Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest This 2018, let’s toast to success and nothing less! We hope you’ve had enough time to recover from New Year’s Eve, the booziest night of the year. It’s back to the daily grind as we print our new year’s resolutions and tack them up in our workspace with the hopes of actually fulfilling them. You’ve probably stashed away the party hats and horns, vacuumed all the glitter and confetti, washed all the plates, and stored your champagne flutes and cocktail glasses. But before you completely put away your glassware, check out what 2018 has in store for your love of drinking. Gin We’re still buying single malts but there seems to be an incredible resurgence of gin. Gin has been a favorite spirit for classic cocktails dating back to the prohibition era, and its popularity has been rising thanks to the adventurous tastes of young millennial drinkers. So far, Hendrick’s, Monkey 47, Gordon’s, Tanqueray 10, Martin Miller’s, are among the most popular brands available, but we’ve also observed a growing appreciation for Japanese gins like Roku Gin, Nikka Coffey Gin, Ki No Bi Gin, and Mars Wa Bi Gin. The Philippines consumes more gin than any other country. Last year, Crows Gin, the first local small-batch craft gin made with local and foreign botanicals, launched with a first batch of just 20 bottles. Will others follow suit? It might be the best time for our local distillers to up their game and be more innovative with the grade and quality of gins they produce. Here’s a gin and tonic recipe you can make at home High-Tech Cocktails We live in a digital age where technology has touched upon everything, including cocktails. Mixologists aim to please by adding a dash of digital experience with each glass. Bartenders have tried creating cocktails using liquid nitrogen. Others use coasters that show corresponding artwork on your device, or use virtual reality to level up the multisensory experience. In Singapore, a newly developed virtual cocktail (Vocktail) delivers multisensory flavor experiences by adding scent cartridges and micro air pumps at the base of the glass for a true virtual reality. It is a cocktail glass that tricks your senses that the water you’re drinking can be any cocktail. Others include LED light to change the color of the drink, or electrodes on the glass rim to stimulate the tongue. Hmmm, we don’t know about you, but we still like spirits in our cocktails. Non-alcoholic Cocktails See for full recipe Don’t mock the mocktails. It seems we’ve all experienced one too many hangovers and have decided overindulgence is not an option. Still, going out and socializing with friends sometimes requires a drink or two, and we cheer the existence of non-alcoholic cocktails. Bartenders are also improving their repertoire of mocktails and upping the ante when it comes to mixing virgin cocktails. Drinking Soups Image courtesy of drinkzupa.com It’s soup without the bowl. Everyone’s on a health kick and juice cleanses are so last year (they’re also annoying). Drinkable soups are the next big thing. They provide a yummier, heartier, and more fulfilling experience. Even better, they’re still convenient and good for on-the-go meals. Each bottle is packed with organic and anti-oxidant produce that won’t mess with your blood sugar levels. Plus, there’s no need to heat it up–just open the bottle and gulp down your daily veggie fix. 5 . Golden Milk See recipe for turmeric tea Expand your collection of Indian spices, as the popularity of turmeric is steadily on the rise. This sun-painted spice–owing to the yellowed-colored chemical called curcumin–has proven to have plenty of health benefits. It’s packed with powerful antioxidants, strong anti-inflammatory properties, and the medicinal effects of curcumin. Whether it’s for the health benefits or simply for the love of brightly colored things, this trendy drink is definitely the perfect pick-me-up for those dull days. Hydrogen Water We all need at least eight glasses of water a day. When normal tap water just doesn’t do it for you anymore, you can always step up your game with an aluminum pouch full of hydrogen water. The crisp and clean drink is said to boost energy, remove lactic acid, provide antioxidants, and improve fat and glucose metabolism. Though these health claims haven’t been proven, your favorite celebrities Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and Zac Efron are drinking hydrogen water actively, and more than 16 gold medalist athletes are said to be drinking it to speed workout recovery. Aivee Water bottle In Manila they are already serving hydrogen water at Aivee Café in Bonifacio Global City a portable hydrogen-generating water bottle is also available if you would like to drink it at home. The Aivee Water bottle is available at Aivee Clinic branches. For inquiries, call (02) 573-1420. Casual Neighborhood Bars Kampai, Poblacion The Manila cocktail scene is becoming more diverse. Expect a lot more casual cocktail-driven bars to open in places like Poblacion this 2018. These bars are unpretentious and straightforward, with affordable drinks and a chill vibe. Right now, Poblacion favorites include Tambai, which has now extended to Tambai Alley and Kampai, A’Toda Madre, Le Cafe Curieux, Polilya, Pura Vida, Alamat Filipino Pub and Deli, Wild Poppy, Wokby 4900, and Dulo.