For someone who grew up getting balikbayan boxes of American chocolates as pasalubong from parents living abroad, Romeo’s relationship with chocolates is one that’s personal and nostalgic. “It is an expression of care and love for me,” he said. And so he is never without these feelings whenever he makes truffles and bars for his guests.

For the one-night-only event, Filipino pride and nationalism were also thrown into the mix as local brands Auro Chocolate and Don Papa Rum, both multi-awarded and internationally acclaimed, were not just showcased but championed by his creative minds and hands as well as that of La Vie en Rose’s head bartender, Enzo Luna.

They kicked things off with a chocolate orientation of Auro’s prized couvertures: 42% milk, 55% dark chocolate, 77% dark chocolate, and a Belgian tasting square, all beautifully washed down with a generous glass of Bombvino’s Meinklang Prosa Rosé, a sparkling natural wine from Austria made with biodynamic Pinot Noir grapes fermented with grape skins. It was like indulging in the pure goodness of the chocolate sans the addition of any other flavour, a proper introduction and acknowledgement before the actual pairing.

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Rum and chocolate are both children of the tropics, that’s why they get on rather seamlessly well. The calamansi mojito, a gold-specked truffle that encased a potent micro shot of rum, mint-steeped cream, siling labuyo and calamansi puree, had a tanginess that played with the chocolate’s fruitiness. And Luna’s Don Papa Masskara ChocoMint Highball, given its subtle sweet notes, helped to make the harmonious flavours more unmistakable.

Next came the 77% single Origin Philippine Auro Chocolate ganache, which was full-bodied and had hints of spice that was apparent in the Perfect Rum Rye Manhattan too. This tandem couldn’t have been any better as they lent very similar flavours to each other.

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The large strawberries, encased in a thin dark chocolate shell and finished with a drizzle of milk chocolate, were matched with a rose-tinted rum cocktail made with a seven-year-old Don Papa. The sexy drink offered hints of vanilla, which could have worked with any bite of fruity freshness. But strawberry made the perfect sense as the slight bitterness of the dark choice was tamed by the berry’s natural sweetish tartness. 

The final pairing was quite a memorable experience as chocolate was presented, not as a solid truffle form, but as a drink—a 77% single estate prepared with the traditional batirol. It was thicker than many diluted tablea beverages I’ve had, and it acted as a delightful chaser to the coffee-infused Barumko Don Papa Rum old fashioned, which was rich, smooth and silky, much like the chocolate drink.

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The event was intended to celebrate the wonderful possibilities found in the marriage of chocolates and cocktails. And it did exactly that. No question about it.

But I left the Poblacion speakeasy also having a greater appreciation for two great talents (Garcia and Luna) and two great local brands (Auro Chocolates and Don Papa Rum), that like chocolate and cocktails, can produce indelible moments like the one I just had.

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