Tovic Salvador

Chocolate bonbons and craft beer make a surprise pairing in Cebu

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Jeeves De Veyra

CEBU -- Chocolates can be paired with wine, even whisky. But beer?Tokyo-based Filipina chocolatier Rose Hudson made quite an impression at last year’s Cebu Food and Wine Festival with her unique bonbons. Her Turon bonbon with a banana filling with a crispy sugary lumpia base, and her Cebu Puto Maya with a filling of gingery rice were like compressing traditional Filipino desserts into one chocolatey bite.This year, she’s back with a new bonbon, and a collaboration with Cebu-based craft beer brewery Bisaya Brew as part of the Grand Tasting that kicked off this year’s Cebu Food and Wine Festival.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751158499456bandila.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Rose Hudson and her Bandila bonbon. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Hudson had her own corner at the festival launch venue, Galo Bar and Grill, where she gave out samples of her freshly made bonbons. The newest one was her interpretation of the Philippine flag as a bonbon with the mango ganache and pineapple compote filling representing Visayas and Mindanao, and the coconut crisp base for Luzon.For the beer pairing, Hudson shared the stage with Bisaya Brew brewmaster Benoit Chenier. They recommended to have a sip of the beer then have a nibble of the bonbon to appreciate the separate flavors. Only then does one take in the rest of the bonbon and a swig of the remaining beer to let the two mingle on the palate.For all the pairings, Chenier said he wanted the beer and the chocolate to talk to each other with neither one drowning the other out, the beer drinker just savoring the conversation.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751158575592beers with chocolate.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Beer and bonbons pairing. Jeeves de Veyra</div>They started off with a pilsner paired with a sans rival-inspired Cashew Meringue bonbon, with the sugary sweetness nicely taming the pilsner’s hoppy bite.The next two pairings were with the dry and crisp Bisaya Brew lager. My personal favorite pair was the second one with the Apple Pie bonbon’s green apple brightness making the malty lager come alive.It was the same story with the next pairing, the lager’s lively maltiness coming forward, this time because of the sweet sugary Caramel Chocolate bonbon.Chenier was particularly proud of the craft brewer’s sake-like light lager made with Japanese rice, calling it a chameleon because if can be drank with anything and wont overpower any flavors — even with something as delicately fruity as the Mango Tango, the milk chocolate bonbon with mango jam-like filling.The fourth pairing was like two people shouting their hearts out at a rock concert. For those who enjoy funky heady bitter IPAs, the pairing with the dark chocolate-forward Bulawan bonbon piled bitter beer on bitter chocolate. Those who like strong punchy flavors would love this.There were bonbons that were on the sweet side in the previous pairings but this last one had the syrupy muscovado notes of the psychedelic blue Galactic Latik, paired with the creamy cloudy Belgian Wheat Ale.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751158658713rose and benoit with chocolate beer.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Rose Hudson and Benoit Chenier show off the Chocolate Beer. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Hudson and Chenier closed the session with a surprise, opening bottles of their new Chocolate Beer. Chenier said it was a challenging brew since cacao has to be soaked in alcohol to extract flavor. Soak it too long and oil comes out instead of flavor. Oil shortens the shelf life of beer and drastically thins down the head – the white foam that forms on top of beer.The unusual thing about this new beer is that this is not a stout, the type of dark beer usually associated with chocolate or coffee that could be intimidating because of its strong flavors. This was a clear lager. Upon popping the cap, a pleasant milk chocolate aroma wafts out of the bottle that continues on as it&#x27;s sipped on the palate, without losing the lager&#x27;s crispness. This would make a nice dessert beer.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751158726792Rose with guests at the Bohol Chocolate Farms.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Rose Hudson with guests at Bohol Chocolate Farm. Handout</div>Hudson’s dream is to sustainably source single-origin chocolate from her home province, Bohol. She operates Bohol Chocolate Farm that grows different varieties of cacao that she uses for her bonbons though she also buys from other farmers on the island. The farm is open for agri-tourism visits that offer a fascinating look through the whole cacao and chocolate value chain. Visitors can visit the nurseries, see where the cacao is grown, harvest the cacao, learn about drying, processing and fermentation, and even make their own chocolate bars at the end of the tour.Hudson will be in Manila sometime in August. She is still planning her calendar for her visit, and hopefully she will have a repeat of the chocolate pairing at that time.

Who says beer and chocolate don’t mix? At the Cebu Food and Wine Festival, chocolatier Rose Hudson teamed up with Bisaya Brew for an unexpected tasting menu that matched her Filipino-inspired bonbons with local craft brews.

Who says beer and chocolate don’t mix? At the Cebu Food and Wine Festival, chocolatier Rose Hudson teamed up with Bisaya Brew for an unexpected tasting menu that matched her Filipino-inspired bonbons with local craft brews.

Beer meets bonbons: Chocolate and craft beer make a surprise pairing in Cebu

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Beer meets bonbons: Chocolate and craft beer make a surprise pairing in Cebu

Jeeves De Veyra

Published Jun 29, 2025 09:26 AM PHT

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Rose Hudson

Bisaya Brew

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craft beer

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