Gin is In During World of Gin Day

Board a flavor-packed flight through Manila’s most stylish gin celebration as Ginebra San Miguel redefines World Gin Day 2025 with global flair and Filipino pride.

Words Mika Reyes
Photos courtesy of Ginebra San Miguel
June 29, 2025

By the time the ballroom of Manila Diamond Hotel was transformed into a travel-inspired oasis of botanicals, juniper, and jet-set glam, it was clear—gin is having a moment across the world.

Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI), the name behind the world’s top-selling gin, curated an immersive celebration for World Gin Day 2025 that felt more like a first class flight to Paris than happy hour. The whole event was aviation-inspired with sensory storytelling and a jetstream of cool that ran through every expertly mixed cocktail. Aptly themed “Your World of Gin Experience,” the event offered a passport to taste, culture, and Filipino pride.

From Takeoff to Toast

This wasn’t your average tasting event—it was a luxurious layover between continents of flavor. The venue unfurled across three elevated chapters, each styled as a stopover on a global gin adventure:

Cool Botanica offered a walk-through garden where you could press juniper berries between your fingers and breathe in fragrant botanicals, embodying the spirit’s freshest notes.

Clear Archives nodded to gin’s noble past, styled as a mahogany-toned London pub with vintage flair, celebrating Ginebra’s award-winning heritage.

Versatile Bar & Lounge channeled a modern airport lounge where handcrafted cocktails like the Parisian Golden Halo or Manila’s own Pearl of the Orient flowed freely from chic Gin Carts manned by top TESDA-trained mixologists.

Celebrities, Culture, and Clear Statements

Ginebra’s celebration was a glamorous gathering of influencers, tastemakers, and passionate gin advocates. Public personalities like Boss Toyo, Atty. Oliver Moeller, and Mikee Quintos each headlined a “chapter” in gin’s journey—embodying the themes of cool, clear, and versatile. Their stories and cocktail picks offered more than entertainment; they gave gin a narrative for every kind of lifestyle.

Heartthrob lawyers and Limitless stars aside, the underlying motif was unmistakable: Filipino excellence in every pour. With seven consecutive Gold Seals from Monde Selection and a growing presence from Brussels to Bangkok, Ginebra is no longer just a national treasure—it’s a global statement.

A Destination in a Glass

To end on a high note (literally), performances from stars like Gabbi Garcia and Nik Makino lit up the stage, culminating in a ceremonial toast that unified local heritage with world-class aspirations. International ambassador Emma Stokes summed it up best: World Gin Day is now celebrated in over 36 countries—but in the Philippines, it’s celebrated with passion.

So yes, gin is in—cool, clear, and versatile. But in the Philippines, gin is also homegrown, world-renowned, and proudly ours.