Ian Paradies is the founder of Filipino craft beer brand, Engkanto and is the president of Napa Gapa Beverages Corporation which houses the Engkanto label. Here he talks to Tatler about how this brand was born and what he hopes for the future of local businesses in the country.
When this local brewery was born, the impassioned Ian was hands-on in every aspect of the business. “I am truly lucky to have such an incredible team behind the company that now allows me to focus on the direction of the brand without being held down by many day-to-day functions. I am more of an ideas guy and love coming up with marketing campaigns, and working with or talking to our customers” he shares. His exuberance and passion oozes from his smile and is reflected from the twinkly of his eyes. Customers feel the love and can taste it in Engkanto.
Beer was something Ian had always been fascinated with and enjoyed drinking - so opening his own homegrown label and making a beverage that so many Filipinos now love has been an actual dream come true. This beer is without a doubt, delicious. Engkanto does not hold out on ingredients or flavour, delivering a local frosty treat that Filipinos can and should be proud of.
“A lot of people ask me what I would like Engkanto to achieve or become. Truthfully, my hope for Engkanto is really to just be a harbinger for change and inspire people to grow by challenging themselves and the things they are not happy with” Ian tells me. Just like how starting Engkanto allowed him to challenge what he felt needed to change within the beer industry in the Philippines. Part of his journey included helping further educate the market on what craft beer represents.
“Beer is so much more than what we thought it was, as it is only now we as Filipinos are getting exposure to different beer-types. Beer is not just commercial lagers. Beer is ales, porters, stouts, sours. Beer can be aged in wooden barrels. Beer can use fresh local ingredients such as mango, dalandan, calamansi, coconut or chocolate. Beer can be gold or yellow or brown or black. Beer can be 5 per cent ABV or 10 per cent ABV. And most importantly beer doesn’t have to be enjoyed as a standalone product; it can be used in food or cocktail recipes as well” Ian gushes, clearly enthused by the topic.
This man wants Filipinos to truly enjoy beer in all its glory. He entered this F&B space with that goal in mind. “The main reason I chose to put up Engkanto, focusing on craft beer, was that it always bothered me that as Filipinos we never had much local options when it came to alcoholic beverages, particularly premium ones” Ian admits.
Read more: Tatler Picks The Best Asian Gins For 2021
