I’m a big fan of cocktails, as you can tell by now. One would consider very few of these mixed drinks to be “serious”, so they’re always more than appropriate when going out to have some fun.
It seems that many Singaporeans are too, judging by the sheer number of cocktail joints popping up over the past few years. I covered a good lot of them during last year’s Cocktail Week (here and here), and I’m glad that this year, I (and everyone else) get to once again enjoy some great drinks at very, very reasonable prices.
Like last year, bars will be serving up their best drinks and, if we’re lucky, some created specially for the occasion. Now, it’s your dollar and you should spend it however you like. If you have a favourite bar, then sitting there all week long is a great option. To really maximise the experience, why not do a little hopping around and try a few different bars? There’s plenty to see and do.
The organisers were kind enough to invite some resident alcoholics and I to a quick preview of Cocktail Week. It is, of course, impossible for us to try everything in one night (assuming that we don’t arrangements to get rolled home in a barrel), but it was definitely enough to make the countdown to March 12th, when the week starts for real, almost unbearable.
Our first stop was Bread Street Kitchen at Marina Bay Sands. While it is first and foremost a restaurant, the establishment has a hefty bar. For cocktail week, they’ve lined up a whole slew of different drinks. The Millionaire #5, a signature for the week, consists of Rum, Abricotine, Gin, Pomegranate Syrup, Lime juice and Plum Bitters. It’s pungent and sweet, with a little hint of spiciness.
Or if you’d like something a little more exotic, try the Cuero Forte. which is Monkey Shoulder blended scotch, Amaretto, Vanilla, Black Walnut Bitters, Chianti and Egg White for texture. I’m a big fan of this one. It’s got a rich, creamy texture to go with the nutty almonds, walnuts, butterscotch, cloves and vanilla flavours, which had the effect of whisking (ha ha) me away to a Patisserie. Not bad for an after dinner drink. If you’re early, you can even get a beautiful view of the Marina Bay at sunset; it’s an indescribable experience to watch the world go by while sipping a nice, cold drink.
A word to the wise, though; the drinks at Bread Street Kitchen tend to be a little on the sweet side, so if you don’t have sweet tooth, just let the bartender know that you’d prefer your drinks a touch less saccharine.
For those who would like a more intimate dining experience, you can try Jekyll and Hyde. For cocktail week, they’re offering not just drinks, but an omakase fusion Japanese-Italian supper from 1030pm every evening. Having tried the whole menu, there are some highlights that I’d heartily recommend.
The Cheese Balls were excellent. Nice, crisp exterior, but with a molten core of savoury cheese. It had just the right texture; a little bit drier and it would have been bland and flaky, a little bit wetter and it’d be a soggy mess. A great starter for a second-round munch.
The sliders were a mouthful of succulent beef topped with a spicy wasabi “sauce”. This isn’t for the faint hearted; the green paste set fire to my forehead the way it always does. It’d actually be even better with a nice gravy or mayo to balance that inferno of spice, but if you’re up to something a bit adventurous, then dig in.
And if you’d like to have something a bit richer, a Foie Gras Risotto is also on the menu. The Italian rice dish had a delectable fragrance from the fatty liver that set my mouth watering. Creamy, but not inundated with water. Delicious.
Of course, we can’t get away from a commentary on their cocktail entry, the Beatrix. The presentation is very unusual, with a wide bowl replacing the traditional coupe or old fashioned glasses we often see today. I was concerned at first that the fragrance of the cocktail would simply vanish into thin air (literally). That is not even considering the sheer logistics of having to pick up a whole bowl (which I hasten to remind you, takes two hands) every time once feels a little parched in the throat.
It turns out, though, that its purpose is not to be enjoyed alone, but rather to match the culinary delights arrayed around it. Beetroot, Water Chestnut, Fennel, Gin and simple syrup make for a cocktail that is balanced between herbal and fruity; bitter, sour and sweet. A nice drink to awaken the tastebuds before sampling the courses, but to also to soothe them after the food. In this regard, it performs admirably, despite its unusual appearance.
For a post-dining experience, there’s nothing like a trip to Lime House. While the citrus fruit is often paired with the rums served there, Lime is also slang in the Caribbean for hanging out informally. It’s certainly done a lot to live up to that, and has taken on a new colonial lounge vibe since Rum Jam. The furnishings are tasteful and minimal, and one can’t help but feel comfortable there. The drinks are rum based, of course. I had a Spicy and Stormy, a spiced version of the classic Dark and Stormy cocktail. It was drier than I expected, but it was certainly spicy enough with a chilli padi floating cheerily inside.
Rum, passion fruit puree and homemade cinnamon syrup are combined for a simple, fun drink called the Francis Drake. It’s a little on the sweet side, but it’s perfect as a digestif. Passionfruit is a perfect complement to the tropical flavours often found in rum, so the simplicity works well to blend the flavours and avoid convolution.
To round off the evening, I also sampled drinks at the newly opened bar Kite. Located at the slightly more offbeat Craig Road, it resembles a hipster cafe more than a bar, but that’s part of its charm. Not too stuffy and more casual; the one bar where you’d feel comfortable wearing a t-shirt and bermudas in. Bar Manager Sam Sim is a friendly chap who has a pleasant word for everyone. No one can doubt that he’s a local through-and-through, thoughm, and his drinks list for Cocktail Week reflects that.
I started off with the Inner Peace, a concoction of Ginger Flower Gin, Yuzu, Chrysanthemum Honey, Fresh Lemon, Pu Er & Cherry Bitters, which are very local flavours indeed. Citrus comes forward, but is met with distinct herbal and bitter flavours from the tea and bitters to round the saccharine edges off the drink. One can’t help but be reminded of a local Traditional Chinese Medicine store ,and echoes of a childhood spent walking around Chinatown. It’s a lovely drink, and my personal favourite of the whole evening.
The final treat of the night was a Soap Opera. A mixture of rye, maple syrup, Punt e Mes, Suze, orange bitters and “Bergamot Goodness”, it’s a lovely local take on a classic Manhattan. If you’re looking at the somewhat esoteric ingredients list and wondering what’s going on, Sam’s answer was that drink has a bit of everything, just like the eponymous soap opera. Sweet, sour, and bitter (we’ll exclude salty and umami here) come together in perfect proportion for a goodbye tipple. The bergamot foam and dehydrated orange are a particularly nice touch that fills the air with a fresh, yet rich scent. A lovely drink that’s only second to the Inner Peace.
The drinks I sampled, though excellent, were only a taster for the excitement to come. Cocktail week runs from the 12th to the 19th of March, and there’s plenty of time to enjoy the drinks at all (ok, some of the) 60 participating bars and restaurants with friends and loved ones.
If you’re at all interested in drinking, I’d suggest getting wristbands priced at $38, which will entitle you to full access to all Singapore Cocktail Week parties and bar pop-ups, 10% discount off workshops, brunches, and supper clubs, as well as $14++ signature cocktails at participating bars.
For more info, or to get wristbands or access to workshops, check out http://singaporecocktailweek.com.sg/.
