Gel Jose

2D Themed Cafe in QC: Kurimi Milk Tea Bar

Nope, entering this milk tea bar doesn’t magically land you into a cartoon world.

Instead, it welcomes you into a place where you can take Instagrammable pics while enjoying your freshly made milk tea.

Check out Kurimi Milk Tea Bar!

This little store in the foodie-friendly Tomas Morato area in QC serves up the Pinoy’s new favorite beverage – milk tea, of course – in a quaint and picturesque setting. Every wall, nook and cranny has been painted white with thick black outlines to give that interesting 2D effect. Yes, it’s walking into a cartoon!

Here you can enjoy a wide array of Japanese style tea drinks, from Kurimi’s signature milk tea, cheesecake and cream cheese series as well as specialty drinks that include:

Hang out here with your frinds and take a pic: you and your drink will be the pops of color against your cute 2D background.

This Kurimi Milk Tea Bar branch is located at 88 Scout Limbaga Street, Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City, open for dine-in, takeout, curbside pickup and delivery via GrabFood.

For inquiries or orders, call +63 951 3558571.

Socially distant staycationing at Casa 1254 in Pansol, Laguna

Nearly two years into the pandemic, we can’t help but feel like we need a break from the stresses and hassles we encounter while quarantined in the city.

We also want to be able to spend time with our extended family after being separated for them for so long.

With quarantine restrictions loosening just a wee bit, we can now enjoy some time with our loved ones through socially distant staycations such as what I had with my in-laws at Casa 1254 in Pansol, Laguna.

Casa 1254 was deemed as the most suitable venue for our socially distant staycation-cum-family outing, as it ticked off the requirements that will enable us to keep ourselves safe during our trip:

It should be within driving distance. Casa 1254 is less than two hours away from Metro Manila by car. Traveling by car is a lot safer (in terms of social distancing) than traveling by plane or other public transport systems. Also, given the short driving time, we didn’t need to have stopovers in crowded areas for a meal or to rest from the drive.
It should be in a private, self-enclosed area. Casa 1254 is a single, detached house enclosed in a perimeter wall with parking slots for up to four cars inside the compound. We had the place all to ourselves, allowing us to minimize contact with anyone outside of our family circle.
It should have its own kitchen. We expected dining out options to be quite limited, and, since we didn’t plan on going in and out of the venue often, we brought enough food for the duration our stay which we either cooked or reheated in the kitchen.
It should have good internet connectivity. Since we didn’t plan on going out and will spend the entirety of our time within the property, we needed to have fast and reliable internet access for work and entertainment.

With those important considerations addressed, the entire extended family was able to enjoy our stay at Casa 1254 and maximize its amenities for family bonding:

Living Areas. We congregated at the living room and adjoining sitting area for lively conversations and catching up. The kids were also able to set up their mini tents and use their toys in this sprawling space between the two areas for their playtime.

Dining Room and Kitchen. Family bonding was made even more enjoyable with good food. We dined in style in the well-appointed dining room on dishes re-heated or cooked in the spacious kitchen which are furnished with a large refrigerator/freezer, a stove with oven, as well as a hot and cold water dispenser.

Plates, cutlery, cookware, cleaning items are already provided.

Swimming Pool. The heated pool was the piece de resistance for the kids who had lots of fun splashing around. An outdoor BBQ and patio with a cabana was available for poolside dining.

After pooltime, the kids washed up at the 3/4 bath in the ground floor.

Bedrooms. At the end of each fun-filled day, we retreated to our respective bedrooms to rest and recharge. Each air-conditioned room conveniently has an en-suite bathroom, complete with toilet and shower.

Bed linens, pillowcases, towels, shampoo, body wash, hand soap and toilet paper were also provided.

View. Upon waking up, we basked in the cool breezes and calming view of the mountainside from the wrap-around balcony of the second floor and the roof deck of the poolside cabana.

Our stay was fairly trouble-free as a caretaker who lives in a separate building was available to help us in operating the pool and other concerns during out stay.

Planning your own socially distant staycation? Book your stay at Casa 1254 via Airbnb where it is rated an average of 4.98 stars.

For the health and safety of its guests, Casa1254 is committed to Airbnb‘s five-step cleaning process.

Casa 1254 is located at Purok 1 Bridge, 1-254 Kaimo, Calamba, 4027 Laguna. Check in is from 3pm to 8pm while checkout is at 12pm.

Tasty Taiwanese dishes at FatFook Kitchen, UP Town Center

For a recent holiday get-together with my former office buddies, we settled on FatFook Kitchen at UP Town Center as our meet-up place.

