Summer sips: Beverages to get for sunny days ahead

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MANILA, Philippines — The cool January and February air has come and gone, and March and April skies have brought in waves of warmer temperatures ahead.

Everyone's been scampering to keep away from the heat by staying fresh means through any means necessary.

Warmer weather often means the need to quench one's thirst and the solutions for that can depend on a person's liking — from ice cold beverages to neat liquor in a glass, there's much to choose from.

Philstar.com has compiled some of drinks to pounce on as the summer days go by, each one a tasty suggestion as the next.

Sweet and fresh

The Philippine arm of tea drink brand Chagee brought to the country last January its third best-selling drink internationally, the Peach Oolong Milk Tea, for its permanent menu.

The milk tea is a blend of premium oolong tea infused with real peach flavor, giving off a gentle floral aroma and lingering peach sweetness.

Another milk tea that the brand recently introduced is its Hojicha Genmai, crafted using a signature golden roast process and blended with premium Wuchang grains.

Arriving in between both milk tea drinks and just in time for the summer months was Chagee's Iced Lemon Fruit Tea series.

FIlipinos are no strangers to lemon-infused iced tea, and the brand is looking forward to selling the new beverages available in Jasmine, Da Hong Pao and Glutinous Lemon Tea flavors.

Local coffee chain Pickup Coffee recently launched its ProteinUP line of beverages in partnership with nutrition brand Wheyl.

Ideal for runners and gym-goers, the new line features drinks with Wheyl, adding at least 20 grams of protein per cup.

Included in this series are the chain's Iced Protein Latte, Iced Protein Dark Chocolate, Iced Protein Strawberry, and Iced Protein Matcha.

Fans of "Harry Potter" will be lining up in select Starbucks stores nationwide as the coffee shop introduced three beverages inspired by the magical franchise — Iced Honeydukes Bursting Bonbons Latte, Honeydukes Bursting Bonbons Frozen Tea, and Honeydukes Bursting Bonbons Frappuccino Blended Beverage.

Readers and viewers will know that Honeydukes is the popular sweet shop located in Hogsmeade just outside of Hogwarts, although these new drinks have hidden them Honey Bergamot Flavored Bubble Bursts (buy any of them to find out what surprises lies in store).

Alcohol preferences

For those who'd rather have something stronger, San Miguel Brewery introduced at the end of 2025 its new Mango Yuzu wheat ale, timed perfectly for the summer.

The ale mixes the tropical taste of mango and the citrusy zest of yuzu through the use of natural flavors and real fruit juice in a Belgian-style wheat beer.

The limited edition drink is available for purchase until the end of September, but if the beverage is a hit, San Miguel may consider keeping it around longer.

Also hitting shelves at the tail-end of last year was Don Papa Alon, the newest expression from the local rum based in Negros Occidental.

The lush, creamy spiced rum bears flavors of Ginataang Langka, infused with coconut, jackfruit and warming spices. It's recommended to be taken neat or with fresh coconut water and a squeeze of calamansi.

Alon is inspired by the Philippines coastlines, a thought that comes to mind with each sip, and the "bayanihan" spirit of Filipinos.

Another local rum brand, Tanduay rang in the Lunar New Year by slapping a limited-edition label on its Superior Rum bottles.

The multi-awarded bright bronze liquor combines rum aged for two years with rum aged for up to 12 years, bearing a fruity aroma of orange peel and banana but tasting of caramel, oak wood, pepper and nuts, with a lingering flavor of molasses and cocoa.

Bar expert Mark Jaybriel De Jesus Buenviaje, who specializes in Filipino-inspired cocktails, meanwhile, came up with a drink that mixes melon juice and Mik-Mik, the popular sweetened milk powder.

Called the Milky Melon, Buenviaje blended clarified melon juice, crème de cacao, melon and apricot liqueur, and vanilla syrup in a highball glass, topped with Mik-Mik either as garnish, served on the side, or rimmed.

Outside of Philippine shores, Swedish chef Björn Frantzén — the only chef in charge of three restaurants with three Michelin stars each — collaborated with Orkney distillery Highland Park for a new 16-year-old single malt whiskey titled Between You And I.

Frantzén has left drinkers to decide what aromas and tastes they get from the new drink, which is beautifully packaged like the mainstay bottles of Highland Park.

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