Tanduay, Embassy, and Ginto Gift Boxes Now Available at SHOTS.PH

If you’re still looking for the perfect gift to give yourself and your loved ones this Christmas, head on over to SHOTS.PH for a great selection of Tanduay. Embassy, and Ginto box sets.

From only PhP150 and up, the institutional gift boxes come in four selections. There’s the 600 ml Ginto gift box that comes with a complimentary shot glass. Ginto is Tanduay’s barrel-aged gin that’s been gaining customers who want more than just the usual gin. It is a complex mix of sweet and spicy flavors with hints of fresh botanicals. Being aged in oak wood barrels for six months produces its golden sunset color.

For friends who love whisky, there’s the 750 ml Embassy Whisky gift box that comes with a branded rock glass. Embassy Whisky is a smooth blend of malt whisky and fine spirits aged in oak barrels. This aging process produces its distinct taste and aroma.

If you prefer rum, there’s the 700 ml Tanduay Select gift box that also comes with its branded rock glass. Tanduay Select is a unique blend of cane spirits derived from choice sugarcane and has a suave 60 proof.

One of Tanduay’s most-awarded rums is also available in a box set for a limited time. Tanduay Double Rum is made from a blend of rums aged for 16 years and 5 years. They are placed in bourbon barrels for two years. This ageing process produces its harmony of caramelized pineapple, toasted nuts, cherry, vanilla, and tropical fruit flavors. The Tanduay Double Rum gift box comes with a free rock glass.

The gift boxes are available until supplies last, so don’t wait until it’s almost Christmas to buy your gifts. And while you’re on the site, why not stock up on your gin, whisky, and rum supplies for the holidays as well? Any purchase from the online store comes with a freebie. Stocks are limited, so start shopping now.

Tanduay Rum Awarded Medals in Spirits Awards Belgium

Dubbed “The United Nations of Fine Spirits”, the international competition rewards spirits from across the globe. It has a panel of internationally renowned experts assessing and classifying whiskies, cognacs, brandies, rums, vodkas, and gins, among others.

Tanduay products continue to gain recognition from prestigious spirits competitions abroad. Most recently, Tanduay Asian Rum Gold and Tanduay Asian Rum Silver were both awarded silver medals at the Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial in Brussels, Belgium.

“There are many fine spirits around the world, and we are honored that our products have been chosen as two of the best. We accept this recognition with both pride and humility, and we thank all our people for their hard work and dedication in continuous-ly crafting quality products that are proudly Philippine-made.” ~Paul Lim, Tanduay Distillers, Inc. Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing

The Tanduay Asian Rum Gold is one of the company’s most-awarded products. Aged in used Bourbon barrels for seven years, it is silky smooth with elegant flavors, almonds, dried dark fruits, and island spices. 

The Tanduay Asian Rum Silver has also received several recognitions throughout the years. It is aged in used Bourbon barrels for five years and had hints of dried tropical fruits, vanilla, and toasted coconut.

This year, Tanduay continued to expand its international presence when it inked deals with top wines and spirits distributors from several U.S. states. Its U.S. presence now encompasses Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Wisconsin, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Tennessee, and Michigan, and the territory of Guam.

Tanduay has also expanded its market in China and entered Singapore. The company is likewise working on its distribution in Europe.

Aggressive Expansion, International Partnerships Push Tanduay Rhum to Number 1 Spot Anew

“Being declared the World’s Number 1 Rum for the third year is an achievement not just for Tanduay but for the entire country as our products are proudly Philippine-made using materials sourced locally. We celebrate this feast with our fellow Filipinos and we thank our international partners who have helped us market Tanduay globally. At present, we are working toward bringing Tanduay to Europe as rhum sales in the region outstripped gin. The value of rhum in Europe is growing faster than volume, which is very encouraging because that suggests premiumisation leading the industry to long-term growth prospects. Nowadays, drinkers have a more developed taste when it comes to their drink of choice. Aside from rhum, we are also exploring other spirit categories to supply markets here and abroad.” ~Paul Lim, Tanduay Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing 

Early this year, Tanduay won five medals from the Beverage Testing Institute. Tanduay Asian Rum Gold topped the list with a gold medal. Silver medals, meanwhile, were awarded to Tanduay Asian Rum Silver and Boracay Cappuccino Flavored Rum. Tanduay Double Rum and Boracay Coconut Flavored Rum both received bronze medals.

