Some of our favorite bars around Metro Manila give us their interpretation of an Instagram favorite, the quarantine cocktail.
As the quarantine carries on, the more we miss the little things we took for granted in the time before the outbreak. Right now, it’s a good cocktail we long for, especially one expertly made in a go-to bar somewhere in the metro. (After all the depressing stories we dread saturating our news reports and social media timelines, we might need a few.) So to get even just a small taste of a bar-made cocktail, we’ve asked some of our favorite bars to create a quarantine cocktail we can make at home.
.
Queen Bee – The Back Room, BGC
This speakeasy-themed bar at Shangri-La at The Fort made its debut at number 50 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2019 with just a year into opening. Known for its Prohibition-esque menu and style, for this list their bartenders, Dicky Hartono and Poch Ancheta, offer two comforting cocktails that may even give a buff to your immune system.
The Queen Bee is made with honey and lemon that are both rich in vitamin C and natural supplements, while ginger will give some warm notes and ensure an added immunity boost to protect us while indoors.
Ingredients:
– 50ml Bee’s Knees Gin
– 15ml Honey
– 20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
– 1 slice of ginger
Equipment:
– Knife
– Empty jar (if no shaker at home)
– Tea strainer (if no bar strainer at home)
Procedure:
– Crush the ginger and place it inside the jar.
– Add lemon juice, honey, and gin. Add cube ice inside the jar.
– Close the lid of the jar and give a hard shake to mix and dissolve the honey.
– Use a tea strainer to fine strain the liquid and the cocktail is ready to serve. Use any glassware that available at your home to enjoy.
.
Agent Orange – The Back Room, BGC
Next cocktail is Agent Orange, a perfect citrus boost. You can drink it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner—as long as you stay at home.
Ingredients:
– 45 ml Bee’s Knees Gin
– 20 ml Fresh orange juice
– 10 ml Fresh lime juice
– 15 ml Brown sugar syrup
– 1 Egg white
Equipment:
– Knife for slicing
– Handheld juicer (Optional, if none juice it manually)
– Mason jar (Substitute for shaker)
– Glass of your choice
– Strainer
– Zester
Procedure:
– Juice all the fresh citrus orange and lime with a juicer, you can also squeeze it manually if you don’t have a Mexican elbow or a citrus squeezer at home.
– Prep your brown sugar syrup (2 parts sugar:1 part water).
– Separate the egg white and put it first at the mason jar then put all the other ingredients after, close the lid and shake it well with out ice first (dry shake).
– After aeration, open the jar and add ice then shake hard then strain it to your glass.
– Add a little orange zest on top of the foamy drink.
.
HQ Sour – Mistral, Makati
This rooftop bar in Raffles Makati gives a beautiful view of the Makati skyline while enjoying their vibrant drinks. While we wait for the day we can return, they’ve provided us a vibrant drink we can make at home.
The HQ Sour is a rum sour with a twist. Easy-to-make plus being healthy and refreshing. This drink can also be served virgin (non-alcoholic) by simply replacing the rum with water with the same procedure. While at home, Auie Benisano, Mistral’s bartender, decided to get creative and came up with a drink that can be enjoyed by the entire family.
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 oz of any dark rum (Plantation Dark Rum is recommended)
– 1 oz of freshly squeezed Calamansi Juice
– 3/4 oz of home-made Ginger syrup
Procedure:
Home-made Ginger syrup
– Boil 300ml of water and add 100g of thin sliced ginger (peeled) for about 10 mins.
– Add 200g of refined sugar and stir until it dissolved. Strain all solid residue and transfer into a sanitized bottle. Store in the chiller.
Cocktail Proper
– Put the dark rum, calamansi juice and ginger syrup in a shaker.
– Add some chunks of ice and shake vigorously.
– Double strain into a fancy glassware and garnish with a ready to squeeze calamansi.
.
Old Dog – OTO, Makati
This Poblacion favorite re-opened last December after some renovations, and was also hailed in Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2019 at number 47. It’s known for its musical ambience with an extensive vinyl record collection and frequent hosting of local DJs.
OTO’s head bartender, David Abalayan shares his recipe for a quarantine cocktail, Old Dog, a simple and satisfying Old Fashioned you can easily make at home.
Ingredients:
– 45ml Copper Dog
– 2 Dashes of Orange Bitters (Alternatively, you can use citrus rinds. The skin and the pith give a bitter flavor.)
– 5ml Black Tea Syrup
– 10ml Drinking Water
For Black Tea Syrup
– 1Tbsp Black Tea or 1 Tea Bag
– 120ml White Sugar
– 120ml Hot Water
Stir until sugar has dissolved
Brew for 5-10 minutes
Procedure:
– Mix all ingredients and serve in a glass (it’s that easy). You can adjust the ratio to make a large batch and store in the fridge for later drinking.
– For a batch serving, you can bottle and store in freezer for up to 12 hours.
Also read: Your Favorite Yoga Studios Now Offer Online Classes