For one thing, UP Town Center is easily accessible to all of us, scattered all over the metro as we are. Despite the Christmas rush, getting there was relatively easy, since most of the traffic are headed towards the opposite direction to the Makati and South areas.

Secondly, we know that we won’t be disappointed in the food. After all, Taiwanese cuisine is so close to what appeals to the Pinoy palate while offering a welcome break to flavors and textures we consider mundane.

The next challenge was ordering food for a group of five that will please everyone’s taste buds or sate their personal cravings. Fortunately, FatFook has a ready solution with its Feast for the Family offer which allows diners to order one appetizer, one noodle or rice dish, one vegetable dish and two main entrees for just Php1,1088.

Given our appetites and this amazingly affordable offer, we ordered two sets of Feast for the Family and indulged ourselves in a variety of Taiwanese dishes which included:

Appetizer.

Noodles and Rice.

Vegetable Dish.

Main Entrees.

Dimsum. Our meal wouldn’t be complete with some tasty potstickers so we ordered some of the frozen dumplings which the restaurant steamed and served to us.

We also couldn’t pass up the chance to have a taste of FatFook’s signature Taiwanese Sausages, plump and meaty links with a sweet, savory and garlicky flavor. Also, since FatFook does not offer service water, we washed down our meal with soda and TeaCo Black Tea.

Our enjoyable time together over good food was enhanced by the great service of FatFook’s staff.

I’m so looking forward to our next meet-up here.

This FatFook branch is located at 2nd Floor, Phase 1A, UP Town Center, Diliman, Quezon City, open daily for dine-in and takeout.

Other branches in the metro are located at:

SM North EDSA
Glorietta
Robinsons Galleria
Alabang Town Center
Ayala North Exchange
Ayala Malls Manila Bay

FatFook delivers frozen and ready-to-cook dishes via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

The importance of urban green spaces

Feeling tired or stressed? Unable to concentrate or feel at ease? Overcome with exhaustion or anxiety?

If the travails of life in the metro is making you feel out of sorts, it may be time to go green… that is, go to green spaces.

What are urban green spaces?

Urban green spaces are areas reserved for parks, plant life and other kinds of natural environment.

These areas provide city dwellers with places for picnics, leisurely walks, and other forms of outdoor recreational activities. They also serve as areas where people can escape the heat, air and noise pollution, as well as enjoy some peace and quiet.

Green spaces also serve to beautify the urban setting, adding welcome touches of green and other colors of nature, thereby integrating the natural environment with the built environment.

Why are urban green spaces important?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends universal access to green spaces, specifically that there should be a green space measuring at least 0.5 hectares at a linear distance of no more than 300 meters from every home.

This is because multiple studies have shown that green spaces help reduce stress, encourage social cohesion and physical activity, as well promote mental and physical health.

Other studies also point to increasing urban green spaces helping to stave off premature death.

Green spaces have also been shown to improve cognitive ability and social behaviors among children, particularly in the areas of attention restoration, memory, competence, socialization, self-discipline and stress moderation.

Increasing green spaces in cities and real estate developments are also seen to improve urban biodiversity and sustainability. With more plant species included planned green spaces attract birds and other fauna which help control pest infestations.

They also reduce the effects of Urban Heat Islands (UHIs), defined as metropolitan areas which are significantly warmer than their surrounding rural areas due to the daily activities of urban populations concentrated in a small area.

Green spaces in Metro Manila

Sadly, over the past several decades, the metro’s urban planners haven’t prioritized the provision for green spaces.

In 2019, netizen BA Racoma culled data from the Philippine Statistics Authority and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority to come up with a map indicating the few remaining green spaces in Metro Manila.

These include: La Mesa Ecopark, Balara Filters Park, Arboretum Forest, Rizal Park Nayong Pilipino and Muntinlupa Sunken Garden.

Other netizens also identified Las Piñas Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area and the Arroceros Park in Manila as green spaces endangered by proposed real estate developments.

What you can do

If you haven’t visited the metro’s green spaces, it’s high time that you do so. This way, you can experience their health benefits and appreciate their aesthetic value first-hand.

You may also opt to patronize establishments that incorporate green areas in their design in the form of gardens or mini-parks.

You may also write to your local government unit (LGU) officials about developing green spaces in your community. Also, in every local or national election, do check out the candidate’s stand on the environment and public health to see how developing urban green spaces may be included in their future policies and projects.

