The Spirits Library, with its soaring ceilings, towering liquor cabinets, and moody red glow, feels like another world where fiction seems to hold sway over fact.
But the stories waiting inside the Spirits Library are anything but fiction. They’re the stories of Filipino craft, creativity, and contribution — narratives often buried under time, but now reclaimed and retold. And on August 15, they came alive in the form of chocolate and cocktails.
FROM BEAN TO BAR TO STORY
The evening marked the launch of the second Bean to Bar Series, an ongoing collaboration between the internationally acclaimed Auro Chocolate and the Spirits Library. Season One paired Auro’s decadent cacao with premium spirits for Valentine’s-themed cocktails. For this new chapter, a longtime partner of Auro’s was welcomed into the fold: Chef Nouel Catis of his brand SNA’AP Chocolate, the mind behind the internet-breaking, perpetually sold-out Dubai chocolate bar.
For those who have been chasing a taste of that elusive bar, the wait is over. The latest Bean to Bar series introduces two limited-edition cocktails, crafted by the Spirits Library’s world-class mixologists, and paired with a SNA’AP x Auro chocolate creation: a reimagined and refined version of the Dubai Chocolate in all its pistachio knafeh glory, and its local counterpart, the Manila Chocolate, an indulgent bar packed with a creamy ube filling and bits of pistachio and kataifi for an added crunch.
There’s the smooth, subtly honey-sweet Golden Ticket, which goes with Dubai Chocolate, the name being a nod to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the bar’s near-mythic, coveted status. And make sure to leave room for its partner, the Tropical Treasure. Served with a chunk of the Manila Chocolate bar and a deep-fried turon wrapper over a square of banana leaf, it’s a summery drink with a mildly sour taste that cuts through the decadence of the cacao.
But why not just incorporate the chocolate directly into the cocktails? For the Spirits Library co-owner and cocktail consultant Lee Watson, it’s all about respect. “We’re trying to highlight the bar and the combination that Catis created. And so instead of taking it apart, mixing it in, stirring it into the glass, we try to create something that is complementary.”
That spirit of complementing — not overpowering, and never overshadowing — is at the heart of the collaboration. Each craft elevates the other: chocolate inspires cocktails, cocktails spotlight chocolate.
PARALLEL MISSIONS
For Chef Leti Moreau of Auro, the synergy of the partnership came naturally, partly due to a united goal. “I think this collaboration is really easy because we have the same vision,” she said. “We are really here to highlight and promote Filipino heritage [and] Filipino communities.” Moreau went on to talk about the importance of uplifting the oft-overlooked communities at cacao’s roots, such as its producers and agriculturalists, and shared how Auro and its partner, the Saloy Organic Farmers Association, were globally recognized in Amsterdam for the outstanding quality of their cacao beans.
This sentiment is echoed by Catis. When talking about his decision to bring Dubai chocolate to the Philippines by partnering with Auro, it became clear that the purpose of the bar’s homecoming is to ground the story on our shores.
“[This collaboration is] really about championing Filipino creatives. We always have ‘brain drain’ because we contribute to the economies of other places except our own,” he said. “If I can champion our industry and also inspire others to follow suit, then I’m contributing back into our own currency in terms of the chocolate world.”
And behind the elegance of the cocktails lies a parallel mission from the Spirits Library: uncovering forgotten Filipino contributions to international drinking culture. It may seem that, in terms of adapting mixology culture into the Philippines, the local scene is only just stepping out of its “imitation phase.” Now lit up with proudly homegrown ingredients and ideas, Watson said that the country was actually always ahead of the curve. He spoke of an old book documenting Filipino cocktail recipes from the 1930s, revealing how the Philippines once stood at the center of mixology’s evolution across Asia. This story may or may also not be the inspiration behind the Spirits Library’s upcoming menu.
OWNING THE NARRATIVE
For Catis, this project also marks a personal reclamation: tying his runaway international success back to his roots, and proving that the Dubai Chocolate is only the beginning. “There’s a lot of pressure on my shoulders to make sure that I’m not a one-[hit] wonder. So I’m using this connection [to] my roots to continue on with storytelling.”
Filipino excellence has never been absent. It’s simply been underdocumented, overshadowed, or simply not afforded the platforms it needs to thrive. What efforts like the Bean to Bar Series and its cocktails provide is exactly this platform, to announce to the world and remind ourselves of what we’ve always been capable of.
At the Spirits Library, the stories flow just as richly as the drinks. And this one — of chocolates, cocktails, and collaboration — tells us that we, Filipinos, and our craft are not only well and alive, but more than ready to claim our rightful place in the global imagination.
This season of the Bean to Bar Series has a limited-time run of August 15 to September 30, 2025. For more information, visit the Spirits Library’s official Instagram and Facebook accounts.
