We like technology. We also like booze. The two can combine to produce hilarious results, as anyone who has texted while tipsy can tell you, but for the most part they have little to offer each other.
That is, unless you’re talking about making cocktails at home, which we rather enjoy (we have a whole section for that, if you’re curious). Now, technology, cocktails and home can unite in a strange matrimony.
Simply put, Diageo and UberEATS have teamed up to deliver cocktails to your door with their new service, #letscocktail.
We’re actually surprised that no one has tried to bring the three together before. People are coming around to the idea that cocktails are a natural complement to their food, and can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere.
Sure, there are wine delivery services such as BottlesXO, or beer being delivered to your doorstep. Even spirits can be delivered by your postman, thanks to the blazing power of the Internet.
Yet, no one in Singapore, and we mean no one, has managed to put cocktails in a parcel.
The reasons are quite simple.
One. It’s an absolute nightmare trying to get all the ingredients needed together. A typical cocktail has four to five ingredients, many of which have to be prepared fresh and delivered in a timely fashion. Without the right technology and delivery network (or minions, we’re told), bars can’t send them to the drinkers posthaste.
Two. Not everyone knows how to make the drinks themselves. The furious wrestling with shakers and the risk of ingredients going airborne is just too much, particularly in one’s first few attempts at home mixology.
Three. People used to go out drinking (and dining) a lot more. With all the food delivery services in Singapore bringing delectable cosmestibles to our doorsteps, people exercise the efficient option of simply dining, drinking and hosting at home more often in modern times.
Why bother?
We asked ourselves this question- after all, what’s stopping us from making our own drinks, particularly for us here at Highest Spirits?
That is, until we realised that it’s pretty much like asking why order takeout when you can cook? Sometimes, we simply don’t have the time to do all the necessary preparation- especially when we’re hosting house parties. Sometimes, we want to try something which we don’t have at home. Or maybe, we are just too tired (read:lazy) to make them ourselves.
If you don’t make your own drinks already, then it’s a fine way to enjoy cocktails at home without having to take up bartending. Either that, or you want a cocktail now, but also want to enjoy them in your pyjamas- as far away from a bar as possible.
How does it work?
- Download the UberEATS app
- Order a cocktail from selected bars and restaurants (right now, the list is Potato Head Folk, Highball, Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall, Tess Bar, The Library, Bitters & Love and Cache at Izy).
- Your order is delivered to you.
You can choose from 3 types of cocktails:
- Premade cocktails: No work required, just pour over ice and chill to drink.
- Cocktail kits: complete with everything you need to create your own restaurant-quality cocktail at home. This comes in a little box with all the ingredients and equipment required, including recipe, shakers and stirrers.
- Bottles of spirits and mixers: Meant for large parties where you make batches of drinks at once. None of the drinks are too complex- just stuff that you can make quickly to slake the thirst of a mob of parched drinkers.
How good is it, exactly?
We’d be remiss if we didn’t take a bit of time to look at the various options on offer. While we didn’t try everything, we got a pretty good idea of what kind of tipples await you.
We made the bespoke cocktails ourselves. Right out of the box, the Sugar, Spice and Everything Spice by Redtail (our headline image) was quite delicious, if a little sweet. The beauty of the making your own drinks by hand is that you can change the recipe any way you like- it’s your drink, after all. Making it was a simple affair; simply chuck the ingredients into a shaker in the portions described, shake, and serve. Easy.
If that seems like too much work, the bottled cocktails are a good compromise. We tried the Coffee Negroni by Potato Head Folk- the classic aperitivo was enhanced with bittersweet coffee notes in both nose and tongue. This particular twist isn’t a new idea, but the allure of roasted coffee beans, crossed with one of the best cocktails ever created, remains just as strong now as the first time we’ve tried it.
Here, we didn’t get to customise the drink, but it was definitely palatable enough to drink right out of the bottle- literally.
While none of the drinks had amazing complexity or originality, they certainly did not make for poor drinking. All of them had balance, nuance and heft. We would not be embarrassed to sip them ourselves or with friends in the comfort of our homes or offices. No fuss, no muss.
In the end, that’s what really matters.
Download the UberEATS app from the App Store or Google Play. Find out more at www.ubereats.com/singapore.
