Island SPICE
BY GIANNA G. MANIEGO

IF you’re going to throw a party, it has to be hip. It has to be fun. It has to be set in the most happening place this side of the planet.
And that would be Boracay, where parties come a dime by the dozen and the revelry lasts from dusk till dawn.
Pulsing to the palpable rhythm of reggae, techno and rock, the island proved the perfect backdrop for the recent launch of Ginebra San Miguel Inc.’s latest concoctions—a six pack of rainbow-colored ready-to-drink cocktails called Infinit.
“Infinit offers the value of cocktails without the hassle of mixing,” explained Nelson Elises, Ginebra San Miguel Inc.'s vice president for marketing.
Low-alcohol RTD cocktails are fast becoming a hit in other countries, particularly in the United States. Geared toward the notoriously thirsty party generation, they provide a happy compromise between a soft drink and hard liquor.
Infinit, a fruit-based ready-to-drink non-carbonated cocktail with only five percent alcohol, captures the essence of summer—colorful, fresh, vibrant and mostly uncomplicated. It’s instant gratification in a bottle.
Perfect for the denizens of Bora!
The Infinit event was the centerpiece of the company’s Summer Cool Party Series, which included stops at other popular destinations (such as Puerto Galera in Mindoro and in Cebu) to introduce the new product line.
The drinks had already created an early buzz on the island, thanks to the efforts of Ginebra San Miguel Inc.’s marketing team—led by Jamby Caldo, group brand manager, and Nica Chua, product associate for Antonov Vodka—that it was easy enough to spot several beachcombers clutching bottles of Infinit while walking along the strand.
Aside from recruiting lissome beauties to cruise the shoreline and invite people to sample the concoctions (“That’s Nica’s trademark. It won’t be a launch if Nica didn’t put in her girls,” joked Jayson Brizuela of San Miguel Corp.), they set up a pampering station at the Boracay Peninsula, where customers were offered free massages and henna tattooes for every three bottles of Infinit purchased—a gimmick that went over big with the sun worshippers.
But the main event of the day was the formal launch at Pier One later that night, where agile poi or fire dancers manipulated fire-drenched zips, long limbed promo girls (yes, they were Nica’s girls) gyrated up a storm, and dancers dressed in vividly colored leotards provided psychedelic entertainment to the wildly enthusiastic crowd, which was chugging down Infinit like so much Agua Vida.
Six Infinit variants—Strawberry Margarita, Grape Sling Royale, Tropical Pineapple Sling, Citrus Chill, Green Tea Frost, and Blue Cola Breezer—were introduced that night. The cocktails use Ginebra San Miguel Inc.’s Don Enrique Mixkila, Gran Matador Solera Brandy, GSM Blue Gin, Tondena Rum 8 Years, Antonov Vodka, GSM Premium Gin and St. George Premium Whiskey as base.
Of the six, the Strawberry Margarita and the Tropical Pineapple Sling seemed to be early favorites. But according to Val Vega, GSMI national sales manager, that could change.
“We are sure that... each and everyone would have his or her favorite Infinit variant... We can’t wait to introduce Infinit... the coming weeks,” he said.
The Infinit Summer Cool Party also stopped by Eastwood City and Malate.