Tanduay‘s international partnerships and global expansion bolstered its worldwide sales, making it the world’s top-selling rum for the third consecutive year. Tanduay Rhum sold 20.5 million cases in 2019, an increase from its 20.1 million cases in 2018, according to Drinks International magazine which hands out the awards. Tanduay products are currently available in Florida, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Michigan, and Guam in the U.S, and will be available in Hawaii, Indiana, Nevada, and Minnesota within the year.

The company has also successfully entered the markets of China, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Australia.

It was in 2018 that Tanduay first dislodged Bacardi on the top spot of the world’s number one rum list. The following year, the Filipino rum maintained its leadership against 153 other brands in the category.

Tanduay is currently working on expanding its product portfolio for both local and international markets.

Tanduay Partners with Octopus Distribution Now Available in Singapore

“Partnering with the Octopus Group is part of our effort to bring Tanduay to the global market. We are glad to finally make our products available to our kababayans in Singapore and at the same time introduce them to the Singaporeans.” ~Tanduay President and COO Lucio K. Tan, Jr

Present during the rooftop launch in Singapore were (from left) Mr. Paul Lim, SVP for Marketing, Tanduay Distillers Inc.; Mr. Marc Ngo, Senior Brand Manager, Tanduay Distillers Inc.; Mr. Daniel Schwalb, Chief Commercial Officer, Octopus Group; Ms. Dato Elaine-Teh, Executive Chairman, Octopus Group; Mr. Lucio K. Tan Jr., President and COO, Tanduay Distillers Inc.; Mr. Matthew Ruscoe, Managing Director, Octopus Group; Ms. Karlu Tan-Say, Director of Eton Properties; Ms. Jane Ong , AVP for Exports, Tanduay Distillers Inc.; and Mr. Roy Sumang, Asst. Manager for Business Development, Tanduay Distillers Inc.

Tanduay increased its market share abroad by expanding its distribution networks. It is currently available in the USA, Germany, China, UAE, Guam, and Australia. In 2017, it further amplified its marketing initiatives. From that year, it experienced a two-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 86.25% in its export business.

Mr. Lucio K. Tan Jr., President, and COO, Tanduay Distillers Inc.

Tanduay Distillers, Inc. recently entered into a partnership with Octopus Distribution Networks, the leading distributor for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in Singapore, to further its international expansion plan.

To celebrate the deal, it held a rooftop launch at the Octopus Building in Ubi Road 3 in the Lion City. With the theme "Tanduay Sunset Party", the event was attended by Tanduay President Lucio K. Tan, Jr., the executives, and staff of the Octopus Group, F&B directors, restaurant owners, bar managers, and members of the media. Tanduay's resident mixologist, Dondz Bolante, served high-end cocktails such as the Guava-Basil Mint, Tanduay Negroni, Manila Mule, and Basil Mojito.

After the party, the Octopus Group held a trade launch at El Mesa in Clarke Quay. Attendees enjoyed free-flowing mojitos, Dondz special macadamia sour as well as Lechon while being entertained by El Mesa's in-house bands.

Tanduay’s international marketing initiatives include creating a presence in both sports and entertainment. It has a partnership with the Golden State Warriors, making it the first Philippine brand to sponsor an NBA team. It has naming rights to the Tanduay Club in the Oracle Arena, and Tanduay Rum can be found at retailers in the Golden State Warriors’ blue and gold “Strength in Numbers” collectible boxes in California.

Declared the World’s Number One Rum by Drinks International for two consecutive years, Tanduay has received numerous awards from international bodies, the most recent of which were from the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).

Tanduay is also the official rum of the Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets. It has been a Presenting Sponsor of the 40/40 CLUB and an Associate Sponsor of the arena's Brooklyn Show platform.

Tanduay has also previously sponsored and will continue to sponsor the Emmy Awards this year.

Major Festivals in Bacolod celebrated Tanduay’s Rum Fest

“Fortunately for us, Tanduay really invested into this. It made the Rum Festival a reality and a big success, judging from its initial staging. It started with a big bang, and this big bang would resonate for sure in the years to come. For our other festivals, it was a case of holding the festival first, testing it, then later on legitimizing it through the legislative process,” Mayor Leonardia said. “This one (Rum Festival) was an ordinance before it became a festival. I consider myself an accidental politician. It all started when I got involved with the Masskara Festival. I was the one who drafted the constitution and by-laws of the Masskara Foundation. When I received invitations to run, I decided to join, run like it was another student council election. Even if you don’t have much money, if the people want you, you could become mayor. When you’re in tourism, you have to be people-oriented. You also go to a lot of places, your horizons get widened, your views become broader, and you get insights. You learn to think of the total development of the community and society. If you think about it and look back, we should be asking ourselves why we haven’t done this earlier. When you talk of rum, you talk about it being a derivative of sugar, and Bacolod is a city that has developed and prospered because of the sugar industry. It made us so rich, and it has also made us poor. It had its ups and downs. The Bacolodnons are the kind of people who are basically happy. We enjoy life. We know how to celebrate. We know how to spend our money. It’s a natural habitat for festivals, and this is the right place to hold the Rum Festival.” ~Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia , Bacolod City Mayor

