Region & History

Since when has beer been brewed in Manila? The answer has an exact date: On September 29, 1890, the feast day of Saint Michael, La Fábrica de Cerveza San Miguel opened on Calzada de Malacañan. The brewery borrowed its name from the district of San Miguel, where it stood. Enrique María Barretto had obtained a royal licence from Spain for the venture.

At the time, the Philippines had been a Spanish colony for more than three centuries. Until then, beer had come into the country mainly as an import, alongside tuba, a palm wine made from coconut sap. Brewing a European-style lager in the middle of the tropics was a genuine gamble.

Pedro Pablo Roxas soon came on board as managing partner and brought in the German brewmaster Ludwig Kiene as technical director. According to the company's own history, within six years the brewery was selling five times as much as the imported brands. In 1895, the beer won its first major award at the Philippines' regional exhibition.

Spanish rule ended in 1898, after which the Philippines came under American administration. San Miguel was incorporated as a company in 1913; by then, according to the company's history, imported beer accounted for only 12 percent of consumption. Market observers today estimate the brand's share of the local market at around 90 percent.

San Miguel calls itself the "oldest brewery in Southeast Asia," though this is a self-description rather than an official title. The brewery is now part of the Philippine San Miguel Corporation. Spain's Mahou San Miguel also carries the name, but the two groups are separate companies linked only by a cooperation agreement. There is no protected designation of origin for beer from Manila — Pale Pilsen is a brand name, not a protected place name.