Planning for a boo-zy Halloween soiree? Forget another jack-o’-lantern or other western Halloween themed cocktail menu, go local, and take inspiration from this fun round-up of cocktails inspired by Pinoy horror characters using local ingredients. The recipes are delicious, and definitely a conversation starter!
1) Zodiac
Recipe by Auie Benisano I Head Bartender at Mistral Rooftop Bar, Raffles Makati
“My cocktail is inspired by a movie that I watched over 30 times with my older brother when I was still a teenager. This movie gives me goosebumps until today! The Filipino horror-flick Feng Shui is one of the highest-grossing films of 2004 in the Philippines. The plot of the movie centers on a cursed Bagua mirror, anyone who stares at the mirror eventually dies. I love that the deaths of the victims often relates to the person’s Chinese zodiac. It’s quirky and funny at times, like one of my favorite characters was Alice (LotLot de Leon), who was born in the year of the horse and was crushed by a falling stack of crates of red horse beer bottles! Luckily I haven’t seen myself at the Bagua‘s reflection. Who knows…”
Ingredients
45 ml Plantation Dark Rum 22 ml kat Kiat juice 30 ml grapefruit juice 15 ml spiced pear syrup 10 ml egg whites 15 ml Tempranillo wine Dash of charcoal powder
Directions
1) Put all ingredients in a shaker except for red wine and charcoal powder. 2) Dry shake for 10 seconds. 3) Add some ice and shake vigorously. 4) Double strain into a chilled rock glass with ice cubes. 5) Top with Tempranillo Red Wine. 6) Dust with Charcoal powder on top.
2) Itlog ng Undin
Recipe by Larry and Sharleen Guevara I Liquid Concept ambassadors and Manille Beach Bar Head Bartenders (Palawan)
“Living on the island and being surrounded by rich flora and fauna, we cannot think of anything more terrifying than the Undin, a water-nymph sea creature living in the lake featured in the movie Shake, Rattle and Roll 3. This drink takes into consideration the on-going focus in the bar and cocktail industry, which is sustainability. We wanted to illustrate that creating a cocktail does not need esoteric ingredients but rather incorporating readily available local products, combined with non-traditional flavor profiles, to create something unconventional yet still delicious.”
Ingredients
50 ml San Juan Lambanog 15 ml Jagermeister 30 ml Green Kaong Syrup 60 ml Aloe Vera Juice 4 drops of Bitter Late Than Nevah Ampalaya-Citrus Bitters Zest of fresh orange tapioca pearls infused in Jagermeister
Glassware: Tiki Glass
Garnish: Jager-infused pearls on deep-fried camote tops leaves
Directions
1) Place eight to ten pieces of Jagermeister-infused tapioca pearls at the bottom of the glass. 2) Add the rest of the ingredients. 3) Add ice and top with crushed ice. 4) Add the rest of the pearls on top. 5) Drizzle with some of the homemade bitter gourd-citrus bitters. 6) Zest of fresh orange.
3) Seklusyon
Recipe by Richie Cruz I Head Bartender at Cobbler by CBTA Inc. (Marikina)
“Seklusyon is a 2016 horror-thriller film by Erik Matti. Set in 1947, the plot revolves around a child healer named Anghela Sta. Ana who miraculously cures people with ailments with the help of a mysterious nun named Sister Cecilia. Every time she heals someone, black liquid drips from her mouth. The Philippines’ culture is rich with superstition and religious beliefs, and this story of faith healing with a mysterious twist serves as a good inspiration for a cocktail. I figured, since liquors are double-edged swords, it can be used as a healing potion or a substance for destruction, so it’s a good starting point.
My cocktail is a twist of the sangria. To create the potion, I infused some spices with rum to fortify and make a Seklusyon complex. I used Mompo (a wine used for Catholic mass) relating it with the religious aspect of the film. To symbolize the black liquid that drips on Anghela’s mouth I used activated charcoal to make the drink black. Sekluyson is an act of secluding or isolating from society. The drink is a means to escape from the world and find peace and relaxation.”
