Nami-miss Ko ang Aking Tahanan: The Search for the Philippines in Cocktails and Family Recipes

Nami-miss ko ang aking tahanan. It’s a phrase that whispers through my soul, meaning "I miss my home." But what is home, really? For me, it’s not just a physical place. It’s the scent of garlic frying in coconut oil, the tart tang of calamansi, the rhythmic pounding of a mortar and pestle in a kitchen far away. It’s the warmth of my Lola and Lolo’s hands, the stories they told, and the traditions they unknowingly ingrained in my very being.

Growing up in a Filipino-American household, learning on navigating two distinct cultures was of great interest from an early age. There was the everyday American life outside our door, and then there was the vibrant, sensory world of the Philippines when I'd visit my grandparents. It was a world made full of wonder, mystery, and profound love, largely thanks to my grandparents. My Lola (grandmother) and Lolo (grandfather) were the architects of this magical space, their stories and recipes the very blueprints of my cultural identity.

As a child, I was endlessly fascinated by their heritage. I remember poring over faded photographs from my Lolo's hometown of Libmanan in Camarines Sur, a province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. The pictures showed lush landscapes, the family house, and bustling markets—a world so different from suburban America. My grandparents, patient and ever-loving, embraced my curiosity. They taught me snippets of Bicolano dialect (which I wish I learned more as a child), pointed out the distinct aroma of pandan leaves, and shared tales of their youth. But it was in the kitchen, surrounded by the sizzling sounds and intoxicating smells of Filipino cooking, that I truly began to understand. Food, I quickly learned, was the most powerful storyteller.

This early immersion, sparked by curiosity and nurtured by my Lola and Lolo, laid the groundwork for a lifelong journey. As an adult, that childhood wonder evolved into a deep, passionate dive into Filipino culture through its most delicious and tangible forms: food and drink. It’s a journey that has not only connected me to my roots but has also profoundly shaped my perspective as a chef, bartender, and enthusiastic explorer of flavor.

The Kitchen: My First Classroom

My Lola’s kitchen was a universe unto itself. It was where the rhythms of Filipino life truly hummed. Every ingredient had a story, every technique a lineage. I watched, mesmerized, as she transformed humble ingredients into feasts. There was a particular alchemy to her hands—the way she’d expertly debone a chicken for tinola, the gentle simmer of sinigang broth, the effortless swirl of kinunot with malunggay leaves.

Lolo, too, was a quiet master, especially with anything grilled. The smoky char on his inihaw na liempo (grilled pork belly) or inihaw na isda (grilled fish), always served with a squeeze of calamansi and that perfect sawsawan of soy sauce, garlic, and siling labuyo—these were masterpieces of flavor. These were the foundational tastes of my life, the benchmarks against which all other flavors would be measured. And you're crazy if you think either Lolo or Lola would actually tell you how to make your favorite meal....you have to sit and watch if you want to know how to make it right.

As I grew older, my interest moved from observation to participation. I wanted to replicate those flavors, to understand the magic. I began to ask questions, to write down recipes (often vague, as Lola cooked by feel), and to learn the nuances of balancing sour, salty, sweet, and savory. This wasn't just cooking; it was connecting to my ancestors, understanding a lineage of taste.

Family Recipe Spotlight: Lola’s Chicken Adobo

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs chicken thighs and drumsticks

• 1 head garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup white vinegar (cane vinegar is traditional if available)

• 1/2 cup soy sauce (Silver Swan, of course!)

• 1 tbsp black peppercorns, crushed

• 3-4 bay leaves

• 1/4 cup water (or chicken broth)

• 1 tbsp cooking oil

Instructions:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine chicken, minced garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, crushed peppercorns, and bay leaves. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, or ideally, several hours in the refrigerator.

2. Heat oil in a separate pan. Remove chicken from the marinade (reserve the marinade!) and brown the chicken pieces on all sides until lightly golden.

3. Return the browned chicken to the large pot with the reserved marinade. Add 1/4 cup water.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly, coating the chicken.

6. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (a tiny pinch of sugar can balance the acidity if desired). Serve hot with steamed white rice.

The Bar: A New Canvas for Cultural Expression

My professional life as a bartender felt like a natural extension of that kitchen upbringing. The precision, the balance, the layering of flavors—it all resonated deeply with my early culinary lessons. But for a long time, Filipino flavors remained separate, reserved for family meals. The bar was for gin, vermouth, bitters, and the established lexicon of Western mixology.

Then, slowly, the walls began to crumble. I realized that the very essence of my heritage—the vibrant, bold, and often surprising flavor combinations—was not just compatible with craft cocktails, but perfectly suited for them. My search for the Philippines in my adult life led me to explore how these cherished flavors could be reinterpreted, celebrated, and introduced to a wider audience, one drink at a time. It started with calamansi, but it quickly grew into an exploration of our most cherished comforts.

Filipino-Inspired Cocktail: The Sampaguita Kiss

The national flower of the Philippines, the Sampaguita, has an intoxicatingly sweet and delicate perfume. This cocktail aims to capture that ethereal aroma, balanced by tropical fruit and a hint of a familiar spirit.

• Spirit Base: 1.5 oz Gin (a floral, less juniper-forward gin works best)

• Floral Heart: 0.75 oz Sampaguita Syrup

• Tropical Brightness: 0.5 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice

• Sour: 0.25 oz Fresh Calamansi Juice

• Aromatic Lift: 2 dashes Orange Blossom Water

• Method: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously until well-chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass.

• Garnish: A single, fresh Sampaguita bloom floating on the surface (if available).

Lolo sure always knew how to have a great time.

Filipino-Inspired Cocktail: The Mais Con Yelo Cocktail

The Concept

This is the ultimate example of Nixta's role as a cocktail protagonist. The drink, inspired by the Filipino dessert of the same name, uses Nixta as the core flavor that provides the unmistakable essence of corn. When combined with corn milk, toasted rice and corn husk-infused Amontillado sherry, and a garnish of Frosted Corn Flake Cereal, Nixta isn't just an ingredient; it is the entire conceptual foundation of the drink, proving its ability to be a canvas for creative, culturally reminiscent cocktails.

Component Recipe 1: Toasted Rice & Corn Husk-Infused Amontillado Sherry

This infusion adds a crucial layer of complexity, bringing nutty, savory, and dry notes that balance the sweetness of the Nixta and the creaminess of the corn milk.

• Ingredients: 1 (750ml) bottle Amontillado Sherry; 1/2 cup Pinipig (or glutinous rice); 3-4 large, clean, dry corn husks.

• Instructions:

  1. Toast the pinipig or rice in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant.

  2. In a large glass jar, combine the toasted rice and torn corn husks. Pour the sherry over top.

  3. Seal and let infuse at room temperature for 24-48 hours, tasting periodically.

  4. When the desired nutty, earthy flavor is achieved, fine-strain all solids out and rebottle the sherry.

Component Recipe 2: Creamy Corn Milk

This is the heart of the dessert, translated into liquid form. It needs to be creamy, sweet, and intensely corn-flavored.

• Ingredients: 1 (15 oz) can sweet corn kernels (undrained); 5 oz evaporated milk; 3 oz simple syrup (1:1); 2 oz full-fat coconut cream; 1/4 tsp fine sea salt.

• Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a powerful blender. Blend on high for 60-90 seconds until completely smooth.

  2. Set a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag over a pitcher. Strain the mixture, squeezing gently to extract all the liquid.

  3. Chill the resulting smooth, creamy milk. Shake well before use.

The Final Build: The Mais Con Yelo Cocktail

• Ratios & Recipe:

  • 1.5 oz Nixta Licor de Elote

  • 0.75 oz Toasted Rice & Corn Husk-Infused Amontillado Sherry

  • 1.5 oz Creamy Corn Milk

  • 2 dashes Saline Solution

• Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker.

  2. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 12-15 seconds.

