OPM band The Itchyworms is bringing to life their hit song, “Beer,” dubbed the Filipino drinking anthem, into an actual drink.
In a press conference last week, the band’s bassist, Kelvin Yu, explained the thought process behind their upcoming drinkable merchandise.
The band’s launch of craft alcoholic beverages is inspired by their 2005 hit. It will be celebrated through an event called “The Itchyworms: Beer o Pag-Ibig?” happening at the the 123 Block Mandaluyong City at 6 p.m. onwards on July 13.
The fan merchandise will have two flavors: Beer, which is said to have a fruity malt taste and Pag-Ibig, which brings out more bitter notes.
READ: ‘Beer o Pag-ibig?’: The Itchyworms to launch own craft beers
Creative process
Yu said the beer idea was brewed at a wedding reception.
“I met the owner of Flatfoot Brewing Co., they’re a local brewery company that makes their own beers and nameet ko sila sa isang wedding ng isang kapatid ko,” Yu said in an interview with Interaksyon.
He said the wedding souvenir gave him the idea to turn their song into a physical product.
“Dahil may kanta kami [na beer], we touched base, and brainstormed this on our own,” the bassist added.
During the press launch of the product, Jazz Nicolas, one of the lead vocalists of the band, suggested that their group could also launch two variants of the beverage, inspired by their song lyric: “Ano ba talagang mas gusto mo, ang beer na ‘to o ang pag-ibig ko?”
Further into the drinks’ development, The Itchyworms tapped local artist Aidon Panlaqui, who has made some of the band’s art over the past few years including poster concerts, singles, extended plays (EPs), and even one album: “Waiting For The End To Start” released in 2020.
“Para siyang mga lumang design ng mga beer labels,” Yu visualized the label’s concept.
HAPPENING NOW: Itchyworms’ beer launch @interaksyon pic.twitter.com/HuuPnX1waR
— Gabriell Christel (@gabbigalang15) June 21, 2024
according to the band, the reason behind their beer design is based on the “old-timey” look of famous malt brands. here are the previous draft designs:@interaksyon pic.twitter.com/U2dwSxFhFI
— Gabriell Christel (@gabbigalang15) June 21, 2024
“Sabi ni Ogie Alcasid [on the drink] parang pang taping daw o prop sa pelikula ito,” Jugs Jugueta, co-lead vocalist, joked.
Limited production
While the band is expecting fans and concertgoers to purchase the beers, Yu emphasized that they currently have around 500 cans per variant, totaling 1,000 in existing production.
“We’re selling each variant in a six-pack… Pinag-uusapan pa namin if maubos ang initial run [or] if there’s demand,” he said regarding possible restocking.
“We’ll see if we can come up with different flavors. It’s a type of merchandise kasi, so we can come up with new labels or t-shirts,” he added.
Aside from the upcoming beer launch, The Itchyworms said that they are also working on new music.
According to Yu, they are collaborating with songwriter Jungee Marcelo for an upcoming song and a compilation album. Details of its release have yet to be disclosed.
