With High Spirits

When you feel tired or you want to unwind after a long day, how cool would it be to grab your favorite drink, or mix your own cocktail?

Mariana Zobel de Ayala, Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Bank Marketing, Platforms, and Digital Activation at BPI, has always been curious about food. During the pandemic, her interest in mixing cocktails grew. “My interest in cocktails went into overdrive during the early days of quarantine when my sister and I found ourselves with more time to experiment.”

Some of her favorite cocktail recipes are simple, and you can even find the basic ingredients at your local supermarket.

Mariana enjoys trying out new mixes and exploring different combinations, infusions, and elements to a cocktail drink. It became her way to reflect after a busy day and reconnect not just with herself but with friends too. “It’s a great way to connect with others. I have been lucky to enjoy many productive conversations (and songs) with colleagues and partners, while sharing a drink.”

In fact, she and some of her colleagues have been trying to do “cooler nights” once or twice after office hours. This is their way of welcoming the weekend and de-stressing after a productive work week. “It gave us space and opportunity to get to know each other more outside of Zoom, and outside of work. In many cases, this ‘off-hour’ time has helped us see a different side of each other as people, [and] beyond as colleagues, which I feel has helped our relationship within the work environment, and in getting things done more productively and efficiently.”

For Mariana, sharing cocktails is not just a way to recharge but also to enrich their personal and professional connections within Ayala and BPI. “It has definitely helped with creativity and thinking outside the box – more than anything, it has helped us connect on something outside of work, and understand each other better.”

But Mariana also reminds us to drink in moderation – to set limits for oneself. “It [should] only be enjoyed once a week or on a weekend. It gives a little something extra to look forward to wind the week down.”

Mariana is also passionate about self-care. She loves trying new cuisines and restaurants, going for walks, playing racquet sports, and indulging in skin care.

Favorite Cocktail Recipes
Straight from Mariana’s recipe book, try out, and do your own cocktail mixes at home.

Whiskey Ginger
The ginger makes it feel a little healthier – or at least that is what you can tell yourself.

2 shots bourbon whiskey
1 shot lime juice/dayap
½ shot fresh grated ginger
1/3 shot sweetener – whether simple syrup or agave

Add fresh ginger in a cocktail shaker and muddle until fine.
Add all remaining ingredients and ice to the cocktail shaker.
Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice.
Garnish with some fruit or ginger if you are feeling festive.

Kate’s Margarita
This is Mariana’s great-grandmother’s recipe. She was a Texan who knew her margaritas and clearly believed in making them in big batches for anyone who might walk into her door. (The recipe calls for one bottle!)

1 bottle tequila
3 cups lime juice
1/3 cup simple syrup, agave, or whatever your preference for sweetener

Shake with ice, and serve either straight-up or on ice. If in the mood for a frozen margarita, you can freeze the lime juice + simple syrup mix, and then just add the tequila and frozen mix into a blender (and fill with ice) when ready to go.

This same mix can be made with vodka and works just as well – a gimlet!

Bosco’s Picante
Her cousin Bosco, an F&B and hotel professional shared this recipe. It has a great kick and great to make with local Filipino sili.

Fresh chili
Wansoy/Cilantro Leaves
½ shot of agave
2 shots tequila
1 shot lime juice

Muddle fresh chili into a shaker, with a few wansoy / cilantro leaves. Then, add two shots of tequila. Put ½ shot of agave and 1 shot of lime juice freshly squeezed. Add ice, give it a shake, and strain into a glass with some crushed ice.

Weekender
Easy to make in big batches / for big groups – a party-starter for sure.

2 shots Light rum / Dark rum / whatever you have
2 shots pineapple juice
1 shot orange juice
1 shot lime juice

Shake together, and serve on ice. Grenadine or Cointreau can add a special twist!

Oaxaca Old Fashioned
If you’ve got a deeper pantry and looking for something more unique, try this out.

1 shot reposado tequila
½ shot mezcal
1 tsp agave
1 dash angoustura
Orange peel

Combine in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled.
Hold a lighted match over drink, and heat up the orange peel until oils spark. Put out the used match and drop peel into cocktail.