Freshly brewed beers and great food at The Brewery at the Palace

Back in the day when the only beer flavor I have tasted is the usual hop (from the bottle and in can,) (the bitterness comes from the generous amount of hops, yellow to brown in color). I always got the kick drinking my beer from the chiller, I love how the frozen beer tasted,  the frozen state flattens the bitterness  and compliments the food I love to pair.   In those days to enjoy my chilled beer I have to partner it with peanuts, tacos. pizza, chicken sandwich, and or  rice toppings! I cant imagine drinking it unchilled, as I dont want to savor the flavor of hops, I have no choice then.

Only recently did I know that beer has flavor categories, from hop to malt to fruity. and that the darker your beer is, the better digestion  you'll get as it contains one gram of soluble fiber, Im eyeing my Stout now. It also helps lowering your bad cholesterol, so it is good for the heart then.   There are so many health benefits from beer but the thing is you have to drink in moderation in order to achieve this.

 The Brewery at the Palace at BGC, celebrate its soft opening for the media last August 7.  This is the place where you can enjoy freshly brewed beer with great food, live bands and cocktail beers.
There are four artisanal beers to try on the list, each brewed in a precise way from malts, hops, yeast, and water to achieve a distinct flavor, aroma, and taste.

A selection of specialty beers on tap is a source of pride for The Brewery, prepared fresh everyday from its very own microbrewery – the largest of its kind in town. The microbrewery is a permanent fixture housed at the mezzanine floor, and shares the restaurant’s ample two-storey space with an open stage for performing bands, a fully-stocked bar, and dining area.

L-R, Stout, Wheat, IPA and the Pilsner

Stout or Brown Ale (p210) has a hint of coffee flavor that  gives its distinct appeal and has just the right kick with 4.7% alcohol content. Fresh and fruity sums up the flavor profile of Wheat (p200), which packs a  4.5% alcohol content. IPA or Indian Pale Ale (p220) is a malty bitter contrast to pilsner with a golden amber and 5% alcohol content. Pilsner (p180) is a Czech light lager style, clear and golden in color with 4.3% alcohol content. The Brewery will launch other beer flavors with local infusions like honey and ginger.


A beer would not be complete without the food pairing, Chef Carlo Miguel, one of the business owners provide the best food and or pulutan, from eclectic mix of starters and sides, delicious bar fare, pizzas, savory sandwiches, succulent steaks, varieties of pasta, and scrumptious desserts. He uses beer as an ingredient to some of his specialty dishes.

Sisig Pizza

G.O.A.T Burger 

The Sliders

The Brewery's Sausage Platter

Modern Sisilog

The Brewery's Fisherman's Basket

The Pub Style Nachos

Stout and Onion Soup

Clam and Mussel Spaghetti

To cap of everything, Chef Carlo Miguel's dessert is a must try!

 Brewer's Cheesecake

 Skillet Cookie

The Brewery at the Palace swings open its doors for a unique experience beer consummates would readily sink in.

Located at The Palace in Uptown Fort, Bonifacio Global City, the newest addition to this neighborhood’s vibrant dining and entertainment landscape offers a modern spin to the common beer-chugging evening by presenting a delectable menu accompanied by live band performances to keep the mood bubbly and rocking.

 Mikhal Perner, Raj Sadhwani, Mitch Malli, Chef Carlo Miguel, and Rico Blanco 

“The Brewery is far from your ordinary pub in that we’ve put together the top three things customers look for when they want to have a good time - great food, great live entertainment, and of course, excellent beers to round out the whole experience. No need to hop from one place to another because you can have all these here at The Brewery,”  said Raj Sadhwani, CEO, The Brewery. “We wanted to showcase the artistry of the beer brewing process and be a major force in changing the local dining landscape by providing fresh beers on tap paired with a delectable menu and some of the most popular bands in the country today.”

The place, which is usually packed with mostly young professionals coming from nearby offices in the area, is run by the same owners and operators of The Distillery Group, a company whose reputation is built on its serious appreciation for beer and food.

On Wednesday or Thursday nights, guests can look forward to sipping their beers and downing their chows while listening to a mix of their favorite well known groups playing a whole stream musical genre, ranging from jazz, soul rock and reggae.

Thanks to Rico Blanco, who happens to be one of the men behind The Brewery,  making  sure live entertainment hits the spot and is always exciting.


“The Brewery is the perfect mix of a relaxing and kick-up-your-heels kind of night. It’s a different kind of gastro pub experience. We are also open for lunch daily so young professionals can try our menu offerings.  Those who come here, any time of the day, will not be disappointed,” said Mitch Malli, Operations Director.


