“Our ginger bites, we don’t.” So goes this food stall’s tagline at the Greenhills weekend market. Displayed on a chopping board was fresh ginger and lemon with what appeared to be a beer bottle.
It turned out to be the fresh ginger ale which they were selling.
The prices were written on white chalk on a blackboard—PHP200 for the bottle and PHP100 for a cup. Quite pricey but when they let me try the chilled ginger ale, I had visions of how I will serve the drink when I have dinner guests at home.
It can be served chilled as is or with ice. It contains 2% alcohol. It could replace the cava or champagne that I usually serve with my starters. Hmm….so refreshing, so cool!
Marc and Johann See started selling this concoction in October 2013. The experimentation and development on the product was done over two years.
It started with a recipe that the See siblings found by chance in a beverage recipe cookbook, a gift from their mom who bought it 30 years ago.
Marc started experimenting and Johann helped after a few months by tweaking the original recipe. Both brothers had their friends, relatives and family for support as taste testers.
Once they hit the desired flavor, they decided to sell the product. They believed in the taste.
Soon, Stanford x Shaw was founded.
Their product was made available in weekend markets—Salcedo Village, Greenhills and Greenfield on Saturdays; Legazpi Village and, again, Greenhills on Sundays.
Stanford x Shaw’s ginger ale is also in the menus of recently opened Purple Yam in Malate and Bottle Shop (Global Beer Exchange) in Magallanes.
I was able to try the cocktails served in Purple Yam with kamias fruit pop (from Sebastian’s) which adds a twist to the flavor of the drink. My other friend tried the ginger ale with organic tapuy (rice wine) from Apayao.
Both drinks cost PHP150 each.
My friend and I concluded that it was truly a refreshing way to start a meal. It has now become a habit for me to start with ginger ale served in crushed ice before dinner.
The name Stanford x Shaw is a giveaway on where the product is manufactured. It is brewed in their residence—you’d know this if you’re familiar with the streets of Mandaluyong. Everything is done in small batches on a weekly basis. There are plans to make other homemade sodas and they are hoping to source local ingredients to make similar beverages.
Marc See is the R&D person in the endeavor. He studied BS Biology at the University of the Philippines while Johann See, in charge of marketing, took up Management at Ateneo de Manila University.
Marc is currently working with China Bank while Johann once worked with Philippine Seven (7Eleven).
It has been a long two years for both brothers and we wish them more success years in developing more refreshing sodas.
March and Johann See of Stanford x Shaw via Facebook.com/stanfordshawbrewing
MORE MARKET WATCH PROFILES:
– Frango’s Portugese-style chicken
– The Bad Apple’s caramel apples
– Stanford x Shaw’s ginger ale
– Canley’s chili con carne
GETTING HUNGRY? WAIT TILL YOU WATCH OUR FOOD VIDEOS:
Episode 1: Sisig tacos at El Chupacabra
Episode 2: Dimsum at Tim Ho Wan
Episode 3: Peanut pralines at Spiral’s Chocolaterie
Episode 4: Piri-piri sauce at Gostoso
Episode 5: Wagyu and lemongrass kebab at Maharajas Kababs
Episode 6: Latin-style roasted chicken at Señor Pollo
Episode 7: Spaghetti verena and penne salsiccia at My Kitchen by Chef Chris
Episode 8: Chef Tatung’s Sinanglay na Bangus Belly
