Tayabas Lambanog

If you’re particularly searching for the most traditional way of drinking (inuman) in the Philippines, you shouldn’t miss this place in Quezon called City of Tayabas. The art of drinking has its own roots in every place but all are one in the name of spirit and tradition, that is celebration! And there has got to be something special that we look forward to in drinking in this city, where traces of history can be found in every street you trek.

What else could that be but the famous coco vodka – “lambanog.” Lambanog is a famous drink among Filipinos and you can find one of the richest and most flavorful beverages only in Tayabas.

So how do we go about the making of lambanog? Made from the nectar of flowers of coconut trees (where Quezon Province is the leader of plantation in Southern Tagalog), this is then distilled and made into lambanog. But this is not how easy the process is because getting all the flowers from coconut trees could be a really difficult task. Men of the locality will climb up these trees and would cross from one tree to another using a long bamboo tree that is connected to the tress. What only make it look easy is that this isn’t simply a business they run but has been part of their culture. Another interesting thing about this vodka is its flavor. As time went by, local distillers from this town have defined the richness of the taste of lambanog. You can now see it colorful bottles with flavors such as bubble gum, mango, calamansi and the like.

So, if one of these days you’ll come by in this town, drink lambanog in the art they keep. The Tayabenses way of drinking is simple. It is usually coupled with songs accompanied by a guitar player (who is also part of the “inuman”). One common glass (tagayan) is placed on the table and is shared by everybody which symbolizes their common level in the society and of course, camaraderie. And when it is your turn to take your “tagay” you would have to say “Tagay ko!” before taking that round. This scene can take place either on side streets, inside the house or under a tree in any time of the day. Men and even the ladies take part in this session. A man shouldn’t be so surprised if a lady can knock him up in drinking lambanog because they have surely mastered the art!