When it comes to hangout spots in and out of the Metro, there’s no shortage of new places popping up. From coffee shops, pubs, and to bars, there’s always something new to try and check out. The only question left is – what’s the vibe?
Basing purely on said vibes, The Den feels like something that’s straight out of the heart of Metro Manila. From the actual ambiance of the place to even its curated drinks, there’s a whole host of possibilities from a chill night out to an all-nighter gig – a commonplace of occurring events when partying in the urban jungle.
Formerly The Den by Danielitos, it’s a piece of inheritance passed down to a 19-year old Daniel ‘Dimas’ Sosa as he pursues the vision of establishing a space that serves as a hub for creatives around Los Baños to show what they’ve got.
Dimas notes that with his ideals, the goal is to make The Den a go-to for nightlife in the area. A DJ entity by the moniker of DeMarcés that had started a couple of years ago have been instrumental with this endeavor, curating beats for week enders akin to how nightgoers in Manila would pick and choose what sort of vibe they’d like for a night out.
On the flip side, events courtesy of prod-organizers Guilty Pleasures or weekdaze for the occasional hip-hop gigs or rakrakans that the area doesn’t normally experience on an elevated scale.
In Dimas’ words, he shares the vision board to being like what Apotheka is in Manila: not just a random venue for drinks and nightlife, but as a platform for up-and-coming creatives to showcase their skills and create connections with people.
“The problem here sa South is pumupunta pa sila sa Manila for gigs. I feel like we could really do those kinds of stuff dito sa Los Baños, especially malapit dito yung UPLB.”
The whole community contributes to their operations, from the aforementioned DJs to even professors, some of whom helped formulate some of their key drinks using – yes, you guessed it – ingredients sourced from around the area.
Enough with the talk of music and vibe for a moment, as we move on to the drinks and what other bites you can scour during a night out at The Den.
Aside from the regular cocktails like a Gin Basil Smash or Amaretto Sour, they also have special drinks that they offer like their main offering called the Agapita Culvert. It’s a relatively sweet drink that’s made from a tequila base but it actually tastes like yogurt. Add to it their popping boba and it literally pops off your tastebuds once you get to try it.
Going along with the conversation of locally-centric drinks, even their Sangria formula has some ingredients based within UPLB and the greater Los Baños area, showing how a lot of factors that make up The Den’s identity can be attributed to the community chipping in what they can.
With a carefully curated selection of drinks, Dimas’ mantra remains the same in shifting the culture. You see many bars in provinces having towers and hard drinks exclusively, but Dimas wants to create a sophisticated cocktail culture that stands out from what we’re usually accustomed to in a province setting.
And that’s what The Den offers: a comforting space for the nearby university students to unwind, while also being a hub that propagates creativity among the community.
It’s a collaborative effort that invites not just the people of Los Baños and the south to call it their third space, but a testament that places like these should exist outside of Manila so that everyone gets a chance to shine.
Link
Tweet
Share