Urban green spaces have been shown to greatly contribute to public health and the city’s beautification. It would be a shame if these areas dwindle and disappear, leaving the metro’s residents bereft of their various benefits.

Plant pictures taken at Rockwell The Grove in Pasig City.

Home accents from AllHome to liven up your spaces

Do you sometimes feel reluctant to bring visitors to your home, thinking that they’ll find your place too blah?

When you leaf through lifestyle magazines, do you find yourself wishing your home is as full of pizzazz as those featured in those pages?

While large furniture pieces may be hard to get rid of or replace, you can easily add a home accessory to your space that will totally change its look.

Why accessorize your home?

Similar to how, in fashion, the right accessories add personality to a whole outfit, the right home accents can imbue your spaces with your own style and uniqueness.

Accent pieces can impart a seasonal feel to your decor. By choosing accessories that embody the time of the year, you can bring the changing seasons to your home.

Are you ready to accessorize your home? Here are some sensible rules of thumb to guide your selections:

Go for quality over quantity. You don’t need to fill your spaces with as many bric-a-bracs as you can get your hands on. Just go for a few choice pieces that will impart style and uniqueness to your area.
Go for pops of color and interesting changes in texture. Accent pieces should add visual interest to the room by providing contrast from large and neutral-colored pieces of furniture.
Consider how the pieces fit into the room and with each other. Consider the proportion and scale of the pieces against the space: miniscule figurines in large mantel may just appear like clutter and a large piece of artwork will crowd a small room. To get a feel of how to arrange your accessories, start with the one or two larger pieces (use such items sparingly), then add small ones to fill in the space or achieve balance.

Top Picks from AllHome

The good news is that you won’t have to travel far to get good selections of home accessories: simply drop by your nearest AllHome outlet or shop online at allhome.com.ph.

Check out some of my top picks and see which ones can be worked in to your home.

Plants. Greenery adds freshness to a space, hence the proliferation of indoor plants painstakingly cared for by the resident plantito or plantita in many homes However, if you don’t have the time to care for a real plant, getting artificial plants or preserved flower arrangements is the next best thing.

AllHome Accessories — ATHOME Imogen Decorative Artificial Plant

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Storage items. Tidy up your clutter while injecting some style to the area with chic decorative items that also serve as storage.

AllHome — Y1915 Round Woven Basket with Handle

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Tabletop decor. Add style to the various areas in the house through small but interesting pieces that can be placed on top of surfaces like tables, shelves, racks or mantels.

Buy Now

Wall decor. Break the monotony of the walls of your room through eye-catching wall-mounted decor or functional items such as clocks or memo boards.

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Mirrors. Want to make a room look bigger or bring in more light to a space? You can do both with strategically placed mirrors.

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So when you feel like your home is looking a bit drab or dull, you know that you can always jazz it up with a few well-chosen accents!

About AllHome

AllHome is the Pinoy’s one-stop shop for all home needs. It offers an extensive range of top-quality home-improvement products such as construction supplies, hardware, appliances, indoor and outdoor furniture, homeware, décor, and even electronic gadgets all under one roof.

Its Metro Manila branches include:

Vista Place (Wil Tower), Eugenio Lopez Drive, Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City
E. Rodriguez Jr. Brgy. Bagumbayan, Quezon City
Starmall EDSA-Shaw, Ground, Epifanio de los Santos Ave, Mandaluyong
Worldwide Corporate Center, Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong
Vista Mall Taguig, Levi Mariano Ave., Taguig City
Vista Mall C5 Extension Road, Quirino Ave. Pulang Lupa Uno, Las Piñas City
Vista Mall Las Pinas, CV Starr Ave., Philam Village, Pamplona, Las Pinas

You may also conveniently shop online at allhome.com.ph to take advantage of AllHome’s wide array of original and top-quality items, easy payment methods and fast delivery timelines without leaving your home.

In-store photos taken at AllHome WCC and product images taken from allhome.com.ph. Used with permission.

Sweet Sunday meetup at Sundays, Marikina

During pre-pandemic times, one of the highlights of my workday is the #HappyLunch I used to enjoy with my officemates.

We used to scope out the various dining spots in the vicinity of our workplace and choose a new place in which to spend that precious lunch hour. These midday adventures not only presented us with gustatory delights, they also provided our group with a welcome break from our work environment and an opportunity for some levity in between periods of being good little workers.

Well, things happened (some officemates transitioned to other companies, and, of course, COVID-19 reared its ugly head in the metro, which curtailed opportunities for dining out), so we haven’t been able to get together for almost two years.

