A guide to craft beer in the Philippines, 2026
(No AI-generated content, though I occasionally used machine translation)
This is just a set of short write-ups on places I've been, mostly in Metro Manila, with a few provincial spots mentioned too. The main theme is local craft beer, but I'll also cover good beer bars that carry interesting imports.
I always include a social media (Instagram) link, because almost every brewery rarely updates its official website, so there's a lot of outdated info there. Social media, on the other hand, is kept up to date. There's usually both an Instagram and a Facebook page, but the updates are identical.
First I'll cover bars run by specific breweries, then breweries without their own spots or whose spots are hard to get to, and finally general bars or shops that stock craft beer or rare imports.
There are plenty of bars that only serve mass-market beer like San Miguel, Heineken and Sapporo. I don't mention those.
Mass-market craft breweries
Engkanto Brewery
An incredibly popular brewery, sold practically everywhere: supermarkets, pubs, restaurants and airports across the country. The popularity is well deserved. From their core lineup I'd pick Paint Me Purple Ube Lager, High Hive Honey Ale, Mango Nation Hazy IPA and Green Lava Double IPA. And don't forget they also put out rarer collaborations, like the Auro x Engkanto Dark Heart Imperial Stout. Lagers and IPAs are well covered, stouts and sours not so much. There's also a collaboration with the Japanese brewery Hitachino Nest.
Locations: all excellent. Engkanto has a solid chain of its own bars. They're all quality places and nice to sit and relax in. Current locations are BGC, Mandaluyong, Bridgetowne and Santa Rosa.
Brewery Instagram https://www.instagram.com/engkantobrewery/
Bars Instagram https://www.instagram.com/engkanto_taps/
Crazy Carabao Brewing Co.
You see it even more often than Engkanto, but the range is noticeably smaller. IPA, Pilsner, Pale Ale, Golden Ale… feels very basic to me. Still, they have Newton’s Noggin, a semi-sweet cider that's rare in the Philippines, and a Piña Colada hard seltzer.
The location situation is unusual: they have just one place of their own, in Santa Rosa (I haven't been). But their beer is easy to buy and sold in tons of other bars, so it's not a problem.
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crazycarabao/
Monkey Eagle Brewery
Another ‘big’ brewery, originally from Tagaytay. It's widely sold in shops and venues too, a bit less than the first two. They specialize in ales. The range isn't very big. I don't think they have a bar of their own worth visiting.
Site https://www.monkeyeagle.com.ph/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/monkeyeagleph/
Small-scale craft breweries
Now on to the more interesting small breweries.
The Perfect Pint
A brewery with a pretty big lineup: lots of IPAs, ales, stouts, porters and so on. I've never seen them outside their own locations, and they don't seem to do beer festivals much. Any beer lover should obviously visit.
Their locations are in Makati (Rockwell), Alabang (Molito) and Pasig (Estancia). They're all fairly big restaurants with long menus and lots of non-beer drinks, so the vibe is more restaurant than bar.
Site https://theperfectpint.ph/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theperfectpintph/
Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits
Finally, the more experimental breweries. They experiment a lot here: cider, hard seltzers, even mead, plus things made from Philippine fruits and so on. There are also more common things like lagers, IPAs and a stout.
They have two locations, the main one in Quezon City and another in BGC. Both are huge. The Quezon City one also has a smoking area. The BGC one is really well hidden: to find it you go into the Arthaland Century Pacific Tower office building, up to the 6th floor, and down the corridor.
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wickedelias The BGC spot has its own account https://www.instagram.com/wickedelias_apt1b/
Brujo Craft Beer
Brujo has experimental flavors like Sourdough Saison and Black Rice Lager. The lineup centers on lagers, IPAs, sours and British styles.
The location is really interesting: the bar is inside Karrivin Plaza, a spot tucked away in a corner of sprawling Makati with a dense cluster of restaurants. Karrivin Plaza is worth a visit if you've never been.
Site – apparently there isn't one.
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/brujo_ph/
District Brewing Company
It's a small place, and I wouldn't call the selection huge. Mostly IPAs, with the occasional experimental brew. The menu changes often, so you have to drop by to see what's on that day, which is why I haven't tried everything yet. No food at all, by the way (though there are places nearby if you need to eat).
It's in Mandaluyong City, right next to the Ortigas mall cluster. Pleasant interior.
Site – apparently there isn't one.
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/districtbrewingcompany
Palm Tree Abbey
An interesting brewery that, as the name suggests, leans toward Belgian styles. There are local flavors like Guyabano Sour, and specialties like a Rye IPA.
They're in a space called Comuna in Makati, and their spot there is incredibly cozy, probably the best I've seen among Metro Manila bars.
Site https://www.palmtreeabbey.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/palmtreeabbey/
Cubao x Brewery
A very small brewery specializing in sours and IPAs.
It's inside a space called Cubao Expo in Cubao, Quezon City.
Site – apparently there isn't one.
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cubaoxbrewery/
Boracay Island Brewing Company
A pretty wide range of ales, IPAs, lagers, sours and stouts, including one with a local twist called Kiamoy Sour. Not everything is available every day, though, so check what's on.
The location is wonderful: a really beautiful bar not far from White Beach on Boracay.
Site – apparently there isn't one.
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bibco.ph/
Papa Bolo
A stunningly beautiful pub in Tagaytay, maybe the best interior in the Philippines. A wide selection of beers, including fruit beers made with local ingredients (like pineapple).
Site https://www.papabolo.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/papabolobeer/
Bisaya Brew didn't get a mention
You left out how they taste, the most important part. 🤔
Thanks, really helpful! A few new local brewers to add to my list. Of the ones I've tried, The Perfect Pint has always been the most disappointing. The menu is huge, but most of their beers lack character, so I always end up just drinking their basic lager or pilsner.
Thank you, sir… you put some work into this. Living in the province… I don't get a chance to visit the microbreweries and taprooms you mention. You inspired me to look around here… and I found Pinatubo Brewing. A German national/expat/immigrant 😉 who was one of the first in the country. San Marcelino, Zambales. There's a very informative YouTube video on Pinatubo Brewing.
Top 3 brewers for non-alcoholic beer?
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