  3. Fill a chilled double rocks glass with fresh pebble or crushed ice.

  4. Double-strain the cocktail into the prepared glass.

  5. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of Frosted Corn Flake Cereal.

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My love for food as a whole began with Lolo realizing my interest in our culture.

Beyond Calamansi: Digging Deeper into the Pantry

The journey didn't stop at dessert translations. As I continued to explore my roots, I started to see the entire Filipino pantry—especially the savory, pungent, and funky elements—as a vast, untapped resource for mixology. My Lolo’s sawsawan, that iconic dipping sauce, was a flavor profile I knew by heart. It was time to deconstruct it and bring it to the bar.

First, The Sawsawan Tincture: Bottling Lolo's Magic

To truly capture the soul of Lolo's sawsawan, we need to get a little advanced. A tincture is a concentrated infusion that bottles the potent essences of ingredients, allowing for consistency and control.

• Ingredients: 4 oz high-proof neutral spirit; 2-3 fresh Siling Labuyo, sliced; 2 cloves fresh garlic, sliced; the peel of 3-4 ripe calamansi; 1 oz Silver Swan Soy Sauce.

• Instructions:

  1. Infuse the siling labuyo, garlic, and calamansi peels in the high-proof spirit for 48-72 hours in a sealed jar, shaking daily.

  2. Taste periodically. When potent, strain out all solids.

  3. Combine the strained infusion with the Silver Swan Soy Sauce.

  4. Bottle in a dropper bottle and label.

Filipino-Inspired Cocktail: The Sawsawan Martini (Lolo's Cut)

With our custom tincture ready, we can craft this cocktail with speed, precision, and all the nostalgic flavor.

• Spirit: 2.25 oz Vodka or Shochu

• Modifier: 0.5 oz Dry Vermouth

• Sour: 0.25 oz Fresh Calamansi Juice

• Savory & Spicy: 4-5 dashes Sawsawan Tincture

• Method: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until perfectly chilled. Strain into a frozen Nick & Nora glass.

• Garnish: A single drop of toasted sesame oil.

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Family Recipe Spotlight: Ginataang Kalabasa, Sitaw, at Hipon

If there is one dish that tastes like my Lola's embrace, this is it. It’s a quintessential Bicolano classic, creamy, savory, slightly sweet from the squash, and utterly comforting.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp cooking oil

• 1 small onion, diced

• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 inch ginger, peeled and julienned

• 2 tbsp bagoong alamang (fermented shrimp paste)

• 1 lb kalabasa (kabocha squash), cubed

• 1 bundle sitaw (long beans), cut into 2-inch lengths

• 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat coconut milk

• 1/2 cup water or broth

• 1 lb shrimp, head on

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a pot. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger. Add the bagoong and cook for another minute.

2. Add the kalabasa, coconut milk, and water. Simmer until the squash is tender.

3. Add the sitaw and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

4. Add the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink.

5. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with hot rice.

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The Search Continues: Nami-miss Ko Pa Rin

The phrase Nami-miss ko ang aking tahanan resonates profoundly because the search for home is ongoing. It’s not just about replicating flavors; it’s about understanding the nuances, the stories, and the soul behind them. Each Filipino-inspired cocktail I craft, each family recipe I master, is a step closer to understanding that deeper sense of belonging.

My Lolo may no longer be here to share his stories and cook his feasts, but his legacy lives on in every calamansi I squeeze, every pandan leaf I infuse, and every sip that carries a hint of the Philippines. I visit my Lola down in NJ as often as I can (although since Lolo's passing she's been doing some travel as of recent. (Something that they were both fond of)

Through food and drink, I’m not just preserving tradition; I’m reimagining it, ensuring that the wonder they instilled in me as a child continues to inspire and connect.

For my fellow chefs, bartenders, and home mixologists, I urge you: look to your own heritage. What are the flavors that define your childhood, your family, your community? How can you bring those stories to your craft? The world of mixology is ready for your unique narrative, waiting to be enriched by the profound, personal flavors of home. The possibilities are endless, and the journey is delicious.