A Filipino Party and Being Drink Conscious
I grew up religious, so there wasn’t a drop of alcohol in my house. I’m also Filipino, so I was no stranger to boozey parties with Titas drunkenly singing karaoke. At an early age I was figuring out how to navigate social drinking situations as assumptions from both groups - those who drank and those who didn’t - were made. Family members who drank felt that they needed to isolate themselves so as not to offend those who didn’t drink. In turn this made the family members who didn’t drink feel left out from events that were meant for family to be together. There was always some awkwardness in the air about drinking and I've come to learn that the issue of whether to drink or not to drink, be it for health or religious reasons, is an awkward social thing to navigate for many people.
For one sister, she loves a good cocktail, but hates the effect alcohol has on her physique. Oh, hey beer gut! She says it’s awkward when you’re with friends and you don’t have a drink. She wants more options to help moderate her alcohol intake. Another sister is working on her sobriety and relates to the awkwardness of not having a drink in hand especially since it means getting disparaging remarks from friends, “Oh, so you’re still doing that not drinking thing?” As for myself, I don’t drink, but I am fascinated by mixology and love a yummy non-alcohol and non-soda beverage. So it was really exciting to be introduced to Ghia. Shout out to Mari Andreatta of Isetta.Co for introducing me to the Mediterranean apértif! Mari also introduced me to Kasama Rum, a Filipina-owned small batch Rum. I love supporting Pinay owned businesses! Kasama in Tagalog means together, so in the spirit (no pun intended) of togetherness my sisters and I, along with some cousins, reunited for my first ever hosting of a Filipino family party.
After being apart for two years, we needed a reunion, but I kept in mind to not have it be like family gatherings of old. I wanted to be mindful of everyone’s drinking preference. I wanted a Filipino family party where no one was excluded. Everyone was on the same page about respecting our differing drinking preferences which made it natural and comfortable to enjoy games, share stories, and eat delicious Filipino food without the need to hide away to enjoy a drink or to shy away from saying they don’t drink in fear of demeaning jokes or lack of support. It was a Filipino family party with quality togetherness!
As the holiday season continues, I hope our celebration inspires more inclusive gatherings, where mixed drinking preferences can be respected. Happy celebrating!
How we drank GHIA
Ghia
Club Soda
Ice
Put it all together. Enjoy!
What the fam says about Ghia Drink:
“Ang Sarap! It’s delicious!”
“Oh, it taste like bitters! That’s good!”
How we drank Kasama Rum
Kasama Rum
Ginger Ale
Half of a mango
Slice a pretty design in the mango. This helps the rum and mango flavors get together.
Mix it all up. Enjoy!
What the fam says about Kasama Rum:
“Oh, that’s gooood!”
“It’s bright, tropical, and well-balanced flavors. Perfect spirit for year-round cocktails!”
Thank you to Issetta.Co for having Kasama Rum and Ghia sponsor drinks for this post. You can order these drinks online or check out Ghia stockists and Kasama Rum stockists. If you’re in Chicago, I also found Kasama Rum at Foremost Liquor. The owner is Filipino and we had a good exchange of how proud we are that Kasama Rum is from our home country. You can purchase Ghia Drink at any Foxtrot Market location.
We had our dinner catered by Boonie Food in Chicago.
The Kasama Rum and Ghia illustrations were created with watercolor, gouache, Caran D’ache wax pastel. You can purchase the illustrations here.
