The Inspiration behind our Sugarlandia Party Room Makeover

Through the secret bookcase inside Rapsa’s HQ, Rapsa@100 Hoxton, you will find yourself in the Jungle land of Sugarlandia. Welcome to our Hoxton Party Room, dedicated to all this Pinoy and all things party!

The volcano breathed its last. Its final breath bequeathed upon the land a legacy of strength, power and fertility. There was no final speech. No words of wisdom and encouragement, nor whispered guidance for the land, its land, the land of Sugarlandia. Like an octopus it simply poured every last drop of energy it had to give the Isle of Negros the power to grow. And grow it did. Beautiful jungles teeming life. Tarsiers, birds and all manner of adjacent sea life were nurtured by the volcano’s final sacrifice. 

But the spirit of the volcano lived on not just in the lands but also in one man. Papa Isio was simply Dionisio as a boy. His travels saw him tend the land in the forests of Himaymalan, fighting against the rapacious sugar barons as well as trying his hand at coconut wine. 

Don Papa as he came to be called was more than the rebel leader he was to become. He became the embodiment of the power of nature and the indigenous peoples of the Philippines. When he would pass the birds’ trills would become more musical, the hoots of the Tarsier monkeys more booming and the flowers would release more perfume to mark his passing.

Don Papa Rum has kept the legend alive. Restoring the spirit of Dionisio to the forefront of Pinoy culture. The homegrown sugarcane grown on the foothills of Mount Kinoloan provide the richness and depth for the unashamedly candied Don Papa 7yr Rum. 

Here at Rapsa we have created our own little Sugarlandia to mirror the tropical beauty of the Isle of Negros. Out beautiful little tiki bar is full of the flora and fauna that you would find on Negros while resident mixologist Lukas Frlicka infused, shrubbed and shaken up the best tiki list this side of the Pacific.

A pineapple infusion gives Don Papa an uplift in the delightfully balanced Jungle Boogie. Whereas Don Papa also finds its home with an oreo-cookie shrub, espresso salt and chocolate bitters in the ultimate sipper, the Oreo-Cookie Old Fashioned. In homage to The land of its origins there is our delightful thirst-quencher Sugarlandia, a three-way sugarcane concoction. 

Special guest Filipino Gin Santa Ana also makes a dramatic appearance with hits such as Dragoni, the wonderfully vibrant strawberry & dragon fruit infused take on a Negroni and Tia Carrere, with an appearance as striking as the Pinoy starlet in the legendary Wayne’s World. 

And of course there is our very own Don Papa Chef Francis using his foraging and culinary skills to extend the best Filipino-Fusion food menu known to Pinoy-kind. The rotating menu of Rapsa@100 Hoxton extends itself to being served inside the Sugarlandia party room with Guest stars of Parmesan-crusted Mojo potato chips get a wonderful hit of truffle cheese sauce. The halal Chicken Sisig has heat, tenderness, crunch and the sweet tartness of kalamansi lovingly melded together with a gooey egg.

Available for private hire and party bookings, Sugarlandia gifts party people their own music system and karaoke to make their occasion a special one to remember here at Rapsa. On non-private party days, we invite walk ins and bookings to experience this mouth-watering cocktail menu with Rapsa dishes to pair. A toast to the inspiration behind Don Papa the legendary Papa Isio: long may he remind us of what we have and we have lost.