The sidequest for beer continues! One of my main motivations for traveling these days is to check out new opened craft beer spots or revisit old favorites. Aside from doing the Taal Lake Loop, one of the main reasons I wanted to revisit Tagaytay was to check out Papa Bolo.
Papa Bolo is a relatively new brewery in Tagaytay City which opened last June 2022. The huge brewpub serves quality Filipino craft beer brewed with local ingredients along with upscale food to match.
While the typical craft beer spots in the Philippines are usually just small, hole-in-the-wall joints, Papa Bolo is a huge three-story industrial building with aesthetic barrel booth seating areas and an al fresco roof deck area from where you can look down at the bar system.
The building itself is hard to miss because it’s located directly across from Sky Ranch in Tagaytay.
Klook.comIn terms of ambiance, I’d say this is ideal for date nights or celebrations with friends. If you’re traveling with family, you could also bring kids along, as there’s a small game area with a foosball table and mini-pool to keep them occupied while you drink.
Papa Bolo currently has six core craft beer varieties on tap, all priced at P275 per glass:
- Tsokmate – Chocolate Porter – ABV 6.7% | IBU 25
- Pina Niña – Pineapple Ale – ABV 5.2% | IBU 16
- Cowboy Classic – American Pale Ale – ABV 4.7% | IBU 44
- Barkada Bliss – Bohemian Pilsner – ABV 5% | IBU 23
- Bad Pony – IPA – ABV 6.4% | 63
- Twin Suns – Double IPA – ABV 10% | IBU 57
To start off light, we tried the Pina Niña. The towns surrounding Tagaytay are known for their pineapple plantations, so this signature brew is a pineapple beer with pina produced by local farmers, in support of the community. It makes use of 100% Tagaytay Pineapples for a tart finish.
Next we had the Bad Pony IPA, a bitter-forward brew with notes of citrus, pine, and grapefruit.
Lastly, we tried the Twin Suns Double IPA, which is characterized by Juicy dry hops for bitterness balanced with lots of malt for sweetness.
We didn’t get to try the three other beers, but the Tsokmate Chocolate Porter is an English-style porter made with rich cocoa locally grown in Alfonso, Cavite
The Cowboy Classic is described as having light cereal and tropical notes with low bitterness. If you prefer your beer crisp and clean, the most sessionable beer would be the Barkada Bliss.
Papa Bolo has a food menu of refined appetizers and mains meant to match their beers. The dishes range from salads, soups, platters, and mains like Steak Frites (P985), Crispy Pata (P840), Soft-shell crab (P520), Wagyu Skewers (P480), and Chicken Lollipop (P460), to name a few. They also have a Beeramisu dessert of Stout Jelly, Ladyfingers, Stout Syrup, and Mascarpone.
We just tried the Mushroom Pizza topped with Sofrito, Marinara, Pesto Goat Cheese, Bacon and Mozzarella, and Fries, but I’d like to try more of their food next visit.
We visited early on a Friday night and I was surprised at how uncrowded the place was. While the barrel booths are the most requested seating area, the other spots are cool too. It’s hard to pick where to sit. If you want to enjoy the colder weather at night and breeze, you can stay in the al fresco roofdeck area.
As far as craft beer hangouts in the Philippines, Papa Bolo is the largest in the country so far. Seriously, it’s huge. It has its own elevator and an area where merch is displayed. You can take home exclusive merchandise like apparel for drinking, totes, caps and cans of Pina Nina beer (currently sold out during our visit).
The space is also open for venue rentals for business meetings, celebrations, events, media launches, parties, photoshoots, and more.
According to their website, Papa Bolo aims to be “a space that encourages both beer geeks and casual drinkers to embrace the craft of brewing.” It’s easy to see the appeal, as even non-beer drinkers would be interested in visiting the place, just for the look of it alone. If you happen to be in Tagaytay with friends or family, and want a new place to drink, Papa Bolo is definitely worth checking out.
Klook.comAddress: Papa Bolo, Corner Crisanto Delos Reyes Avenue, Tagaytay – Nasugbu Hwy, Kaybagal South, Tagaytay, 4120 Cavite.
- Business hours: Open Wed to Fri, 3 pm to Midnight, Sat, 11 am to Midnight, Sun to Mon, 11 am to 9 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
- Website: https://www.papabolo.com/