Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest DrinkManila Travels is a new series on our website featuring adventures in different locations around the Philippines. The episodes will highlight various regional delicacies that can be turned into or incorporated in cocktails. Follow our travels and adventures as we quench our thirst and promote our favorite local products, one cocktail at a time. For our first episode, DrinkManila went on a road trip to Iba, Zambales to find a local delicacy: pastillas de leche. They say that you haven’t tasted the best pastillas until you’ve tried the ones from Iba and Palauig. Unlike pastillas found in other parts of the Philippines that are light in color, soft, and coated with sugar, Zambales pastillas are harder, flat, and dark brown in color. The confection is made from fresh carabao’s milk, which gives it more depth in flavor compared to its more commercial counterparts. These milk candies are made by hand by local artisans in the confines of their own homes. Our resident mixologist Icy Mariñas created a cocktail recipe that is a twist on Puerto Rico’s national drink, the piña colada. Made with Zambales pastillas, the Pastilla Colada is a sweet, creamy cocktail with a rich, milky finish that lingers. The pineapple juice and Real Coco (or coconut cream) add tropical fruit flavors. This is a boozy smoothie that’s best enjoyed at the beach—the flavor is even enhanced when a little sea water gets in your glass. Ingredients: 3 pcs Zambales pastillas 75 ml pineapple juice 30 ml Real Coco or coconut cream 45 ml tequila 45 ml triple sec Directions: Muddle pastillas. Add all ingredients in shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain into glass. Add ice and garnish with crumbled pastillas. Photos and video by Star Sabroso