It’s unclear when it happened, but locals have turned the universal Cuba libre into something that is now inherently part of Philippine drinking culture.
A bottle of good old Tanduay rum and cans of Coke will share a table with a bucket of ice cold San Miguel beer on any given night, when locals are at their regular haunt, gathering over the drunken dishes of the night. The Filipino rum and coke is a simple concoction that brings on immediate, down-the-hatch, inebriated satisfaction. The sweet notes of each beverage come together to make a drink that is almost confection-like on the palate.
Here’s the dessert version of the ever-reliable libation: crisp waffles aerated with Coke, which has the light and lingering presence of the soda, and a dangerously addictive rum syrup that’s as thick as caramel, and as boozy as last night’s drink.
