This Iloilo Museum Serves Coffee With a Shot of Brandy

Listen up, culture stans and caffeine addicts. If you want a museum that actually gives you something to taste and talk about, the Brandy Museum by Emperador in Iloilo is the legit move. This is the Philippines’ first brandy museum, and yes, they serve coffee with brandy in it. That is straight from the coverage you gave me.

Kendrick Tan, Emperador’s executive director, put it nicely when he said that Spanish brandy is one of those drinks Filipinos can easily tie to some of their happiest memories. The museum leans into that, so expect nostalgia and a lesson or two about why people keep passing the bottle around.

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Walk in and it feels like you’ve been dropped into a Spanish bodega. The place has a sloped ceiling with exposed oak trellis, dark interiors, and soft lighting to set the mood. Exhibits trace Spanish brandy’s history back to when wine distillation first took off in 711 A.D. You will see artefacts such as old brandy bottles, wine- and brandy-making tools, preserved books and letters, and samples of the soil used for vineyards. There are audio-visual presentations that include footage of Bodegas Fundador and bodegas in Jerez, Spain, and explanations about oak barrel making and grape cultivation.

Also read: Top 7 Must-Try Dishes From Iloilo, the Philippines’ City of Gastronomy

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This is not a token museum kiosk that sells stale cookies. The on-site café serves items like the Empi Frappe and Empi Brewed, both infused with brandy. The museum also highlights Emperador’s coffee brandy offering. Pair those drinks with cakes and macarons and you’ve got a proper cafe stop that doubles as a micro lesson in booze pairing.

If you’re not just into photos, join a Brandy Appreciation Class. Classes and presentations are held in the Brandy Appreciation Hall, which displays crests and history connected to brands under Emperador. When you’re done, the souvenir shop opens onto the museum so you can bring home a bottle. Reported price ranges in the provided materials run roughly from ₱400+ for entry-level products to over ₱13,000 for rarer, older bottles.

Also read: A Guide to Iloilo City’s Hippest Cafes

Practical stuff that matters

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• Location: Festive Walk Parade in Megaworld’s Iloilo Business Park, ground floor of Casa Emperador, beside the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA). This phrasing lines up with the sources you gave.

• Hours and entry: The sources state the museum is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm and that entrance is free.

• What to expect: exhibits, audio-visual displays, brandy appreciation classes, a café with brandy-infused drinks, and a souvenir shop selling bottles.

• One of the sources also notes that during an Alert Level 3 restriction at the time of that report, selling and serving of liquor and brandy drinks was limited to 6 pm. That was noted in the reference material and is included here as a historical precaution, not a current guarantee. Check with the museum for the latest on class schedules and serving rules.

Also read: A Foodie’s Checklist for Iloilo

It is a tidy mix of culture and consumables. For Filipinos who love food, booze and easy culture hits, this museum gives something you can taste and buy, not only read about. It also packages Spanish brandy history in a way most local attractions do not, with audio-visuals and real artefacts to back the story.

Iloilo’s Brandy Museum is a must-see for visitors who want a museum that feeds the brain and the palate. Free entry, brandy classes, a café serving Empi drinks, and a souvenir shop make it an easy add-on to any Iloilo itinerary. Check the museum directly before you go for the latest on class schedules and serving times.

Featured image credit: dominikewwl | Instagram