Hey, Brew! (Team Tikim visits Bogsbrew)

Saturday, April 2, 2011

WHO knew? If a teetotaler like me has no business trying out beer, then what was I doing in the newly built antiseptic brewery of Architect Bugoy Hagad?

Set on a 10-hectare piece of wooded land in Fortune Towne, the brewery is a small white structure - the new home of local beer brand Bogsbrew. He and his wife own and manage Art Energy, an architectural/interior design firm and furniture manufacturing company. So, if you know where Art Energy's factory is, you'll know where Bogsbrew brewery is located.

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Started in 2007, Bogsbrew was a 25-year-old dream that refused to go away. Arch. Hagad says, "Back in college, a classmate tried his hand at brewing beer. It was an unsuccessful attempt, but it got me thinking: why don't I try it, too? That was 1982, more or less."

"I finally got hold of my first batch of brewing ingredients in 2007, and tried my hand in it. After about a year of trying, I was starting to get the hang of it, but I wasn't satisfied. On my third year, 2010, I've finally gotten good reviews."

Another reason why Mr. Hagad got into beer brewing was "geographical. Negros is a sugar-producing island, and one of the ingredients in beer is sugar. We have lots of sugar, why not try it in beer?"

"My hunch was right. I now make two beer variants, both of which use our very own muscovado sugar. I add to this organic rice, corn, and wild bee honey, and now I can proudly claim I have created an original Negros naturally-brewed beer."

A lot of trial and error had gone into perfecting the Bogsbrew recipe, considering that its creator is self-taught. His girlfriend then (his wife now nee Cathy Sicangco) was acquainted with a brewmaster in the States whom Bugoy corresponded with and "helped me get my act together."

At the brewery, Bugoy proceeds to show us around and explains the process of brewing.

"Beer making is challenging. You have to know what is happening every step of the way. I prepare my equipment and ingredients days in advance, because preparations cannot be done in one day."

For example, I like to sanitize my equipment the afternoon before brew day, because it would take up too much time needed for brewing if I did it on brew day. The brewing process takes about eight hours, by the way."

Barley, the base malt's main ingredient is germinated in water, just like bean sprouts, to release the enzymes. The whole process of beer making takes twelve days, including aging. The results are Bogsbrew which is akin to a popular beer's classic brand, and Primo which is a light-colored beer closer to the Pilsen that we know. Both have only four-percent alcohol content.

Bugoy shows me a bottle of Primo and points out to the sediment. He said I should drink that up because that's partly sugar and partly yeast, which is rich in vitamin B complex. In other words, drink up to be healthy.

By the way, products of small, independent breweries are also known as "craft beer."

Business is good, but because it's new and people are just trying it out, birth pains are likely to be experienced. The good news is, it's gaining momentum. Which establishments carry Bogsbrew? Bugoy enumerates, "A few establishments carry my beer, specifically Cafe Bob's Deli, Korean Grill and Bar, Cafe Uma etc. Bob's resto in Paseo de Magallanes, CaB Gelato in Kapitolyo-Pasig, and the organic fairs in Manila are the newest clients."

At the University Courtyard where we had an honest-to-goodness beer-and-pulutan evening, Team Tikim had the time of their lives. That was a cool Friday night under the stars when Bugoy entertained us with Bob's grilled classic Negrense offerings at student-friendly prices such as li-og (P18 for 3), wings (P38 for 3), even tokwa't baboy (P45/bowl) and the to-die-for fried isol (P55/order).

Never mind the cholesterol, the smells of roasting meat wafting through the chilly air made us all hungry. Bambi Borromeo, Glady Tumolto, and erstwhile member Raymond Bayot, and beer-drinking couple Raymund and Yves Javellana didn't complain at all.

If we have to die, this is the way to live. These we enjoyed with Primo beer. Whew! Busog gid ya.

But we discovered that we had room for more and "more" was Bob's Flat Iron Steak, called such because of the way it is cut... like a flat iron and against the grain. At P280 per order, we were served flame-broiled US Angus flank steak with buttered vegetables and a large cheese-topped baked potato.

By this time, our tongues were loosening, thanks to the second bottle, this time, of Bogsbrew. As the evening progressed (hic) the group became louder and more boisterous (hic). Of course, it paid to have Raymund J spicing up the night with all his "hirits". He just loved picking on me and I didn't mind. I felt so magnanimous that evening and felt like kissing everyone including the waiter. Must be the beer.