Proudly Promdi Is Raising the Bar for Filipino Wines and Spirits
Honouring artisans and empowering them to take pride in their products was the driving force behind Ken Alonso’s bold creation of a brand that aims to showcase the Philippines’ drinking culture on the global stage.
15 January 2025
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Ken Alonso, founder and owner of Proudly Promdi, with two of their products, the Bielma Bugnay Fruit Wines and Pedronan Tapuey. | Photo: Proudly Promdi
Look up popular Filipino alcoholic drinks on the internet, and you’ll most likely come across San Miguel Pale Pilsen and Red Horse beers, Tanduay or Don Papa rum, or Emperador brandy. Unknown to many, the Philippines also prides itself on several native wines and spirits that are made by artisans in the provinces — ever heard of lambanog, tapuey, bignay wine, basi, or tuba?
Ken Alonso, a Filipino graphic designer, knew little about his country’s traditional alcoholic drinks until 2012. That year, his mother, involved in community development in Ilocos Norte, asked him to help repackage a native winemaker’s product. While managing his family’s beach resort in Pagudpud, Alonso took on the challenge, branding the wine as Bielma Bugnay Fruit Wine, after its founder, Dr Bielma Bawingan.
When the chance arose to join the Global Pinoy Bazaar, the novice entrepreneur showcased the bugnay wine alongside native cookies. “To my surprise, we sold out! Buyers loved the products,” he recalls.
Tapuey is a traditional rice wine made from malagkit (glutinous rice) and bubod (yeast). | Photo: Proudly Promdi
He continued participating in bazaars over the next couple of years, offering the same products. Until he discovered another native alcoholic drink while attending a relative’s wedding in the province of Ifugao, also in the northern region of the Philippines.
“I was looking for something to drink, like a bottle of beer, but I couldn’t find one. Then an elderly person told me to try tapuey. I enjoyed it. I finished three bottles. I woke up the next day not knowing how I got home. I just remember that it was really good,” he recalls with a laugh.
Tapuey (also known as tapuy or tapey) is a traditional Filipino rice wine made from malagkit (glutinous rice) and bubod (yeast). “It’s essentially our version of sake, soju, or makgeolli—but uniquely Filipino,” Alonso explains. “The difference lies in the rice varieties we use—black rice (balatinaw), brown, red, or white rice (bunkitan). This, combined with regional preparation methods and yeast types, gives each province’s wine its distinct flavour.”
Proudly Promdi’s Bugnay fruit wine is made by Dr. Bielma Bawingan and her community of winemakers in Adams, Ilocos Norte. | Photo: Proudly Promdi
The Birth of Proudly Promdi
Seeing the potential of tapuey, he decided to look for makers in the town of Adams, and that was how he met the Pedronan family. He offered to repackage their product, named it Pedronan Tapuey, and featured it, along with the Bielma Bugnay Fruit Wines, in the next bazaar he joined. “It was sold out!” he recalls.
It struck Alonso that many Filipinos, particularly those from Metro Manila, were unfamiliar with traditional wines, missing the chance to appreciate them.
This realisation inspired Proudly Promdi, a one-stop shop for Filipino spirits. The name reclaims “promdi”—short for “from the province”—a term once used derisively for rural Filipinos perceived as unsophisticated. “There’s a bias that provincial products are low quality, but it’s really about branding,” he explains. “We named the platform Proudly Promdi to encourage artisans to take pride in their creations—and they absolutely should.”
They now offer a mobile cocktail bar service, which caters to various events | Photo: Proudly Promdi
Expanding Horizons
Eventually, they also started offering other traditional Filipino artisanal spirits such as lambanog, a distilled spirit made from the sap of the coconut flower; basi, a fermented alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane juice; and tuba, an alcoholic beverage derived from the sap of palm trees, particularly the coconut or nipa palm. Among the lambanog brands that they carry are Destileria Limtuaco, Lakan, and Nipanog. They also market different Filipino gin from small distilleries like Siba Spark and Proclamation Gin. In addition to selling their products at bazaars and through their online liquor store, Alonso’s Proudly Promdi has expanded by collaborating with top fine-dining restaurants in the country, such as Toyo Eatery, Metiz, and Gallery by Chele to offer their products.
Proudly Promdi’s HOHOL events give drinks enthusiasts a chance to rediscover and celebrate locally made spirits and wines | Photo: Proudly Promdi
Proudly Promdi now offers a mobile cocktail bar service for events, blending tradition with a modern twist. “It started as a trendier way to showcase our tapuey and bugnay. As a drinking enthusiast, I naturally explored crafting cocktails, which turned out to be a promising move,” Alonso shares.
They’ve also launched the HOHOL (Hang Out Hang Out Lang) experience, inviting drink lovers to rediscover and celebrate local spirits.
Proudly Promdi has launched its line of bottled cocktails | Photo: Proudly Promdi
Alonso has bigger dreams for Proudly Promdi. This includes the launching of their physical store, and making their products available nationwide and also internationally. He’s likewise keen to discover more local winemakers from other provinces in the Philippines and put them in the spotlight.
“I had the honour of meeting Dr. Arturo Pacho, author of ‘In High Spirits: Traditional Wines of the Philippines.’ He was just telling me about the immense potential of Philippine spirits, that it’s simply a matter of people recognising them. Sometimes, we look too far to appreciate something when it’s right in front of us,” he says, smiling.
Author: Rhia Grana
Rhia Grana has over two decades of experience working as a writer and editor for various lifestyle publications in the Philippines. She enjoys penning interesting stories about culture, food, travel, and notable personalities. She currently holds the position of Managing Editor at Esquire Philippines.
