11 Famous Filipino Beverages

Calamansi juice is a popular Filipino beverage made from calamansi, a popular citrus fruit in the Philippines. This fruit is also known as calamondin, Philippine lemon, or Philippine lime, explaining why the beverage is also called Filipino lemonade.

Since calamansi juice is fragrant and very tangy, it is usually mixed with plenty of sugar or simple syrup and ice to balance the flavor profile. Sometimes, calamansi juice can be drunk hot without sugar as a homemade cure for a sore throat, boasting a refreshing flavor, and is suitable for all seasons, especially summer.

Buko juice is coconut water derived from young green coconuts in the Philippines, with “buko” literally meaning “coconut” in Tagalog. It is different from niyog, which refers to mature coconut.

The word often refers to coconuts that have been on the tree for 6 – 7 months, while fully ripened ones are around 12 months old or more. The drink is relatively sweet, with the water being a little bit cloudy.

Filipinos usually offer buko juice at street stalls with chill ice and, occasionally, young coconut pulp. Bottled buko juice is also popular.

Kapeng barako is a Filipino coffee drink made from the beans of the same name. It is neither Robusta nor Arabica coffee but a type of Liberian coffee (Coffea liberica).

However, the beans have a low yield and are relatively difficult to cultivate due to the tree’s huge size. Nowadays, this coffee variety is mainly found in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite.

Kapeng barako possesses a strong profile along with a distinctive aroma usually compared to aniseed or licorice. Ideally, the coffee is brewed by boiling before serving as a dark and rich drink.

Sago’t gulaman is a Filipino beverage that is commonly sold at street stalls and roadside eateries. The drink is an ideal type of samalamig, known as sweet and cold drinks with ice in the Philippines.

The drink consists of sago pearls and gulaman (jelly), made by boiling the jelly and pearls before mixing with ice. Sago is the edible starch derived from the spongy core tissue of various tropical palm trees, while gulaman is seaweed-based jelly or agar.

Besides these two ingredients, sago’t gulaman also calls for a syrup made from sugar and extracts of pandan or vanilla. In some cases, people replace sago pearls with tapioca pearls.

Samalamig is a family of sweet and chilled beverages in Filipino cuisine, often sold at street stalls and roadside eateries, especially in the summer.

The cold drink is a combination of ingredients like fruits and fruit juices (especially those derived from coconuts), jelly, sago pearls, tapioca pearls, condensed milk, and muscovado (unrefined cane sugar).

In Tagalog, the name samalamig came from a phrase meaning “at a cold place” or “for cold drinks”. Alternatively, locals also call the drink palamig, meaning “cooler” or “chiller”.

Lambanog is a traditional palm liquor in the Philippines, coming from the Luzon and Visayas Islands. Interestingly, this liquor is often called coconut vodka because of its milky white appearance.

When it comes to alcohol content, the spirit offers 40 to 45% abv (80 – 90 proof), while the distilled version is at 83% abv (166 proof). Usually made with tubâ, lambanog needs about 48 hours of aging.

For serving, people savor lambanog neatly with some raisins to elevate the flavor. Tubâ aside, the liquor even boasts tastes like pineapple, blueberry, mango, cinnamon, and bubblegum.

Salabat is a traditional Filipino ginger tea created using raw ginger root infused in hot boiling water. Typically, people will peel and slice gingers to release more flavor.

In modern times, locals even make use of ginger powder to whip up salabat. As for the flavors, the tea is best enhanced using sugar, honey, and calamansi.

Around Christmas, salabat is often sold by street vendors in the morning, especially on Simbang Gabi (dawn mass). Aside from its use in celebratory events, salabat is also a reliable remedy for treating sore throats, colds, and coughs.

Tubâ is an alcoholic drink of the Philippines, made using palm tree sap. Introduced during the Spanish colonial period, tubâ is a common pick for locals during recreational events.

Furthermore, Filipino animist religious rituals often feature tubâ. With its light alcohol content of around 2 – 4%, the alcohol is a favorite for social drinking in the Philippines.

When further distilled, tubâ alcohol content will increase to create a stronger drink called lambanóg.

Filipino beer is a term covering a wide range of beer products in the Philippines, often revolving around products made by two major breweries, Asia Brewery and San Miguel Pale Pilsen.

As a national drink of the Philippines, beer is the most consumed since it was introduced to the country by Spain, often coming in glass bottles or tin cans. Commonly, the beer is lager or ale, possessing a light and crisp profile that suits many taste buds.

Historically, San Miguel holds the distinction of being the oldest brewery in the Philippines, having commenced operations in 1890.

Mango nectar is a refreshing drink in the Philippines mainly consists of the juices and pulp of the mango, a tropical fruit. When presented as a drink, it is usually sweetened with sugar or honey and can be consumed by itself or mixed with other ingredients.

In the Philippines, mango nectar is a common pick for adding to desserts or sweet dishes.

Guyabano juice is a popular beverage in the Philippines that consists of the fruit of the guyabano tree, also known as soursop. This tropical fruit is prized for its rich, creamy texture and unique flavor, blending notes of strawberry, pineapple, and citrus with a slightly sour undertone.

The juice is not only cherished for its refreshing taste but also for its health benefits, as it is rich in antioxidants and fiber. In the Philippines, guyabano juice is often consumed for its purported medicinal properties.