Male domination is a thing of the past of beer choices from different countries, and it sparked my interest to try something new. I was actually hesitant to try new brews until my cousin's wife - a Belgian who really knows her beer - convinced me otherwise. We headed to her favorite bar that serves Belgians beersand I was an instant convert. The idea of giving locals different choices is what prompted me to bring the idea home.
What research did you do to prepare?
It's unfortunate that there's no proper brewing school here in the Philippines. We had to learn everything from scratch, making batch upon batch of experimental brew until we nailed our recipes, and that took us a whole year of experimental, research and taste - testing. In 2014, the institute of Brewing & Distilling sent Tim O'Rourke (their brew master, and a consultant for top beer brands) to give a brewing crash course, which we attend with gusto.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?
Living on a remote island like Palawan is a challenge in itself. Climate and logistics are couple - once, a number of batches went bad and we had to find the cause, which was excruciatingly painful but a lesson well learned. The challenges we encountered were the building blocks for who we are now. Every time something goes wayward, we always say, "Bring it on".
What's the philosophy behind your brewing process?
We only brew the beer we want to drink. This is our guiding principle. We consider our beers like our babies - we nurture and take care of them.
What are some of the local ingredients you use to make your craft beer?
We are blessed with diverse resources here in Palawan. Our beers incorporate three kinds of wild honey, sourced from tribes in the south and north of Palawan. We have great seasonal brew, like a Mango IPA during the summer when mango is abundant. We also use the tangguli [a local palm candy from the remote north-easternisland of Cuyo] in our special brew Paragua, a Belgian golden strong ale.
Which are your core brew? What about your favorite flavor experimentation?
We offer five core and year-round styles, all of which come under the name umbrella brand name of Ayahay [local slang for "relax" or "chill", which is also a play on Ayah's name]. There's Ambong [Americans Style Amber Ale], Palawan Wit [Belgian-Style Wheat Beer], Palawan [German Style Honey Kolsch], Hunter [honey nut brown ale] and Ayahay IPA. The brews range from light to more robust styles in order to satisfy customers diverse palates.
What are the challenges of working in a traditionally male-dominated industry?
We are blessed to have craft-beer community - the craft beer association of the Philippines that is supportive of us. They treat us as equals. Moving forward, I hope that more Filipinos are willing to think outside of the box.
What do you see for the future of craft beer in Puerto Princesa?
There so much room for growth! Palawaneo Brewery shall continuously create world-class craft beers that all Filipino can be pround of.