Ingredients (recipe makes 2 to 3 servings)
5g each Anise, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom 60 ml Bacardi 151 30 ml Mompo 15 ml Calamansi 60 ml red wine 30 ml simple syrup 5g activated charcoal 10 g mint sprig splash soda water mint leaves for garnish
Directions
1) Put all spices and Bacardi in a hot pot and simmer. 2) Let the spices infuse with the rum for a few minutes before turning down the heat. 3) Let it cool then fine strain the rum. 4) Add all the ingredients in the bowl, including the infused rum. 5) Stir. Pour one serving in a rock glass with ice. 6) Add mint sprig for garnish.
4) The Ritual
Recipe by Ian James Osillo I Head bartender at Mandalay Whisky and Cigars (Makati)
“The cocktail is my tribute to the Mangkukulam, a witch or warlock who uses natural magic or a form of folk magic in the Philippines. In witchcraft or kulam, there are a lot of rituals, and it is the same with the process of creating a cocktail behind the bar. Part of the ritual on this recipe is crafting a calamancello, my take on the famous limoncello but instead of lemons, the calamansi is utilized. I steeped the calamansi rinds in vodka for a week.”
Ingredients
45 ml Calamancello 7.5 ml Cynar 22.5 ml simple syrup 10 pieces cherry tomato pinch of cayene pepper topped with Prosecco salt (to rim the glass) basil leaf for garnish
Directions
1) Rim a highball glass with salt, set aside. 2) In a shaker, muddle ten pieces of cherry tomatoes them add all ingredients, excluding the Prosecco. 3) Add ice and shake. 4) Strain in the glass rimmed with salt. 5) Garnish with a basil leaf and serve.
5) Engkantada
Recipe by Karl Angelo Santos I Bartender at Cicchetti, BGC
“This cocktail is called Engkantada, a fairy, a guardian of forests, seas, mountain, land, and air. It is a mythical territorial creature who is relentless to people to do terrible things to nature — my cocktail recipe is inspired by the gifts of the forest like fruits and berries. A thick bold red color comes from a home-made cordial with mixed berries (raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, and red currant). Refreshing fruity notes from the pineapple-calamansi cordial neutralizes the drink just like this mythical creature who is responsible for the balance of our mother nature.”
Ingredients
45 ml Chivas Regal 12yrs 30 ml red wine berry cordial 30 ml pineapple calamansi cordial 15 ml simple syrup
How to make the Red Wine Berry Cordial Ingredients 50 g Raspberry 50 g Strawberry 50 g Blueberry 50 g Red Currant berry 100 g Mascovado Sugar 300 ml Red Wine 1) Mix all ingredients and put it to boil in medium heat in about 10 mins. 2) Let it cool and set aside.
How to make a Pineapple-Calamansi Cordial Ingredients 200 ml Pineapple Juice 50 ml Calamansi Juice 50 ml Agave Syrup 1) Mix all ingredients and put it to boil in medium heat in about 10 mins. 2) Let it cool and set aside.
How to make the cocktail 1) Add all ingredients in a shaker, add ice, and shake. 2) Double strain the liquid in a Martini glass. 3) Serve.
6) Bagua
Recipe by Daryl Priela I Head Bartender at Ms. Gee (Poblacion, Makati)
“Feng Shui is a 2004 Filipino supernatural horror movie about a woman named Joy who acquires fortune through a cursed Bagua which endangered the lives of her family as death follows them at every turn.
Bagua (meaning eight trigrams) is one of the main tools used in Feng Shui and is considered the energy map. The ancient Feng Shui masters defined the most critical areas as follows: health, family, wealth, abundance, fame, reputation, love, and marriage. In connection to this movie, my drink is inspired by the ways of how the lead character earned her massive fortune.
My drink is a twist to the classic smoky whisky sour. Good fortune cannot be earned in an instant because there’s no such thing as a shortcut in life; you will get it little by little. It’s like how I made my cocktail, doing it step by step until I’m successful with the concoction. Each ingredient represents The Eight Trigrams that we encounter in our life. I used a smoky Scotch whisky to represent Fame. Ginger syrup as Love, for sweetness. Calamansi shrub as Reputation and for an additional kick of flavor. Egg white as Marriage, to pasteurize my drink. Another is Aperol as Children, to add mandarin orange notes to my drink and balance the sweetness of the concoction. Lemon as Abundance, to give the sourness and citrusy flavor. Kiamoy powder as Creativity to my drinks. Lastly, Pei Pa Koa as Health and to to add dimension to the whisky sour.”
