Coffee Festival – Batangas

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Lipa City was chosen as the designated destination for the festival because it is among the top producers of the country’s best coffee. The most recognizable brand of coffee in the city is known as ‘Kapeng Barako’. This delicious flavor of coffee has a pungent aroma that is well balanced by its strong robust flavor. In fact, this is one of the reasons the locals call this coffee ‘matapang’.

Towards the turn of the 20th century, the Philippines was ranked as one of the world’s leading coffee producers. To celebrate this, the festival was developed in order to give thanks for the land’s productivity for the production of coffee.

Coffee is at the core of this festival, but there is a host of exciting activities to engage in. The trade fair brings together visitors who would like to engage in commerce, while the flea market is perfect for visitors who would like to take souvenirs with them. Bargain hunters will love the experience at the local market too.

Other activities include street performances, sporting contests, and a host of games. Whichever activity you are interested in, the Coffee Festival is a must-attend.

Coffee Festival History

Every Filipino knows the best coffee in the country is produced, made, and manufactured in Batangas, specifically in Lipa City. You’d have different varieties of coffee including the famous ones that come from processing Civet excrement.

Many of the Filipino’s themselves do not know about the history of coffee in Lipa City, Batangas. You can grab knowledge and facts about the festival in the book produced by the City’s tourism council compiled from different archives and sources.

It is said that the first coffee was brought and introduced to the City and the province of Batangas around the year 1740. The source of that coffee was said to have originated in Mexico and was brought to the Philippines, particularly Lipa City, Batangas.

According to the City records, the Macasaet clan (family name), one of the first settlers in a small barangay in the City named Brgy. Pinagtong-ulan were the first people in the city and province to have managed to cultivate, grow and reproduce the first ever Barako tree available in the town.

The famous Barako coffee came from the Barako tree which is unique as the coffee beans are large compared to other types of coffee beans and come with a strong taste, texture, and flavor. It also gives of irresistible aroma when brewed which you can barely afford not to drink if you happen to get some scent running through your nose.

From there, different people, families, and investors tried their best to produce their own high-class standard of coffee apart from Barako. The production and manufacturing of varieties of coffee were driven by competition to make the best coffee possible.

That’s why the City, festival or non-festival days, is visited by tourist from different parts of the country as well as foreign ones. The province and the city also offer a lot of tourist spots and attractions to make the trip more memorable for the visiting people. Furthermore, it has been a custom by coffee lovers to purchase bulks of coffee for stocking or as gifts or souvenirs for families and friends before going home.

Coffee Festival in Lipa City

As we’ve said earlier, the start and the end date of the event is December 11 and 16 and are celebrated annually. There are lots of events in between from coffee tasting to claim some titles about the best coffee, barista competition, food fests, and more.

Of course, you need to travel a few kilometers before you can actually get to the town from Manila. It is estimated to reach the town in about 2 hours traveling a distance of 110 kilometers which is fairly a smooth ride and is not actually that long.

Lipa City is known to be the Philippine Coffee Granary and the most famous brand of coffee is the famous “Kapeng Barako” which the title lasted for centuries and still is one of the best.

Not only famous domestically but also with foreign exports as the Philippines has been in the scene of the top leading manufacturers of coffee in the world.

While in the place, enjoying either a smooth or strong coffee, you can also spare some time to visit the Fantasy World famous in the province. Or you can schedule a trip on the same date as the Calaca Festival.