February 26, 2010

90 proof

Philippine alcoholic beverages have traditionally been made in backyard operations and you couldn't get any unless you went to the regions which produced each kind. A few companies now produce them commercially, both for local consumption and for export. This bottle of lambanog in a woven wicker bottle holder is available at Kultura, located in all SM malls, and makes for a great gift and souvenir.

lambanog in a wicker bottle holder

Lambanog is produced mostly in the province of Quezon from the sap of coconut flowers which is cooked, fermented and distilled. Do not ever make the mistake of serving or storing lambanog in plastic containers—its alcoholic content is enough to melt plastic.

lambanog label

33 comments:

James said...

I like the bottle basket but I can picture a severe headache would follow.

Al said...

Very interesting. I've drunk wines made from many types of fruits, but never from coconuts.

George said...

I must admit that I find the basket more interesting than the drink.

Anonymous said...

What an interesting entry of yours, makes one somehow glad that there seems to be a special kind of drink for each corner of this world.
Very impressive to read about the ability to "melt plastic"...!

A nice Friday for you.

Angela Robak said...

Sounds delicious – would love to try it some day. But the kind made in a true Distillery, and sorry, not the backyard version!:) Love the dramatic lighting in the photos, too!:)

RJ said...

Nice casing. U

I haven't drunk lambanog, yet. But 'tuba', yes. This makes me feel I miss something!

Unknown said...

Does it taste like coconut? At 45%thats 90% spirit. drunk straight it will peel the skin off the inside of your mouth. Youch! A couple of shots and you won't taste anything for awhile.

mia said...

I'm never again drinking any alcoholic drink made from coconuts. I drank tuba (coconut wine) in Leyte during a travel writing assignment, and good lord!!! It was awful. The farmers I was drinking with could only laugh at my hapless situation. (Man, those farmers, they must have throats and stomachs made of... well, stronger stuff than plastic! haha!) So this lambanog, and it looks like the real deal, not the fancy stuff they sell in bars, looks scary. I don't doubt that bit about melting plastic. Great shots though!

BlossomFlowerGirl said...

Very unusual wicker shape there, would mnake an interesting object on the mantle piece. The Lambanog souds lethal - nice, but lethal. I'm sure it would keep the cold out!
Cheers.
Melbourne Daily Photo

Mirela said...

I'd love to try this... The home made stuff is usually better if made properly, right? :) That's definitely true for our "rakija" (same idea, same or a bit higher alcohol content, we use different fruits and herbs for all kinds of rakija)...

Olivier said...

du vin de noix de coco, jamais gouté, je me demande le gout que cela doit avoir ? cela doit être assez sucré

JTG (Misalyn) said...

I remember my bother bought a bottle of Lambanog and all of them ( my 5 brothers) tasted once and they never liked it.

It can really met plastic...am sure of that hahaha.

Nice bottle holder.

Dina said...

"A drinker's drink"? Well, count me out. The bottle holder is beautiful though.
Thanks for the warning. :)

gogouci said...

I bet parties at your house are talk of the town and the police department.

Zyzzyz said...

Give me a dram of Glenfiddich any day.

Andreea said...

I would give it a try :) I've seen the same thing here, they started to produce traditional home made drinks industrially, but many times what you find in the store is not as good as what you can buy from the side of the road in many parts of the country. I like the wicker bottle, looks really nice.

Mo said...

Do the locals really drink this stuff?

Les Barr said...

An interesting bottle, Hilda. Bet that stuff has a real "nip" to it. I have some good ole' fashion Southern Comfort that is over 100 proof. It can really warm your innards on a cold windy day. It's something that you sip, not drink! It can curl your toes!

Louis la Vache said...

If it melts plastic, just think what it does to your brain cells!

Lois said...

Now that is something I would like to try! I love the wicker bottle holder too.

Stefan Jansson said...

I must admit that I find the drink more interesting than the basket.

Ken Mac said...

now you're talking

Anonymous said...

Yeah, you know I'm just pretend I already have the hangover and skip this, as yummy as it probably is (it's always the delicious drinks that cause the most problems the next morning).

B SQUARED said...

Seems like every region and people have their own unique "adult" beverage.

Hilda said...

Tulsa Gentleman & Olivier:
No, it doesn't taste like coconut, nor is it sweet. It tastes like what it is — very strong alcohol.

Mirela:
Flavored lambanog is now available, even from backyard distillers. They put berries in the glass jugs to steep in the lambanog.

Mo:
Not much in Metro Manila, but in the province of Quezon, yes.

Corker (Les):
I don't know how it is in other Quezon province towns, but in the town where my mother's family is from, we drink lambanog like tequila — not sipped but each shot downed quickly.

Halcyon said...

I'm not sure about the wine, but I like the basket.

VP said...

The wicker vest is quite similar to some of ours, but I have never tasted this lambanog...

brattcat said...

I wouldn't mind a sip or two. Nice images, Hilda.

tapirgal said...

Beautifully photographed and interesting! Your posts are always a breath of fresh air.

Michel Benoit said...

Coconut wine ! This should please my wife !

Unknown said...

45% alcohol??? wow!

Unknown said...

I've never tried coconut wine and would love to! And the basket looks lovely.

escape said...

i tried that once in lucena. it hits hard. im not drinking one again.