Thanks to the loosening of community quarantine restrictions, I was able to meet up with two of my former office friends for brunch at Sundays Cafe & Restaurant.

One of the newest dining spots in foodie-friendly Marikina, Sundays offers breakfast, comfort food and coffee. Located along J.P. Rizal Street, it’s housed in a single-story Spanish villa-inspired building, with clean and minimalist interiors well-suited for intimate gatherings as well as a pet-friendly al fresco dining area.

Quite fittingly, I met up with my friends on a Sunday morning for brunch. After experiencing some confusion in the drive over (note to self: rely on Waze, not Google Maps, for directions in this part of Marikina, especially with the one-way streets), I was able to snag the last remaining parking spot, quite ably assisted by the parking attendant.

One of my friends was later in arriving than me and had to park quite a distance away from the cafe.

In between various chika and catching up on events in each other’s lives since we last saw each other, my friends and I broke our fast with Sundays’ cafe staples, which included:

Mocha (Php145). A chocolatey version of the restaurant’s cafe latte, served hot.

Eggs Benedict (Php250). Sundays’ version of my favorite breakfast dish consists of fluffy brioche buns topped with slices of homemade bacon and poached egg drenched in hollandaise sauce, with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

Homemade Bacon Slab on Kimchi Rice (Php320). This breakfast food given a Korean vibe consists of thick slices of homemade bacon, a fried egg (sunny side up, per our request) on top of flavorful kimchi rice served on a skillet.

Tres Leches (Php130). I indulged my sweet tooth with this light sponge cake soaked in a sweet milk mixture and topped with sweetened whipped cream with a sprinkling of cornflakes for texture.

The restaurant was still on soft opening mode during our visit so hopefully, it will be able to smooth out some kinks in its operations, particularly some delays in serving our food and in providing the bill.

That said, the restaurant was true to its proposition of providing “Great food. Great memories.” It certainly was a memorable brunch meetup with my friends over delicious food!

Sundays Cafe and Restaurant is located at J.P. Rizal corner V. Gomez Street, Barangay San Roque, Marikina City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 8am to 10pm and Fridays to Sundays from 8am to 11pm. For reservations, call +63 917 1572634.

3 reasons to reach for Biogesic to save your holiday from headaches and pains

Is the holiday stress making your head throb? Or do the sudden changes in weather give you aches pains?

Don’t worry, mommies! Relief is won’t take long if you keep Biogesic handy.

Biogesic is a trusted brand of paracetamol for over 50 years. It is typically used to relieve mild to moderate pain such as headache, backache, menstrual cramps, muscular strain, minor arthritis pain, toothache, and reduce fevers caused by illnesses such as the common cold and flu.

If you haven’t stocked up on this over-the -counter remedy yet, here are three reasons why you should:

1) Biogesic can be consumed on an empty stomach.

If you sometimes suffer from a sensitive stomach, taking medication may be a mixed blessing because some medications cause stomach upsets. With Biogesic, there’s no need to wait until you’ve eaten to take your pill and give yourself some relief as it won’t irritate your stomach lining.

2) Biogesic may be taken by children 12 years old or older, as well as by pregnant and breastfeeding women and seniors.

The 500mg Biogesic tablet may be taken by adults and children 12 years old or older, as well as seniors every four to six hours. Younger children will need to take a lower dose; fortunately, there’s Biogesic for Kids oral drops which contain 100mg of paracetamol and can be taken every four hours.

Pregnant and breastfeeding moms can also rest assured that taking Biogesic to relieve their headaches and pains is safe for them and their babies.

3) It is widely available.

Getting your hands on Biogesic won’t give you any headaches either. You can grab a pack at leading drugstores such as Mercury Drug, Watsons, Southstar Drug, Rose Pharmacy, Big Grocer and Med Express. You can also order online at Shopee, Lazada, Zalora and BeautyMNL.

So mommies, to ensure that everyone in the family benefits from #AlagangBiogesic, be sure to keep it handy by stocking it in your medicine cabinet or including it in your first aid kits and go bags.

Biogesic Paracetamol 500mg (20 tablets). For adults and kids 12 years old or older.

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Biogesic Paracetamol 100mg for Kids (60mL). For kids between 2 to 6 years old.

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Disclosure: Product sample was provided to facilitate this feature.

#PepsiChristmasHitSaSarap combo deals with Bonchon at FoodPanda

Holiday mealtimes are all-set to become a lot merrier with the latest offer from Pepsi and FoodPanda.

