Ninth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

Craft beer is an emerging industry in the Philippines. This paper explores the intellectually stimulating networks of craft brewers and the quality of their relationships that enable their small industry to thrive. Through in-depth interviews and participant observation, the study also inquires into the lifeworld and habitus of craft brewers and how they got engaged from brewing their own beers at home to brewing for the market to creatively compete with commercial beers. Despite not having an endemic “Philippine beer”, this paper hopes to contribute to the literature by providing us with a peek into the production and consumption of craft beer in the Philippine context vis-a-vis global processes. It can also give us insights into how craft brewers construct and assert their notions of local identities in the process of brewing and presenting their beers. Lastly, this study can enlighten us on “new” ways of consuming: that beyond taste, we don’t just drink beer—we think and drink beer.