Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Get your sexy or scary costumes ready and welcome Halloween with boozy treats from the country’s top bartenders. From doppelgängers, demons, evil dwarves, halimaw sa banga, kapre, aswang, mambabarang, and white ladies, our local bartenders created fun recipe serves inspired by Filipino folklore and horror stories using local ingredients. Get inspired and you might get some ideas for your Halloween soiree. 1) Dwendeng Itim Recipe by Rian Asiddao Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador “My drink is a spin on the regular whisky sour. I got the inspiration for this Halloween cocktail from itim na dwende or evil black dwarf from Filipino folklore. Stories say that these creatures live in the backyard, especially in the countryside. I don’t believe in such, but for some reason I dreamt about them recently, so in order for them not to visit me in the real world, I am dedicating the cocktail to them! A smoky, black whisky sour.” Ingredients 60 ml Johnnie Walker Double Black 15 ml fresh lemon juice 1 piece egg White 3 dashes of chocolate bitters 15 ml activated charcoal syrup* *How to make activated charcoal syrup Ingredients 1.5 cups water 1 cup sugar 1 tbsp activated charcoal Heat sugar and water in a pan. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Add the activated charcoal into the syrup. Let it cool before use. Store in the fridge for longer shelf life. Directions Add all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice. Shake. Serve in a rock glass. 2) Kontra Barang Recipe by Larry Guevara and Sharleen Antonio Liquid Concepts ambassadors and Manille Beach Bar Head Bartenders “One of the most feared forms of witchcraft in the Philippines is “barang.” Also known as “kulam” in some parts of the archipelago, barang gives us the scariest chill down the spine because of the amount of damage (even death) it can cause to a person under its spell. Despite the pain and havoc that they can inflict to their victims, “mambabarang” (which is another local term for the witch doctor) also holds the cure to their own victims. Story goes that in some remote areas in the country, being a witch doctor is a way of making a living. This drink is inspired by the ways of how these local witch doctors utilize mother nature’s resources in order to create “magic” and spells and even cures. We chose a specific kind of gin with over 21 botanicals because we believe that witch doctors often use a lot of unfamiliar herbs, medicinal leaves, wooden barks and even spices in creating their potions. To replicate their foraging ways, we made use of the camote tops which we found superabundant around our area and turned it into a syrup. We separated the citrus elements from the mix to create the “magical effect” without applying any real spells or reciting some Latinized mantra of some sort. We chose a specially designed bulb glass because we believe that witch doctors are a bunch of crafty folks who never run out of ideas when formulating their homemade stash. To finish it off, we added drops of our homemade bitter gourd-citrus bitters which gave the drink another dimension to the already sweet and sour flavor profile of the cocktail.” Ingredients 60 ml The Botanist Gin 30 ml Manille Liqueur de Calamansi (chilled) 45 ml homemade camote tops syrup 15 ml fresh lemon juice 6 pcs boiled camote tops 4 drops of Bitter Late Than Nevah Ampalaya-Citrus Bitters Glassware: Special glass Garnish: Special prayer Directions Pour the chilled Manille Calamansi and the fresh lemon juice in the serving vessel and set aside. Pour the gin in the mixing tin and add in the boiled camote tops and camote tops syrup. Muddle. Make sure to extract the color of the leaves to get the desired effect. Add ice and shake well. Double strain over fresh ice in the serving vessel. Add four drops of the homemade bitter gourd-citrus bitters. 