11 Philippine craft beer brands you should know—and where to find them

Found just a few metres away from Boracay’s white sand beaches, this taproom pours a wide range spanning pale ale, modern IPA, tropical ale, hazy ube and a distinctive Kiamoy Sour—a fusion of Hazy IPA and the salty-sweet Filipino dried plum candy. It’s become a go-to alternative to the island’s usual beach-bar cocktail scene, with reviewers praising the food pairings alongside the beer. Having trouble choosing just one beer from their menu? Opt for their beer flight.

Read more: Beyond Boracay and Siargao: 6 underrated Philippine destinations that are worth your visit

Helmed by renowned photographer and budding brewer Neal Oshima, Brujo runs one of the more experimental taprooms on this list—its black rice lager uses koji-fermented Philippine black rice, and a collaboration with Panaderya Toyo turned their sourdough breadcrumbs into a hybrid sourdough ale. It’s a small operation that rewards the curious, with seasonal and limited-edition pours on tap.

Tatler Tip: Can’t make it to Brujo? Bring Brujo to you with their “Kegerator”, available to rent for private parties, office celebrations and more.

Named for the Philippines’ national work animal, Crazy Carabao brews a Filipino-branded core range out of Sta. Rosa, Laguna—currently IPA, pale ale, pilsner and golden ale, alongside their Newton’s Noggin apple cider and piña colada hard seltzer. It recently opened a new brewery-experience space where guests can tour the tanks and fermentation floor before settling in for pulutan and beer.

Founded by Raoul Masangcay, the Philippines’ first certified cicerone (the beer world’s answer to a sommelier), Elias got its start not with beer but with a hard cider, highlighting local fruits like guyabano, durian and mango. What began as a single Quezon City brewery has grown to include three taprooms across Metro Manila: One right by the brewery in Quezon City, another all the way down south in Alabang, and a third in BGC run in partnership with comfort-food restaurant Apartment 1B. Pours are conveniently grouped into understandable categories like light and easy, sweet and sparkling, dark and delicious and hop-forward, making craft beer as accessible as ever.

See also: Where to buy matcha powder in the Philippines: 5 local brands to know

Founded by Ian Paradies in 2017, Engkanto has become the most-awarded name in Filipino craft beer, with its High Hive Honey Ale named World’s Best Beer in the flavoured honey and maple category at the 2024 World Beer Awards. Its core range—which includes Live It Up Lager, High Hive Honey Ale, Mango Nation Hazy IPA, Green Lava Double IPA and Paint Me Purple Ube Lager—is joined by exciting limited releases like the Auro Chocolate-infused Dark Heart Imperial Stout or the passionfruit sour. Try them at any of its four taprooms across BGC, Mandaluyong City, Quezon City and Sta Rosa Laguna.

Tatler Tip: Not drinking tonight? Engkanto’s Day Shift brew is a non-alcoholic beer coming in at under 0.5 per cent ABV.

Founded by American homebrewer James Mitchell after he relocated to Manila, this Quezon City brewery has built a solid reputation for punching above its weight. Their core line-up includes the Mocha Stout, American Sunrise pale ale and Backyard Harmony IPA, each of which has earned Mitchell’s a prestigious award. While Mitchell’s Backyard Brewery has no standalone taproom, you can find their beers at all six Gino’s Brick Oven Pizza locations across Metro Manila.

Related: Gino’s Brick Oven Pizza: “Be brave and stay true to who you are”

Tagaytay’s Monkey Eagle was built on formal brewing education from Chicago’s Siebel Institute and Germany’s Doemens Academy, and it shows in the range—from Psychedelic Blonde, a blonde ale with notes of lychee and passionfruit, to the “celebration ale” Ligaya, reminiscent of tangerine and pine, and seasonal brews like the Summer Slice watermelon kölsch. The brewery still operates out of its original Tagaytay facility, with a Makati delivery hub covering NCR, Cavite and Laguna.

Tatler Tip: Seeking something special for your restaurant or event? Get in touch with the Monkey Eagle team to create a bespoke brew with your own label.

This Makati nano-brewery specialises in Belgian styles, sours, and saisons—try the Abbey hibiscus saison, a dry, complex ale with spicy notes of Belgian yeast and a tart, cherry finish; or explore new beer drops such as the Old Ember rauchbier, a smoked beer that begs to be enjoyed with grilled meats. Though founded in 2016 by Canadians Jonathan Heppner and Evan Graff as a homebrewing project, things really took a turn when Joel Darwin and his wife Marla joined the business in 2020 and scaled the project to the success it is today. The brewpub, designed by Marla, now operates inside Comuna, a creative community hub in Makati.

See also: Foodie Finds: where does Pam Begre like to eat and drink, and what does she order?

Papa Bolo is Cavite 8th District Representative Aniela Tolentino’s love letter to Tagaytay. Built with veteran Canadian brewmaster Mike Wayne, Papa Bolo occupies a three-storey brewpub, making it one of the country’s largest dedicated craft beer venues. Its five-beer core range runs from the pineapple-forward Piña Niña—a tribute to Tagaytay’s famous pineapples and the farmers who bring them to our table—to the 10 per cent ABV Twin Suns Double IPA. Papa Bolo is best experienced on-site with a brewery tour and beer flight.

Cebu’s first craft brewery is built inside a cluster of converted shipping containers, with branding and community events centred on cycling culture. The lineup runs from the refreshing Training Wheels golden ale to hop-forward options Modern Geometry and more complex pours such as the Rippin Red American red ale. Visit the Cebu City taproom to work your way through their portfolio, paired with tacos, burgers and sausages from Sal’s Kitchen.

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