Bacolod City, The City of Smiles is more than just a welcoming heartwarming smile but a lot more of celebrations. Headed by Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia now has six major festivals in its annual roster with the recent inclusion of the Rum Festival sponsored by Tanduay. This makes Bacolod the city with the most number of major festivals in the Philippines.

Hon. Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Bacolod City Mayor

In staging the first Rum Festival in the country, Mayor Leonardia it’s only fitting that it should be held in Bacolod. Mayor Leonardia likewise pointed out that Bacolod is a good place to hold festivals because of its people.

When he finally threw his hat into the political arena, he emerged as the number one councilor in his first try. He received a record number of votes, even more than those of the mayor or vice mayor during that time.

In the next election, he won again, this time as vice mayor. When he finally decided to run for mayor, he successfully toppled the ruling dynasty in his city. Heading the dynamic city of Bacolod, Mayor Leonardia cited his experience working in the Tour-ism Department as a factor in helping him deal with people and visitors.

Mayor Leonardia was president of the Student Council when he was studying Law at the University of Negros Occidental. he had specifically included a provision that said the chairman of the Masskara Foundation should not hold an elective position. Later on, Mayor Leonardia would come to the realization that the kind of involvement he had with the Masskara Festival was something that he was inclined to do.

Tanduay Rum Festival Court Painting

Held from Aug. 17 to 24, the week-long event is the first of its kind in the country. Known as the Tanduay Rum Festival, the event paid homage to the humble sugarcane as well as celebrated the Filipinos’ skill in the visual arts, culinary arts, mixology, dance, and music. For eight days, Bacolodnons participated in the Barrel Art Painting contest, basketball court painting, Culinaria and Mixology competitions, 5K Rum Run, float parade, street dance contest, and a concert headlined by iconic rock band Sandwich.

The Rum Festival was staged after an ordinance was passed declaring the third week of August as the date for holding the Rum Festival. In the ordinance, its author, former City Councilor Em Legaspi-Ang cited how Bacolod has been dubbed as the “Sugar Capital of the Philippines” and is the “home of the world’s largest selling rum.”

The Rum Festival joins Bacolod’s major festivals that include the Masskara Festival in October, the Bacolaodiat in January, Diwali in November, Chicken Inasal in May, and Halandumon in June.

Hosting festivals is not something new for Mayor Leonardia, who has been involved with the initial staging of the Masskara Festival—Bacolod’s most popular cultural celebration. He used to head the Masskara Foundation, and he has also worked for the Department of Tourism before running for public office after the EDSA Revolution.

Tanduay’s Double Rum Received Top Honors

“We are honored to receive these awards. They are testaments to our commitment to making world-class products and highlighting the craftsmanship of the Filipino. Tanduay Double Rum embodies the value of paying tribute to all the men and women behind Tanduay’s success—one that is distinctly Filipino. It is Filipino rum at its finest, one that is meticulously crafted and will surely satisfy the discerning taste of rum connoisseurs around the world.” ~Lucio “Bong” Tan, President and Chief Operating Officer of Tanduay Distillers, Inc.

Among thousands of spirits across the globe, Tanduay Double Rum was adjudged as one of the best by the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America and the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).

Tanduay Double Rum received the gold medal from the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America and the silver medal in the SFWSC. Almost 3,000 spirits joined the latter’s competition this year, the largest in its 19-year history.

Filipino Rum at Its Finest

Tanduay has a full range of rums that are categorized according to their type (dark, gold, white), proof (alcohol strength), age, and character.

Tanduay Double Rum is a blend of 2 aged reserves—16-year-old rum and 5-year-old rum that is aged in the barrel for another 2 years. It is produced in small batches with a minimum run of only 5,000 bottles per production. It is a “sipping rum” that belongs to the cognac level of spirits.

Other Major Awards

Tanduay has likewise received top honors for its other spirits. Tanduay White Rum and Tanduay Dark Rhum also received the gold medal from the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. Its 

Tanduay Asian Rum Gold and Tanduay Boracay Cappuccino Flavored Rum, meanwhile, were awarded silver medals.

