PHILIPPINE ALCOHOLIC

BEVERAGES
BASI
LAMBANOG
TUBA
LAKSAY
TAPEY
AGKUD
BASI
 is a fermented alcoholic beverage made of sugarcane produced
in the Philippines

 local beverage of Ilocos in northern Luzon in San Ildefonso

where it has been consumed since before the Spanis conquest.

 In the Philippines, commercial basi is produced by first

crushing sugarcane and extracting the juice. The juice is boiled
in vats and then stored in earthen jars. Once the juice has
cooled, flavorings made of ground glutinous rice and duhat
(java plum) bark or other fruits or barks is added. The jars are
then sealed with banana leaves and allowed to ferment for
several years. The resulting drink is pale red in color. If
fermented longer, it turns into suka or vinegar.

 The strong basi ias called basi lalaki and if it is weak, basi
babae.
 Uses
The basi plays a big role to the life of the Ilocanos, and it has several uses, such as
the following:

 The basi is used as an unwinder in stores and at home.

 It is sometimes given to carolers
 A special basi is brought to the house of a girl during a
pamamanhikan, a practice where the family of a boy goes to the
house of a girl to ask for her hands before doing the wedding
plans.
 It is used to fortify oneself when called upon to recite an
extemporaneous poem, for love or for the dead.
 A special kind is served during wedding. The couple will take the
first sip and then it goes around persuading their ninongs and
ninangs to drink and give cash and gifts.
 It is used during the washing day, after a burial, where all the
relatives and family of the deceased washes bedclothes and cloths
used in the house. Later, the family undergoes a rite where the
officiator makes a cross on their foreheads with basi.
LAMBANOG
 is wine made from coconut.
 Lambanog is famous for its potency that
normally carries about 80 to 90 proof
variations.
 It is mostly produced in the
Quezon Province, Philippines. It has been
passed down throughout generations of
coconut plantation farmers. The process
involves collecting the sap from the coconut
flower, similar to rubber tree tapping. The
sap is then cooked and fermented to become
tuba, a popular coconut toddy. The tuba is
then distilled to make lambanog.
 PARTS OF THE CUSTOM
 In Quezon, drinking lambanog is usually a
communal thing – men sit around in a circle
and tagayan will ensue. The men take turns
drinking shots from a cup placed in the
middle of the group. Usually, there is also
someone singing and playing the guitar to
add to the festivities; he takes his turn at
drinking too, so the music gets more
interesting as the drinking goes on.
 It was made an export product in 2001 and
has attracted foreign markets. To attract the
youth and expand its marketing possibilities,
it is now marketed and sold in different
flavors such as cherry, jack fruit, apple,
orange, four seasons, mint, etc.
 TUBA
 Tuba is coconut toddy that has a stinging sweet and
bittersweet taste. The process involves extracting the
sap of an unopened coconut bud. The tip of the bud is
lopped and the pale juice allowed trickles into
bamboo containers. A sturdy tree yields about a
gallon of liquid daily. The fermenting process
involves the sweetish liquid is stored for one to three
days in earthen jars or bottles in modern times. The
rust tint of tuba is acquired through the addition of
powdered bark called tangal.
 From coconut water, comes a syrup concentrate for
tuba. Tuba is a sweet, fresh or mildly fermented sap
taken from tapping the young expanded flowers of
the coconut. In certain barrios of Malolos, Bulacan,
tuberculosis patients are advised to drink or even
bathe in tuba as a cure. Nursing babies in Bantayan,
Cebu is fed with this beverage. It is said that only
tough men can withstand the effect of Tuba that
affects men’s senses and sanity. Filipinos consider
Tuba as a type of hard drink.
 Agkud
 (Manobo) is a liquor
made from rice,
corn, cassava or
sorghum
 LAKSOY
 is liquor distilled from the sap of a nipa palm.
It is widely made and available in Caraga,
Mindanao. The process involved in making
laksoy is tedious and time-consuming.
However, small-scale industries producing this
wine still have been flourishing in Butuan,
Caraga’s regional center. It is drunk during
festivities and special occasions
 TAPEY
 is the only known Igorot rice wine and the
only known rice wine in the Philippines. It is
mostly produced in the northern part of the
Philippines. Its retail price is approximately
US$3 for a 750ml bottle.