Local Brew
Check out the newest craft beer in town
The Filipino beer market is dominated by two major commercial brewers, but it was not until recent years that more and more beer brands—from the US, Europe, and other parts of the world—are filling up the shelves of local supermarkets. As beer-loving Filipinos’ palates get sophisticated, smaller local brewers are slowly introducing craft beers in the market. Finally, there are more options to choose from.
One such craft beer that recently and officially launched is Pedro. Locally brewed in San Pedro, Laguna, this craft beer has been slowly carving a name for itself since September of last year. First targeting bars and restaurants, the beer was initially offered in 40 establishments in Metro Manila. Like other local craft beers before it, the support was instantaneous.
“The feedback was pretty incredible; we didn’t expect an immediate positive feedback. But I guess it’s with the effort of other craft beer brewers as well,” says Pedro Brewcrafters, Inc’s director of sales and marketing Nadine Howell Fanlo.
Nadine, her husband Jaime, Jill Borja, and Rochee de Leon are the people behind the newest craft beer in town. It was after visiting craft beer festival Beertopia (2014) in Hong Kong, where no Filipino craft beer has ever participated, that Jill realized that Filipino craft beer lacks representation. This considering that Pinoys are big beer consumers and the country is home to the largest beer brewery in Southeast Asia.
She then approached Nadine and Jaime and started to brew up ideas of their own craft beer. They started at 20 liters per batch, brewing ales in Jill’s garage.
“We explored the different kinds of beer, and we loved that craft beer provided such a versatile range of flavors. The possibilities are really endless,” Nadine says. “And then we decided, you know what, why don’t we kick it up a notch? Let’s actually look into producing this in a commercial level. That’s when we took a leap and started building a brewery.”
She says that the team was encouraged to continue because that batch was really good. They realized, however, that it will take more than just luck to come up with a good, consistent beer, that there is a science behind the brewing.
“It’s hard to replicate something that you really, really like unless you have the scientific knowledge to back it up,” she says.
They consulted with Singaporean brewer Ernest Ng who shared his 20-year brewing experience with the team. They also asked Jaime to get a certification from the American Brewers Guild so he could learn everything about brewing beer. Jaime is the only Filipino certified by the organization. The team also heavily invested in buying equipment abroad.
After countless batches, they finally came up with three styles of beer—wheat ale, pale ale, and English ale. Pedro has three variations, the Endless Summer Wheat Ale, Elementary English Ale, and Procrastination Pale Ale.
“Our wheat ale is called Endless Summer Wheat Ale, as it’s perfect for the warm weather. It’s very refreshing, it’s fruity, it’s light, very easy to appreciate. The pale ale is the most bit- ter of the three kinds, it’s got an herbal and floral aroma, it’s very aromatic. The English Ale is roast-y, it’s darker in color and it’s got coffee and caramel notes,” Nadine explains.
The brand is actually named after its brewery location and was inspired by Jill’s grandfather, Dr. Pedro Muyot. The fun-loving, easygoing Pedro character displayed on the label reflects the life of Dr. Pedro and every beerloving Filipino.
“The brand is really inspired by him because he lived a life just pursuing his passions. In fact, he was known to have a beer a day. He really loved beer as much as we do,” Nadine says.
She says that their future plans go beyond the Philippines. With hope, they’ll soon launch the beer in other parts of the world. Pedro is already available in three outlets in Boracay and another in Iloilo. During the beer’s official launch last Jan. 28, the brand announced that its beers are now available at Family Mart.
“Our goal is really to educate the market. Aside from just producing beer, we want to explain to people that it is something different and they should not be afraid or intimidated to try it. When they do try it, they come back to us and say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that beer could be like this.’ And beer could really have all these kinds of flavors. That really motivates us all the time, makes the hard work all worth it,” Nadine ends.
We explored the different kinds of beer, and we loved that craft beer provided such a versatile range of flavors. The possibilities are really endless.