A cold brew and some classic pintxos. A smooth Jim & Tonic with a spicy kick. And an encounter with The Solist. All in one place...
The Bottle Shop opens a second branch, bringing their extensive selection of premium craft beer and spirits to The Fort. Now you can start your own journey and discover the world's best premium craft beer, and no, you won't find any of the "fizzy-wizzy mass-produced beer" here...
Jim Araneta, the visionary behind Global Beer Exchange and The Bottle Shop, had one goal: educate the modern consumer on the nuances of New World Craft Beer, and in turn, elevate the beer experience. At the Bottle Shop, you can enjoy more than a hundred brands of craft beer curated and sourced from all over the world, with fourteen craft beers on tap updated weekly. Each brand is the work of proud craftsmen with years of passionate study in creating the perfect brew, from every corner of the world. And you can find it all here at The Bottle Shop. The Bottle Shop at Magallanes has always been special, the perfect watering hole for the hard core craft beer fan (for more on the first branch of The Bottle Shop, check out my previous post here), but Jim Araneta promises an all-new and elevated experience at his newest branch at The Fort while maintaining the original vision for The Bottle Shop.
The Bottle Shop has exclusive distribution agreements with the world's best craft breweries, including Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Stone Brewing Company, and Gordon Biersch Brewing Company from California, Dry Fly Distilling from Washington, Rogue Ales from Oregon, Hitachino Nest from Japan as well as local artisan brewers such as The Cebruery from Cebu. At The Bottle Shop, you can discover and experience the depth of color, distinct and fragrant aromas and flavors from the world's finest independent breweries.
And that's not even half of what The Bottle Shop offers, you can find a whole wide world of premium craft beer and spirits, perfectly chilled and ready to serve. And best way to enjoy The Bottle Shop's expansive selection of premium craft beer is to take a progressive beer flight...
...but have a Jim & Tonic (P 495) first before the flight. Jim Araneta's refreshing and spicy concoction gets you in the groove at The Bottle Shop in no time, a smooth blend of Hendricks Gin (60 ml of the good stuff, not just the usual 30ml), with a bottle of premium East Imperial Tonic Water and lemon, garnished with a thin cucumber tongue and red hot sili for that layer of soothing heat. The crispness of Hendrick's Gin and its subtle notes of botanicals come through, followed by the sweetness of the cucumber with the refreshing and effervescent notes of the East Imperial Tonic Water, capped by the gentle punch of the sili that lingers long after the first sip. The playful contrasting notes weave different flavors, the perfect cocktail to jumpstart your experience at The Bottle Shop.
The Bottle Shop's Jim & Tonic opens up both your palate and your senses for the beer flight, and pairs perfectly with the Croquetas Del Dia (P 195), a soft, chewy and perfectly round ball with a light outer layer of crispness filled with jamon serrano.
Our beer flight at The Bottle Shop started with The Cebruery's People Power Pale Ale (P 250), a rich amber-hued Pale Ale with 5.4% ABV and 41.8 IBU. The distinct local brew delivers bold roasted malt notes with a pronounced bitter, citrusy and earthy hints from the hops. And the local brew isn't shy at all with its upfront hoppy flavor and its refreshing sharpness, setting you up for the next round of flavors, this time from The Bottle Shop's kitchen...
At the bar, the signature Pintxos of The Bottle Shop were laid out and ready to serve...
...starting with the Gildas (P 195), skewered olives, anchovies, and Guindilla peppers, with each bite delivering bold and sharp notes to complement the equally robust flavor of the craft beer.
The Chatka (P 195), with soft and tender crabsticks draped in creamy mayonnaise and shrimps drizzled with paprika brings with it a distinct richness to the palate, perfectly tempered by the craft beer.
The Chorizo Y Huevos (P 195), with thick slices of flavorful chorizo and quail egg is both rustic and comforting, combining the creamy richness of the quail egg with the bold notes of the chorizo for balanced flavors.
The Brie-Cebolla (P 249), with crispy jamon on a bed of sweet onions with brie cheese, delivers a rich medley of flavors, with the mild sweetness of the onions, the creamy brie cheese, and the distinct salty notes of the premium jamon.
The Jamon-Allioli (P 229), jamon serrano with creamy alioli and parsley, is another playful execution on contrasting notes, with each layer of flavor blending seamlessly with each bite. This one's a personal favorite. All of The Bottle Shop's signature pintxos are served on soft, freshly baked bread, not toasted, the way it's usually served in authentic tapas bars.
The Bottle Shop's signature sandwiches were also served, including the Pan de Pollo (P 359, L), a rustic grilled chicken sandwich; and the Choripan (P 359, R), with grilled chorizo on crusty bread. Each sandwich is a light meal in itself, and another perfect pair with a cold artisan brew.
Rounding out The Bottle Shop's signature Pintxos were the Tortas Gulas (P 295, L), with potatoes, eggs, angulas, onions, and garlic; and the Piquillo-Brie-Janon (P 269, R), sweet piquillo peppers stuffed with brie cheese wrapped in jamon serrano, with each bite-sized treat delivering rich and bold flavors.
Rich flavors that were complemented by the next brew in our beer flight, the Rogue American Amber Ale (P 275), from Oregon's Rogue Ales, packing 5.3% ABV and 53 IBU. The darker-hued ale delivered smooth and mildly sweeter caramel and honey notes with a pronounced roasted malt accent. Each sip brings an elegantly smooth and easy finish, as the hoppy notes don't overpower the other flavors. This one's a personal favorite too.
Next, the Guru IPA (P 300), a refreshing and flavorful brew with 7% ABV and a more upfront crisp bitterness with its 65 IBU rating. One of The Bottle Shop's signature brews on tap, the bold notes of the Guru IPA pair well with the rich flavors of the pintxos, cleansing your palate for another round of tasty bites.
Our beer flight at The Bottle Shop ends with the Anderson Valley Heelch O' Hops Imperial IPA (P 350), with 8.7% ABV and 100 IBU rating. The full-bodied and robust hoppy notes come through in this brew with a solid flavorful punch (that is, after all, 100 IBU). The progressive sequence of the beer flight is perfectly capped with the strong hoppy and bitter notes of the brew, reflecting the different nuances and character of each brand. Now that you've taken the beer flight, the next round is yours to discover and enjoy, with over a hundred brews to take you on your next flight.
Or you can take another route and cap your flight with one of world's best single malts, and it's not even from Scotland. The Kavalan Solist Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky adds that exclamation point to any tasting flight, and you can find this too at The Bottle Shop. Aged in Spanish sherry casks, this special edition Taiwanese single malt is velvety smooth, with hints of dried fruits and spices playing with mild coffee notes. Take it neat, or with an ice cube to release even more notes, it's the perfect ending to another tasting flight at The Bottle Shop.
But before heading home, don't forget to ask The Bottle Shop's servers about their special Grab-To-Go packs with your favorite craft beer, and take a piece of the The Bottle Shop experience home.
A sampling of the world's best artisan craft brews for my own tasting flight, only from The Bottle Shop. Ready for your own tasting flight? Check in at The Bottle Shop's newest branch at The Fort, and prepare for take off...
The Bottle Shop is located at the Ground Floor, Net One Center, 26th Street corner 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City or call 886-6939 for more information and inquiries.
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