Easily one of my favorite casual gatherings so far this 2015. I came with friends on the Saturday installment (it goes from Friday till Sunday), and despite the large traffic, it was a whole lot of fun.
Great venue and setup. I'm from the South of Manila, so Le Pavilion was very accessible to me. It was also far from the busy MOA and EDSA traffic, which provided the perfect quick, fun escape from all the city's weekend madness. The setup was nothing short of hip: Edison bulbs lining the tent ceilings, cute/hip furniture everywhere, there was a grass area for picnic-style munching and drinking, a foosball table in the middle of everything, and a large screen for viewing the FIBA Asia finals that night. Most fun of all, they even let pets roam around! It could get a bit hot especially when you're drinking beer al fresco, but it was part of the fun.
For someone who's not a big fan of beer (I'm more of a wine and cocktails guy), I especially LOVED the beer margarita from Mr. Graham's that comes in a pitcher. It was a mixture of calamansi juice, locally crafted beer, margarita, fresh dalandan, and other stuff I couldn't identify. This was definitely not something you can get from any bar in the metro, at least none that I know of.
Another must-try from Mr. Graham's is the Applie Pie Soda. Um, positively one of the best non-alcoholic drinks ever!!
With your beer or apple pie happiness, go have the Elote--corn on a cob covered with mayo, cheese and a bit of cayenne. My boss recommends squeezing a bit of calamansi for an extra layer of flavor.
It was a bit disappointing though how the food stalls (not the drinks) ran out of stock as early as 9pm. Perhaps because it was a Saturday? So try to come early if you're looking to have dinner there. Otherwise, I suggest just enjoying the drinks and a bit of snacking while feeling the cool, laidback vibe and live music, then heading out some place else in the area for a late night grub.
Overall, I think Brewfest Manila should be an annual thing. Definitely coming back next year! read more