The SFWSC likewise honored Tanduay Asian Rum Gold, Tanduay Asian Rum Silver, Tanduay Boracay Cappuccino Flavored Rum, and Tanduay White Rum with silver medals. Both Tanduay Dark Rhum and Tanduay Boracay Coconut Flavored Rum received bronze medals.

Tanduay has a rich tradition of rum-making. As it marks its 165th year in the Philippines, it celebrates its tradition of quality and likewise works towards environmental sustainability to continue making products that Filipinos can be truly proud of.

Mr. Lucio K. Tan, Jr., President, COO of Tanduay Distillers Inc. Charts “Sustainable” Future of LT Group!

“Our thrust is to participate and develop clean and renewable energy projects for our sustainability...reduce our carbon footprint to underscore our commitment to help mitigate the effects of climate change. I believe this is incumbent upon us as a responsible corporate entity, where we can invest in technologies that will unravel economic opportunities for the group and our employees. Kapitan (Lucio Tan Sr.) made a strategic move to take one step backward in the hope of moving forward, a strategy that teaches us how to realize our future by our sacrifices of today. Next year, Asian Alcohol will begin its biofuel production. Like Absolut Distillers, it will blaze new paths and return to its old glory. I cannot wait to find out how we will fare against the best of the best. Tanduay will grow its assets to compete and be even more relevant in the liquor industry. Macroasia is going full blast with our thrust to address the future of water…our Chairman (Lucio Tan Sr.) has already been building dams to compliment the farmers with their harvest up north. We are now investing more in this valuable liquid. I believe that the world opens up to those who know where they are going,” he said, adding that, “So, let us, as one company, stay focused, and get this dream going towards our goals.” ~Mr. Lucio K. Tan, Jr., President, and Chief Operating Officer, Tanduay Distillers Inc.

Mr. Lucio K. Tan, Jr., President, and Chief Operating Officer, Tanduay Distillers Inc.

Mr. Lucio K. Tan Jr. recalled the hardwork and dedication of his father Lucio C. Tan, who is the man behind the success of the companies under the LT Group, but stressed the need to “deliver the future of the Group.” 

Lucio K. Tan Jr. gave a glimpse of the sustainable future that the companies under the Lucio Tan (LT) Group will undertake and emphasized the need to develop clean and renewable energy projects during the company’s recent year-end gathering. 

In his customary year-end message, Tan Jr. encouraged his company executives to develop an ability to “go on offensive business mode” to adapt to a changing world advocating technologies that are environmentally-responsible and help ease the impacts of climate change. 

The younger Tan revealed the revival of Asian Alcohol Corp. next year. It can be recalled that the operation of the Bacolod-based facility was temporarily suspended eight years ago. 

Mr. Lucio K. Tan, Jr., President, and Chief Operating Officer, Tanduay Distillers Inc.

Located in a 10-hectare plant, Asian Alcohol Corp. was the second largest distillery in the Philippines. The plant houses alcohol aging and wastewater treatment facilities, which converts distillery waste into biogas energy for its power requirements. It used to have a daily rated capacity of 210, 000 liters of quality ethyl alcohol.

With this development, Tan Jr. said, Asian Alcohol Corp. is expected to be patterned after the success of Absolut Distillers Inc. in Batangas, which has made more than Php 880M from its bioethanol operations since 2015. 

On the other hand, he also revealed, Absolut Distillers has commissioned a six-effect evaporator as part of its continuous improvement and wastewater treatment upgrade. Next year, a pot still distillery will be added to its operation together with a small mill.

For Tanduay Distillers, according to him, this coming year, the company is expected to sell 20 million cases. Part of the growth plans is Tanduay’s more aggressive operations in pursuing the Luzon market and continued exploration of markets outside the country. 

He also divulged that one of the companies under the group, Macroasia, will be going into "full blast" next year. 

Roots for Boracay From Grassroots Sports

“We understand the need to lessen our impact by making our operations cleaner and greener. We do not just want to make the best rhum in the Philippines, bet we want everyone to know that our rhum is made with good intentions and we hope to improve our operations year after year. We want our consumers to know that every bottle of Tanduay that they drink is made from green intentions and green energy. Before we took over Tanduay, there have been cases filed against its practices pertaining to pollution. We said, let us clean up first. We started investing in technologies that we are using in our Absolut distillery in Batangas in order to reduce our carbon footprint. It was a long process, and we did it. When we first got there, we already saw the amount of solid waste that lay among the mangroves. Before we started reforesting the area, we needed to have it cleaned up. It took awhile to bring together the various people who will help us in our quest to get hold of the right to implement our project to clean up and re-plant in order to stop the continuous degradation of the mangroves in that area of Boracay.” ~Lucio “Bong” Tan,  Jr., Tanduay President

Gerry Tee, Chief Operating Officer of Absolut Distillers

Tanduay President Lucio “Bong” Tan, Jr. has been actively supporting grassroots sports through an initiative known as Tanduay Athletics. Tan is the backer of Batangas Tanduay Athletics that is now the team lording over the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) founded by Sen. Manuel Pacquiao.  The league replaced a former regional basketball league that supports grassroots basketball. 