3) Ikaapat Na Gayuma Recipe by Albert Cartagena Gilarmi Lounge by Discovery Primea Head Bartender “Ancient potions, sorcery, and magical spells are mostly featured in foreign and local cinemas, and if it doesn’t entertain, it gives you the chills. For me, bartenders are like witches and sorcerers concocting magic potions behind the bar. And just like spells, the drinks we come up with sets the mood for the person drinking. Every ingredient mixed into a wonderful concoction gives a different effect and brings the guests to another dimension. For Halloween cocktail, I created a twist to the classic gin sour which I hope will give the drinkers a spicy kind of feeling after each serve.” Ingredients 45 ml Whitley Neil Rhubarb and Ginger Gin 30 ml lemongrass and ginger syrup* 5-6 pcs fresh blue pea flower 15 ml fresh lemon juice Dry Ice (optional) Directions Rim the serving glass with a mix of blue pea and sugar. Set aside. In a shaker, add in blue pea flower, lemon juice, and lemongrass ginger syrup and muddle the ingredients. Add Whitley Neil Rhubarb and Ginger gin to the mix. Add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain mixture into a martini glass. (You can put a sliver or a small piece of dry ice for the bubbly and smoke effect.) Garnish the drink blue pea clipped on the glass rim. Optional: The recipe is also great for highballs, add ice and top with Fever Tree Ginger Beer. *How to make the Lemongrass and Ginger syrup: 1 bundle fresh Lemongrass 1.25 cup fresh Ginger 1 cup of white sugar 300 ml water Wash lemongrass and muddle. Peel ginger then cut into smaller slices. In a saucepan, mix all the ingredients with water and bring to a boil. Once the sugar dissolves, let it cool, and strain into another container. 4) Manananggal In The City Recipe by Lennon Aguilar Bar Supervisor, Discovery Primea “Everyone has a favorite horror movie that gave us countless nightmares when we were young. Mine would be the episode from the 1984 horror film Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Manananggal. This movie scared the living daylights out of me when I was five years old. Manananggal is a vampire-like mythical creature that can separate its body from waist up, grow wings, and fly into the night in search of its victims. The Manananggal is said to favor preying on sleeping, pregnant women, using an elongated proboscis-like tongue to suck the hearts of fetuses, or the blood of someone who is sleeping. The severed lower torso is left standing and is the more vulnerable of the two halves. Sprinkling salt, smearing crushed garlic or ash on top of the standing torso is fatal to the creature. The upper torso then would not be able to rejoin itself and would perish by sunrise. My cocktail symbolizes the severed lower torso of the Manananggal. With the use of garlic confit, tomato and celery shrub, salt, and cayenne pepper, the cocktail has a savory taste that will lighten up when the sparkling grape juice was added. A refreshing, sweet, acidic, and spicy cocktail to be enjoyed during the Halloween season.” Ingredients 60 ml garlic confit infused Kah Tequila *30 ml tomato and celery shrub (see recipe below) Top up with sparkling grape juice Garnish with bbq chicken intestines and celery stalk Salt and cayenne pepper for glass rimming Directions In a cocktail shaker, pour in all liquid ingredients except sparkling grape juice. Dry shake. Pour mixture in a salt and cayenne pepper rimmed goblet with ice. Top up with sparkling grape juice. Garnish with bbq chicken intestines and celery stalk. Serve. *How to make Tomato and Celery Shrub 1 kl ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into eights 1 cup celery leaves, chopped and bruised 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup white sugar 1 tbsp rock salt In a clean jar, pour in all ingredients. Mix well the shrub until sugar and salt dissolve. Tight seal it. Store the shrub in a chiller and ferment it for 3 to 5 days. Mix the shrub by shaking during the fermentation process. 5) Kilabot sa Balete Drive Recipe by Josiah Israel G. Agunat Bartender at Tittos Latin Bbq and Brew and RM-16 “A White Lady is a classic cocktail credited to famous barkeeps Harry MacElhone and Harry Craddock. However, here in our country, White Lady is often referred to as a beautiful lady ghost that most famously appears along Balete Drive during ungodly hours waiting for a ride or even appearing behind the driver visibly seen through the rear view mirror by shocked motorists. Often they would show themselves and then pop out gone in a blink of an eye. This drink is inspired by the best products we can source locally. Like White Lady ghosts, this cocktail is surprisingly easy and fast to drink. It pops on your bar table and it’s gone in a few minutes.” Ingredients 45 ml Empire Gin 7.5 ml Orchid Triple Sec 15 ml Paradise Mango Rum Liqueur 15 ml salted pineapple syrup (2 parts Fresh Pineapple Juice, 1 part Sugar, 1.5 tsp Salt) 45 ml fresh calamansi juice egg whites Directions Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Dry shake. Add ice and shake again. Double strain in a chilled coupe glass. Garnish it with dried mangoes. 