Quezon Province Business Directory

If you’re particularly searching for the most traditional way of drinking (inuman) in the Philippines, you shouldn’t miss this place in Quezon called Tayabas.

The art of drinking has its own roots in every place but all are one in the name of spirit and tradition, that is celebration! And there has got to be something special that we look forward to in drinking in this town, where traces of history can be found in every street you trek. What else could that be but the famous coco vodka – “lambanog.” Lambanog is a famous drink among Filipinos and you can find one of the richest and most flavorful beverages only in Tayabas.

So how do we go about the making of lambanog? Made from the nectar of flowers of coconut trees (where Quezon Province is the leader of plantation in Southern Tagalog), this is then distilled and made into lambanog. But this is not how easy the process is because getting all the flowers from coconut trees could be a really difficult task. Men of the locality will climb up these trees and would cross from one tree to another using a long bamboo tree that is connected to the tress. What only make it look easy is that this isn’t simply a business they run but has been part of their culture. Another interesting thing about this vodka is its flavor. As time went by, local distillers from this town have defined the richness of the taste of lambanog. You can now see it colorful bottles with flavors such as bubble gum, mango, calamansi and the like.

more about Lambanog

How To Get There:

From the town church, one can either walk or take a tricycle.

Brief Description: Recognized by the National Historical Commission as a national treasure in 1981, the fortress was constructed by the Spaniards under the leadership of franciscan father Francisco Coste.

Tayabas was noted during the place dotted with "Bayabas" (guava tree). One day, a special couple passing along the area ran out of provisions, and since their destination was still far, they decided to stop and look for food. The guavas were in season then, and the husband, sensing that the fruit could be edible, picked up a few and shared them with his wife. A native of the place happened to pass by and the couple, eager to know what they were eating, asked for the name of the fruit. The native answered "Bayabas", they misunderstood the word "Tayabas".

When they reached their destination, they spread the news about the abundance of the fruit laden trees and invited their friends to go and gather fruits. However, as years passed by, bayabas could be rarely found in this place, due perhaps to the great number of coconut trees that dominate the land.