As part of Pepsi’s Hit Sa Sarap Christmas Campaign, the softdrink giant partnered with food delivery service FoodPanda in bringing exciting deals to the metro’s foodies:

Php100 OFF your favorites upon using the code PEPSIXMAS (minimum spend of Php350)
Up to 20% off on select Pepsi Christmas Hit Sarap Combo Deals

Can’t wait to dig in? Check these out!

Regular Bibimbowl Meal (Php165.60 from Php207).

Sate your Bonchon’s samgyeopsal-inspired rice bowl packed with savory pork strips, kimchi-flavored bean sprouts and sesame shitake mushrooms, all mixed together with that signature bold, sweet and spicy Korean sauce. Available variants include beef and chicken, which comes with a regular Pepsi drink and choice of soup, K-Fries or banchan.

2 Pcs Chicken Boxed Meal (Php172 from Php215).

Savor Bonchon’s famous crispy and flavorful fried chicken, available in Soy Garlic, Honey Citrus, Spicy, Crunchy Garlic, K-Classic Buffalo and Honey Almond Butter Flavors. These succulent pieces come with regular Pepsi and rice.

So if you’ve got serious cravings over the holidays, grab your mobile phone and order PepsiChristmasHitSaSarap combo deals on FoodPanda stat!

Similar deals are available on FoodPanda for Tapa King and Pizza Hut. Promo is valid until December 31, 2021 only.

Disclosure: Food items were provided to facilitate this feature story.

Convert your living room to foster family time

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is to value each moment we spend with our loved ones, especially our family.

However, even our best laid plans for family bonding may get derailed by the demands on our time and attention by responsibilities at work, in school and also in the community.

While the pandemic has forced us to adapt to a new way of living by converting rooms in our house to enable us to work and learn at home, we also need to remember that the home is primarily a place for the family.

The home should therefore have a designated space that foster family togetherness and bonding.

If the past few months have seen you painstakingly rearranging and buying furniture and accessories to convert existing spaces into your home office, a study area for the kids and even a home gym, then the same effort should be expended in building a space where the family can comfortably spend time together.

How about transitioning your living room into a family room?

These room concepts may seem interchangeable, the core purpose of these spaces differ significantly. Living rooms are display spaces with a more formal atmosphere for welcoming and entertaining guests during special occasions, while family rooms are more casual spaces for household members to convene and relax together.

Let’s face it: our living rooms will not – and should not – see much use for parties and gatherings for the foreseeable future due to the need for physical distancing.

Now then is the best time to convert that space into one that’s more suited for family. It won’t necessarily require a massive overhaul, just a few adjustments and rethinking on the purpose and use of some of the room’s elements.

Seating

If seating in a formal living room is geared towards having a good conversation rolling, in a family room, it is more concerned about accommodating all family members to come together to engage in activities.

Multi-seater sofas that can comfortably fit family members who want to watch TV together or just hang out will work best in a family room.

Additional seating such as benches, ottomans and throw pillows will allow more household members to join in on the fun.

Tables

In a formal living room, the center or coffee table anchors the other furniture in the room by being a focal point while also holding refreshments and reading materials. In a family room, it serves as the surface on which the family can engage in joint activities such as board games and puzzles.

Entertainment Center

In some homes, a separate media room is set up to house a large-screen TV and a sound system to make for a superb movie or video game time. However, a media center may be seamlessly integrated into the family room through a TV stand that also houses a gaming console, TV set-top box and other gadgets for the family’s communal entertainment.

Storage and Organization

As the family room is meant to accommodate family members, it should also have a system to house the items that that the family uses while in it.

It would be best for the family room to have shelves and cabinets that can store books, writing materials and games, as well as baskets and trays to organize these items.

So are you ready to glow up your living room space into a family room?

You can shop for your family room essentials at AllHome, the modern Filipino families’ go-to place when it comes to building or renovating their homes. It operates through three types of store formats – large mall-based stores, free-standing stores, and smaller specialty stores – across 52 outlets nationwide to make the home improvement experience more accessible.

Shop online at allhome.com.ph or download the AllHome PH app on Google Play Store and Apple App Store to your mobile phone to enjoy AllHome’s huge selection of original and top-quality items, fast delivery timelines and easy payment options.

Product images taken from allhome.com.ph with permission.

Photo credits: Spacejoy, David Libeert, Yehleen Gaffney, Minh Pham and Jane Duursma on Unsplash

These Tanduay holiday cocktails are sure to make your celebrations merrier

Get into the holiday spirit with these cocktails infused with Tanduay’s most-awarded and best-selling rum products.