The Brewery at the Palace is located The Palace 10th avenue cor 38th in Uptown Fort, Bonifacio Global City and is open Mondays to Sundays, 11am until 2am for dine in, take out and events reservation. Contact their reservations hotline at 0917.813.9429 and Events hotline at 0917.638.3339)

Giordano celebrates 25th anniversary with a circus theme, fashion show and a concert

 It was in the early 90s when Giordano made a name in the fashion scene. The classic tshirts were well loved among the fashionistas because of its cottony feel that comes in different vibrant colors. The classic shirt is great with any jeans, khaki or denim with sneakers to complete the look.  It becomes the signature inner wear of almost everyone, because of its value for money.  After 2 decades and 5 years,  Giordano celebrates their 25th anniversary with a circus theme, fashion show and a concert.

In celebration with its 25th anniversary, a circus themed games and performances by classic circus characters such as clowns, mimes stilt walkers, magicians, lion man and fire eaters  was held at Eastwood Mall Open Park last November 22, 2014.  Giordano also has a concert topbilled by Giordano ambassador, Filipino music icon Rico Blanco, Brownman Revival and Franco.

Giordano showcased its 2014 Fall/Winter collection. Classic, perfect-for-the-chilly-weather pieces like oxford shirts, Breton tops, long-sleeved tees, denim, khakis and polos were paraded on the runway and worn by top models Ria Bolivar, Jasmine Maierhofer and Justine Gabionza. Award-winning fashion show director Ogee Atos took the shows reins while stylist Charmaine Palermo and makeup artist Lourd Ramos made up and styled the models.

The climax of the event was a concert which featured Rico Blanco, Franco and Brownman Revival. Blanco capped off the night with a performance of the crowd pleaser Giordano theme song, ‘World Without Strangers’.

Brownman Revival

“We thank everyone who celebrated this milestone with us. Giordano has evolved so much over the past two decades, and Filipinos have been a huge part of the brand’s success. When Giordano first opened here in the country, we never thought that we would sign on celebrities, much more a song composed by Rico Blanco,” said Larry C. Lim, Giordano Philippines’ CEO and President.

“We look forward to the next two decades and more, and our customers can expect more timeless and classic pieces from us in our future collections,” he said.

For more information about the Giordano Circus – 25th Anniversary Party, visit www.facebook.com/GiordanoPhilippines.

Rico Blanco sings for Valda Pastilles

 My father has been buying Valda since I was in college, you can always find Valda pastilles in our home. When he thinks that a cold is coming, he will pick Valda instead of an antitussive medicine. It has been a reliable pick-me-up anti colds, sneeze pastille. I am glad that it is still available in the country.

Valda Pastilles recently launched its new ambassador Rico Blanco at Alphonse Bar last September 11, 2014. On the day of its launch, a new Valda Pastilles TV commercial was revealed, which showcased no less than Rico and the brand’s single that he wrote and composed entitled, “Time For You”. Just like Valda pastilles, "Time For You", is catchy and one song that soothes and cools. I still have the last song syndrome.

Believe it or not, your throat is as hardworking as you are. It also gets stressed and experiences a lot of wear and tear, especially when your profession requires you to sing or speak every second of every day or night. So as much as you want time to relax your mind and body, your throat should also be given time for some R and R.

Valda Pastilles, a green, conical-shaped, chewy pastilles, has been known for soothing and cooling throats for more than a century now. Recently, with its launch event held last September 11, 2014 at Alphonse Bistro in Pasig, the brand has upped its cool ante by showcasing its newest endorser, Rico Blanco.

As we all know, Rico is one of the most talented musicians in the Philippines. He is every inch a rock star, oozing with a cool persona. His voice alone holds a refreshing power that can captivate the hearts of every Filipino with just the first note, much like how Valda Pastilles gives instant cooling sensation in every chew. No wonder Rico is the perfect face for the brand.

With the brand and Rico’s collaboration, they have created a fresh song that leaves nothing but cool vibes.

In addition, the feel good song’s full-length music video was also unveiled, which was as soothing as the song alone.

So, now that Valda Pastilles has teamed up with Rico Blanco, there will always be time for you to soothe and cool your throat wherever you are and whenever you feel like it.

For more highlights of the event, visit facebook.com/VALDAPILIPINAS.

Smart partners up with Deezer

Smart expands music portfolio with launch of Deezer that offers live music streaming for over 30 million songs. It was presented to the media  last July 9, 2014 with celebrities from the music industry such as Ely Buendia, Rico Blanco and many others gracing the launch.

