after Filipino drinks that are punchy, you’d definitely fall in love with the locally fermented wine such as tapuy, tuba, and basi. Perfect to be partnered with chicharon (deep-fried dried pork similar to the Spanish’s chicharrón)!
Before we get our mouths salivating with the idea of Filipino food and drinks, let us walk you through the top beverages you might encounter at the international grocery section of your place or once you visit the Philippines. This article is divided into two: one will discuss the list of local drinks, and the other will be about the other popular beverages the locals usually downing.
Ready for that? Off we go!
What Are The Local Filipino Drinks
1. Buko Juice
Filipinos are very particular about preserving their heritage, so this means that some of the concoctions have been influenced by specific details about the country. For instance, if you place to bar hop in Manila, you will probably hear alcoholic beverages named Mojito De Mayon (based on the Mayon Volcano), Panutsa (drink served with palm sugar), and Gin Pom Pi (calamansi-based drink).
2. Halo-halo
It is a sweet Filipino dessert featuring layers of sweet treats like candied beands, fruits, shave ice, ube, jackfruit, leche flan, nata de coco, and so much more!
3. Mais Con Hielo
A version of halo-halo that makes use of crushed ice, corn kernels, milk, sugar, and syrup.
4. Sago’t Gulaman
Perfect as a summer treat or regular drink, this drink combines classic gelatine, brown sugar, and palm stems in the form of pearls.
5. Buko Pandan
A cold Filipino dessert made of green jellies, young coconuts, buko pandan clafvoring, milk, and sweetened cream.
6. Buko Juice
A cold drink served with some sugar and coconut milk. It is a perfect on-the-go beverage as it is known for its magnesium and calcium content.
7. Mango Milk
Since the Philippines is the home of sweet mangoes, you can see lots of mango juice variations being sold on the sidewalk.
8. Kapeng Barako
A locally grown coffee known for its distinct strong taste. The word barako refers to a strong person.
9. Basi
A locally fermented alcoholic beverage made of sugarcane.
10. Tapuy/Tapuey
Fermented rice wine with an alcohol content of around 14%.
11. Calamansi Juice
Filipino drink that packs a sweet and sour taste from traditional Philippine grown limes.
12. Lambanog
A local drink made of coconut sap known for nearly 80% alcohol volume per bottle.
13. Tuba
Similar to Lambanog it also adds a bark of mangrove trees which turns it into a reddish color.
14. Salabat
Ginger tea is commonly squeezed with lime. It is popular for its health benefits including curing cough, cold, and flu.
15. Iskrambol
The milk-based drink is made with shaved ice, milk powder, marshmallows, and chocolate syrup.
16. Strawberry Wine
A special wine only available in Baguio City, Philippines, and is made of real strawberries.
17. Bignay Wine
A locally fermented wine known for its deep red hue and sweet taste since it is made of Filipino blackberries.
Other Popular Filipino Drinks
Of course, the Philippines is also a fanatic of other drinks that are also popular in other countries from across the world. This includes the following (we are also noting the basic ingredients for the recipes):
1. Taho
A Filipino-style drink is usually sold in the mornings on the street. It is made of fresh silken tofu, tapioca pearls, and arnibal (sweeteners in English).
2. Milk Tea
Milk tea is really popular, and local brands try to add several Pinoy flavors.
3. Coffee Frappe
Filipinos are fanatics of coffee which is why there is no surprise that they like iced cold coffee with milk.
4. Beers/Birs
The mainstream beers include brands such as San Miguel, Red Horse, Tanduay, and Colt 45.
5. Tea
While Filipinos love regular international tea brands, they also swear by unique Filipino-style tea like the Barako coffee in tea form, ginger tea, and coconut tea.
6. Fruit Shakes
Since the country is tropical, it includes fruity shakes with different flavors served with sinkers, nata de coco, and sago.
Ready To Learn More About The Philippines And Its Tagalog Language?
So, which of these Filipino drinks are you more interested in trying? Traditional buko juice (coconut), gulaman, or Basi’s delicious and unique flavor? No matter what it is, we bet that this is already making you truly excited to taste it all once you are here in the Philippines.
As you reach this part of the post, we hope that we have given you complete information on Philippine drinks and that you do not have to search anymore. If you enjoyed this post, remember to share this on social media, and continue reading about the Tagalog language from our language posts only here on the Ling app.
Interested to learn more about what something is called in the Tagalog language? Get to learn Tagalog today using the Ling app. The Ling app is a mobile application downloadable anywhere in the world. It comes with language lessons, updated posts, and challenging quizzes that will support your learning no matter your level. So, what are you waiting for? Search no more because the Ling app is ready for download today!
Download Ling app from App Store or Google Play today. Jumpstart your learning in as short as 10 minutes per day!