Cranberry Champagne Rum Punch

Delight your family and friends with this twist to your regular champagne. We know you’re busy will all the other preparations, so we’ve made this cocktail really easy to make with the Tanduay Asian Rum Silver giving it that right kick.

Ingredients

8 oz Rosé Sparkling Wine, chilled
11 oz Ginger Ale, chilled
2 oz Tanduay Asian Rum Silver
Frozen Raspberries
Rosemary for garnish

Procedure

Mix all the liquids in a large pitcher and distribute it into a champagne glass or any glass you’d like to serve it in. Garnish it with frozen cranberries and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Hot Buttered Rum

As the months have gone colder, it’s nice to snuggle up and drink a delicious warm beverage. Find comfort in Tanduay’s version of the Hot Buttered Rum. That Tanduay Asian Rum Gold in the mix gives it notes and aromas that would remind you of summer nights in the tropics.

Ingredients

1 stick Unsalted Butter, softened
2/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed
3 tsp Maple Syrup
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
A pinch of Salt
1 oz Tanduay Asian Rum Gold
8 oz Boiling Water
Whipped Cream
Cinnamon Stick (optional)

Procedure

You can use an electric mixer or a simple whisk will do. Mix the softened unsalted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla extract and salt until they are well combined.
Scoop a tablespoon-full of the butter mixture into a glass and add Tanduay Asian Rum Gold and boiling water.
Stir until the butter is fully dissolved. You can opt for more or less water, depending on the level of sweetness you want.
Top it with whipped cream and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
To make it more Instagram-able, you can add a stick of cinnamon or a whole star anise on top of the whipped cream. You can transfer the remaining butter in a small ramekin to save for later use.

White Christmas Mojito

A mojito is a standard drink in any celebration and Tanduay gives its own twist to this favorite by adding its Boracay Rum Coconut. The flavor is distinctly Filipino and distinctly Tanduay.

Ingredients

10 pcs Mint Leaves
3 pcs Lime Wedges
0.5 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
1.5 oz Boracay Rum Coconut
2 oz Coconut Cream
3 oz Cranberry Juice
2 oz Club Soda
Desiccated Coconut
Sprig of Mint
Frozen Cranberry
Ice

Procedure

In a shaker, muddle the lime wedges. Slightly scrunch the mint leaves with your hands, then add into the shaker. Scrunching rather than muddling releases the mint oils without making it bitter.
Add the lime juice, simple syrup, Boracay Rum Coconut, coconut cream, and cranberry juice.
Fill it halfway with ice and then shake.
Rim the glass with desiccated coconut and then strain the mixture 3/4 of the glass.
Top it with club soda. You can use frozen cranberries and a sprig of mint for garnish.

Boozy Peppermint Mocha

No need to line up to get your peppermint mocha fix. You can now make your own at home with this easy-to-follow recipe. Having the Boracay Rum Cappuccino into the mix makes it even more delicious. You can enjoy this drink hot or cold.

Ingredients

2 oz Simple Syrup
0.5 tsp Peppermint Extract
10 oz Whole Milk
5 oz Heavy Cream
1 tbsp Unsweetened Coconut Powder
1/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
2 oz Boracay Rum Cappuccino
8 oz Espresso
Chocolate Syrup
Whipped Cream
Candy Cane (optional)

Procedure

In a small saucepan, sift the cocoa powder and whisk in the heavy cream until the cocoa powder is fully dissolved. Add the milk and place the pan over low heat.
Stir until the mixture starts to steam, then turn off the heat.
Add the chocolate chips and whisk until fully dissolved. Transfer the mixture into a blender and add simple syrup, peppermint extract, espresso, and Boracay Rum Coconut. Blend it until it becomes frothy.
Get a cup and drizzle it a bit of chocolate inside for design. Pour in the mocha mixture, then top with whipped cream. Drizzle again with chocolate syrup and garnish with a candy cane.

If you prefer something cold, you can put the chocolate milk mixture in the refrigerator and wait for it to cool down. Instead of espresso, use cold brew. Then serve it over fresh ice.

If you want something ice-shaken, just add ice into the blender with your mixture.

Whichever Tanduay holiday cocktail you plan to make for your celebrations, you and your guests are sure to enjoy them. In creating these cocktails, you bring a part of the Philippines, a country known for celebrating Christmas as early as September, into your own homes during this season of joy.

Cocktail images and recipes provided in a recent press release.

Photo Credit: Jia Jia Shum in Unsplash