Top Tipples: Cocktail happenings around Singapore, including new menus and festivals
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The Ugly Tomatoes and Dirty Martini cocktails at Jigger & Pony.
PHOTOS: JIGGER & PONY
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New Menu: Jigger & Pony’s Identity
The experience of ordering a cocktail can be hit or miss – especially since so many come with vague flavour lists that do not paint an accurate picture of the drink’s taste profile.
But at Jigger & Pony in Tanjong Pagar Road, it is difficult to go wrong. After all, this is a venue that came in second place in the 2022 ranking of Asia’s Best Bars.
One of the drinks on its new Identity cocktail menu is Ugly Tomatoes ($28++), which reminds me of a light and spicy Bloody Mary – or an alcoholic rasam (South Indian tomato broth) – with its mix of gin, tomato puree and kummel, a liqueur flavoured with caraway cumin and fennel.
If you are more inclined to a classic cocktail, its rendition of the Dirty Martini ($28++) wins me over. The use of a specially engineered olive brine adds just the right amount of umami to balance out the gin and dry vermouth, and the trio of miso cream cheese stuffed olives elevate the otherwise humble cocktail garnish.
Info: www.jiggerandpony.com
New menu: Tippling Club’s Guide to Modern Drinking, Volume III
The Funky Monks cocktail at Tippling Club.
PHOTO: TIPPLING CLUB
Under the auspices of its head bartender Arathorn Grey, Tippling Club in Tanjong Pagar Road is a cosy and welcoming place to wind down with a cocktail.
Mr Grey is always affable and amenable to freestyling a cocktail according to a customer’s preferences. But his new cocktail menu, A Guide to Modern Drinking, Volume III – 6 Decades of Music, is a compendium of very respectable tipples.
The menu’s 18 drinks are inspired by songs from different eras, from the 1940s to the 1990s.
White Christmas ($24++), inspired by the song of the same name by American singer Bing Crosby, immediately catches my eye with its ingredient list that included metaxa spirit, cacao and cream. With its spicy and milky notes, the cocktail reminds me of a light and alcoholic version of eggnog, without any of the “ick” that the festive drink often elicits in people.
I do not expect to enjoy Funky Monks ($24++) – which is currently the hot favourite cocktail among customers – as much as I did. Named after a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, it contains rum, habanero, lime, ginger, blackcurrant and soda. The habanero adds a very subtle undertone of heat to what is otherwise a bright and vibrant drink.
Info: tipplingclub.com
New menu: Atlas’ Simple Pleasures
The Valley Of The Ashes and Occidental cocktails at Atlas.
PHOTO: ATLAS
Atlas is worth repeat visits just for the ambience alone – the high ceilings and opulent furnishings make for a dramatic setting that allows Parkview Square’s 1920s Art Deco theme to pervade its lobby’s interior as well.
But head bartender Lidiyanah K’s new Simple Pleasures drinking menu also continues the bar’s tradition of serving delicious cocktails that match its classy and elegant vibe.
The new drinks are categorised according to four classic libations that symbolise the glamour and glitz of the 1920s: the martini, the old-fashioned, the sour and the champagne cocktail.
Occidental ($26++) is one of the most popular additions, a spirit-forward martini that packs a whopping punch in a little glass with its 39.2 per cent alcohol-by-volume.
Limoncello and thyme take the edge off the sharp gin and vermouth combination, and make it a fun drink to kick-start the weekend on a Friday evening.
In contrast, The Valley Of The Ashes ($25++) is a variation on the Old Fashioned; using punchy American bourbon whiskey, and served in a sturdy whisky tumbler.
But just like the Occidental – and most of the drinks on Atlas’ menu – it is a drink to be sipped and slowly savoured. Rum, pomelo and the chocolate tuile garnish balance out the whiskey, and allow the melting ice to mellow out the drink rather than water it down.
Info: atlasbar.sg
Singapore Cocktail Festival’s Festival Village will include pop-ups by brands and appearances from top international bars.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE COCKTAIL FESTIVAL
Singapore Cocktail Festival comes back as a fully-fledged festival in May, after three years of hybrid and online editions. The flagship event is the Festival Village, which will take over the Bayfront Event Space from May 5 to 7.
Expect appearances from top international bars, such as Sidecar from New Delhi, Maybe Sammy from Sydney and Penicillin from Hong Kong, brand pop-ups, and more than 100 cocktails on offer, all priced at $15.
Tickets start at $45 for a day pass, which includes a welcome drink and a City Takeover wristband.
The City Takeover takes place from May 5 to 21, and sees 47 bars across Singapore hosting a multitude of activities including bar takeovers and workshops. They will also be shaking up special Signature Cocktails priced at $18++ for those with a City Takeover wristband.
Info: www.singaporecocktailfestival.com
World’s 50 Best Bars Ceremony
The World’s 50 Best Bars announcement ceremony will be coming to Singapore on Oct 17 — the first time the influential ranking has been hosted by an Asian city.
The ceremony will take place at Pasir Panjang Power Station, but expect a host of events to crop up across the island in the days running up to it, such as the Bartenders Fest on Oct 16 and guest shifts by international bartending talent.
Only two Singapore bars made it to the World’s 50 Best Bars in 2022 – Jigger & Pony at Amara Singapore came in 12th, while Manhattan at Regent Singapore was No. 33.
But historically, host cities perform well in the listing. The top bar in 2022, when the ceremony took place in Barcelona, was that city’s very own Paradiso.
And in 2021, when the ceremony was held in London, the Connaught Bar in the British capital’s Mayfair neighbourhood came in first.
