My Manila

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." ~Henry James, The...

"A cup of tea is a cup of peace." ~Sen Sōshitsu XVI, 16th tea master of the Urasenke family We finally have TWG Tea Salons ...

San Miguel Beer is probably the best known beer produced in the Philippines. It is also the most popular locally, cornering a whopping 95%...

The label of Tanduay Ice simply describes it as an alcomix and a triple distilled spirit. It comes in five flavors (three of which do not ...

When something becomes popular in Manila, it really becomes popular. During the past year, tea shops have opened in almost every block in ...

If old shoes used as planters (see yesterday's post) aren't quirky enough for you, how about a chandelier made of old beer bottles?...

I was so delighted by Basilio Restaurant 's cocktail glass, I just had to take a photo of it. The glass is made up of two pieces: the c...

I have already featured coconut wine and sugarcane liquor , and the deadly, distilled lambanog made from the sap of coconut flowers. Now le...

Fresh coconut water, anyone? He will first cut off the top, just enough to create a little hole from where to pour out the water—in a plasti...

Philippine alcoholic beverages have traditionally been made in backyard operations and you couldn't get any unless you went to the regio...

7:15am. Waiting for a colleague at the Starbucks across the Ateneo de Manila University to go to a conference in Makati City. Sitting in t...

Frozen cocktails, anyone? Rum and fruit juice or Kahlua? Holiday cheers to everyone! :)

This isn't about Baang Coffee but about the mugs that they use in their coffee shops. This distinctive pottery style—the rough, speckled...

Despite the popularity of commercially produced gin, rum and beer, certain regions in the Philippines still produce their unique, indigenous...

Since it opened in 1945, Max's Restaurant has been known for almost only one thing: its crispy, tender, juicy fried chicken. Drop the d...

I'm no beer connoisseur, but this is my favorite local beer: San Miguel Cerveza Negra, a dark lager. Unfortunately, I can't have mu...

Blissful Belly, the little vegetarian restaurant (well, it's really more like a small canteen) along Xavierville Avenue in Quezon City ,...

Jose "Butch" Dalisay Jr. is a Filipino writer, teacher, Mac addict, gadget geek and collector of fountain pens. He was short-list...