6) Halimaw Sa Banga Recipe by Joey Cerdinia Head Bartender at Blind Pig and owner of Hanky Panky in Poblacion “My recipe is inspired by one of the scariest Filipino horror stories in that generation, the 1986 movie Halimaw Sa Banga directed by Mario O’Hara. The story revolved around the mysterious jar or banga, excavated from an ancient cave. The jar houses a vengeful spirit looking to spread havoc. The haunting spirit would claw its hands out of the jar and yank people into its depths.” Ingredients 30 ml Elijah Craig Bourbon 30 ml heavy cream 15 ml honey 15 ml rose syrup half bar spoon of Grenadine Directions Pour Elijah Craig, heavy cream, honey and rose syrup in a shaker. Shake with ice then pour in an 8 oz perception glass (wine glass). Pour grenadine slowly on top. 7) Kuyog-hangin Recipe by John Silva Head Bartender at La Coctelera by Rambla “Philippine folklore has a large variety of mythical creatures–aswang or shapeshifters, witches, fairies, demons, ghouls. I experienced one of these so-called creatures myself. One night, I was walking to my girlfriend’s house when somebody poked me at my shoulder. When I looked back, nobody’s there. I was weirded out but continued walking. When I arrived at my girlfriend’s house, they asked, ’why did you leave without saying a word?’ I was clueless because I just arrived. Then they all gave me that weird look. They said, ’you were just standing there at the gate, we’ve told to come inside but instead you left and without a word.’ After conversions over dinner, I left for home. As I passed by the guard post, the guard said, ‘I just saw you passed by and said hi but you continue walking without a word.’ At the back of my mind, ‘Again!’ I thought my day couldn’t get any weirder. When I made it at our house front, I saw myself pass by with a smile and bloodshot eyes. I stood shocked and couldn’t scream as if i was drowning under water. I closed my eyes, looked again, he wasn’t there! It’s a doppelgänger (kuyog-hangin) playing around! In memory of that creepy event, I made this drink called Kuyog-Hangin.” Ingredients 25 ml Don Papa Rum 25 ml Barik Moonshine 20 ml Port Wine 20 ml PX Nectar 4 dashes Angostura Bitters Directions Add all ingredients in a mixing glass. Stir and strain over chilled wooden mug. Garnish with dehydrated orange wheel and dehydrated lemon wheel. 8) Embittered Ruth Recipe by Vanessa Rabadon Head Bartender at Nokal, Poblacion “This cocktail is inspired by the 1995 horror film remake Patayin Sa Sindak Si Barbara, originally starring Susan Roces in 1974 and later by Lorna Tolentino in 1995. The story revolves around siblings Ruth and Barbara. Ruth, the younger sister is plagued by depression, jealousy, and discontentment despite having everything while Barbara sacrifices even her own happiness including giving way for her sister to marry the love of her life. Strange things started to happen after Barbara discovers that Ruth had killed herself because she thought that her husband was secretly seeing Barbara. Ruth haunted her sister, hurt and even kill every people close to her sister until there is nobody left but Barbara herself. Embittered Ruth best describes Ruth’s bittersweet revenge. A spirit forward cocktail that has a sweet front and lasting bitter note that stays at the back of your palate.” Ingredients 30 ml Bitter Truth Pink Gin 10ml Campari 30ml Fernet Branca 10ml Rose syrup 3 dashes Angostura Bitters Orange Peel Directions Add all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass Add ice and stir Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass Garnish with sugar floss 9) La Chica Negra Recipe by Paul Perez Bartender at Long Bar, Raffles Makati “The cocktail recipe is inspired by mythical characters particularly the kapre, a tabacco smoking Philippine local version of the hairy bigfoot; and aswang, one of the most feared among the mythical creatures of the Philippines, it is mostly described as vampire-like creatures but description varies from region to region. There are many traits, quirks, and characteristics of Aswang and I got inspired by the means of how it transmits its power to its successor. If you have seen Erik Matti’s “Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles”, a dying aswang transfers its power by passing on the black chick from his mouth to the next initiate. For the drink, I used Don Papa Rum, a local