Ingredients
45 ml Johnie Walker Double Black 10 ml Ginger Syrup 10 ml Calamansi Shrub 30 ml Fresh Lemon Juice 1 piece egg white 15 ml Aperol 5 ml Pei Pa Koa syrup Kiamoy Powder
Glassware: Special Glass and Bagua
Directions
1) Smoke the glass using a smoking gun. Keep the glass-covered upside down to keep the smoke. Set aside. 2) Add all ingredients. 3) Dry shake. Add ice then wet shake. 4) Double strain and pour the liquid inside the smoked glass. 5) Get another vessel and add dry ice. Put the cocktail glass inside the vessel. Pour in hot ginger tea on the dry ice to create a smoky aroma. 6) Garnish the cocktail with kiamoy.
7) Engkanto
Recipe by Joe Hembrador I Bartender at the New World Manila Bay Hotel
“Engkantos are believed to be environmental spirits that can trick anyone with their charms. They sometimes appear in human form and can cause harm or misfortune to whoever crosses their paths. Some says that they are angels who revolted against the divine being and was driven out of heaven for eternity. They fell on earth and settled in thick forests.
This drink is inspired by my encounter with such beings. As a child, I came across a beautiful engkanto. The feeling was indescribable and as if it was a dream. I was stunned by its beauty but was struck by the reality that it wanted to take me. Just like this Engkanto drink, it gives an illusion of beauty that no one can’t resist. Its refreshing aroma creates excitement. The sour and minty blend with the right pinch of sweetness pleases the senses. This drink is powerful enough to tempt you to have another round of glass.”
Ingredients
45 ml ARC vodka 15 ml Midori Liqueur 10 ml green apple syrup 30 ml guyabano puree 10 ml fresh calamansi juice top with ginger ale
Directions
1) Add all ingredients in the cocktail shaker except the ginger ale. 2) Add ice and shake. 3) Serve in a coupe glass and top up with ginger ale. 4) Garnish with a dehydrated and toasted lemon wheel and mint leaf.
8) The Dirty Nymph
Recipe by Ed Deveza I Bartender at Le Bar, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
Inspired by Undin, an antagonist in the film Shake, Rattle & Roll 3, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila’s bartender Ed Deveza creates a chilling concoction for this Halloween season. Full of character with its eclectic mixture of fruity, sour, and earthy notes, The Dirty Nymph represents local Filipino pride with Don Papa Rum and its dynamic elements of cherry and vanilla, made more complex by the refreshing hint of Moscato d’Asti to balance all the flavors. Ed tops the cocktail with a mini-version of Undin made from a mix of dark and milk chocolate for a juxtaposition of sweet and spooky.
Ingredients
45 ml Don Papa Rhum 10 ml elderflower liqueur 10 ml calamansi juice 5 ml apple cider vinegar handful basil leaves Moscato d’Asti
Directions
1) Add all ingredients in a shaker, except Moscato d’Asti. 2) Add ice, and stir. 3) Top up with a Moscato d’Asti and garnish with a mini Undin.
9) DrinkManila Halloween Cocktail: Sigbin
Recipe by Icy Mariñas I DrinkManila.com’s resident mixologist
Click here to watch the video recipe
Have you heard of Sigbin? If you’ve seen the 2011 Filipino horror flick, Babang Luksa starring Precious Lara Quigaman and Angelika dela Cruz, then Sigbin must have given you nightmares. In the movie, a Sigbin is a spirit trapped within the portal of the mirror, which takes human souls.
In the Visayas Islands and Mindanao, the Sigbin (or Sigben) is a popular creature in Philippine mythology. But unlike the spirit in the Tagalog movie, this mythological creature resembles a hornless goat, has enormous ears which it can clap like a pair of hands and a long tail that it uses as a whip. It is said to walk backward with its head lowered between its hind legs and can become invisible. What can give kids nightmares is that it apparently kills children for their hearts, which it then fashions into amulets!
It is believed that families who own a Sigbin (Sigbinan) whose members possess the power to command these creatures keep the Sigbin in jars made of clay.
Back to our recipe, don’t worry, this potent potion won’t turn you into a Sigbin! Nothing to be scared off here, just a tasty, fiery cocktail that will make you feel good. The heady mix of different spirits (lambanog, vodka, rum, and coconut rum) might make you feel like you’re walking backward with your head between your legs, but it’s all in good fun.