Wireless services leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is broadening its music portfolio with the introduction of premium bundles for global music-streaming service Deezer, strengthening its foothold in the music space as it eyes to capture majority of the music listening market in the Philippines.

Ely Buendia 

The announcement of the Deezer bundles complements Smart’s homegrown music service SPINNR, which has revolutionized the music consumption habits of Filipinos by offering song downloads for as low as Php10 and music streaming for just Php2.50 per day, roughly equivalent to the value of three text messages.

Sanya Smith and Ornussa Cadness 

“Deezer completes Smart’s music portfolio as we strive to provide the complete music experience to all kinds of users,” said Charles A. Lim, EVP and Head of the Wireless Consumer Division at Smart.

“SPINNR provides the total music experience to our subscribers with streaming and downloads of all the latest and hottest songs, the most anticipated concert events, meet-and-greets with their favorite artists and exclusive access to official merchandise. Deezer, on the other hand, provides music streaming with a large catalog of 30 million songs and the widest availability in more than 100 countries around the world,” Lim added.

Rico Blanco

Vast potential

Lim said there is vast potential in the music space considering the proliferation of new types of mobile devices in the Philippines, considered the fastest-growing smartphone market in Southeast Asia by a GfK Asia study in 2012.

“With smartphone adoption still expected to jump exponentially in the coming months, more users will gain access to Internet-enabled devices capable of music streaming, and Smart is the only mobile provider that will have a full lineup of music services ready for them,” Lim added.

Siblings Elmo and Maxene Magalona partying with the crowd

Smart also has the distinct advantage in providing the best music-streaming experience to all subscribers with its highly modernized network—completed in 2012—that is capable of delivering superfast mobile Internet to all users nationwide.

Changing behavior

Even though streaming is still a relatively new way of consuming music in the Philippines, Smart’s Head of Innovation and Product Development Mellissa Limcaoco said they’re seeing more and more subscribers jumping into the music streaming bandwagon.

“Just a few years ago, music streaming was not a familiar concept among most Filipino music lovers. With SPINNR, Smart has paved the way for more fans to affordably enjoy music anytime, anywhere without worrying about the limited storage space on their mobile devices,” Limcaoco said.

She added that with the introduction of Deezer to its music portfolio, Smart expects music streaming to be more pervasive as it hopes to address the varied tastes of music fans nationwide.

“The high smartphone penetration in Philippines means that music lovers are taking their world, and their music, on the go,” said Steven Frank, Business Development Manager for Deezer in Asia Pacific. “With over 30 million tracks in our catalog, Philippine music fans can enjoy their favorite songs and discover new music from international, Asian or OPM artists with high-speed Internet connection by Smart, no matter where they are.”

Premium offers

Deezer offers, with over 30 million songs and powerful music discovery solutions, will initially be available to Smart Postpaid subscribers through Unlisurf Premium Plans starting at just P1,175  a month, bundled with the year’s latest smartphones and unlimited LTE surfing.

Users, for example, can get the Sony Xperia M2 at Unlisurf Premium Plan 1175, with unlimited mobile surfing, free calls and texts, and a Deezer Premium+ subscription already included in the package. Other phones available include the Nokia Lumia 1020 at Plan 1675; and the Sony Xperia Z2 as well as the Samsung Galaxy S5 at Plan 2175.

As an exclusive perk to early subscribers, Smart will be giving those who sign up for any of the Unlisurf Premium Plans a P175 bill rebate for six months.

Existing Postpaid subscribers, meanwhile, can take advantage of the various Deezer Music Packs that come with a free Deezer Premium+ subscription. These include Deezer Daily for Php25 (1-day Deezer access plus 25 SMS and 10MB of mobile data for Deezer streaming), Deezer Weekly for Php125 (7-day Deezer access plus 125 SMS, and 50MB of mobile data for Deezer streaming), and Deezer Monthly for P250 (30-day Deezer access plus 250 SMS, and 100MB of mobile data for Deezer streaming).

Offers for Smart Prepaid subscribers will be announced soon. For more information on Smart’s Deezer offers, visit smart.com.ph/Deezer. [END]

Giordano celebrates 25th anniversary with "World Without Strangers" music festival

The day was set for nostalgia as music unfolds and rocked the whole of Glorietta Activity Center, it was a day to reckon with as some of the filipino great bands joined force for the Giordano's latest campaign "World Without Strangers". The music brings back memory from some of the country's famous bands.