spirit from Mt. Kanlaon in Bacolod Negros Occidental, a place where some of the Philippines’ mythical creatures are said to have originated. The rum gives the vanilla, honey candied oak fruit flavor. Adding to the mix is Cointreau infused with edible charcoal to emphasize the black-colored chic inspired by the story. I also added fresh mango juice that adds a fruity character to the drink and represents the house of Kapre with the addition of smoking tobacco leaves in the serving glass to imitate Kapre’s favorite past time which adds a smokey note to my cocktail. Cacao bitter is also part of the drink, it is my favorite childhood ingredient, which used to be my comfort food when I’m afraid of something. The pasteurized egg white in my drink represents the passing of the black chick which gives a foamy, savory note that will help the ingredient bind together as one. The addition of the mint leaves will contribute to this refreshing minty taste but also represent greenery as most of the folklore stories in the Philippines revolves in the countryside and usually in a forest or farm.” Ingredients 30 ml Don Papa Rum 30 ml Cointreau infused with edible charcoal 1 Cacao bitter 15 ml Fresh lemon 30 ml Kalamansi Lemonade 30 ml Pasteurized Egg white (Optional) 1 mango wedge 1 sprig of mint leaves 3 small leaves of tobacco for smoking Directions Smoke the serving glass with burnt Tobacco leaves, set aside. Add all ingredients in a shaker. Dry shake then shake with ice. Double strain and serve with a garnish of mango balls coated with dark chocolate. 10) Kapre Recipe by Loreen Hernandez 2018 La Maison Cointreau PH Champion / Bartender at Versus Barcade, BGC Loreens recipe is inspired by Kapre, a popular Philippine mythical creature, a nocturnal being that dwells in big trees like acacias, mangoes, bamboo and balete. These creatures are not necessarily considered to be evil but may get vengeful when their habitat is disturbed or when its home tree is cut down. They don’t show themselves to humans but if they do, it’s to people who offer them friendship, or if it is attracted to a woman. Ingredients 45 ml Chivas 12 years 15 ml Homemade Spiced Stout Reduction Syrup (made with stout beer, sugar, and cinnamon) 15 ml House Blend Spiced Aperitif 10 ml Giffard Creme de Cacao 20 ml Lemon Juice 2 dash Angostura bitters Direction Add all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake. Serve in a coupe glass. Garnish with a torched cinnamon stick. 11) Spirits of the Glass Recipe by Bhong Pascua Bartender at Bar Rouge, New World Makati Hotel Nuno, Sapi , Kulam, Malikmata, and Tik-tik “This five-cocktail shooter set, ‘Spirits of the Glass,’ is inspired by mythical and spiritual entities based from Filipino horror stories shared during Undas. Experience the supernatural this Halloween with these fun shooters!” Malikmata (word combination of “malikot” and “mata”; it means vision or apparition) Ingredients 20 ml Tanduay Dark 5 ml Malibu 10 ml lychee 5 ml lemon Juice 5 ml cinnamon syrup top with ginger ale Directions Combine all ingredients in a shaker, then shake. Strain into a shot glass with ice. Top with ginger ale. Tik-tik (another name for aswang) Ingredients 20 ml Fabled Fish vodka 1 bar spoon Berry Syrup 10 ml lemon juice Top with soda Directions Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Shake and strain. Pour into shot glass and top with soda. Garnish with blue and red berries. Sapi (the term is used when a person is possessed, usually when completely controlled by an evil spirit) Ingredients 20ml Don Papa Rum 5ml pomegranate juice 5ml pineapple juice 5ml cinnamon syrup 3 small chunks of pineapple Dash of grenadine Dash of apple spice bitters Directions Muddle the pineapple chunks. Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake then strain. Pour into a shot glass. Garnish with cucumber and mint leaves. Kulam (a form of folk magic practiced by a witch) Ingredients 20 ml Fabled Fish Vodka 10 ml milk dash of soda water 5 ml vanilla syrup Directions Combine all ingredients in a shaker, then shake. Strain into a shot glass with ice. Garnish with black licorice. Nuno (a mythological creature often described as a short elderly living in a heap of earth) Ingredients 20 ml Hypnotic 10 ml Malibu Rum 5 ml blue curacao Dash of lemon syrup Cerveza Negra Directions Combine all ingredients in the shaker except Cerveza Negra. Shake until shaker forms ice. Pour the mix into a shot glass and fill it up with Cerveza Negra.