Beyond sports, Tan is also passionate about green initiatives. He himself was on top of the transformation to a zero-waste facility of Absolut Distillers, Tanduay’s alcohol distillery based in Lian, Batangas. The facility bagged numerous environmental awards, including the prestigious Green Apple Awards, an annual international campaign to recognize, reward and promote environmental best practices around the world. Absolut Distillers is the only local distillery to have received this award up to this day. The company likewise has since been a recipient of awards by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for their outstanding environment conservation practices.      

Tan continued, adding that, they have started investing in solar energy as a cleaner alternative as well. The Tanduay president further shared that the concern for the environment sprang from the knowledge that the distillery industry is considered as one of the dirtiest.

Now, Tan would like to bring public attention to a project he started in 2011 to protect what little is left of the old Boracay. The island has been noted as one of the world’s top destinations, but it has encountered controversy lately due to the amount of pollution that has been plaguing the once-pristine paradise. There are talks of a government shutdown to tourists in order to rehabilitate the natural landscape.  Tan pioneered the project “Roots for Boracay” to save the last mangroves in the island.

He noted that if the mangroves have not been cut down indiscriminately, the problems being faced by Boracay today would have been much lesser. There would be no need to set up expensive artificial waste treatment facilities for the island’s recovery, as the mangrove roots will naturally filter water waste. According to him, Boracay is far from any of his business interests, but the need to respond to an impending crisis was what drove him to act. 

  

But Tan had the right man on his side to make sure his visions will be realized. Gerry Tee is the chief operating officer of Absolut Distillers. He is the same person with whom his father Lucio Tan Sr. entrusted the green transformation of the Batangas alcohol distillery. With the help of Tee, they engaged the Tan Yan Kee Foundation led by Philip Sing to gather a 200-strong workforce that began the clean up efforts in Barangay Manoc Manoc, where the mangroves are located. They have gathered four truckloads of garbage by the time they finish cleaning the mangroves area.

Lucio “Bong” Tan,  Jr., Tanduay President

He added that aside from building the infrastructures and replanting mangroves, the mission of the project is to showcase that part of Boracay that is often neglected so people can know what it takes to protect the beaches that tourists love so much.   

“To protect Boracay, it is important to go down to its roots. In this case, we seek the last frontier of Boracay – the mangroves. It is where the fish and other sea creatures get nutrients, it is where life starts. Without the mangroves, the island would also cease to exist, as it protects the island from typhoons. The beautiful fine white sand will go back to the sea because their roots are the ones holding the island together. So much has been cut down to make way for real estate, others cut them down for firewood. A portion is also dying out because a road development cut off the water supply. With Roots For Boracay, people have begun to understand what needs to be done. Boracay is only part of the market for Tanduay, we are more concerned about our legacy. It is not about Tanduay, it is about the locals – their subsistence, their livelihood, and their existence. Tanduay is just there as a vehicle to raise awareness. If Boracay is closed down, people will move on to Palawan. This has happened before, just look at how Matabungkay deteriorated. The issue is lack of awareness, and we are trying to address that with our project. It is about moving forward, and we can all help in our own little way, by doing things like picking up a cigarette butt and not throwing your garbage just anywhere. It was a directive from the Chairman, Mr. Lucio Tan to follow the concept of sustainable development, where we do not profit at the expense of the environment. We make sure that everything we do is about reducing our carbon footprint and become more independent from the environment where we do not use to dump our waste.” ~Gerry Tee, Chief Operating Officer of Absolut Distillers

The project had partnered with the local government unit, the DENR, and concerned non-government organizations to come up with a sustainable development in the area which involves the locals, educating them about the importance of the mangroves to their island.

The Tanduay executives underscored that it is not about the company, which has also instituted other environmental campaigns in partnership with the Tan Yang Kee Foundation such as The Canopy Project, which replants trees in the denuded forests in the North.

They cautioned that if the lack of concern for the environment continues in the name of profit, Boracay will not be the only one. They said that the plans of shutting down Boracay will hurt a lot, but from their perspective of what they have seen in the mangrove forest, it could be a one-step-backward, two-steps-forward situation.