Giordano  celebrates its 25th anniversary by World Without Strangers Music Festival last July 4, 2014 at the Glorietta Activity Center with 8 hours of full opm concert. The musicfest was hosted by Boys Night Out, and featured15 local bands, including Callalily, Sponge Cola, Urbandub, Franco, Up Dharma Down, Gracenote, Techy Romantics, Taken By Cars, Kala, Autotelic,
Join The Club, Cygnet, Maude, Hidden Nikki and Yolanda Moon. It was a free-admission event that starts at 1:00 pm and ends at 9:00 pm everyone rocked on to their favorite bands.

Boys Night Out hosted the eight hour event and  entertained the audience during breaks and shared their antics to the crowd.

Urbandub

Urbandub belted out "The Fight is Over" which is my favorite song from the group. It was amazing how Urbandub still rocked the crowd. They also sang "first of summer".

Franco

This was the first time I saw "Franco" sang live. I always listen to them in my ipod.  I love Franco for its soothing rhythm and reggae appeal  that is inspiring to listen to.

Rico Blanco performed his latest single, ‘World Without Strangers’, the official lyric video of
Giordano Philippines.

“A world without strangers is a borderless one where people walk hand in hand and celebrate life as one,” said Rico Blanco, music icon and Giordano Philippines’ latest brand ambassador.

Set to a light, upbeat tone, the song is about a world where there is no class or cultural divide; a world where everyone is bonded by a familial tie. Guests swooned to Blanco’s comfortingly familiar signature singing style, which put a Filipino stamp on the song that is still relatable to everyone, anywhere in the world. The song’s official lyric video was also launched during the event.


Statement Tee Design winners

The Giordano Statement Tee Design Contest, which attracted a large number of entries, revolved around the “World Without Strangers” theme. Ten designers, five from the male category and another five from the female category, were recognized during the festival. The top 10 designers are Gino Jardinico, Timmy Joy Raymundo, John Angelo Tan, Ivan Marc Robinson, Nadine Encarnacion, Benedict Lim, John Francis Pasicolan, Katherine Francisco and Cathleen Kay Bayani, whose design for both male and female categories were chosen.

The winning designs will be released in Giordano stores by the end of July.

World Without Strangers Citizens

As Giordano rallies for a world without strangers, 12 individuals were also recognized during the festival who have contributed to creating that ideal world. The awardees, called World Without Strangers Citizens, range from social workers to artists, from writers to taxi drivers.

The awardees are: Alex Eduque, volunteer; Jose Yap Dalisay, Palanca award-winning writer; Bengie Reyes, sculptor and furniture designer; Atty. Karen Jimeno, lawyer and social worker; Donnalyn Bartolome, artist and songwriter; Efren Penaflorida, teacher; Sophia Deliu, policewoman; Jovy Sasutona, handicapped painter; Creo Baylon, inventor; Nelson Balmores, a handicapped social worker for Gawad Kalinga; Edita Queras, a tricycle driver; and Doroteo Ochavo, a taxi driver who made news in 2012 for constantly returning things left behind by his passengers.

“We are proud to recognize our first batch of World Without Strangers Citizens. They deserve this recognition because they are doing their share to build a world without strangers, and in doing so have inspired others,” said Bea Lim, Giordano Philippines’ vice president for marketing.

For photos of the event and updates about the World Without Strangers campaign, please visit www.facebook.com/GiordanoPhilippines.

Giordano Creates a World Without Strangers with New Campaign

In celebration of its 25th anniversary in the country, Giordano Philippines launched its World Without Strangers (WWS) campaign along with a new collection built on the brand’s roots and core philosophy. 

“We are going to back to our roots, and we want to remind people what our brand stands for. With WWS, we champion wearable pieces that don’t overshadow the wearer’s personality. And anyone from all walks of life can relate to the pieces,” said Bea Lim, Giordano Philippines’ vice president for marketing. 

Starting July, Giordano stores will showcase the first wave of the WWS collection. Key pieces in the collection are statement tees in solid colors with “World Without Strangers” emblazoned in front. The first phase will feature graphic printed tees in primary colors. The second phase will consist of slogan-printed tees in bright and pastel colors with phrases like “Breaking Barriers”, “Unity Love Respect”, “Just Like You” and “One Song Underneath One Sun”.

The collection also features other styles such as striped tops in different cuts, colored hoodies, two-way denim pants, neppy jeans, sweatshirts and WWS caps. 

“Every piece in the WWS collection is a basic building block to any wardrobe, and it comes to life with the wearer’s personality and taste,” Lim said.

World Without Strangers has always been Giordano’s credo since the brand’s beginnings in Hong Kong. The brand’s classic and timeless quality transcends differences and preferences, making it a brand for everyone, everywhere.

For more information about the WWS Campaign, visit www.facebook.com/GiordanoPhilippines.