Cebu's latest watering hole

It's called The Distillery and it is located at Unit H Crossroads Mall, Gov. M. Cuenco Ave., Banilad Cebu City and it is open daily from 5 pm onwards. This expansion in Cebu is the result of the success of its operations in three branches: Eastwood, Jupiter and Fort Bonifacio, all in Metro Manila.

They cater mainly to young professionals who visit this place for music and drinks, because the Distillery is committed to provide the world best crafted spirits and the best imported beers at affordable prices. While other establishments were selling their produce at exorbitant prices, they have managed to sell their beverages at reasonable rates which have allowed more customers to patronize their lounge and yet they still make profits. 

Your favorite food columnist joined the Special Media Cocktails last June 21 and I noticed that the ambiance and interiors have bottles displayed everywhere – beer in one corner, single malt Scotch Whiskey in another corner and rows of Vodka and Tequila upstairs. Definitely, a place to have a nice drink!

I chose a bottle of Grolsch beer from the Netherland to match the food served: Cheese Croquetas, Spicy Mushroom, Peri Peri Chicken, Cream Mushroom Dip with Toast and Ostrich Salpicao. The favorite was the Cheese Croqueta which was extra-delicious though my focus was on the salpicao of ostrich meat which I could not differentiate from beef.

We have in Cebu an organization, the Ordre Mondial Des Gourmet Degustateurs, an international group bound by a passion in oenology and crafted spirits. It had sponsored beer (2), vodka (1), single malt Scotch whisky (2) and wine degustation (at least, 5) and I was fortunate to be present in all of these occasions.

There are some pointers I have learned from all these events. One is that there is no rule on taste, that the preference for one's drink over another is individual. If the experts will say that this type of beer or wine is good and you say it is bad, then it is bad. Preferences however, will change with time and what is important is that learning accompanied by constant sampling can bring an appreciation and enjoyment of these drinks.

If you call a drink, Scotch whisky it must follow the standards set by the Scotch Whisky Order of 1890. Their whisky is made from burns (crystal-clear water), braes (barley) and the peat fuel that gives Scotch its characteristic smoky flavour. To be called single malt whisky, it means one batch of 100 percent malted barley from a single distillery.

It is also good to know the basics of the distilling process: at

80 C, alcohol turns into steam. Heat is increased to 94 C and held at this temperature when steam is collected. The first liquid or "cut" produced is discarded because it contains methanol which is toxic (it will cause blindness or death). The "middle cut" will be placed in oak cask for maturation while the "third cut" is redistilled because alcohol content is low.

It is best to leave it to the professionals! Better still; proceed to The Distillery for a taste of these crafted spirits like Single Malts, Vodka, Tequilas, Brandy, Cognac Wines, Champagne etc. Food can be ordered from any restaurant within the Crossroads Mall and brought to your table. Set your limits to how much you can drink and drive home safely or take a cab.