GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL, the gin in the dimpled bottle that you can find in virtually any store in the Philippines, can now be found in 12 countries.
This was announced on June 10 by Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. (GSMI), a subsidiary of San Miguel Corp., on June 10 at the Diamond Hotel, during a preview of the World Gin Day celebrations on June 14.
Ronald Rudolf Molina, GSMI marketing manager said in a speech, “You might be surprised that in some of these places, Ginebra San Miguel goes for as high as 20 dirhams. That’s about P310.” In a similar case, he saw that the gin, which would go for less than P150 for the big 700 ml size here at home, sells for about P1,000 in either New Zealand or Australia. Ginebra San Miguel is now present in the US, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Australia, Saipan, Hong Kong, Macau, India, the Cayman Islands, Japan, and New Zealand.
Mr. Molina also highlighted recent recognitions of their products by award-giving bodies: a gold from Monde Selection Quality Institute this year, and Double Gold Medals from the Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards for the GSM Blue Gin Pomelo flavor and their Ginebra San Miguel Premium last year. A bottle was also brought on a recent Mt. Everest expedition, making it to the very top.
“If you’re a Filipino and love the Philippines, it’s a source of great pride that our local spirits — the Filipino spirits — are actually making it on the world stage,” said Mr. Molina in a speech that evening, which had performances by rapper Boss Toyo and actress/singer Julie Ann San Jose.
On the price of the classic gin (about P150), and Ginebra San Miguel Premium (about P260; of more than comparable quality to several imported gins), Mr. Molina said, “That’s basically a decision. If we were to base it on the kind of quality that we’re making our gins, we could actually price it higher. But we want the average Filipino to have access to good quality gin. For us, it’s a service.”
They do have premium lines for export and domestic sale: there’s 1834, flavored with sampaguita and calamansi, retailing for about P1,700. The gin’s name is an homage to the distillery’s founding year. This was released in 2020, according to Mr. Molina. Late last year, they released Archangel Reserve Premium Dry Gin (P3,000), in an emerald-green bottle, which is flavored with various citrus fruits. “It’s a statement of capability,” he said about these premium releases.
“Ginebra’s been part of Philippine culture. It’s a liquor that the country… has actually patronized. It’s older than the Philippine Republic. Being truly Filipino is something that gives Ginebra San Miguel a position to celebrate the pride of the Filipino spirit,” said Mr. Molina.
For details on Ginebra San Miguel’s International Gin Day celebration, visit its Facebook page https://web.facebook.com/BarangayGinebra. — JL Garcia
