Greg Harrington, MS once said, “Beer is seasonal. Restaurants sell much more in the spring and summer, especially if there is outdoor seating.”

Now, I don’t know about outdoor seating in Manila (seriously, we’ve been hitting Real Feel temperatures just a little under 50°C these days so no thank you), but the one thing good about living in a tropical archipelago with 365 days of summer (fine, several of those involve severe monsoons) is that beer is pretty much welcome all year round.

This is why, when Draft Restaurant and Brewery (formerly Draft Gastropub) opened in the Fort Strip back in 2011, I chose it to be my secret hiding spot (preferably with my kuya for their mouthwatering mussels and a couple of pints). They quickly followed with a branch in Rockwell (where my husband and I hung out during our Makati CBD days), and one in Molito here in Alabang where we would have family dinners. They also have branches in Ortigas and Greenbelt.