How Inuman updates classic cocktails with Filipino ingredients

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One of the most interesting meals I’ve had in the past year was at Askal, a casual fine dining Filipino restaurant which opened on Exhibition St in 2024 (yes, I had the tempura duck balut, a fertilised egg embryo; yes, it was an experience; no, I probably wouldn’t have it again – but I’m glad I tried it once). It was an excellent introduction to plenty of novel flavours and a cuisine I hadn’t had much exposure to, and even though I mostly stuck to wine on that visit I definitely noticed that the cocktail list had much more flair than the usual Spritz-Negroni-Martini-variations formula that a lot of food-focused venues stick to.

The person to thank for that is the co-owner and beverage director, Ralph Libo-on, and so I was excited to hear they opened a dedicated rooftop cocktail bar, Inuman, where his drinks take centre stage. 

“ When we started Askal, it was always in the plans to open up a Filipino inspired cocktail bar,” says Ralph. “It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, and that was part of bringing me along to the Askal team. I’ve always wanted to express Filipino flavours through the creation of cocktails and do it in a unique way, while also paying homage to classic cocktail techniques and literature.”

Ralph has worked across Melbourne at Rum Diary, Rice Paper Scissors and Serai (some of you may know Ralph by his ‘hospo name’, Bruno, thanks to a passing resemblance to a certain fedora wearing singer). He got his start in the industry in New Zealand, in the most Kiwi way possible – he wanted to watch a rugby match, his mate worked for a catering company in the stadium and so he brought a white shirt, snuck in and pretended to work there. It just so happened he actually quite liked it, so confessed his subterfuge to management and was kept on as a bar back, which in turn led to him studying International Hospitality Management and the career he now has – a drop goal for the Melbourne hospo scene.

That said, Ralph’s parents emigrated from the Philippines to New Zealand and owned their own restaurants and cafés so he was surrounded by Filipino flavours and a hospo mindset from the get-go, which helped him to see an opportunity in Melbourne for high-end, well executed cocktails with a Filipino twist.

“Until recently the Filipino scene wasn’t prevalent in Melbourne and so once that started getting off its feet with the numerous restaurants that are opening up in the last three years, there was a gap in the market in terms of craft cocktails,” he explains. “A lot of the restaurants that were opening up were doing your basic juices and maybe like a Sex On The Beach. So I wanted to do something a little bit more refined, in the sense of quality ingredients and a nod to my heritage and the flavours that I grew up with.”

And refined is an understatement for Ralph’s drinks – they are sharp and well-balanced, with unusual flavours adding layers of complexity to otherwise approachable serves in a way that takes real skill. The Jeepney Ride, for example, is inspired by the Japanese Slipper but while it retains the signature green hue of the original it is brisk and fresh, with fruitiness from lambanog, a distilled spirit made from coconut sap, floral lift from makrut lime, and a savoury edge from dots of curry leaf oil. The Bruno Margs will live rent free in my head for a while, with calamansi as the citrus complemented by cardamom, and a more-ish salinity from bagoong (fermented shrimp) making it one of the best Margarita twists I’ve ever had. 

Ralph relies on his understanding of preservation techniques to make the most out of the often short windows to get some of these less readily available ingredients – calamansi features in multiple drinks as he makes jams, shrubs and calamansi-cello while they’re in season. Using them to play on classics, combined with his friendly and knowledgeable demeanour behind the bar, creates a trust with the guest to guide them out of their comfort zone.

“What I ultimately want to achieve is having people like myself, or migrants to Australia, to really showcase their upbringing and also the flavours that they’ve grown up with in a way that pays homage to the classic techniques of bartending and bartenders. Hopefully I’ll get to inspire a generation where they’re not so scared to use unique flavours. That’s something that I’ve always been passionate about.”

With drinks like these, he’s definitely succeeding.

Around the Bars

• The Top 4 for the international categories at the Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail have been announced, and Melbourne’s Luke Whearty has made the cut in the International Bartender of the Year category; Caretaker’s Cottage has made it to the Top 4 of the Best International Bar Team award (and up against Satan’s Whiskers, Bar Leone, and Panda & Sons), and into the Top 4 for Best International Cocktail Bar; meanwhile, Sydney bar Maybe Sammy has made the cut for World’s Best Cocktail Menu. You can see the results here.
• Gin Palace is celebrating World Gin Day as only they can this Saturday 14th July with a Fear and Loathing in Las Palace theme – costumes are encouraged, they’ll have five gin producers there and ‘buy one, receive another’ Martinis, G&Ts and Negronis from 2:30pm until late. Expect juniper based debauchery!
• Koji is a bit of a buzz word these days, if you’ve always wanted to learn a bit more about it there’s an industry masterclass hosted by Reed & Co Distillery at Bar Clara tomorrow Wednesday 11th from 2pm to taste through their range of Koji spirits – RSVP here.