Lambanog now sold in Asia and Europe.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

TAYABAS, Quezon-For the natives of this old town 143 kilometers southeast of Metro Manila and situated at the base of the mystic mountain of Banahaw, festive occasions will not be complete without the traditional "tagayan" or wine-drinking session in a single-glass ritual involving a repeated swig of the fiery coconut-based liquor popularly called "lambanog."

Young and old, man and woman, have all been initiated to the potent world liquor spirit through their first gulp of lambanog.

For local wine connoisseurs, the most reliable test of the liquor's potency is when its drip produces a bluish fire when lighted, due mainly to its 90-percent alcohol content.

"Lambanog making is one of the main livelihood of most Tayabasin. Just mention lambanog and what will be uttered next is Tayabas. It's one of the town's principal industries," says Joselito Mallari (not related to the writer), owner of Mallari's Distillery, one of the biggest wine factories located in Barangay Lalo, just outside the town proper.

Lambanog is created from the dripping sap called "tuba" from the coconut flower. The sweet and frothy tuba-a rejuvenating drink by itself-is cooked through a process of natural fermentation and distillation that produces the chemical-free lambanog, the most sought product of Tayabas, once the capital of Quezon province, which was also named Tayabas.

Pita's lambanog