Bar Crawl in the Afternoon

After seeing the Liquido Maestro in action during the Dine Philippines in Ozamiz, I got to join the Liquid Chef Kalel Demetrio in a bar hop. The aim of this “Bar Crawl” is to see Chef Kalel do his mixes again just like what he did in Ozamiz. We used the term crawl because we are going to try cocktail mixes Kalel is going to make and we might not walk upright afterwards.

 

The Querida

I arrived at the Big Bad Wolf to try out the first mix. Chef Kalel introduced a new way to appreciate Basi. Basi is a strong ginger drink which is popular in the provinces. It was customary in the province that in order to be a real man, you must drink basi.

Chef Kalel gave each of us a shot of Basi Spritz. Since basi is a strong ginger drink, you can still feel how hot the drink is when it goes down the throat. But it can be also be refreshing because it is also topped with orange and cucumber.

Our next stop is Gorda’s.  It has a Latin American touch and I was given a shot of Horchatta Morena which is now one of my favorites. Despite the Old Captain Rum taste, it was delicious and refreshing and it’s really delicious. I find it also creamy as it also affects other senses as well since it is also aromatic.

El Ecuador de Margarita

After the Horchatta Morena, I am now introduced to the El Ecuador de Margarita. It is quite unique since it uses a half watermelon.  It is intended to be shared by using straws which is also fun to drink and it is very refreshing not only because of the watermelon but also with lots of ice.

Our next stop is the organic café Green Pastures. This is where Chef Kalel was last employed before he became a consultant. He recalls that he scouts farms to make sure they are using organic method in their products. This discipline stayed with Chef Kalel as he scouts ingredients for mixes. In Green Pastures, Chef Kalel created an original drink Gayuma which is a Tagalog term for love potion. Although it won’t make the drinker bewitched, don’t be fooled with the presentation because it has lambanog or coconut wine which is another strong drink in the province. I am glad I am not tipsy yet.

Torching the cinammon bark

In our last stop, we went to 2020/XXXX which is my new favorite bar establishment. The bar’s atmosphere followed its pattern to the days of Penguin Café where journalists, writers and theater actors used to hang out. The place also showcased artwork which is also for sale to support the artists. 2020 promotes locally produced drinks like the Barik lambanog which Chef Kalel also developed.

After having a shot of Barik on the rocks, we ended the night with another creation of Chef Kalel: The Querida. In Spain, the term querida is referred to the one you love, but in this country; it diverted and became synonymous to extramarital affair.

Chef Kalel uses named it querida for its original meaning. The love of a querida is also sexy and in drinking lambanog can also be sexy because it is the base alcohol of the mix. After Chef Kalel is finishing the mixes with the presentation, he torched the basil leaf on top. The drink is indeed sexy and it also compliments with the pomelo.

I am glad I am still on my feet after these drinks because I am on my way to watch a movie afterwards.  Catch the Liquido Maestro does his magic with his cocktail drinks at Madrid Fusion this Saturday the April 8^th at SMX Convention Center in Mall Of Asia Complex. Most of the alcohol content and mixes used by Chef Kalel are from Distillera and Locally not because he is their brand endorser but this is part of Chef Kalel's advocacy to support locally produced products by our own farmers.

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