“Ano ba talagang mas gusto ko? Ang beer na ‘to o ang pag-ibig mo?” In this case, The Itchyworms can tell you that you can have both.

The Itchyworms will be holding a grand launch of their craft beer on July 13 at the 123 Block, Mandaluyong. The event will also feature live performances by Ebe Dancel, Ciudad, Blaster, The Revisors, and of course, the band themselves.

On June 21, Jugs Jugueta, Jazz Nicolas, Kelvin Yu, and Mikey Amistoso held a press conference over charcuterie, beer, some wine, and lots of laughter. They spoke about the process of creating their craft beer, their plans, and how they kept the band going after all these years.

Beer and/or Pag-Ibig

Staying true to their well-loved hit, The Itchyworms created two beer flavors: BEER and PAG-IBIG. Blonde ale BEER has a bold, fruity taste while Hazy IPA PAG-IBIG has a more floral, bitter taste (yes, exactly like love). PAG-IBIG will also get you drunk sooner with its 6.5% alcohol content compared to BEER’s 5%.

You can enjoy each flavor depending on your preference, but here’s an additional tip from The Itchyworms: Mix them for a unique flavor. They specifically sell the beer in packs of six so people can taste both flavors.

The origin story

It was 2006 when “Beer” became a mainstream hit across the Philippines. When Jazz composed the song, one thing he considered was his father’s advice: “Gumawa ka ng kanta na kahit ‘yung tambay sa kanto masasabayan.” The band’s first album Little Monsters Under Your Bed in 2001, being primarily filled with English songs, did not get as much acclaim as they wanted. He thought that drinking beer was something that the usual tambay could relate to, and the same goes for lots of people. Jazz was not exactly a beer aficionado, but he knew one of the main reasons people drink: love (and its woes). The idea started and grew from there.

Fast forward to 2024: The band was ultimately inspired when they attended a wedding wherein the couple gave cans of beer with customized packaging and flavor. They figured they could also do the same so they contacted Flatfoot Brewing Co., the company that made the beer, and proceeded with making their idea a reality.

Besides, The Itchyworms wanted to do something different than just releasing regular merch like shirts, caps, keychains, etc. In the OPM scene, a few bands have made songs dedicated to beer like Parokya ni Edgar with “Inuman Na” and Teeth with “Laklak”, but none of them has released their own beer yet. They wanted to be the first to do it.

The Cupid vs. Bruce Lee artwork

The artwork on the beer labels was created by Aidon Panlaqui, a longtime collaborator and friend of the band. In line with The Itchyworms’ wacky side, BEER featured a Bruce Lee replica holding a keg of beer while kicking Cupid. PAG-IBIG, meanwhile, had the opposite – Cupid was the one doing the damage.

Legit check!

Will the beer be a limited-edition thing? Will it be sold at groceries and stores nationwide? The Itchyworms’ beer, sold as a six-pack, is currently available in their official online shop. For now, they made 500 cans of each variant “to meet the MOQ (minimum order quantity)”, Kevin said. To pile on the fun, Jugs added that “if they sign the beer package, people could sell it at a higher price on eBay as it is a limited edition item.”

On a more serious note, The Itchyworms’ beer is currently going places. The band has already done trial runs during their gigs at ‘70s Bistro and Saguijo wherein they received favorable reviews. On top of that, Chef Charles Montañez, the brain behind Alegria Manila, reached out to Jugs to express his interest in including The Itchyworms’ craft beer in his next Degustation menu.

Future Plans

Making musicals based on an OPM band’s discography is one of the recurring trends lately (i.e. Parokya’s “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy” and the Eraserheads’ “Ang Huling El Bimbo”. Will The Itchyworms follow the same route? The band replied that there were offers on the table, but none had materialized yet.

They are also set to perform abroad, including Qatar in July and a Canada Tour in November wherein Chino Singson will be joining them. (Chino is the lead guitarist of the band. He migrated to Canada in August 2022, but he remains to be a member of the band.) They are set to release a song titled “Bakit Di Ka Crush ng Crush Mo?” soon.

An upcoming collaboration with Jungee Marcelo is also in the works.

Words of Wisdom

The Itchyworms have been in the industry for more than 20 years, and they have managed to stay together. What is their advice to the young, aspiring musicians?

“Wag na silang tumuloy para mabawasan kalaban namin,” Kevin jabbed.

Jazz gave a heartfelt answer, “Always strive to stand out. Do something that no one else is doing.” Jazz is also mentoring younger talents. His son is part of The Revisors, one of the bands that will be playing during the grand launch.

Jugs shared some advice that Ogie Alcasid told him once. “Think of it like a marathon instead of a sprint,” he said. “Kasi, di naman kami yung best pero kami yung laging andon.” He explained that their consistency in making music together helped in the success of the band.

Kevin added, “ ‘Yung pagbabanda, goes beyond the 40 minutes to the 1 hour that you’re on stage. Kung di mo kasundo yung mga kasama mo, mahirap. Kami, we didn’t start out as good friends but eventually, naging parang pamilya na rin turing namin sa isa’t isa.”

“Kami ni Jazz, best friends. Ewan ko lang sa’yo,” Jugs interrupted him as laughter filled the room.

Mikey also joined the conversation, “Testament din ako diyan kasi may rule sila nag pag may papalit kay Chino, kailangan matalik din nilang kaibigan. Di naman ako magaling pero kinuha pa rin nila ako.” He is also the frontman of Ciudad. He became part of The Itchyworms when Chino migrated to Canada.

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The Itchyworms are set to hold the grand launch of their craft beer on July 13 at the 123 Block. For only P999, their six-pack beer plus an awesome night of live music for two people. Join the fun and get your tickets at bit.ly/beeropagibig.

Special thanks to Gabi Na Naman Productions!

by Sandra Mae Laureano