EDSA Beverage Design Group (EDSA BDG) in Makati

EDSA Beverage Design Group has made a name in the local community as one of the prominent players in the third wave coffee industry. With its first branch aptly located along EDSA, it has received a lot of love from caffeine aficionados. Focusing more on quality and its coffee studio, it took this cafe 4 years before it decided to open another branch. And this time, it was at the posh The Grid food hall in Powerplant Mall. 

Hello, EDSA Beverage Design Group (EDSA BDG). 

EDSA BDG is the first stall you'll see when you enter The Grid. Serving as the beverage counter for the food hall's concessionaires, this cafe offers more than a good cup of joe. 

First Sip: Chotto Matte

A trip to Izakaya Sensu is not complete without visiting its neighbor Chotto Matte which means "wait a minute" in Japanese. I failed to ask why they named it such but I think it has the same concept as Brotzeit (which means break). The idea is to slow down and have a drink or two. And this is why Chotto Matte is open from lunch till dinner. 

Hello, Chotto Matte! 

This speakeasy bar seemed to attract a slightly older crowd with its dim lounge-like setting. 

With a huge selection of Suntory beverages, Japanese liquor lovers would go crazy over the wide selections! They have beers, cocktails, mocktails, sake and whathaveyou concoctions like Sakuratini. 🍸

I went with Chu Hi Sours line of beverages which is marketed as great light afternoon drinks. I initially ordered Melon (PHP195) but Andrej (one of the owners of Izakaya Sensu and Chotto Matte) insisted that we also try Grapefruit (PHP175).

Melon was served first (as Grapefruit was requested after I ordered my drink). 

It was basically a melon-flavored shōchū. (Shōchū is a Japanese traditional hard liquor that typically contains 25% alcohol by volume. It is usually distilled from rice, barley, buckwheat, sweet potatoes or brown sugar.) 

It had a nice hint of melon and it was like drinking a refreshing glass of light beer. Personally, I think that it would have been better if the melon taste was a bit stronger so that I'd have a sweeter drink to pair my meal with.