Bean there, drank that: Coffee Plz 2026 gets underway with a spirited coffee-cocktail crossover

Coffee festivals have a habit of becoming elaborate, never-ending back-and-forths about beans, gear, extraction times and whether someone can detect “notes of stone fruit” in a beverage that, frankly, tastes like a normal coffee. Coffee Plz 2026 is taking a broader, much more considered yet welcoming view.

From 4 to 6 September, Ayala Malls Circuit Makati will become a three-day haven for more than a hundred domestic, as well as foreign coffee and lifestyle brands — an ambitious way of bringing together roasters, makers, drinkers and the increasingly blurry world surrounding the humble cup. This year, Maya joins as co-presenter, adding a little financial incentive to the caffeine expedition.

To warm things up, the festival got an unusually boozy kickoff when Manila’s coffee crowd crossed paths with Hanoi’s Workshop 14 and Metro Manila’s very own The Problem Child, two of Asia’s most talked-about new bars and both newly listed among Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026.

Rich McDonough, co-founder and beverage director of the Vietnamese establishment, brought another Southeast Asian perspective to Manila for a guest shift with The Problem Child. 

Outside, the rain was still operating in full national-emergency mode; inside, coffee and cocktails flowed just enough to keep hearts and minds alert and awake for the celebration.

As the night progressed, the honor of being the crowd favorite went to Workshop 14’s IS ONE UN OEUF?, an unexpectedly indulgent coffee cocktail built around robusta espresso, Flor de Caña 12YO rum and Averna, with condensed milk, cream, seaweed extract and an egg-yolk custard foam rounding things out. The result is rich and silky, with the dark bitterness of espresso softened by the rum’s warmth and the sweet, creamy texture of condensed milk and custard. The seaweed adds a subtle savoury edge, making the drink more complex than its rather mischievous name might suggest.

The collaboration also hinted at Coffee Plz’s larger ambition to not merely to celebrate what is in the cup, but the people and creative communities reshaping how Manila drinks.

Maya adds its own extra flavor and kick to the weekend with Maya Black Credit Card holders set to receive perks and incentives across participating merchants.