We are a nation of solid alak drinkers. It practically has history written all over it—our nation’s forefathers loved themselves a drink or two.The ritual then has been passed on from generation to generation, and up to this day, be it celebrations or pity parties, it has found a way to become a staple to the Pinoy way of life. In an inuman largely dominated by San Miguels and Emperadors, there’s a proudly homegrown brand seeking to challenge the norm by reintroducing a truly Filipino liquor of olden times. Enter Barik.
Humble beginnings
“I go to Aurora, Quezon with my friends all the time and it became our tradition to drink this certain type of local lambanog,” quips Nics Mandilag, co-owner of the brand. She didn’t know it then, but her drink of choice would later spark an idea that would become a full-fledged business. As fate would have it, co-owner Malaya Pasion would join Nics’ frequent visits to the province and find himself falling head over heels for the drink. Convinced that lambanog is the real deal, the duo was keen on giving justice to a Pinoy product that hasn’t been taken seriously for the longest time. Nics muses further, “Lambanog has actually been here even before the Spaniards came. So, it’s something that we can truly call our own, one that doesn’t have a hint of colonization whatsoever.”
Photos by Zaldine Alvaro
When they first started, coming up with the perfect mix to make lambanog premium wasn’t all glitz and glamour. On the contrary, everything was just really trial and error. As such, Nics and Malaya would test random mixes from scratch and fresh ingredients. Their many experimentations would lead them to a eureka moment using ginger and calamansi, thus the Ginger Sour. The drink makes for a great replacement for beer, and like beer, it’s perfect when chilled. They also offer the Puro made from pure nipa lambanog, which underwent the rigorous process of being extracted from the coconut’s flower, distilled, and then aged for about a year to achieve a distinct taste. As compared to coconut lambanog, the drink is much lighter tasting and is a good cocktail component—over ice, of course.
Not just sheer aesthetic
The bottle’s design is far removed from your typical. From afar, you’ll see the telltale skull, somewhat reminiscent of those in popular “poison” bottles. But the narrative of where the look was derived is not exactly what you’d have in mind. Nics says it best, “For me, when you talk about skulls, it’s something raw. It’s something that each of us have. That’s one thing it represents, that Barik could be you, or it could be anyone.” The Barik skull even has a cape, akin to the red scarf associated with the Katipuneros who passionately fought for freedom. It’s an equally nice touch, given their tagline, Heroes Are Not Saints.
When asked to personify the brand, Nics immediately had some notable quirks and characteristics in mind. For one, and probably the most telling, is the badassery. But it doesn’t stop there, to say the least. Barik is the crazy rebel—but the good kind—in a world that follows the conventional,“I’d say that the incarnated Barik would be an artist that doesn’t follow the typical format for doing things, but he’s definitely one that could push boundaries and make a change.” And that’s exactly the kind of vibe you get upon every swig of the bottle. You become Barik and Barik becomes you.
Curating the experience
The namesake is not merely a license to be creative either. It’s actually a deep Filipino word that pays homage to intimate drinking sessions with the very people you hold close to your heart. In keeping with its etymology, you won’t find Barik sitting on big flashy pubs and restaurants. Quite the opposite, as you’ll see it along a strip of closely knit communities within the Makati and BGC circuit. They’ve also partnered with several other bars and diners in other parts of the country like La Union and Cebu, making sure the experience they provide with their product caters to likeminded individuals in other key areas.
The owners don’t shy away from the fact that it is being introduced to the market as a premium product. Rather than limiting it to particular subsets of social class, it’s more about curating the experience to a certain mindset—one that considers himself a creative on one hand and one that patronizes the “love local” movement on the other. Hence, first launching the product in 20:20 back in 2015, and then distributing it along the Poblacion hotspots that young creatives are known to flock to after the working day is done (i.e. Tambai, The Social, Boogie Bar). Hence, the move to put stocks in places like Alamat and Providore for the culture they imbibe and the stories they present. If the lambanog being sold pre-Barik was largely being marketed to balikbayans and the older folk, Barik’s goal differs in that it wants to make lambanog cool again, albeit to a much younger crowd.
Going niche
Budding entrepreneurs thinking of going the same route as Barik’s need not be scared of a little more friction. Surely, going niche has its share of ups and downs, but Nics Mandilag loves herself a good challenge, and she’s learned a great deal of it along the way. Some golden words of advice from the co-creator of Barik herself? “You have to push it even if it gets hard, especially at the beginning. It’s important to brand your product and set your target market from the get-go, and to see your product through from concept to growth.”
After roughly three years in the market, where Barik is at now is really an aftermath of a good mix of passion, drive, and a desire to innovate. Nonetheless, the future is looking bright for the brand. For instance, there are plans to distribute it to more places nationwide, and especially outside of Metro Manila. Paperwork is also currently being processed to export the product in an attempt to further its move as a world-class drink. Sure, Japan could have their sake, Korea could have their soju, and Mexico could have their tequila, but mark our words, the day will come that the Philippines could have their lambanog and be proud of it.
To know more about Barik and where to get one, you may follow them on Facebook.
