Welcome to Engkanto, the Filipino beer brand taking on the world
By Cody Profaca
Drinks Trade (Australia)
Dec. 20, 2024
Since launching in 2017, Philippine beer brand Engkanto Brewery has been making waves globally, shining a spotlight on Filipino craftsmanship in the world of beer. This includes major accolades at both the World Beer Awards and the Australian International Beer Awards.
In May this year, Engkanto Brewery expanded beyond Asia for the first time, entering into the Australian market in partnership with importer 7000 Islands Drinks. One month later, it also entered into the US market.
According to Ricard Basora, Engkanto’s Managing Director, the recent accolades and global recognition has positioned Engkanto up for continued growth.
“Who would’ve thought that a small craft brewery in the Philippines can reach the highest level in brewing the World’s Best Beer, right?” he said.
“The team’s putting in amazing work while sticking to our roots: quality first. We’ve been winning awards for consecutive years, but we’re not stopping in making the best beers possible.”
Michael ‘MJ’ Jordan, Engkanto’s Brewmaster, added: “I'm super stoked and proud of this accomplishment. The fact we're using honey sourced from Baguio is so cool as it really lets the world know that we have top-class ingredients along with a talented team in our brewery.”
Included in the current Australian portfolio are three beers - Purple Ube Lager, Mano Nation Hazy IPA, and High Five Honey Ale - all of which are made from 100% natural raw materials sourced locally whenever possible.
The first of the range champions the ube purple yam, considered to be one of the most sought-after items in the Filipino cuisine.
The second release showcases the local carabao mangoes sourced from various fruit growing regions such as the island of Guimaras, the first Geographic Indication established in The Philippines.
The third release makes use of the raw honey sourced from apiaries in Baguio City known for tis subtle floral sweetness.
All three releases received bronze medals at this year’s Australian International Beer Awards, the largest annual beer competition in the world; while Engkanto High Five Honey Ale also clinched the title of World’s Best Beer in the Flavoured Honey and Maple Syrup category at the prestigious World Beer Awards in London. This solidifies Engkanto’s place as the most awarded craft beer brand from the Philippines.
Founder Ian Paradies says “Engkanto boldly presents a unique beer experience for beer drinkers.
“Our beers offer a unique experience with flavours rooted in Filipino heritage… with flavours from homegrown ingredients such as honey, mango, and ube,” he continued.
“We are excited to tell you that we are working on more native ingredients.”
The unique flavour profiles also make Engkanto well suited for food pairings. According to Siegrid Bacani, Founder of 7000 Islands Drinks, "it's a must: [This is] craft beer that is meant for pairing, which is what we are about at 7000 Islands."
Siegfrid Bacani recommends that the Honey Ale be paired with Filipino Lechon (Asian crispy skin roast pig), or a European-style pork hock; the Ube Lager with Filipino Kare-kare, a rich Malaysian Peanut Satay, or flavourful Indian Curries; and the Mango IPA with dishes such as fruit salads, ceviche, shrimp tacos, gorgonzola cheese, and buko pie.
When asked about its performance in its first seven months in Australia, Bacani says Engkanto's strong growth could be attributed to its uniqueness and pricepoint.
“Engkanto Brewery craft beers represent a premium imported beer option that is truly different on a retailer’s shelf and a venue’s menu,” he said.
This includes its positioning at “a price point that sits nicely between Japanese and Belgian beers,” as well as its strong poisitioning from a flavour trend perspective.
“As the Masterchef food trend spills over into beverages, Engkanto is bang on with a wide range of beer styles,” continued Bacani.
“Lager, Pilsner, Ale and Hazy IPA brewed with Ube, a distinctly Filipino staple that is the flavour trend of the year, and Guimaras Mangoes, which is the first region within the Philippines to receive an official geographical indication.”
As Filipino ingredients like ube and Guimaras mangoes take centre stage in the craft beer world, Engkanto Brewery promises more innovative brews in the future, carrying the spirit of the Philippines across borders.
“Personally, I can’t wait to get these Engkanto beers into our hospitality partner venues in 2025,” said Bacani.
Ricard Basora added: “For now, I just want to congratulate the Engkanto Team and share with the whole world that Filipino beers can be as good, if not better, than anything else.”
Since the successful launch of Engkanto, 7000 Islands Drinks has also added Destileria Barako and Bandoeng’22 to its growing portfolio, with the latter acquisition taking place earlier this month.
Explaining 7000 Islands, Bacani said: “I've always wanted to share with the world the flavours of my upbringing and what you'd find in our household food pantry; and [I’ve always] found aspects of our cuisine interesting, like how we balance the tastes of spicy, sour and umami in our food, and how this expresses differently when paired with beverages.”
