It’s holiday season again, and there’s just so much stuff going on that we think you shouldn’t miss.
Let’s get on with it, shall we?
Saturday Beer Club at Morganfield’s
If you’re looking out for a chance to drink a great many beers for not a lot of money, then this might be your best bet.
For 55 bucks, you can help yourself to as many beers and as much food as you like at BarMF at Morganfield’s. The idea is to get introduced to a wide variety of beers, including IPAs, porters, ciders and wheat beers. Of course, you can just drink 30 pints of your favourite beer- it’s up to you.
When we were there for the inaugural edition, the beers come in half pints, which is all to the good, since we had a bit of each of the ten or more on offer. While the Stone IPA is crisp, hoppy, but not particularly remarkable, there are some interesting ales and lagers worth checking out.
We recommend the Beerfarm West Coast Lager, a pale beauty with a hoppy aroma, light body and a crisp and citrusy finish.
Also be sure to try the Sweetwater Coastal IPA. It’s a tropical style IPA with the requisite hops, but a pronounced citrus and pineapple flavour; on the whole, fairly rounded and mellow. If you’re even more adventurous, you can try the Sweetwater Blue, a beer with a very distinct flavour of blueberries.
Food is also available free flow- and is pretty good to boot (some would say surprisingly so, given the price). The Smokey Bacon Bourbon Ribs and the Coffee Beef Cubes were both particularly delicious, especially with a pint to wash them down.
The main problem is that it’s only on every third Saturday of the month, so be prepared for a wait in between sessions.
Details:
Date: 16 June 2018, Saturday
Time: 4pm to 7pm
Venue: Morganfield’s Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road, #11-03/04, Singapore 238896
Tickets available at $55 here.
Origin Vintage Brunch
The newly renovated Shangri-La boasts more than an excellent bar. Sister restaurant Origin Grill also serves a mean course of roast meat.
They also happen to have a Sunday brunch that semi-professional alcoholics might find to be of interest. The basic brunch, consisting of food plus non alcoholic drinks weights in at $108++, but the trick is that there’s an option to add-on a free-flow of “regular” wines and cocktails, or vintage wines, at a total cost of $168++ and $208++, respectively.
Now, the wines rotate regularly, but when we were there, we got to taste a “regular” wine- a delightful 2015 Vincent Girardin Bourgogne Rouge served from a magnum bottle. It exhibits the elegance of a Burgundy Pinot Noir, having delicious notes of cherry, red berries, earth, mushroom with a bit of floral lilac. Quite remarkable for a regular wine, indeed.
Of course, there’s no point going for just the regular wines when you can go down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. We had an Alsatian Riesling, the Domaine Trimbach, Cuvee Frederic Emile 2007. The classic Riesling characteristics of lemon, lime, a mild petrol note and a crisp acidity are there, along with a very slight umami note. A good wine to have with light dishes, such as the smoked salmon on the brunch menu.
For those who prefer a drop of red, there is the 2004 Bodegas Lopez de Heredia, Vina Tondonia Riserva from Rioja. Like many other Rioja tempranillos, it was aged in American oak casks, so it has a rich vanilla and toast bouquet. A sip reveals rich blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries, along with some herbs, sour cherry and a vanilla finish. A rich and robust wine.
The star was a 2011 Chateau Pibran, a heart Bordeaux wine from Pauillac. It has that wonderful aged Bordeaux funk on the bouquet, along with a nice scent of dark berries. It is a refined and restrained wine, with a surprising amount of freshness melded with a powerful flavour of dark berries and green spice. A nice backbone of soft tannins help give it a nice structure and elegance. Marvellous.
Now, naturally, while we could drink all day, wine is best matched with food. Sadly, we found that most of the main courses available were not all that exciting. The best of the bunch is probably the Origins Open Steak Sandwich, and the Rangers Valley Minute Steak. Both are tender and juicy, with a light crust of char giving them a wonderful edge. Unfortunately, we had a quick relook at the menu, and they’ve both been rotated out of the current offering. Still,we think that you can’t really go wrong with anything grilled.
Other than the main course, however, the other dishes are quite delicious indeed. The Charred Asparagus is grilled just right to have both a nice green flavour, and a delicious char. The Doughnut Time, a glazed pulled pork doughnut with maple sriracha, is also pretty tasty. Tender pork, a nice smoke and chilli taste and soft, fluffy pastry is a winning combination.
You can, of course, eat as much dessert as you please. We like the After Eight Macaroons, which are oh-so-minty, and the freshly made crepes, made with your choice of fillings and toppings.
While the food is alright, the wines are clearly the star of the show. Instead of a Champagne Brunch, why not drink some excellent vintage wine? The price is quite right if you partake heartily of the fruit of the vine!
For more details, check out Origin’s website here.
The Sake Festival Singapore
Local sake bar Orihara Shoten is almost an institution in Singapore. If you’re a lover of sake, then you might have visited it at some point at its premises on Robertson Walk. It now stocks more than 400 exclusive labels from over 40 sake breweries, so there is no lack of choice, or indeed, quality.
What might be less known is that Orihara also organises The Sake Festival Singapore.
Now into its Sixth Edition, this year’s festival will showcase over 450 sake labels (and other liquors) from 42 breweries throughout Japan. Among these are the popular brands such as Dassai and Tatenokawa, and artisanal labels such as Yukinobousha, Bijoufu, and Gasanryu.
Other than drinking sake and getting a chance to meet brewmasters and brewery owners, there’s also plenty of other stuff to do:
- Taste umeshu, shochu, fruit liqueurs and other drinks
- Purchase Japanese tableware and homeware
- Get a free sake tasting cup (on a first come first served, limited basis) made by a Minoyaki master
Details:
Date: 23 June 2018, Saturday
Time: 1pm to 6pm – Last Admission at 4:30pm
Venue: Suntec City Convention Hall, Level 3, Summit Hall 1
Tickets $40 per ticket via SISTIC or in person at Orihara Shoten. $50 on the day itself at the door
Website
Harry’s World Cup
If you’re a football fan who wants to enjoy a beer with your games (or doesn’t want to pay the cable TV fees), you’ll be pleased to know that from 14 June – 15 July 2018, Harry’s will be extending their operating hours for the World Cup. This includes both the flagship store at Boat Quay, as well as your local neighbourhood watering hole.
Now, if you’re thirsty, you can also grab a Budweiser bucket deal ($49++ each) or exclusive beer cocktails. The usual finger food will, of course, be available.
For more information please visit www.harrys.com.sg.
