On one of the hottest weekends this year, a packed Manila beer festival showcased more than 50 local brews
Craft Beer Fest 2024, held from 3-4 May at the Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City, attracted more than 7,000 beer enthusiasts to enjoy local craft beers, and to meet their brewers.
Organized by Engkanto Brewery and co-presented by AyalaLand and Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, the festival highlighted 11 participating brewers from various parts of the country: Boondocks Brewery, Papa Bolo, Monkey Eagle Brewery, El Deposito Brewery, Cubao X Brewery, Treeline Ales, Nipa Brew, Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits, Bulul Brewery, Mitchell’s Backyard Brewery, and Braubass Craft Beer.
Held on one of the hottest weekends of the year, more than 50 kinds of craft beers were available, and almost all of the participating brewers’ stock for the event sold out.
Among the beers on offer were Summer Breeze Saison from Elias Wicked Ales, winner of the Champion Beer of Asia at the Asia Beer Championship 2023 held in Vietnam; Strong Ale from Boondocks Brewery, awarded a Silver Medal in the Philippines leg of the 2023 World Beer Awards; and a multiple award-winning line-up of beers from Engkanto. These included Paint Me Purple Ube Lager, made with native purple yam; the hop-centric Hop Coolture Pale Ale Series No. 2, and the seasonal Flirty Flamingo Hibiscus Kolsch.
Among the highlights of the first day of the event was the Brewers Round Table, an open discussion where brewers and personalities from the craft beer industry gave their personal take on the growing appreciation of craft beers in the country. They also answered questions on some of the challenges the industry faces on issues such as the import of raw materials and expanding to more locales.
On the second day, brewmasters Michael ‘MJ’ Jordan of Engkanto Brewery and Fred Calope of Boondocks Brewery showcased a brewing masterclass session; followed by an Engkanto beer and food pairing and tasting session of Filipino and international dishes. Traditional hand-tapped tattoo artists from the Kalinga province also demonstrated their ingenuity for body art, along with local musical acts and food establishments.
