Did you know the Philippines is the highest gin consumer in the world? According to a 2012 report released by The Economist, an average Filipino consumes around 1.4 L of gin every year and it’s mostly due to good marketing skills and the long-established roots of one of the largest corporations in history: San Miguel. The very first distillery, called the Ayala Distillery, was founded in Manila in 1834 (yes, the company is over 180 years old!), and produced an array of liquors that included anise, rum, cognac, whiskey and their trademark gin called Ginebra San Miguel de Ayala. This gin was aimed at European visitors and upper-class Filipinos, but with the growing demand for hard liquors, the company decided to acquire a more advanced distillation equipment all the way from France, making their spirits and most especially, their gin, accessible to the Filipino masses.
The “bilog” and “cuatro cantos” bottles with the famous St.Michael the Archangel logo. Image by Ginebra San Miguel.
In 1924, La Tondeña distillery acquired the Ayala distillery, further expanding their product portfolio of alcohol derived from molasses and the distribution throughout the whole country. During the Second World War, La Tondeña distillery was severely damaged, but the production and distribution did not cease after the facility was repaired and reopened, lifting the nation back to its feet by providing employment to a recovering population. Along with the strong company resurgence came production and branding improvements – their small, round (“bilog” in Tagalog) gin bottle evolved to a bigger, square bottle (also known as “cuatro cantos”, four corners in Spanish) and their logo was replaced with the depiction of St. Michael the Archangel – to pay tribute to the brand’s name. The company’s aim was to make their gin a symbol of Filipino strength, pride and perseverance; and their successful campaign ads throughout the 60s and 70s were clear examples of the values and standards they wanted people to associate their product with: good friendships, joyful gatherings, and macho bonding. This company has gone as far as owning a professional basketball team since 1979 under the same name as their gin. Talk about a supraliminal message!
In 1987, the largest food and beverage corporation in the Philippines (San Miguel Corporation), acquired La Tondeña and renamed it La Tondeña Distillers Incorporated (LTDI), expanding their domestic and international distribution network. Sixteen years later, in 2003, LTDI was renamed Ginebra San Miguel Incorporated (GSMI) as an homage to the gin brand and its heritage; and it’s in this new phase that the company started working on newer gin variants: the sweeter GSM Blue and the GSM Premium Gin.
I was on holiday in the Philippines some years ago when I first came across the GSM Premium Gin at a Landmark Supermarket. Typically the word “Premium” is used to describe a more refined, high-quality gin that commands a notably higher price. This particular one, however, can be purchased for less than 4 EUR a bottle! Needless to say, I couldn’t believe the price tag when I saw it. If this was supposed to be San Miguel’s “Premium” gin, I’d love to see what the price point would be for a “Super Premium” gin (if they even decide to make one!).
Before picking up a bottle, I skimmed through the shelves; curious to see if there were any other Filipino gins out there. There were none. I did see the usual Bombay Sapphire and Beefeater, but for nowhere near the cost-effective price that San Miguel offered. I could see why San Miguel is the staple brand in the country and it actually felt good to be buying a Filipino product as opposed to a bottle of gin from overseas. Now all I had to do was sample it.
The GSM Premium gin is a Dutch-type gin made from fine sugarcane alcohol (just like rum) and a blend of imported botanicals and essences. Upon opening the bottle, I could smell the juniper and citrus aroma. Not the usual fragrant smells you’d get from other premium gins. GSM doesn’t really reveal much about the botanicals they put into this gin, so it doesn’t give you much to play with when pairing. At the time, the only available tonic at the supermarket was Schweppes tonic, so I went with the simplest of combinations by adding lemon peel to the mix. Halfway through my drink, I was surprised that the tonic’s bubble factor wasn’t as high as I’m accustomed to in Spain. Could this be due to a regional variation on the Schweppes recipe? The water quality? Or did I just get a nasty batch off the shelf? Anyway, it honestly felt like drinking a watered-down gin and tonic, with a mild lemon flavour. Overall, it was an OK mix which left me disheartened.
After returning from the Philippines, I wanted to give this gin another chance by adding something to spice up the cocktail. Orange and cinnamon are usually a good combination, but I didn’t have any of these ingredients handy back then and I had the feeling that this gin could benefit from the sweet and spicy notes. Initial impressions? The tonic back here in Europe definitely has more fizz and the drink now yielded a sweeter taste thanks to the orange peel, with a tanginess that was hard to miss and a slightly earthy taste after it landed on my palate. The mix came off slightly warm too, complementing the sweet and spiced elements well. To this day I’m still amazed at how different garnishes can bring out different facets in a drink.
As I continued to sip my drink, I noticed that the bitterness I’ve grown accustomed to with other gins was somewhat subdued in this case. The flavour was quite mellow and didn’t leave you with that telltale bitter aftertaste in the back of your mouth. What you get instead is a rough and less refined texture, typical of cost-effective gins in the market. The alcohol wasn’t hitting me as much either due to its 35% AbV; lower than many other gins out there. It all made perfect sense, though, since Asians have a low alcohol tolerance and GSM had to come up with booze that fit their profile.
Definitely an improved mix in comparison to my initial tasting, but nothing extraordinary.
A gin definitely suitable for lightweights.
It took me a while to find inspiration for another gin and tonic variant. I decided to go with grapefruit this time around since it’s a garnish that I’ve had unexpectedly good results with in the past. It can get tricky depending on the gin, but in this case, the peel gave a modestly elegant and refined boost to a gin that, let’s be honest, is not equally refined.
The cocktail was slightly sweet and the bitterness emanating from the grapefruit was really pungent; giving it that lacking European flare I’ve grown to love. That characteristic rough finish was still there, though. I don’t think there is much one can do to improve that. It’s part and parcel of a 4 EUR gin. But no matter, as this made for a great souvenir from my trip to South East Asia and a nice addition to the list of gins I’ve tried.
Ginebra San Miguel Premium + Schweppes Tonic Water + Calamondin
You may recall there being a paragraph around here previously that stated I had a calamondin tree on the terrace and I would consider giving the fruits from it a try with my next glass of GSM Premium gin. Around a week ago, I decided to do just that.
Wow. There is no question in my mind that the recipe supplied by the makers of this gin is the best way to enjoy the spirit! Not only do you get the sour orange flavour popping out, as this beautiful Asian gin makes a pass around your taste buds, but there’s that sweetish lime flavour too. As always with GSM Premium, the boozy alcohol taste is less pronounced, making the experience easier on the palate, but there’s also very little – if any – bitterness found.
It’s not long until the citrus and tangy element is introduced, which gives it a very subtle, sweetish complexion making the flavour overall, quite tight and polished. The garnish lends sophistication and elegance to the gin simply not found from any of the others tried. Carrying a mixture of sweet and sour, the distinct aroma of calamondin flows out of the glass to give you a perfect smell to match the tasty mixture.
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Ginebra San Miguel Premium
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