NOT YOUR DAD’S BEER: The Woman-Led Space Rewriting Filipino Craft Culture

There’s a buzz on Wilson Street, San Juan—and it’s not just from the beer.

The air at Kauri Taproom's grand opening wasn't just thick with the scent of hops and malt; it carried the exciting aroma of tradition being powerfully rebrewed. This sleek, yet soulful new space officially marks the first permanent home for Jade's Temple Brewery, a woman-led brand that has been boldly rewriting the rules of Filipino craft beer since 2020.

At the helm is 29-year-old Dea Suyosa, one of the country’s pioneering female brewers. Her mission is both simple and remarkably bold: to ensure beer feels genuinely accessible to everyone. Since launching Jade's Temple at just 24, remarkably, right amid the pandemic, Dea has meticulously built a brand that directly challenges beer’s outdated, often masculine image of exclusivity and pretense. Instead, she champions warm, playful, and wonderfully nostalgic flavor profiles, such as Toasted Mallows, Salted Caramel, and Peach Mango beers that consciously evoke comforting childhood desserts.

"It’s not just for the guys; it’s for everyone," Dea emphasizes. "I never want people to feel pretentious drinking 'masculine' beer. I designed our offerings to be approachable, so that individuals don’t hesitate or feel intimidated when trying them. Ultimately, I want everyone to feel a true sense of inclusion when enjoying what should be a simple, delightful drink." This philosophy signals Jade's Temple as a welcoming haven for anyone eager to explore new flavors and truly find their place at the table.

Beer Meets Belonging

With the launch of Kauri Taproom, the vision that began with Jade's Temple has found its definitive physical home, a space where it can truly live, breathe, and evolve. Named not only for the ancient, resilient Kauri tree but also as a meaningful nod to the Tagalog "ka-uri"—signifying "kindred" or "kin"—this taproom is profoundly rooted in the spirit of connection. It stands as a gathering place, a dynamic playground for flavors, and a quiet yet powerful revolution against traditional perceptions of beer. 

Beyond being just a bar, Kauri embodies the core values of Jade’s Temple: a commitment to both bold experimentation and deep empathy, now poured into every experience. Here, Dea's signature brews are expertly complemented by innovative Filipino fusion dishes crafted by talented chefs from the Center for Asian Culinary Studies, alongside exceptional cocktails from some of the country's most renowned mixologists.  Where Jade’s Temple was once brewed from her home, Kauri now pours from polished taps. It's loud, bright, and proudly communal at heart.

Finding Her Flavor

For Dea, Jade’s Temple wasn’t her first business, but it was the first one that felt like hers. Before finding craft beer, she had launched two ventures, but neither found its footing.  “I felt like such a failure,” she admits. “My first two businesses, I did selfishly. I have my own intention, which is to achieve success for myself, primarily for financial gain. But with Jade’s Temple, I did it selflessly. I listened to what the people wanted and gave them something that has its own voice.”

It started during the pandemic with small home-brewed batches born out of curiosity and care. “At first, it was just a passion project. I didn’t expect it to go where it is now,” she says. “But my friends and family started giving feedback. ‘I haven’t tried anything like this before.’ ‘Oh, I love this flavor. It reminds me of something from when I was younger.’ That’s when I knew there was something here worth exploring.” That was when she realized that this wasn’t only about finding her flavor. It was also about helping others find theirs. 

Since then, that’s been her brewing philosophy. Not chasing a target market, but empathizing and listening to comments, to culture, to cravings. Her goal isn’t to define what beer should be but to permit people to explore what it could be. 

Exploring Being Our Thing

That open, people-first mindset extended beyond her beers and into the team she built around her. Her former instructor, Chef Patricia Ignacio, remembers Dea as reserved, even overshadowed at times by her sister, who was also her student. 

That’s why when Dea reached out years later, no longer a student but a brewer helming her Jade’s Temple—Chef Tricia was stunned. “I was so surprised when Dea called me, looking for a consultant for their restaurant. This was when she was brewing beers already.” 

That sense of surprise is exactly what Dea leans into. Her beers may sound playful, but they’re backed by thoughtful curation and an understanding that taste is emotional. She crafts beers to disarm, to invite, and to welcome people into something they didn’t know they could enjoy.

“There’s Duhat Sour, Sampaguita Orange Ale, Gumamela Dalandan Saison. Some of them are foreign that you don’t get to hear those names anymore, like not everyone knows what Duhat is,” Chef Tricia said. “So when we were thinking of the menu, we wanted to bring that same sense of nostalgia—going back to our roots, like what the craft beers are doing.”

Working with Chef Tricia and Chef Arvin Estolano, the team set out to create dishes that echoed Jade’s Temple’s adventurous spirit and were grounded in Filipino roots, but unafraid of reinvention. Dishes like the CC Tinapa Pizza, topped with spicy honey and cilantro, or the Bagnet Buro Wraps, rolled in mustard leaves, challenge the norm but reward the brave.

It’s a dynamic that mirrors Dea’s own story: a millennial who once quietly brewed beer alone at home, simply exploring what felt right for her. Dea’s generation mirrors that same sensibility of exploration, especially when it comes to flavors, which is what draws their diners in. 

“With Gen Z and millennials, the thing with them is that some of them are well-traveled. They tried different dishes, and they’re not afraid to try something new. That’s the reason why we can come up with these unexpected, different dishes,” Chef Tricia adds.

Brewed Bold, Built Together. 

Even now, as the brand grows, Dea is still learning how to scale production, keep her batches consistent, and grow the technical sides of the business. She’s currently enrolled in one-on-one sessions with Rockstar Brewer Academy in Australia, transitioning from a passionate home brewer into a professional one.

Dea shared the pressure to constantly release new flavors that stems from finding everyone’s drink. “There’s always pressure in business. People think having your own business means having control over your time,” she says. “But it’s contrary to that. The opposite. And you have to build the right team and trust people on what they do to help you out. It’s not a one-man team.” That’s why long before Kauri Taproom’s grand opening, she invested in building not just a menu, but a service culture. 

For Errol Barbosa, the house mixologist for the launch alongside Sharon Tiempo, a great dining experience goes beyond what’s on the plate or in the glass. It’s about consistency, care, and creating a service culture that guests can feel from the moment they walk in.

“No matter how good the food or cocktails are, if served incorrectly, the guest will leave Kauri unsatisfied,” he says. “That’s why the team underwent three months of daily training before the opening. From meal prep to plate handling, from body language to guest interaction, we made sure everything was dialed in.”

A Sip. A Seat. A Space for Everyone.

That July night may have been the beginning, but what Kauri Taproom truly launched was a place for stories, flavor, and belonging. Whether you're toasting to something old or tasting something new, the taproom is ready.

“You don’t have to know anything about beer,” Dea says. “If you like it, drink it. If not, we’ve got something else. We’re all about helping you find what’s yours.” And maybe that’s what makes Kauri different. It doesn’t just pour you a drink. It hands you a seat, a story, and a space to belong. So come, be curious. The rest? They’ll help you find it.