Experience an array of Philippine flavours with An Expedition of Regions, a new cocktail series featuring unexpected ingredients from all over the country. Served exclusively at The Long Bar at the Raffles Makati, each of the eight drinks incorporates a special ingredient representative of the region in the Philippines that they call home, highlighted even further by some of the best Moët Hennessy brands, such as Hennessy and Glenmorangie. From spices to flowers, these extraordinary components and their origins inspired the creation of unique concoctions that tell incredible stories of the Philippines.
Take, for example, the Cacao de Davao, which features dark chocolate made from Cacao from Davao City, the largest producer of cacao beans in the southernmost part of the Philippines. The richness of cacao dark chocolate is complimented by the smoothness of cognac and vermouth, making for a pleasantly decadent drink. On the other hand, Cagayan de Oro is featured through its Honey de Oro, a bitter sweet mix of whisky, lemon and honey that is made like an Old-Fashioned cocktail.
Head to Bohol in the Visayas region to sample the Titibok-tibok, inspired by and incorporating the Asin Tibuok, one of the rarest salts in the world, and the process by which it is made.
Jumping on Luzon, start the trip to Laguna to sip this coconut-based tangy, swing sling of Coco Pandan with cognac, pineapple and pandan. A quick turn to Zambales where the summertime favorite watermelon juice is blended with vodka, juniper, citrus and rosemary to make a Pakwan Punch. A thumb’s up for this fruity cocktail.
Further up the country is the summer province of Baguio, which serves as the creative influence for the Baguio Sling, a bright, citrusy cocktail made with masaflore puree and served in a delicate bird-shaped glass. Going further north, the cocktail Valley Luya, a double whisky mix of Glenmorangie and Ardbeg Wee Beastie is spiced up with ginger and ginger candy for the sweet and sour to let that heat of Cagayan Valley freshen you up. And lastly, the Queen of the North has given the most fitting tribute to the delicate beauty of the Filipina. Crowning the cocktail is the sampaguita that complements the vodka and spicy liqueur mix with mint, cucumber and sweet & sour mix.
Explore all these local treasures at the Long Bar Makati, where guests who join the journey by ordering any Expedition drink for the first time are given a “passport,” a coupon with slots to represent each of the eight cocktails. Those who complete passport stamps by ordering each of the eight drinks will be invited to an exclusive event in September at The Long Bar to launch the next set of Expedition cocktails.
The Long Bar at the Raffles Makati is open daily, from 5pm to 12mn on Sundays to Thursdays, and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
